Nonprofit Spark Archives - WebTalkRadio.net

Nonprofit Spark – A Nonprofit Spark farewell: Quintessential episode on nonprofit cash flow – 12/30/13 Dec 30, 2013

This is my final episode of Nonprofit Spark. Over the three years I’ve hosted the show, I was delighted by my guests who are really good at what they do and so wiling to share it with all of you.

I created Nonprofit Spark because I know how fun and even therapeutic conversations can be with others who do similar work. But those opportunities are rare. I also believe radio interviews are a wonderful way to soak in learning and stimulate thinking. So, I thought, why not use podcasts to bring those both together?

Certainly, the fact that I worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years made choosing a nonprofit focus a no-brainer. But personally, I wanted to try something new and decided a radio show would combine my love of journalism and great conversations. Some people golf. Others cook or shoot photos. I love asking questions and learning!

My intention for every show, which I shared with every guest, was that listeners walk away with new ideas for taking new actions and causing new results. My guests jumped in every time and they absolutely loved being interviewed. Take a hint: Giving people your undivided attention causes them blossom right before your eyes, or ears, in this case.

The formula seemed to work. Nonprofit Spark has been the fifth most downloaded show on WebTalkRadio for almost two years; it’s downloaded nearly 40,000 times per month. Be that as it may, in my heart I know it’s time to try some new things with the 6-10 hours a week I have been spending on the show.

Thank you to the show sponsor CliftonLarsonAllen, the national accounting firm that has a strong nonprofit division. I’ve worked with about a dozen of their accountants over the years and not only are they smart, but they all have a great sense of humor which I believe sets the company apart.

Thank you, too, for listening and sharing the show. The podcasts will remain on WebTalkRadio for a while but I suggest if you have a few favorites, you download them soon. Remember you can find them on iTunes as well.

I wish you prosperity and good health in 2014. In the meantime, enjoy what I consider the quintessential Nonprofit Spark episode of all time which aired the week of March 12, 2012: A primer on managing your nonprofit’s cash flow.

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Nonprofit Spark – Six ways to make your case great – replay 12/23/13 Dec 23, 2013

It’s Christmas week and so I’m replaying one of the most downloaded shows of 2013 – in fact, in Nonprofit Spark’s history. The episode? Six ways to make your case great, which aired the week of May 13, 2013.

My guest is Jennie Winton, a founding partner of Mission Minded, a branding firm that believes that nonprofits, foundations, and other do-gooders can only have an impact if people understand the importance of their work.

What it would be like if people couldn’t resist supporting your nonprofit? That’s the result of writing a great case statement that includes stories about the lives and communities you impact. Jennie provides a step-by-step process here for telling a good story. We also talk a bit about how to work with a branding or design agency so you wind up with materials and ideas that aren’t just clever, but actually result in raising more money.

This is a fun show that will get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Six elements of a nonprofit communication strategy – 12/16/13 Dec 16, 2013

When you think about how you’re communicating with your donors, funders, and community, do you wonder whether you’re spending your time and resources well? Do you feel frustrated that you’re communication is scattershot or ineffective? Then you need a communication strategy!
My guest this week is James Howe, president of Communicate and Howe based in Kitchener, Ontario. We hone in on six elements of a content strategy that will give you clarity about who you want to communicate with, why and with what tools. Too often, we miss the strategy and jump right into a plan of action and yet, isn’t it critically important to be clear about why you’re doing what you’re doing? In our experience, taking time to develop a communication strategy makes everything else you do fall into place and make sense. What a relief!

James started in nonprofit communications work with the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto and in the development office of the University of Waterloo. He was director of communications for the YMCAs of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo just before starting his consulting firm.

If you want to boost your communications in 2014, then formulate a communications strategy so you can confidently use your time and resources well. It’ll help you justify a bigger budget as well.

Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – How fraud happens and how to prevent it in nonprofits like your own – 12/09/13 Dec 09, 2013

This week, we look at fraud because it’s been in the news a lot lately. It all started with a series of stories in the Washington Post the fall, and the tales of woe for organizations large to small are heartbreaking. My guest is John P. Langan, a CPA and managing partner with CliftonLarsonAllen, our show sponsor.

We discuss common ways people steal from organizations and their personality types; accounting procedures that can protect your from fraud; what to do if you suspect fraud; how to think about investments, and more. This interview clips along and is easy to follow for even the most novice nonprofit leader.

A related show is a courageous and generous interview with the leader of Open Arms of Minnesota who describes her organization’s experience with fraud. How they handled it is a textbook example of what you should be prepared to do if it happens to you. That show aired the week of March 19, 2012.

You owe it to your staff, donors and constituents to be good stewards of your resources. It’s not hard if you use time-tested procedures and create a climate where everyone can ask questions.

I hope you enjoy and share the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Engaging, responsive Global Giving – 12/02/13 Dec 02, 2013

It’s coming on Christmas and for this week’s show I’ve tracked down Alison Carlman, the senior unmarketing manager for GlobalGiving, an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about.

Alison describes how GlobalGiving provides support for people at charities around the world and solutions for people who want to find projects in other countries to support. Since 2002, more than 350,000 donors have given almost $95 million to 8800 projects worldwide via GlobalGiving. Pretty impressive.

This show is not just about how this organization facilitates giving, though. You’ll also recognize that GlobalGiving is an organization that truly understands what it means to be responsive and engaging.

You can apply to have your organization on the GlobalGiving website and get a lot of training and support in return. But I also know many of you will be interested in reviewing and contributing to international projects who are part of the GlobalGiving community.

I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

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Nonprofit Spark – Project Streamline: Reducing the burden of applying for and managing grants – 11/25/13 Nov 25, 2013

Do you ever grumble, “There’s got to be a better way,” when it comes to applying for, managing and reporting on grants? Do you wish you could provide feedback to funders about how dreadful their website and procedures are?

Then you’ll be happy to hear my guests on this week’s show discuss Project Streamline, a national program from the Grants Managers Network that is addressing the waste of time and energy caused by inconsistent and inefficient reporting and application procedures.

Michelle Greanias is the executive director of the Grants Managers Network and project manager for Project Streamline. She has spent most of her career in philanthropy.

Jessica Bearman is an independent consultant who provides strategic planning and support to Project Streamline. She is the researcher and author of the Project Streamline reports, Drowning in Paperwork, Distracted from Purpose, and most recently in 2013, Practices that Matter.

The intention of Project Streamline is to reduce the burden on nonprofits and free up more time and money for mission-based activities and it’s exciting to hear how this program has already begun to alter the approach grantmakers are taking with their processes and procedures. Guess what? They don’t like all the budgets and paperwork either!

A previous episode of Nonprofit Spark is a great companion to this interview. “Funders: Stop asking non-profits for budgets” is a feisty interview about our 990s and working with grantmakers.

This week’s show is a hopeful one for a hopeful holiday season. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Keeping your website out of legal hot water (replay) – 11/18/13 Nov 18, 2013

Hi, everyone. I’m getting ahead of America’s Thanksgiving travel rush and taking a holiday this week. I found a show that I wanted to replay for you about websites. Did you ever think of yourself as a publisher? Well, you are one if you have a website. This episode will help you understand a few things about content ownership, copyright and how to stay out of legal hot water.

This week, I talk to two attorneys from Venable LLP, a Washington, D.C. law firm. A.J. Zottola handles all types of negotiations involving intellectual property, privacy, trademark and copyright, and more. With him is a return guest, Jeff Tenenbaum, who is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys and who chairs the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group.

On this show, we discuss who owns the content on your site, some basics about copyright and trademark laws, and how to be conscientious about protecting your work and the work of others. This is a fast-paced, eye-opening show for website newbies and longtime website editors.

