Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Further Together: Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations
Welcome to Small Nonprofit, the podcast designed for leaders, fundraisers, and advocates in the nonprofit sector who want to create real change. We provide small nonprofit organizations with strategies to enhance their fundraising campaigns, improve nonprofit governance, and implement ethical fundraising practices that resonate with today’s values-driven donors.
Hosted by an experienced nonprofit consultant, Maria Rio, this show delves into the unique challenges of nonprofit fundraising and community-centric fundraising, providing tools for donor engagement and major gifts fundraising.
👤 Who Should Listen?
This podcast is perfect for anyone involved in a small nonprofit seeking practical advice on fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, and board accountability. Whether you're looking for innovative fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations or trying to create an impact measurement framework that demonstrates your organization’s value, Small Nonprofit is here to guide you.
🎤 Core Topics We Cover
Community-Centric Fundraising: Learn how ethical fundraising practices can strengthen donor relationships, enhance donor engagement, and align your organization with values-based major giving principles. We’ll help you shift from a donor-centric model to one that prioritizes the community.
Systemic Change and Governance: From participatory budgeting to nonprofit board of directors best practices, we explore how to navigate the nonprofit industrial complex and embrace structures that foster diversity in nonprofit leadership and board accountability.
Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Tackle topics such as nonprofit burnout prevention and learn how to cultivate a healthy, anti-oppressive work culture that supports your team’s well-being.
Nonprofit Storytelling: Understand how to measure your nonprofit’s effectiveness through nonprofit impact measurement strategies and leverage nonprofit storytelling to create compelling narratives that attract donors.
📣 Engaging Conversations and Real-World Advice
In each episode, we bring you insights from experts in fundraising consulting, nonprofit grant writing, and capital campaign strategies. From interviews with fractional fundraisers and major gift officers to deep dives on fundraising tips and innovative fundraising ideas, we offer actionable advice that you can implement immediately to strengthen your organization’s impact.
💰 Learn How to Build a Sustainable Nonprofit
Every nonprofit leader faces the challenge of achieving financial sustainability. Our episodes address critical fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, providing insights on volunteer management, capacity building, and nonprofit marketing strategy. Gain access to tools that help you execute successful fundraising campaigns and build a foundation for long-term growth.
🤝 Join the Movement for Systemic Change
At The Small Nonprofit, we’re committed to transforming the nonprofit sector from the ground up. Our focus on systemic change and community-centric fundraising aligns with our mission to support nonprofits in creating equitable, sustainable communities. By addressing topics like values-based decision making and nonprofit transparency, we’re working to build a more ethical, inclusive sector.
❤️ Stay Connected
Subscribe to Small Nonprofit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform. Don’t miss an episode as we explore everything from fundraising tips to nonprofit social media strategy, and learn how you can become a stronger advocate for your organization’s mission.
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Top 10 Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Nonprofit Governance Challenges & Solutions: Bold Nonprofit Leadership & Sector Innovation with Nicole Gagliardi
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Does your nonprofit seem to be just scraping by even though everyone is working harder than ever? It's not just your organization. The nonprofit sector is in crisis, facing issues like shrinking revenue, chronic underfunding, staffing struggles, and increasing demands from the community.
Join Maria Rio and Nicole Gagliardi, a nonprofit governance consultant with nearly 20 years of experience, as they discuss the challenges and opportunities within nonprofit governance today.
Nicole shares her insights into how nonprofit leadership structures can hinder or help, trends impacting the sector, and how nonprofits can move towards innovative, community-centric governance.
This episode explores bold leadership strategies, addressing board challenges, and building capacity for long-term impact.
Nonprofit Governance Challenges & Solutions — The Highlights:
- How nonprofit governance structures impact bold leadership.
- Addressing the common struggles of nonprofit boards and staff.
- Trends threatening the nonprofit sector and solutions to adapt.
- Practical steps for nonprofit organizations to innovate governance models.
- Why collaborative networks and resource sharing are key for the sector.
🎧 Listen to more episodes for actionable fundraising tips and insights on nonprofit leadership, nonprofit governance, donor engagement, productivity & tools, and nonprofit storytelling strategies!
About Nicole Gagliardi:
Nicole helps nonprofit leaders build stronger governance structures, develop effective impact strategies, and enhance organizational capacity. Her goal is to empower organizations to advance their core purpose, successfully and sustainably, even in challenging times. With over 18 years of experience working in and alongside nonprofits, Nicole offers a sober view of the sector's challenges and provides actionable insights on how organizations can start adapting.
Links and Resources:
- Connect with Nicole Gagliardi on Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolegagliardi1/
- Connect with Maria on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mariario/
- Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/208666/supporters/new
- Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ujVXfd7qfmM
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
Does your nonprofit seem to be just scraping by even though everyone is working harder than ever? It's not just your organization. The nonprofit sector is in crisis, facing issues like shrinking revenue, chronic underfunding, staffing struggles, and increasing demands from the community.
Join Maria Rio and Nicole Gagliardi, a nonprofit governance consultant with nearly 20 years of experience, as they discuss the challenges and opportunities within nonprofit governance today.
Nicole shares her insights into how nonprofit leadership structures can hinder or help, trends impacting the sector, and how nonprofits can move towards innovative, community-centric governance.
