Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits

Sooner or later, every nonprofit leader faces a difficult leadership moment. You bring someone onto your team because you believe in them. They care about the mission and want to help move the organization forward. But over time something starts to feel off. Deadlines slip. Details are missed. Results are not what they should be. Now you are left wondering what the real issue is. Is it a coaching...

Brainstorming meetings are supposed to spark creativity, solve problems, and move your nonprofit forward. But for many leaders, they end up feeling like a waste of time, energy, and attention. In this episode, nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman explains why most brainstorming sessions fail and shares a simple 7-step framework nonprofit leaders can use to design meetings that produce clear ideas,...

Each nonprofit grows through 5 distinct phases in its early years, and in this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, Matt Stockman explains how nonprofit leaders move from early traction into long-term sustainability by understanding where their organization sits in the development cycle. If you’re trying to grow your donor base, stabilize funding, scale programs, or strengthen your leader...

Every nonprofit begins the same way: with a problem that refuses to leave your mind. In this episode, Matt introduces the Nonprofit Flight Path , a five-phase framework that maps the predictable journey every nonprofit takes from early dreaming to long-term sustainability. Today’s focus is on the first two phases: Phase One: The Dreaming Phase Phase Two: The Building Consensus Phase If you are in...

There is a critical moment in the early life of almost every nonprofit when leaders feel pressure to go bigger. More marketing. More emails. More social posts. A bigger event. A broader appeal. And when those efforts fall flat, it is easy to assume something is wrong with the mission. In this episode, I explain why the problem usually is not your mission at all. It is timing. This is part three of...

What comes after your very first nonprofit gifts? For most startup and early-stage nonprofits, the next critical source of funding is not grants, events, or online campaigns. It is your board and your board’s network. In this second episode of a three-part series on securing your first nonprofit dollars, we focus on the real role your board plays in early fundraising, why board giving is about val...

What do you do when your nonprofit officially exists, the paperwork is approved, the vision is clear, and everything else is still at zero? Zero names in the database.  Zero donors.  Zero dollars in the bank. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , Matt Stockman kicks off Part 1 of a three-part series on how startup and early-stage nonprofits secure their very first dollars. If you...

When a professional athlete hits a slump, the solution is rarely something flashy. Coaches bring players back to the fundamentals. Stance. Form. Focus. Repetition. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , Matt Stockman applies that same principle to nonprofit leadership. When your organization feels harder to run than it should, when every solution seems to create two new problems, i...

Many nonprofit leaders celebrate raising money, yet still find themselves unable to pay the bills. In this episode, Matt Stockman unpacks one of the most common and dangerous funding traps facing small and growing nonprofits: an overdependence on restricted giving. You will learn why restricted gifts are not the villain, how they can quietly undermine your organization’s stability, and how to shif...

Many nonprofit leaders have a powerful vision, a meaningful mission, and a deep personal calling. Yet when it comes time to raise funds, they hit unexpected resistance. In this episode, Matt Stockman explains why passion alone does not create a fundable nonprofit program and how to transform a heartfelt idea into a clear, credible, and sustainable program that donors and foundations are willing to...

In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits , Matt Stockman breaks down the three core marketing channels that most small and early-stage nonprofits actually need. Rather than chasing every new platform or trend, Matt explains how focusing on the right channels, in the right order, can reduce overwhelm, build trust, and create sustainable momentu...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , Matt breaks down a simple, practical, and highly effective three-email year-end fundraising strategy designed specifically for startup, small, and growing nonprofits . Whether you’re behind on your December communications or trying to maximize year-end generosity, this episode gives you a proven roadmap to follow. Matt shows why email is still...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits , Matt digs into one of the biggest barriers to nonprofit effectiveness: clutter. Not the kind in your hall closet, but the kind that shows up in your donor messaging, your schedule, your internal processes, and even your website . Pulling inspiration from Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism , Matt explore...

In this second part of his conversation with veteran nonprofit leader Tom Atema , host Matt Stockman dives deeper into the heart of leadership and fundraising . With over 50 years of experience leading organizations like Heart for Lebanon , John Maxwell’s Equip , and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association , Tom shares timeless wisdom for nonprofit founders and fundraisers on how to build meanin...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits , host Matt Stockman sits down with veteran nonprofit leader Tom Atema , co-founder of Heart for Lebanon and former VP with John Maxwell’s Equip . With more than 50 years of experience in ministry and development work, Tom shares timeless, faith-driven wisdom on what it really means to build meaningful...

If you’ve ever felt like every week starts from zero — or like every day is more reactive than proactive — this episode is for you. Matt Stockman breaks down how to escape the constant cycle of overwhelm by creating what he calls your Nonprofit Operations Flywheel : a simple set of systems that give your organization rhythm, predictability, and peace of mind. In this practical, step-by-step episod...

Complexity quietly chokes far too many nonprofits—large and small. Spreadsheets multiply, meetings take over calendars, and software stacks pile up in the name of “getting organized.” But the truth is, the best-run nonprofits are not the ones that are more complicated—they’re the ones that are simpler . In this episode, Matt Stockman breaks down how unnecessary complexity creeps into nonprofit ope...

Leadership expert Max Dupree once said, “We cannot become what we want by remaining where we are.” In this episode of The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , host Matt Stockman unpacks one of the biggest leadership hurdles nonprofit leaders face — decision paralysis . Whether it’s keeping a struggling team member too long, clinging to a tired fundraising event, or avoiding an uncomfortable board conve...

One of the biggest mistakes startup and small nonprofits make is trying to serve too many people with too broad of a mission. The result? Your message gets fuzzy, donors aren’t sure exactly who they’re helping, and your programs end up stretched thin. The truth is this: clarity creates impact. Donors don’t give to “programs” or “initiatives”—they give to change a life. They want to see a face, kno...

Making an emotional connection with your donors is key to fundraising success. But what happens when that emotional momentum hits a digital wall? So often, the moment a donor is ready to make a gift, the experience on your website feels different, broken, or disconnected—and that can cost you a donation and, more importantly, the trust you’ve worked so hard to build. In this episode, host Matt Sto...

Fundraising is the lifeblood of your nonprofit—but it doesn’t have to leave you and your team exhausted. In this episode, host Matt Stockman shares five common fundraising practices that drain small nonprofit leaders of their limited energy and capacity. More importantly, he offers practical alternatives that build sustainability, trust, and stronger donor relationships. What you’ll learn in this...

How do you build lasting trust with donors when your nonprofit is small and your budget is limited? In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , Matt takes a deep dive into one of the most recognized nonprofits in the world— Charity: Water —and uncovers what every small or startup nonprofit can learn from their approach. You’ll discover: The 100% Model and how you can adapt it even if yo...

In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast , host Matt Stockman addresses a common fear among nonprofit leaders: annoying their donors. He explains that most donors actually stop giving because they don't hear from the organization, not because they lose interest. Matt breaks down why donor communication isn't a transactional obligation, but a way to build a relationship based on trust a...

Are you a new or small nonprofit leader who gets a knot in your stomach at the mention of "finances"? You're not alone. Most of us get into this work to make an impact, not to stare at spreadsheets. But ignoring the numbers can put your mission at risk. In this episode of The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits , host Matt Stockman demystifies financial managem...

In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, host Matt Stockman shares four essential principles for leading your team through difficult seasons. Every nonprofit faces storms—whether it's staff turnover, a shift in funding, or external political changes. How a leader responds during these times can define the future of the organization. Matt shares a story about a client who took over a s...