If you want to read more about copyright and trademark issues, go to the areas of practice section of Venable firm’s website to start your search.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofits Talking Taxes and the Common Good – 11/11/13 Nov 11, 2013

This week, I have two guests who discuss taxes and I promise you, this is an interesting conversation that you will want to share with neighbors and nonprofits in your community. My guests this week describe a workshop and toolkit they’ve created called “Nonprofits Talking Taxes,” which is being rolled out this week.

Kim Klein, is a principal of the fundraising firm Klein & Roth Consulting, and author of Fundraising for Social Change and Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times. I had her on the show a few weeks ago talking about year-end fundraising.

Kim is joined by Anne Ryan, a project coordinator at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, which provides leadership, management, finance and strategy support for nonprofits to help them achieve social equity.

We start the show be defining what we mean by the “common good” and then the discussion builds on this premise that “we all do better when we all do better.”

What if all types of nonprofits came together to educate ourselves about tax policy and discuss our values, and then relate them to how we think communities ought to work? And then what might happen if, armed with our newfound knowledge, we were able to speak persuasively and intelligently about why taxes are a good thing for the common good?

Kim and Anne make a strong case for taking time to understand tax policy and they assure us that the tax structure really isn’t hard to understand, especially when you organize a Nonprofits Talking Taxes workshop and use the toolkit in your own community.

Set aside politics. Set aside competitiveness. Imagine what it would be like if there was enough money to go around. Imagine the powerful force nonprofits can be for the Common Good.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – There’s hope: The dual-business model for nonprofits – 11/04/13 Nov 04, 2013

This week we explore something called a dual-business model for nonprofits, an idea that is being actively promoted by state nonprofit associations who know their members can think smarter about generating revenue in a highly competitive environment. My guest is Allen J. Proctor, the founder and principal of Linking Mission to Money, the dual-business model to make nonprofits sustainable.

With Proctor’s model, nonprofit leaders and board members accept that their mission-critical work is going to lose money and so they run a profit-making business to offset those losses. Proctor believes this choice is smarter and more reliable than adding fundraising staff. Yes, many organizations charge fees for services, but he expands on this idea to promote social entrepreneurship outside of the context of mission-based work.

You’ll hear several examples of nonprofits that use this dual-business model. We all are familiar with Goodwill Stores, for instance, but what is your version of a Goodwill Store?

Procter has nearly 30 years experience evaluating the financial health of organizations, developing effective business strategies, and enhancing organizational effectiveness. He is the author of the book Linking Mission to Money as well as More Than Just Money.

A related show is What’s happening with the business of doing good?,which aired the week of February 13, 2012. On that show, my guest describes various social enterprise models.

I hope these shows spark some serious discussions about increasing your revenues by developing for-profit ventures. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Top time-wasters by nonprofit boards and executives – 10/28/13 Oct 28, 2013

This week, we focus on five areas where you can give yourself the gift of time by eliminating some bad habits common to many nonprofit leaders and board members. My guest is Phil Van Horn, the CEO of Align, a Cheyenne, Wyoming nonprofit. His organization provides management consulting and leadership training to help clients become more efficient and effective.

Phil has come up with the top five time-wasters he sees over and over, and that he and his own staff are rigorous about addressing. The key to all of this is appreciating that your time, even as a volunteer, is not free. There are costs to wasting it and they come at the price of satisfaction and effective governance.

This show is designed to nudge you to doing a self-assessment about whether you value your time and that of others. I hope you enjoy it.

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Nonprofit Spark – Rob Jackson on volunteer rights Oct 21, 2013

Have you been hurt by the staff of nonprofits you’ve volunteered for? Did you tell your friends about it, blame yourself for wasting your time, turn down other volunteer opportunities as a result? This week’s show focuses on volunteer rights, an idea that bubbled up about four years ago in England, is now being thoughtfully addressed in Australia, and is making its way into conversations among volunteer managers in North America. My guest is Rob Jackson, an international speaker, author and consultant about volunteer engagement, leadership and management and he talks about this breach of trust between volunteers and their organizations.

Does the way you treat volunteers align with your values? How do you gauge whether your nonprofit treats volunteers well? Do you have a way for them to air their grievances?

