Nonprofit Radio Show

How can you take away information to get more done? How might less help you better move others to action? In this episode, Nancy and Sarah take recent research on "less is more" and apply it to nonprofit communications and finance. That's all you need to know to take a listen. Let us know what you think! Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

It is grantwriting time. So many of our nonprofit colleagues are spending a lot of time filling out forms, checking boxes, and trying to figure out how to explain their work within strict character counts. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah make a list of a few questions they wish family foundations-- really any foundation-- would ask us. They share what these questions would reveal-- and what foundations might listen for. You'll finish the episode with new ideas on how to ask and answer questions towards building stronger relationships. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Thanking someone is a powerful two-way street that invites further connection and collaboration. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about why thanking people matters both in terms of our own personal well-being and our organization's mission. They walk through three kinds of thank yous and why they matter. By the end of the episode, you will have reflected on have-to, want-to, and get-to thank you messages and how you could implement them within your organization. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

We’ve been noticing how hard “big picture thinking” can be for nonprofit people who so commonly are too busy getting things done to pause and consider the larger landscape. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah explain what “big picture thinking” is, why it matters, and how your organization can expand how you think about your work. You’ll finish listening with a few strategies to put to work within your organization to change the questions you ask and engage more people in key conversations. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Donor meetings can be mysterious and stressful to some. Making an ask for money isn't something we all intuitively know how to do. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah demystify the donor meeting to explain what happens at a typical donor meeting and how you can best prepare. They provide tips on how to think about donor meetings as opportunities to build a relationship with an important member of your community. You'll finish your listening with concrete ideas on how you can strengthen your donor meetings. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Nonprofits host a lot of gatherings: board meetings, fundraising events, volunteer trainings, etc. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah explore how to create transformational gatherings, from board meetings to fundraising events. They draw on the wisdom of gathering expert Priya Parker to expand how we think about events and simple steps we can do to make them more meaningful. They consider how to give each event a purpose, ways to create magical spaces that are different from people's everyday world, and how to begin a gathering. You will walk away with tips on how you can create transformational gatherings. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Nancy and Sarah regularly get asked nonprofit questions. Often they are in the form of “This is happening in our nonprofit. Is that normal?” In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about common questions and how they would approach them. You will learn strategies to get to the bottom of what your nonprofit’s challenge really might be. Grab your magnifying glass to practice how you might sleuth out what’s at the core of keeping you from meeting your mission. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

A new year has begun, and for many that means resolutions. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about what mission-supporting habits they are going to focus on as we start a new year. You’ll get some ideas on how you might approach the year to set yourself up for success. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Many of us know community giving projects. They are community-wide invitations for people to give to their favorite nonprofits, usually on one day or in one period of time. Our colleagues in Washington State may know GiveBig. In this episode, Sarah tells Nancy about the story of her local community giving project, Give Methow, and how it has created giving ambassadors throughout the community. They talk about some of general lessons any nonprofit leader can learn from Give Methow and why it matters. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

It is mid-November, and you have six weeks to meet your organization's annual fundraising goal. What are your options? In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk through four end-of-year fundraising strategies for folks who may be falling short on their fundraising goal. As the year's clock counts down, there's still time to be strategic and find ways to invite your donors or potential donors to be a part of the important work you do. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

"My board members won't...." fill in the blank: attend meetings, raise money, get more deeply involved in the issues we are facing, etc. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about why board members won't and what Executive Directors, board chairs, and others can do about it. They unpack what might be behind the "won't" and how we can change how we exchange board members to turn a "won't" to a "will." Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

We are hearing it all the time. We ask someone "How are you?," and their response is "Busy!" We get asked, and our natural response is the same: "I'm so busy." In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about why "busy" can work against what we are really trying to achieve. They explore the emotions behind it and alternatives to describe how we are actually doing. Ultimately we are busy doing important things, and we want to invite conversation about that. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Nonprofits are facing all of the same inflationary pressures as others across our communities. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about how a nonprofit can respond to inflation, particularly related to finance and fundraising. They share some ideas for thinking about salary adjustments, communicating with donors and supporters, and engaging board members in scenario planning. They highlight the importance of true cost accounting and advocacy as ways to expand the amount of money you have to work with. --- Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

A few episodes ago, Sarah shared a vision of nonprofit leaders helping each other by facilitating each other's retreats. That invites the question of how to facilitate well. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah invite facilitation expert Mike Beebe to share his wisdom on how to facilitate a meeting or event effectively. Mike talks about what facilitation is, how to do it well, and strategies to engage everyone in the conversation. Mike addresses what is hard about facilitation and some options to get professional development in facilitation. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

It is easy to get caught up in what is not going well these days. In this episode, Sarah tells the story of the board member who went home from a meeting and made a "good things list" to remind each other what is going well. Nancy and Sarah share a few things on their good things list this summer. What is on yours? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

There is a world of help available to nonprofits. The question is how to access the kind of help you need when you need it! In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk through a list of who is available to help nonprofits. They highlight how these types of help might be most useful. Who do you find most helpful? Let us know. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

How do we make sure our boards are fully functioning in a joyful, productive way? In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk to nonprofit staff members about what they can do to support their board as they build a movement for their mission. They talk about three ways staff members can help boards today: time, job roles, and communication. This is the second in a two-part series on boards. Nancy and Sarah shared tips for board members in the previous episode. Make sure you listen to that episode to pick up some tips for board members. At the start of the episode, Nancy announces her new board on-demand learning program, available on www.nonprofitlearning.center. "The Nonprofit Board Certificate Program" is available in English and Spanish. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

How do we make sure our boards are fully functioning in a joyful, productive way? In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about why nonprofits have a board and what boards need to focus on to build a movement for their mission. They talk about what governance means in every day language, and how a board is accountable to their community, their purpose, and the organization. This is the first in a two-part series on boards. Nancy and Sarah will share tips for staff members working with boards in the next episode. At the start of the episode, Nancy announces her new board on-demand learning program, available on www.nonprofitlearning.center. "The Nonprofit Board Certificate Program" is available in English and Spanish. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

Nonprofit Radio Show co-host Sarah Brooks has a new job as Executive Director of the Methow Conservancy in Eastern Washington. In this episode, Nancy asks Sarah about leadership transition and building a movement during the turbulence of 2022. Have you recently changed jobs? How would you answer these questions? (Read about the Methow Conservancy's recent work returning land to the Colville Tribe.) Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.

People who used to work on behalf of your mission are important people in your movement. Former staff members, board members, volunteers and others have played in important role in forming your work. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about "formers," why they matter, and how you can keep them connected to your mission and programs. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail.com. You can also follow us on these social media channels: You got this.