This episode explores bold leadership strategies, addressing board challenges, and building capacity for long-term impact.
Nonprofit Governance Challenges & Solutions — The Highlights:
- How nonprofit governance structures impact bold leadership.
- Addressing the common struggles of nonprofit boards and staff.
- Trends threatening the nonprofit sector and solutions to adapt.
- Practical steps for nonprofit organizations to innovate governance models.
- Why collaborative networks and resource sharing are key for the sector.
🎧 Listen to more episodes for actionable fundraising tips and insights on nonprofit leadership, nonprofit governance, donor engagement, productivity & tools, and nonprofit storytelling strategies!
About Nicole Gagliardi:
Nicole helps nonprofit leaders build stronger governance structures, develop effective impact strategies, and enhance organizational capacity. Her goal is to empower organizations to advance their core purpose, successfully and sustainably, even in challenging times. With over 18 years of experience working in and alongside nonprofits, Nicole offers a sober view of the sector's challenges and provides actionable insights on how organizations can start adapting.
Links and Resources:
- Connect with Nicole Gagliardi on Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolegagliardi1/
- Connect with Maria on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mariario/
- Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/208666/supporters/new
- Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ujVXfd7qfmM
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
05/14/24 • 44 min
AI, fundraising, and you with Nejeed Kassam
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
AI is one of those buzzwords that has recently taken over people's minds. We imagine AI as a futuristic, thrilling, and scary opportunity. But we don't always recognize how it affects us or our work. The cool thing is that AI is being brought into our sector and has a lot of potentials to help organizations leverage their data to do more focused work or analyze and find new opportunities.
In today’s podcast, our guest, Nejeed Kassam, Lawyer, CEO and Founder of Keela, an impact technology company, talks about AI and how it helps small nonprofits manage their donors, mobilize resources, and raise more money.
Myths that Nejeed wants us to walk away from:
- AI will replace your job as a fundraiser. Nobody's coming for your jobs. You can't automate fundraising. That's not realistic. What you can do is allow folks to be less burnt out, allow them to prioritize more effectively, allow them to see patterns and focus their work in different ways.
- Spending time on data has no benefits for your organization. Quality data has many benefits for organizations. Aside from compliance, data helps organizations to prepare for donor meetings, and then to use it for reporting and analytics.
Nejeed’s thoughts around AI and Fundraising
- AI predictions help drive decision-making. Using patterns from data that you have collected will help drive your decision-making. Data can tell your organization a story about your donors that is not recognizable when we don’t see the big data picture. It can also help you identify ask levels or make decisions about where you spend your time and energy.
- Forecasting helps fundraisers. Understanding forecasting can help you understand your organization’s programming realities. It can understand whether you’re on track for where you want to be. You can make decisions when you have an idea of where you're going. It also helps identify when to ask for support, how much to ask for, and more.
- Benchmarking for fundraising. Data helps your organization to measure efficacy and focus on thinking about how you are doing relative to your goals. Being able to check yourself, being able to hold yourself as an organization and as a fundraiser accountable is really valuable because then you can lean on all these data points in these predictive analytics and know where you really need to dig in and not.
Favorite Quotes from Today’s Episode
“No, you can't automate fundraising. That's not realistic. What you can do is allow folks to be less burnt out, allow them to prioritize more effectively, allow them to see patterns and, um, focus their work in different ways because of the AI ultimately the effective use of artificial intelligence and fundraising is going to be because it’s deployed appropriately and then the fundraisers can take that knowledge and make decisions and steward better and build stronger relationships.”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
AI is one of those buzzwords that has recently taken over people's minds. We imagine AI as a futuristic, thrilling, and scary opportunity. But we don't always recognize how it affects us or our work. The cool thing is that AI is being brought into our sector and has a lot of potentials to help organizations leverage their data to do more focused work or analyze and find new opportunities.
In today’s podcast, our guest, Nejeed Kassam, Lawyer, CEO and Founder of Keela, an impact technology company, talks about AI and how it helps small nonprofits manage their donors, mobilize resources, and raise more money.
Myths that Nejeed wants us to walk away from:
- AI will replace your job as a fundraiser. Nobody's coming for your jobs. You can't automate fundraising. That's not realistic. What you can do is allow folks to be less burnt out, allow them to prioritize more effectively, allow them to see patterns and focus their work in different ways.
- Spending time on data has no benefits for your organization. Quality data has many benefits for organizations. Aside from compliance, data helps organizations to prepare for donor meetings, and then to use it for reporting and analytics.
Nejeed’s thoughts around AI and Fundraising
- AI predictions help drive decision-making. Using patterns from data that you have collected will help drive your decision-making. Data can tell your organization a story about your donors that is not recognizable when we don’t see the big data picture. It can also help you identify ask levels or make decisions about where you spend your time and energy.
- Forecasting helps fundraisers. Understanding forecasting can help you understand your organization’s programming realities. It can understand whether you’re on track for where you want to be. You can make decisions when you have an idea of where you're going. It also helps identify when to ask for support, how much to ask for, and more.
- Benchmarking for fundraising. Data helps your organization to measure efficacy and focus on thinking about how you are doing relative to your goals. Being able to check yourself, being able to hold yourself as an organization and as a fundraiser accountable is really valuable because then you can lean on all these data points in these predictive analytics and know where you really need to dig in and not.