Rob talks about his experience with The Volunteer Rights Inquiry in England and hearing stories from volunteers who were mistreated or at least, deeply hurt, by leaders and staff. I share from my own frustrating experiences as well. He describes the 3R promise, which can guide you in making a commitment to raising the standard of managing volunteers. I’ll run through that promise at the end of the show.

In the meantime, use this show as the basis for a conversation for improving your volunteer program in 2014.

Enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Donor intent and contributions with strings – 10/14/13 Oct 14, 2013

We’ve all heard news stories involving a donor who expected one thing to happen with his multi-million dollar contribution and the university, hospital or other charity who didn’t honor his request. Or perhaps you’ve had a donor approach you about making a contribution in exchange for recognition that you weren’t sure was such a good idea. My guest this week, Attorney Kristalyn Loson of Venable LLP, and I talk about donor intent and how to think about accepting contributions with strings.

Loson is an associate attorney at Venable, based in Washington, D.C. She focuses her practice on nonprofits and associations and related issues like incorporation and tax-exemption applications; tax-exemption compliance and IRS audits; corporate governance; membership issues; contracts, and charitable solicitation regulation.

The lure of a large contribution, the charisma of a major donor, the desire to make a program financially secure – these can make a transaction very appealing but perhaps also, ethically or financially murky. On this show, Kristalyn describes a few legal cases that provide insight in how to think about donor intent and accepting donations with strings. We also discuss the accounting terms of restricted, unrestricted and temporarily restricted gifts.

If you are open to receiving planned and restricted gifts, then your board and staff must be thoughtful and respectful of donors’ intentions and you probably want to seek legal advice as well. Make sure you can satisfy their needs while honoring your own nonprofit’s reputation and financial well-being.

Enjoy this thought-provoking show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Kim Klein’s tips for improving year-end fundraising campaign results – 10/07/13 Oct 07, 2013

In the fall, many nonprofits are gearing up year-end fundraising campaigns for December, a traditional strategy with proven results. On this show, my guest is Kim Klein who turns that idea on its head. Kim is a principle of Klein and Roth Consulting and an international speaker and author about fundraising.

She was kind enough to come on the show to offer tips on boosting your 2013 results right now and we have a lots of fun talking about campaigns and donors.

Listen now – it’s not too late to adjust your strategy and implement her ideas.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Seven steps to a successful non-profit Fund A Need Sep 30, 2013

This week, I’m happy to have back Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions to talk about Fund a Need, a fundraising tactic that takes advantage of an event where you have a number of people in attendance. Do you have an item you need to buy, like a bus to transport kids, or a specific program you want to give special attention to? Fund a Need can be a great way to focus people’s attention, raise money, and you don’t have all the fuss of getting items for a live or silent auction.

Sherry describes seven steps for making the Fund a Need strategy work, and she gives examples of several types of organizations who are very happy with this approach.

As you listen, think about how you’ll fit this into your overall development activities, and the pledge levels that would make sense for your organization and donors. Fund a need sure makes sense to me if you have a fairly steady group of donors who attend your events and are willing to fill a table with their friends.

Think ahead to 2014 and where you can tuck this great idea into your schedule because it sure seems like a manageable, straightforward idea to me. Enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Five things to know about starting a non-profit planned giving program – 09/23/13 Sep 23, 2013

I look at a lot of nonprofit websites every month and I have become concerned that too many of you are not encouraging planned gifts. If you have a solid base of individual support, then you need to present these donors with opportunities for greater levels of giving. You don’t have to have a law or finance degree to encourage memorials or bequests.

My guest this week is Tom Glass, the Director of Planned Giving for the University of St. Thomas, the largest private college or university in Minnesota. Prior to being in planned giving work, Tom was a co-owner of a financial services company for 25 years. On this show, we discuss five things you should know about starting a planned giving program and our conversation couldn’t be easier to understand.

I encourage you to listen to the show, share it with board members and jump in. You will find yourself building deeper and even delightful relationships with these loyal donors and they will appreciate becoming more engaged with your nonprofit.

Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Making nonprofit collaborations work – 09/16/13 Sep 16, 2013

Ever feel frustrated that local nonprofits are doing similar things but aren’t working together on an issue, like literacy? Have you ever wondered what it’s going to take to solve problems you’ve been hearing about for years, like homelessness or improved graduation rates for low-income teens? It turns out, effective collaborations among all kinds of community programs address these concerns. My guest this week is Mark Langseth, the president and CEO of I Have a Dream Foundation Oregon. The organization helps low-incoem students succeed in school, college and career. It does this by connecting community resources and education in creative ways to enhance outcomes for both.

On the show, Mark and I discuss how some 60 community partners have come together for a school in Portland, Oregon, to focus on the immediate needs of low-income families. What must be present for community organizations to work well together? How do they overcome their fears of losing their identities and possibly, funding? What does a successful collaboration look like?

The role that I Have a Dream Foundation Oregon plays in successful collaborations is a key to success for these efforts. This is a good news show that clips along at a fast pace. You’ll hear a lot of great ideas for how to “move the needle” on seemingly intractable problems in your community.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Solving common non-profit finance department problems – 09/09/13 Sep 09, 2013

Do you ever grapple with whether you should spend more on your finance department or buy new accounting software? Do you know if the work the staff is doing could be done more efficiently? Well, you’re not alone. My guest this week is Tim Warren, a partner with the national accounting firm of CliftonLarsonAllen. The company has been hosting roundtables about Creating the Ideal Accounting Department in locations throughout the country and so on this show, we get an inside look at what nonprofit CFOs, executive directors and board members have been talking about at these roundtables.

Tim has been advising nonprofits for 11 years. He heads the company’s nonprofit group for Massachusetts and surrounding areas and works with colleges, universities, associations, foundations and social service agencies. His primary work relates to audits, taxes and consulting.

This show focuses on common problems and solutions of nonprofit finance departments as discussed by hands-on leaders from around the country. There are three recurring issues that came up at Tim’s roundtables. See if you can relate to what your peers have been discussing. You’re not alone! Enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Saltwater Soldiers gives thrill of deep sea fishing to wounded soldiers, vets – 09/02/13 Sep 02, 2013

Get out the Kleenex. In this week’s interview, you’ll hear remarkable stories about deep sea fishing expeditions for wounded soldiers, many who’ve lost their limbs. I encourage you to give your undivided attention to my interview with Michael C. Branson, the president of Saltwater Soldiers. You’ll be moved to tears by the sacrifice of soldiers and by Michael’s relentless commitment to them.

Saltwater Soldiers provides offshore fishing trips and financial aid to wounded soldiers, military personnel, veterans, and their families. It’s based in Northern Virginia and operates up and down the East Coast of the US with an entirely volunteer staff.

In between his stories, Michael shares the lessons he’s learned getting this five-year-old nonprofit up and running and you’ll notice that his passion is balanced by realistic expectations of what it really takes to succeed.

I hope you are as moved by this interview as I was.

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Nonprofit Spark – Common pitfalls of hiring and managing nonprofit staff (replay) – 08/26/13 Aug 26, 2013

I’m on a break this week so I’m replaying a show that really woke me up, even though I managed people for years! In this interview, I speak to two attorneys, Jeff Tenenbaum and Dave Warner of Venable LLP, a law firm based in Washington, D.C. We talk about common pitfalls they see nonprofit managers fall into when hiring and managing staff.

Dave and Jeff offer ideas about preparing to hire, the interview process, and the importance of writing down who you interviewed, what you asked, and why you chose the person – and saving that information for years. They describe why you must document performance appraisals and also, what the difference is between exempt and non-exempt employees. Finally, we touch on some guidelines for defining who is an independent contractor.

Jeff Tenenbaum is a partner with Venable and he is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys. He chairs the firms Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group and is an accomplished author, lecturer and commentator on nonprofit legal matters. Dave Warner is a partner with Venable as well, and he focuses on resolving and litigating labor, employment and business disputes.

