Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Are nonprofit organizations destined to be underfunded, overworked, and underpaid? Think again! In this myth-busting episode, Mickey Desai, founder of Nonprofit Snapshot and host of The Nonprofit SnapCast, joins Dolph to debunk some of the most common misconceptions about nonprofit work. From myths about volunteers being “free” to the dangers of relying on events for fundraising, Mickey and Dolph provide insights that will challenge the way you think about nonprofit management.

Learn why offering competitive salaries is a necessity and discover how nonprofit leaders can turn board members into active, engaged participants. If you’re tired of hearing the same old “rules”, this episode is packed with refreshing perspectives and practical solutions.

This episode answers the following questions:

• Why do nonprofits need to compete on pay?
• How should board members really contribute to my nonprofit’s success?
• Why is fundraising during a recession or election season not just possible, but essential?
• What are the true costs of working with volunteers?

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Nonprofit Snapshot – Learn more about Mickey’s nonprofit consulting work.
• Nonprofit Snapshot – Mickey’s podcast about board development, fundraising strategies, volunteer management, and more.
• The Thing About Cars Podcast – Mickey’s talk-show podcast about all things cars.

Looking for more? Check out these amazing episodes:

• Ep 217: Time to Change the Way You Fundraise and Raise More Money with Jack Silverstein[Episode Title on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes]
• Ep 297: Volunteer Fundraisers Unleashed with Maura McDaniel Episode Title on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes]

Typically, we are into starting something new. People are into starting new nonprofits instead of joining forces with a nonprofit with similar organizations. Moreover, we have some $200,000 nonprofits that are not growing, meeting their mission, or increasing their impact. Many forgo the steps for scaling and optimizing significance when jumping to start a nonprofit, and this is problematic.

To further our understanding, we bring in social entrepreneur, lecturer, and Co-Founder of SparkTM, Kathleen Janus. Kathleen discusses her upcoming book Social Startup Su ccess: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference as the playbook of how to support and play your role in the nonprofit sector. She emphasizes:

1. Creating a culture of innovation
2. Measuring impact for better scaling
3. Finding an appropriate funding model
4. Embracing collective leadership
5. Utilizing storytelling for growth

Links:

Kathleen’s website: www.kathleenjanus.com

Kathleen’s link to purchase book and accessories: http://www.kathleenjanus.com/socialstartupsuccess.html

Entrepreneurship Survey Report: http://www.kathleenjanus.com/resources.html

Social Start-up Success Evaluation Tool kit: http://www.kathleenjanus.com/resources.html

Twitter: www.twitter.com/@kkellyjanus

*****Timestamped Highlights****

(3:09) Kathleen shares her inspiration in writing her book

(5:04) A common obstacle nonprofits face

(7:00) Getting over the hump: growing your budget from 500,000 to 2,000,000 with 5 steps

(7:30) Step 1: Create a culture of innovation- the importance of testing and improving as they grow.

(7:45) Step 2: Measuring impact to scale more quickly

(8:35) How to measure impact and scale with relatively little money in the bank

(10:03) Braven: an organization measuring impact by using specific data metrics

(11:48)- Advancing your metrics: Testing the Counterfactual:

(14:04) Step 3: Find your funding model

(15:05) Step 4: Build a culture of collective leadership for growth

(16:26) Number 5: Make storytelling a practice for growth

(22:00) Kathleen shares a dirty secret and honest truth

(23:20) A Success Story from Focusing on Resources: Last Mile Health Women’s Healthcare Clinic

(28:36) Problematic tendency: lack of incentive to acknowledge failure in the nonprofit sector.

(32:05) Kathleen shares how she knows when it is time to quit

Kristin Sukraw, an award-winning storyteller and film producer with a passion for bringing nonprofit narratives to life, gives us a masterclass in finding and telling our nonprofit’s best stories.

Kristin introduces essential interviewing techniques that transform the way stories are told and received. Techniques like 'embracing the pause', 'doing the dip', and 'effective restatements.'

Kristin and Dolph also tackle potential concerns about re-traumatizing former clients and the ethics of asking individuals to recount personal stories. And Kristen outlines how to invite individuals to share their experience in a way that leads to healing and a sense of pride.

The conversation also explores the importance of selecting the right storyteller, advocating for the inclusion of quieter voices that often carry profound stories, and constructing a 'story vault' to organize potential narratives.

This episode is a treasure trove for nonprofit leaders looking to harness the power of storytelling to advance their mission.

Recommended Episodes:

• The Story Your Voice Tells with Tracy Goodwin on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website
• Become Your Nonprofit’s Brand Ambassador with Rita Soronen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Kristin’s Website
• Kristin's Instagram
• Atomic Ranch Homes

Do you have "Causies" on your board? Board members so passionate about your mission that they can’t stop championing your nonprofit?

In this episode, nationally recognized nonprofit governance expert Rob Acton shares insights from his new book Becoming a Causie: Champion Your Cause Through Nonprofit Board Leadership. Rob discusses how to attract, onboard, and inspire board members who are true champions of your mission. From navigating the tightrope between board governance and staff management; mastering the art of board fundraising; and more!

Rob’s approach will help you develop a board filled with engaged, passionate members who fundraise, strategize, and lead with confidence. Whether you're an executive director or a board member, Rob’s advice is actionable, inspiring, and geared toward creating a cause-driven nonprofit.

This episode answers the following questions:

• How do I find board members passionate about my cause?
• How do I keep my board from micromanaging me?
• How do I get my board members to fundraise?

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Rob Acton’s Website (book and speaking)
• Causies Website (board recruitment and leadership)

Looking for more? Check out these amazing episodes:

• Ep 205: Find your next great Board member with Rob Acton[Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes]
• Ep 212: The Supportive Board Chair with Monica Khant [Episode Title on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes]

Sometimes, we are so focused on the mission that we forget to build our organization’s sense of team, communication, and empathy. Consequently, it’s not surprising that so many of us burn out multiple times in a nonprofit career.

To help us focus on empathetic leadership, we invite Carrie Rice, a nonprofit consultant based in San Francisco. Carrie specializes in using empathic techniques to build individual donor programs, board effectiveness and staff leadership training.

We explore empathic practices to improve relationships among staff, stakeholders, and the community you serve.

Links:

Bryan Sabers’ Asking Matters Personality Assessment: www.askingmatters.com

Carrie’s Site (social media and contact here): www.carriericesf.com

*****Time Stamped Highlights*****

(2:30) The importance of empathy

(6:18) How your board members can assess their “asking styles”

(7:41) Carrie explains her experience with and the benefits from using a “mission controller”

(9:41) Easy steps to successful empathic practices for staff and board leaders

(11:53) Using empathy when designing websites and donor pages

(13:12) Pro or Con: Logins for donation pages and special event ticket sales

(13:51) Monthly Retention Program: an empathic solution to keeping donors

(15:27) Making your donors feel as important as your mission

(17:50) Weekly staff meeting: The most familiar way to build empathy internally

(19:30) The easiest way to use empathic practices for staff teams and structures

(20:00) Building empathy between supervisors and employees

(22:16) Increasing empathy be creating “technological wellness”

(25:01) Trickle-down Effect: Creating transparency between the executive director and development director that will spread empathy throughout

(27:00) Carrie shares her “Campsite Rule”