Favorite Quotes from Today’s Episode
“No, you can't automate fundraising. That's not realistic. What you can do is allow folks to be less burnt out, allow them to prioritize more effectively, allow them to see patterns and, um, focus their work in different ways because of the AI ultimately the effective use of artificial intelligence and fundraising is going to be because it’s deployed appropriately and then the fundraisers can take that knowledge and make decisions and steward better and build stronger relationships.”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
12/06/21 • 37 min
an education journey for your donors with Aneil Gokhale
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Are your donors on the same page as your organization when it comes to understanding the work? Often, we think that there is this great divide between us and our donors - one that is not easily bridged. But Aniel Gokhale at The Toronto Foundation has been creating programs for donors to go on a learning journey to better understand how they can change how they give to align with their values.
What might be considered risky - engaging your donors in conversations about justice, equity and a redistribution of funds - has turned into a very successful fundraising campaign and community building initiative.
Myths that Aneil wants us to walk away from:
- Younger generations don’t give. In fact, younger generations often are excited to give but want a little more than just writing a cheque. They want to learn, be involved, and stay engaged. Think of how you can create a community of supporters and bring them along on a learning journey.
- We have to tiptoe around tough topics with our donors. It can be hard to challenge your donors beliefs around philanthropy, but definitely not impossible. Aneil has leaned on research their organization does as well as understanding the intentions of donors and their values, to broach topics of privilege and power, as well as funding organizations that have historically been underserved by philanthropy.
Aneil’s thoughts around bring your donors on a learning journey.
- You don’t have to be big or well resourced to bring your donors on a learning journey. Now is the time to have important conversations about equity. The world is going through changes and the status quo is being challenged. Your donors want to align their giving with their values but might not know how. Your donors also see you as the expert, so share your knowledge and experience.
- Let your experts lead the way. The Toronto Foundation ensured that their new equity priorities were driven by populations they wanted to serve and support. Remember that you are the experts and your donors want to learn from you.
- Now is the time to ask! Younger generations care and they want to be engaged in philanthropy. They expect to be focused on justice and equity and they want to be involved. Your donors are likely committed to their community and feel connected to the work they support.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“It was this idea of actually building out a learning journey and taking your donors on an experience where they're giving more than just that sum of money, but they're actually going out there and they are learning a ton of things about this topic that they care deeply about. So we basically took that concept and created a learning journey here in Toronto, focused on resilience, focused on really just trying to make people understand what the needs were in our community and really trying to underscore how they could make a difference and make an impact.”
Resources from this Episode
Email Aneil: agokhale@torontofoundation.ca
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
Are your donors on the same page as your organization when it comes to understanding the work? Often, we think that there is this great divide between us and our donors - one that is not easily bridged. But Aniel Gokhale at The Toronto Foundation has been creating programs for donors to go on a learning journey to better understand how they can change how they give to align with their values.
What might be considered risky - engaging your donors in conversations about justice, equity and a redistribution of funds - has turned into a very successful fundraising campaign and community building initiative.
Myths that Aneil wants us to walk away from:
- Younger generations don’t give. In fact, younger generations often are excited to give but want a little more than just writing a cheque. They want to learn, be involved, and stay engaged. Think of how you can create a community of supporters and bring them along on a learning journey.
- We have to tiptoe around tough topics with our donors. It can be hard to challenge your donors beliefs around philanthropy, but definitely not impossible. Aneil has leaned on research their organization does as well as understanding the intentions of donors and their values, to broach topics of privilege and power, as well as funding organizations that have historically been underserved by philanthropy.
Aneil’s thoughts around bring your donors on a learning journey.
- You don’t have to be big or well resourced to bring your donors on a learning journey. Now is the time to have important conversations about equity. The world is going through changes and the status quo is being challenged. Your donors want to align their giving with their values but might not know how. Your donors also see you as the expert, so share your knowledge and experience.
- Let your experts lead the way. The Toronto Foundation ensured that their new equity priorities were driven by populations they wanted to serve and support. Remember that you are the experts and your donors want to learn from you.
- Now is the time to ask! Younger generations care and they want to be engaged in philanthropy. They expect to be focused on justice and equity and they want to be involved. Your donors are likely committed to their community and feel connected to the work they support.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“It was this idea of actually building out a learning journey and taking your donors on an experience where they're giving more than just that sum of money, but they're actually going out there and they are learning a ton of things about this topic that they care deeply about. So we basically took that concept and created a learning journey here in Toronto, focused on resilience, focused on really just trying to make people understand what the needs were in our community and really trying to underscore how they could make a difference and make an impact.”
Resources from this Episode
Email Aneil: agokhale@torontofoundation.ca
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
11/08/21 • 41 min
06 - 22 Neurodiversity in the workplace with Isabella He and Isabelle Hsu
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Despite all the research that shows the untapped talent and capabilities of neurodiverse population, neurodiverse individuals are still facing significant barriers when seeking employment and adapting to workplace culture and practice that is not made accessible to them. How can employers proactively design a healthy workplace to support neurodiverse individuals to shine with their incredible talents? On today’s podcast, Isabella He and Isabelle Hsu, two young leaders of advocacy for neurodiversity, join us to share their insight and experience.