Nonprofit managers cannot afford to be naive about managing people; the consequences can be very expensive and time-consuming. Doing good for the world comes with the responsibility of being a good employer. Have all managers in the room to listen to this one and talk about it afterward!

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Nonprofit Spark – The one-hour non-profit board meeting! 08/19/13 Aug 19, 2013

Can you imagine one-hour board meetings? Is it even possible? Your nonprofit would become a magnet for the best and brightest leaders in your community. On this show my guest, Marilyn L. Donnellan, describes the key components of effective one-hour meetings, like training board members to facilitate them.

Marilyn is the founder and president of Nonprofit Management Services, which builds capacity and management excellence through consulting, publications, training, coaching and more. The company is based in Clermont, Florida. She has written the award-winning Hour Series guides and training modules for nonprofit managers, and we’re honing in on the One-Hour meeting this week.

First off, we examine why our meetings get out of hand and common misconceptions about why boards meet and the role of the board. Then Marilyn describes five do-able things that you must do to make one-hour board meetings a reality.

Now, before we start the interview, I invite you to send me an email at mailto:nonprofitspark@gmail.com about what you like about the show with suggestions for future episodes. I’d love to hear from you and I’ll give you and your organization a shout-out on the show.

This show pierces through a long tradition of bad board and committee meetings. You can be productive, responsible and the best nonprofit gig in town if you take on Marilyn’s suggestions. I encourage you to check out the resources on her web site.

A great companion Nonprofit Spark episode is Quit complaining: best practices for non-profit board learning, which aired the week of January 16, 2012.

Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Data-driven storytelling: Counting what matters at your non-profit – 08/12/13 Aug 12, 2013

This week’s episode is about counting and using what that data reveals to tell stories about people and programs. It took me years to figure out that counting people, sales, test results, donors and dollars, partnerships, visitors and the like is worth every bit of effort. First, you get grounded in what’s actually happening so you can build on what works and eliminate what doesn’t. Second, it makes your communications and fundraising powerful.

My guest this week is Jinna Halperin, a consultant based in Arlington, Massachusetts who has more than 15 years of experience working with international and domestic nonprofits. Her work has encompassed fundraising, research, data collection and analysis, advocacy, and communications. In other words, she’s done a lot of counting and writing! We all have been hearing about evaluation and measuring outcomes, but how do you get started? By counting! Jinna and I come up with three types of nonprofits and what to count and how to count it. By the way, a great companion show to this is one that aired the week of October 1, 2012: A knockout nonprofit annual report: storytelling at its best. You’ll hear and see how Open Arms of Minnesota uses numbers and counting to create a fun annual report.

This week’s show has to be the most practical one we’ve produced on Nonprofit Spark. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Counting non profit results, not pennies on the overhead dollar – 08/05/13 Aug 05, 2013

When you decide which charity to contribute money and time to, do you check out how much it spends on administration or overhead? If it spends 20 cents on the dollar for administration, is that okay? How about 30 or 40 cents? For years, donors have been told by leaders in the nonprofit sector to use the overhead ratio as the guide for determining whether a nonprofit is a safe bet.

Well, that turns out to be a poor way of judging whether your money will be well spent and my guest this week, Jacob Harold, is here to talk about that. Jacob is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of GuideStar, a nonprofit that gathers and disseminates information about every single IRS-registered nonprofit organization.

Jacob and his counterparts at the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Navigator recently wrote a letter called The Overhead Myth that they’d like all nonprofit leaders to read and share. They make a strong case for paying attention to what matters most – results that cause lasting change in people’s lives.

It’s time, my friends, to educate the world about looking at the results of what nonprofits produce more than the overhead. And it’s time for nonprofit leaders to describe those results and make them easy to understand. By the way, we also talk about data visualization and tracking medium data. I encourage you to listen to a great companion show about a medium data online tool called Charting Impact. That show aired the week of June 13, 2011.