Isabelle and Isabella’s tips on making workplace accessible for neurodiverse individuals:
- Adopt a strength-based approach. Neurodiverse individuals might need specific accommodations to equip them to work in the style they feel comfortable with and show their amazing strengths. Focus on their strengths when you communicate and work with neurodiverse individuals. Adopt the mindset of how you can design the workplace to unleash the amazing strengths of your neurodiverse teammates.
- Raise general awareness and literacy about neurodiversity. The literacy around neurodiversity is still relatively low in our society. Seek resources that raise awareness at your workplace to learn more about neurodiversity so that you and your team know how to
- Seek help to design the accessibility policy and practice at your workplace. There are professional accessibility specialists that can help you design your workplace practice and support your workplace to be certified neurodiverse workplace.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“I founded SN Inclusion after realizing that some people I knew that I had no idea were neurodiverse were actually neurodiverse and they had such struggles getting into the workplace and face so many adversities due to a lot of the stigmas that still perpetuate yeah in our world today. Unemployment rates among individuals with autism spectrum disorder is at 85%. I was shocked by that statistics.” - Isabella
“One thing to keep in mind is that so many of us with neurodiverse conditions have unfortunately learned to keep our conditions private and try not to bother others or to advocate for our specific needs. Of course, there are also people who are the complete opposite of that. But in general, if an employer wants to make a workplace more friendly, I suggest they approach it in a more proactive way to ask what needs to be done instead of waiting for employees to approach you and tell you what they need.” - Isabelle
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
Despite all the research that shows the untapped talent and capabilities of neurodiverse population, neurodiverse individuals are still facing significant barriers when seeking employment and adapting to workplace culture and practice that is not made accessible to them. How can employers proactively design a healthy workplace to support neurodiverse individuals to shine with their incredible talents? On today’s podcast, Isabella He and Isabelle Hsu, two young leaders of advocacy for neurodiversity, join us to share their insight and experience.
Isabelle and Isabella’s tips on making workplace accessible for neurodiverse individuals:
- Adopt a strength-based approach. Neurodiverse individuals might need specific accommodations to equip them to work in the style they feel comfortable with and show their amazing strengths. Focus on their strengths when you communicate and work with neurodiverse individuals. Adopt the mindset of how you can design the workplace to unleash the amazing strengths of your neurodiverse teammates.
- Raise general awareness and literacy about neurodiversity. The literacy around neurodiversity is still relatively low in our society. Seek resources that raise awareness at your workplace to learn more about neurodiversity so that you and your team know how to
- Seek help to design the accessibility policy and practice at your workplace. There are professional accessibility specialists that can help you design your workplace practice and support your workplace to be certified neurodiverse workplace.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“I founded SN Inclusion after realizing that some people I knew that I had no idea were neurodiverse were actually neurodiverse and they had such struggles getting into the workplace and face so many adversities due to a lot of the stigmas that still perpetuate yeah in our world today. Unemployment rates among individuals with autism spectrum disorder is at 85%. I was shocked by that statistics.” - Isabella
“One thing to keep in mind is that so many of us with neurodiverse conditions have unfortunately learned to keep our conditions private and try not to bother others or to advocate for our specific needs. Of course, there are also people who are the complete opposite of that. But in general, if an employer wants to make a workplace more friendly, I suggest they approach it in a more proactive way to ask what needs to be done instead of waiting for employees to approach you and tell you what they need.” - Isabelle
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
06/07/21 • 26 min
the state of fundraising with Jacob O' Connor
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Changes to the charitable sector? Indeed.
You’ve probably felt those changes over the last few years—nothing like a pandemic to shake things up. You might have some anecdotes or stories of how things have changed, but today we’re diving into some of the research.
In this episode, I’m talking with Jacob O’ Connor, Senior Vice President of Charity Engagement at Canada Helps, to discuss The Giving Report 2022 which highlights insights and generational giving trends facing Canada’s charitable sector that are taking place as charities are still struggling with demands and challenges from the ongoing pandemic, and now significant challenges brought about by historic inflation rates. Don’t worry if you’re not in Canada - guaranteed you will benefit from understanding these trends (because they are likely true where you are too).
Key findings:
- Donors care about causes over affinity to specific organizations. The younger generation has a greater affinity for cause-based donations and support as opposed to giving to specific organizations. It’s important for nonprofits to know how they position themselves as contributors to these causes. This is a great opportunity for small organizations and underscores the importance of stewardship.
- Digital is here to stay. CanadaHelps saw a 119% increase year over year in giving in year one of the pandemic. Moreover, The Giving Report 2022 highlighted that younger generations find new and strategic ways to give online such as cryptocurrencies and securities.
Jacob’s Key Insights on Giving Trends 2022
- The giving gap: Donors aged 55+ are actually giving twice the amount of the 25 to 54 age group. This gap is growing and as a sector, we need to think about where we will be when this generation no longer has the capacity to give?
- Cause-based donations: The way you tell your stories and engage with fundamental causes or movements, such as social justice and environmental issues, will be very important to the next generation of donors. It’s important to know where your organization stands and how are you helping specific causes?
- Leveraging current trends and reports: Further than just education providing insights, this report serves as a call to action that Canadians need to step up and engage with the sector and support the sector that gives us so much.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“ Canadian charities have experienced rises in demand throughout the pandemic. In our panel, we saw that 11% of Canadians are accessing charitable services for their basic needs. This number, if the effects of the inflation pandemic don't change, expects to go up to 26%, which is staggering. Charities are already struggling to meet the demands and then the effects of inflation. We need to do more, we need Canadians to step up.”
“We want to amplify that the sector needs support. Even though the pandemic is coming hopefully to an end, inflation is here and yet it was a big drop over the last few years that we need to help the sector recover from. ”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
Changes to the charitable sector? Indeed.
You’ve probably felt those changes over the last few years—nothing like a pandemic to shake things up. You might have some anecdotes or stories of how things have changed, but today we’re diving into some of the research.
In this episode, I’m talking with Jacob O’ Connor, Senior Vice President of Charity Engagement at Canada Helps, to discuss The Giving Report 2022 which highlights insights and generational giving trends facing Canada’s charitable sector that are taking place as charities are still struggling with demands and challenges from the ongoing pandemic, and now significant challenges brought about by historic inflation rates. Don’t worry if you’re not in Canada - guaranteed you will benefit from understanding these trends (because they are likely true where you are too).
Key findings:
- Donors care about causes over affinity to specific organizations. The younger generation has a greater affinity for cause-based donations and support as opposed to giving to specific organizations. It’s important for nonprofits to know how they position themselves as contributors to these causes. This is a great opportunity for small organizations and underscores the importance of stewardship.
- Digital is here to stay. CanadaHelps saw a 119% increase year over year in giving in year one of the pandemic. Moreover, The Giving Report 2022 highlighted that younger generations find new and strategic ways to give online such as cryptocurrencies and securities.
Jacob’s Key Insights on Giving Trends 2022
- The giving gap: Donors aged 55+ are actually giving twice the amount of the 25 to 54 age group. This gap is growing and as a sector, we need to think about where we will be when this generation no longer has the capacity to give?
- Cause-based donations: The way you tell your stories and engage with fundamental causes or movements, such as social justice and environmental issues, will be very important to the next generation of donors. It’s important to know where your organization stands and how are you helping specific causes?
- Leveraging current trends and reports: Further than just education providing insights, this report serves as a call to action that Canadians need to step up and engage with the sector and support the sector that gives us so much.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“ Canadian charities have experienced rises in demand throughout the pandemic. In our panel, we saw that 11% of Canadians are accessing charitable services for their basic needs. This number, if the effects of the inflation pandemic don't change, expects to go up to 26%, which is staggering. Charities are already struggling to meet the demands and then the effects of inflation. We need to do more, we need Canadians to step up.”
“We want to amplify that the sector needs support. Even though the pandemic is coming hopefully to an end, inflation is here and yet it was a big drop over the last few years that we need to help the sector recover from. ”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
05/23/22 • 31 min
Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: Taking the 'Ick' Out of Fundraising Calls with Kel Haney
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Is your nonprofit fundraising strategy working? In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast , Maria speaks with Kel Haney, a fundraising coach and consultant, about transforming donor engagement through personalized and strategic phone calls. Kel introduces her "ditch the script" approach and her "five-minute fundraising ask" framework, which emphasizes authenticity, connection, and clear asks. Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or new to phone outreach, Kel’s insights will help you foster deeper relationships and make your calls more effective.
Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: Taking the 'Ick' Out of Fundraising Calls -- The Highlights:
- Why scripts don’t work
- The power of vulnerability
- Five-minute fundraising ask framework
- Effective voicemail strategies
- Time management for fundraising calls
Actionable Tips:
➜ Be prepared but flexible:Have talking points, but allow the conversation to flow naturally.
➜ Personalize your approach:Reference past interactions or specific donor interests to build rapport.
➜ Practice active listening:Make donors feel heard by acknowledging their concerns and interests.
➜ Follow up consistently:Whether via email or another call, keep the lines of communication open.
➜ Make specific asks:Avoid vague language; be clear about the amount or action you’re requesting.
Resources Mentioned:
- Kel’s Website: kelhaney.com
- Free Resource: Eight Phrases Not to Use in Fundraising and Five Tips for Mid-Level Giving
Connect with Us:
Subscribe and Review:
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Small Nonprofit Podcast on your favorite platform! Leave a review to help us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights. Watch this episode on YouTube.
Support the Podcast:
Support these conversations by donating here.
Coming Next Week:
Join us next week as Caitlin McBride shares how small nonprofits can streamline operations, set boundaries, and build a culture of philanthropy to drive lasting impact without burning out.
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
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Is your nonprofit fundraising strategy working? In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast , Maria speaks with Kel Haney, a fundraising coach and consultant, about transforming donor engagement through personalized and strategic phone calls. Kel introduces her "ditch the script" approach and her "five-minute fundraising ask" framework, which emphasizes authenticity, connection, and clear asks. Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or new to phone outreach, Kel’s insights will help you foster deeper relationships and make your calls more effective.
Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy: Taking the 'Ick' Out of Fundraising Calls -- The Highlights:
- Why scripts don’t work
- The power of vulnerability
- Five-minute fundraising ask framework
- Effective voicemail strategies
- Time management for fundraising calls
Actionable Tips:
➜ Be prepared but flexible:Have talking points, but allow the conversation to flow naturally.
➜ Personalize your approach:Reference past interactions or specific donor interests to build rapport.
➜ Practice active listening:Make donors feel heard by acknowledging their concerns and interests.
➜ Follow up consistently:Whether via email or another call, keep the lines of communication open.
➜ Make specific asks:Avoid vague language; be clear about the amount or action you’re requesting.
Resources Mentioned:
- Kel’s Website: kelhaney.com
- Free Resource: Eight Phrases Not to Use in Fundraising and Five Tips for Mid-Level Giving
Connect with Us:
Subscribe and Review:
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Small Nonprofit Podcast on your favorite platform! Leave a review to help us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights. Watch this episode on YouTube.
Support the Podcast:
Support these conversations by donating here.
Coming Next Week:
Join us next week as Caitlin McBride shares how small nonprofits can streamline operations, set boundaries, and build a culture of philanthropy to drive lasting impact without burning out.
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
01/14/25 • 26 min
Giving Trends with Jacob O'Connor
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
How have donors been giving this past year? And what’s the outlook for the future of giving? On today’s podcast episode, Jacob O’Connor, Vice President of Engagement at CanadaHelps, comes to share with us the latest giving trends published in CanadaHelps’ 2021 Giving Report.
Jacob’s highlights of 2021 giving trends
- Charities are adopting digital giving rapidly. During the pandemic, online giving grew 86% while overall giving decreased by 10%. While many charities needed to put a stop to their in-person fundraising efforts, they are seeing significant growth to their online giving. There is huge potential for charities that have not yet adopted online giving to make that shift.
- Young donors are giving to causes they deeply care about. Young donors who don’t necessarily have a very high income have stepped up in major ways during this pandemic. Not only are they giving to individual charities, they are also donating to cause based funds that will benefit a larger number of charities.
- Because of the diversification of donors, important issues and sectors are being supported in more significant ways. For instance, we’re seeing an increase for individual donation to Indigenous charities and arts and cultural sector
6
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“Young people are really engaged with the issues that are top of mind right now, and that's playing out across the board in all the given trends.”
“From a financial perspective, the shift from big checks to community-based giving is much more sustainable and less volatile, when you have 1000 donors versus one funder as your source of funding.”
Resources from this Episode
Connect with Jacob on LinkedIn
Read The 2021 Giving Report by CanadaHelps
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
How have donors been giving this past year? And what’s the outlook for the future of giving? On today’s podcast episode, Jacob O’Connor, Vice President of Engagement at CanadaHelps, comes to share with us the latest giving trends published in CanadaHelps’ 2021 Giving Report.
Jacob’s highlights of 2021 giving trends
- Charities are adopting digital giving rapidly. During the pandemic, online giving grew 86% while overall giving decreased by 10%. While many charities needed to put a stop to their in-person fundraising efforts, they are seeing significant growth to their online giving. There is huge potential for charities that have not yet adopted online giving to make that shift.
- Young donors are giving to causes they deeply care about. Young donors who don’t necessarily have a very high income have stepped up in major ways during this pandemic. Not only are they giving to individual charities, they are also donating to cause based funds that will benefit a larger number of charities.
- Because of the diversification of donors, important issues and sectors are being supported in more significant ways. For instance, we’re seeing an increase for individual donation to Indigenous charities and arts and cultural sector
6
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favourite quote on social media to share with us!
“Young people are really engaged with the issues that are top of mind right now, and that's playing out across the board in all the given trends.”
“From a financial perspective, the shift from big checks to community-based giving is much more sustainable and less volatile, when you have 1000 donors versus one funder as your source of funding.”
Resources from this Episode
Connect with Jacob on LinkedIn
Read The 2021 Giving Report by CanadaHelps
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
06/21/21 • 27 min
HR made simple with Bruce MacDonald
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: IMAGINE CANADA
From lack of opportunity to develop leaders or train managers to pay transparency, there are so many issues and topics about HR that we never seem to have time to do or be able to make the proper investments. It's going to be a big problem for our sector because our work is only as good as our teams. Our organizations are only as strong as our culture.
In today’s podcast episode, Bruce MacDonald, President, and CEO of Imagine Canada, is going to share with us HR Intervals - a new and entirely free human resources toolkit specifically designed for nonprofit professionals to help them manage new challenges and opportunities in our work cultures.
Myths that Bruce wants us to walk away from
- Small nonprofits can’t afford human resources. Some leaders may need to find some volunteers to help them out, whether it's a member of the board or just networking to find some HR folks. Start that conversation with the staff about the priorities and urgent needs of the organization and be willing to listen to them. A talented staff member who is inspired by this work could be the staff lead supported by the executive director. They can also access the information and resources they need to perform HR functions at their organizations with the new HR Intervals toolkit.
- Nonprofits shouldn’t invest in human resources. The pandemic posed new challenges in terms of attracting and retaining employees. Private-sector firms are improving their ability to attract and retain talent, which has an impact on charities and nonprofits. Companies are now offering incentives to work there, and it is critical to ensure that we have the best possible workplaces, fair workplaces, reasonable, transparent compensation, that the culture is there, that this equity and equality is more vital than it has been in quite some time because of this competition for talent.
Bruce’s thoughts around HR Intervals for Nonprofits
- Access to free information and resources. A vast majority of our sector does not have paid human resources talent inside their organizations, there can be a gap in terms of how organizations think about the management of their people. HR Intervals is made to bring a service that organizations can go to, to help leaders better understand, address, and guide people management in their organizations.
- Be intentional. HR Intervals offers a variety of resources and practices that can be utilized by nonprofits to assess their organizations. They can leverage this information to develop realistic opportunities and set priorities that will create a better workplace for their employees and enable them to do their mission effectively.
Favorite Quotes for Today’s Episode
“I think the one thing I've learned is you can't do it all at the same time or can do it all at once, but over time can create a basket of offerings that make it a place where people want to be, want to go and want to stay.”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
RE-RELEASE CURATED BY: IMAGINE CANADA
From lack of opportunity to develop leaders or train managers to pay transparency, there are so many issues and topics about HR that we never seem to have time to do or be able to make the proper investments. It's going to be a big problem for our sector because our work is only as good as our teams. Our organizations are only as strong as our culture.
In today’s podcast episode, Bruce MacDonald, President, and CEO of Imagine Canada, is going to share with us HR Intervals - a new and entirely free human resources toolkit specifically designed for nonprofit professionals to help them manage new challenges and opportunities in our work cultures.
Myths that Bruce wants us to walk away from
- Small nonprofits can’t afford human resources. Some leaders may need to find some volunteers to help them out, whether it's a member of the board or just networking to find some HR folks. Start that conversation with the staff about the priorities and urgent needs of the organization and be willing to listen to them. A talented staff member who is inspired by this work could be the staff lead supported by the executive director. They can also access the information and resources they need to perform HR functions at their organizations with the new HR Intervals toolkit.
- Nonprofits shouldn’t invest in human resources. The pandemic posed new challenges in terms of attracting and retaining employees. Private-sector firms are improving their ability to attract and retain talent, which has an impact on charities and nonprofits. Companies are now offering incentives to work there, and it is critical to ensure that we have the best possible workplaces, fair workplaces, reasonable, transparent compensation, that the culture is there, that this equity and equality is more vital than it has been in quite some time because of this competition for talent.
Bruce’s thoughts around HR Intervals for Nonprofits
- Access to free information and resources. A vast majority of our sector does not have paid human resources talent inside their organizations, there can be a gap in terms of how organizations think about the management of their people. HR Intervals is made to bring a service that organizations can go to, to help leaders better understand, address, and guide people management in their organizations.
- Be intentional. HR Intervals offers a variety of resources and practices that can be utilized by nonprofits to assess their organizations. They can leverage this information to develop realistic opportunities and set priorities that will create a better workplace for their employees and enable them to do their mission effectively.
Favorite Quotes for Today’s Episode
“I think the one thing I've learned is you can't do it all at the same time or can do it all at once, but over time can create a basket of offerings that make it a place where people want to be, want to go and want to stay.”
Resources from this Episode
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
08/04/22 • 35 min
upgrading your strategic planning process with Jennifer Riel
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Strategic planning is one of those seemingly boring things that we need to do every once in a while to have a vision and clarity around where our organization is going. But I've never seen it done as an exciting or innovative process in most small organizations.
In today’s episode, Jennifer Riel, IDEO’s global director of strategy (and probably one of the smartest people I’ve met), talks about how you can actually use that process to think about innovation and really have a strong impact on your organization.
Myths that Jennifer wants us to walk away from:
- Strategy is about updating old plans: Doing the status quo may look risk-free, but it may be extremely risky because the world has changed, or we lack the capabilities, or whatever the case may be. Holding the same standard hinders us from seeing other possibilities that could lead us to where we want to be.
- Strategy is all about budget and a thick binder full of initiatives: Strategy is a set of choices. And a choice means yes to some things and a no to other things, giving things up, trading things off. Real choices. And those choices are about how you are going to try to win in a particular way.
Jennifer’s thoughts around Strategy
- “Winning” for nonprofits: Strategy is about making choices that will allow you to win and for nonprofits, winning means achieving ambitions and creating the change that we want to see in the world. Jennifer encourages not for profits to think of choices about what they can uniquely do and what should they uniquely do to create the change that they are after?
- Start with human-centeredness: Understanding the context in which you are operating is important for nonprofits. You need to know what's happening in the community, what are the folks that you are working with, and what is it that is working for them or not? And use that to define the problem to be solved.
- Competitive advantage: For nonprofits, the competitive advantage is a reason a donor would give you the dollar instead of someone else, a reason to believe that you can achieve the outcome you're after more effectively or less expensively than someone else could.
- Knowing Your Capabilities: You need to know the capabilities and systems that you will need as an organization in order to implement your strategy. Be honest about where you are.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favorite quote on social media to share with us!
“The starting place is to use your existing understanding of the world, your collective wisdom as a leadership team to say what is the problem we need our new strategy to solve. Start there, then explore the possibilities. So don't try to get to that answer right away, diverge a little bit and explore different playing fields, different potential sources of advantage. Those are the two fundamental questions. “
Resources from this Episode
Playing to Win by Roger Martin
Jennifer Riel Twitter
The Good Partnership
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
Strategic planning is one of those seemingly boring things that we need to do every once in a while to have a vision and clarity around where our organization is going. But I've never seen it done as an exciting or innovative process in most small organizations.
In today’s episode, Jennifer Riel, IDEO’s global director of strategy (and probably one of the smartest people I’ve met), talks about how you can actually use that process to think about innovation and really have a strong impact on your organization.
Myths that Jennifer wants us to walk away from:
- Strategy is about updating old plans: Doing the status quo may look risk-free, but it may be extremely risky because the world has changed, or we lack the capabilities, or whatever the case may be. Holding the same standard hinders us from seeing other possibilities that could lead us to where we want to be.
- Strategy is all about budget and a thick binder full of initiatives: Strategy is a set of choices. And a choice means yes to some things and a no to other things, giving things up, trading things off. Real choices. And those choices are about how you are going to try to win in a particular way.
Jennifer’s thoughts around Strategy
- “Winning” for nonprofits: Strategy is about making choices that will allow you to win and for nonprofits, winning means achieving ambitions and creating the change that we want to see in the world. Jennifer encourages not for profits to think of choices about what they can uniquely do and what should they uniquely do to create the change that they are after?
- Start with human-centeredness: Understanding the context in which you are operating is important for nonprofits. You need to know what's happening in the community, what are the folks that you are working with, and what is it that is working for them or not? And use that to define the problem to be solved.
- Competitive advantage: For nonprofits, the competitive advantage is a reason a donor would give you the dollar instead of someone else, a reason to believe that you can achieve the outcome you're after more effectively or less expensively than someone else could.
- Knowing Your Capabilities: You need to know the capabilities and systems that you will need as an organization in order to implement your strategy. Be honest about where you are.
Favourite Quotes from Today’s Episode
Post your favorite quote on social media to share with us!
“The starting place is to use your existing understanding of the world, your collective wisdom as a leadership team to say what is the problem we need our new strategy to solve. Start there, then explore the possibilities. So don't try to get to that answer right away, diverge a little bit and explore different playing fields, different potential sources of advantage. Those are the two fundamental questions. “
Resources from this Episode
Playing to Win by Roger Martin
Jennifer Riel Twitter
The Good Partnership
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
03/07/22 • 36 min
Dare to lead with Amal Elmi and Bailey Greenspon
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
This past week, we’ve all been taking the necessary action to support the Black Lives Matter movement and holding space for difficult and necessary conversations both at work and at home. As you likely know, the work for anti-racism and anti-oppression practices has just begun.
This is not a one-time effort, but something ongoing. We must address how our organizations are governed. We must talk about who sits on our boards and how the board truly supports different voices to be heard and championed (tokenism is not the answer).
On this week's podcast, I had the pleasure to connect with Bailey Greenspon, acting Co-CEO from G(irls)20 and Amal Elmi, a young director of the G(irls)20' Girls on Board program and member of the Community Impact Cabinet at United Way Ottawa. We talked about how to support young and diverse women to sit on nonprofit boards and bring about systemic changes for leadership in our sector.
This episode was recorded before last week. In light of the events this past week, relistening Bailey and Amal's insights and stories deeply touched me. I am inspired by their tireless effort to advocate for young and diverse voices and enact real actions towards equity. It reminds me that we can do this. We must do this. Let's do this together.
For access to the show notes and resources, click here.
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
This past week, we’ve all been taking the necessary action to support the Black Lives Matter movement and holding space for difficult and necessary conversations both at work and at home. As you likely know, the work for anti-racism and anti-oppression practices has just begun.
This is not a one-time effort, but something ongoing. We must address how our organizations are governed. We must talk about who sits on our boards and how the board truly supports different voices to be heard and championed (tokenism is not the answer).
On this week's podcast, I had the pleasure to connect with Bailey Greenspon, acting Co-CEO from G(irls)20 and Amal Elmi, a young director of the G(irls)20' Girls on Board program and member of the Community Impact Cabinet at United Way Ottawa. We talked about how to support young and diverse women to sit on nonprofit boards and bring about systemic changes for leadership in our sector.
This episode was recorded before last week. In light of the events this past week, relistening Bailey and Amal's insights and stories deeply touched me. I am inspired by their tireless effort to advocate for young and diverse voices and enact real actions towards equity. It reminds me that we can do this. We must do this. Let's do this together.
For access to the show notes and resources, click here.
Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)
Take just two minutes to find out where you stand with our burnout check quiz: burnoutcheck.paperform.co
Get clarity with 10 simple questions. Your answers will reveal how burned out you are, and more importantly, what to do next.
06/08/20 • 42 min
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FAQ
How many episodes does Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions have?
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions currently has 276 episodes available.
What topics does Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions cover?
The podcast is about Non-Profit, Podcasts, Business, Careers and Fundraising.
What is the most popular episode on Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions?
The episode title 'Shortcuts to Raise More Money with Dana Segal' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions?
The average episode length on Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions is 35 minutes.
How often are episodes of Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions released?
Episodes of Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions?
The first episode of Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions was released on Sep 16, 2018.
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