Enjoy and embrace this paradigm shift and by all means, share The Overhead Myth letter with your donors.

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Nonprofit Spark – Making a compelling non-profit video 07/29/13 Jul 29, 2013

Videos can be very convincing and are well-suited to non-profit web sites. On this show, David Johnson of Silent Images and I review ideas for planning your video and working effectively with a videographer so you end up with exactly what you need. There’s a lot more to producing a great video than pointing and shooting!

Silent Images is a non profit in Charlotte, North Carolina with a mission to provide charities and churches with professional photography and video services that educate and inspire viewers to give, go, and pray. David is the founder of the the organization. He’s written two books about Africa and has done documentary work in 20 countries for more than 50 charities.

This show provides terrific advice and I encourage you to visit the Silent Images web site to view the variety of videos there so you can be inspired to create a compelling video with a call to action. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Getting started with your non-profit web site project – 07/22/13 Jul 22, 2013

If you want to create a new non profit web site or start all over again with an existing one, this show will be very helpful. My guest is Eileen Webb, a founder of the web development firm, webmeadow, which works with non for profits and is based in Littleton, New Hampshire.

Eileen discusses identifying goals, a budget, a timeline, choosing a web development firm, and the post-launch phase. We’ve done a number of shows about web sites on Nonprofit Spark because they are the public face of your organization and you want a really good one. These projects can be affordable and even fun when you start by asking great questions like, “Why?”

An earlier episode of Nonprofit Spark that is a good companion to this one is Keeping your website out of legal hot water, which aired the week of May 20, 2013. It’s real eye-opener about copyright and is the perfect primer for you as you consider a new site.

Now, before you listen to this episode, I have a request. Take a moment to let me know how Nonprofit Spark has helped you and your organization.

This show is downloaded some 40,000 times per month but that doesn’t tell me what kind of difference this show is making for you. That’s what really matters to me. Just like you evaluate how well your programs are doing, that’s what I want to do here. So email me at nonprofitspark@gmail.com and let me know of an idea or two that has helped you. I’ll give your non profit a shout-out on the show.

Okay, let’s begin the interview with Eileen Webb on getting started with your web non for profit site project. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

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Nonprofit Spark – Developing a non-profit social media strategy – 07/15/13 Jul 15, 2013

So how are your social media doing? Is your online community growing and are you having fun? Or have you discovered that you can’t make much happen with Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube? On this week’s show, I speak with Eric Facas, the founder of Media Cause. His non-profit helps other non-profits with marketing and communications including search marketing and social media.

Eric knows that most nonprofits have made the mistake of setting up social media channels without first devising a social media strategy. We’re lucky this week that he is willing to talk us through a four-step process he uses with his clients to ensure that social media efforts support your non-profit goals, provide lots of value, and expand your community and increase engagement with constituents.

A related show that’s a perfect match to this one is “Making social media work for your nonprofit,” which aired the week of February 4, 2013. You’ll hear how an organization of young professionals uses multiple social media channels and what’s distinct about each one.

Now, before we get to the interview, I have a request. Let me know how Nonprofit Spark has helped you and your organization. This show is downloaded some 40,000 times per month but that doesn’t tell me what kind of difference this show is making for you. That’s what really matters to me. So email me at nonprofitspark@gmail.com and let me know of an idea or two that has helped you. I’ll give your nonprofit a shout-out on the show.

Okay. Let’s get on with the interview. You’ll get very clear after listening to Eric Facas that there must be a method to your social media madness if you ever want to get it off the ground.

I hope you enjoy this episode of Nonprofit Spark.

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Nonprofit Spark – Can’t we all just get along? Making different generations happy in the workplace – 07/08/13 Jul 08, 2013

A show from a few weeks ago focused on Making your nonprofit a welcome place for young professionals; thousands of you downloaded it. My guest on that show, Keenan Wellar of LiveWorkPlay, really got me thinking about how we can better manage a multigenerational workforce and so I sought out my favorite expert on human resources and nonprofits. Paula J MacLean is a consultant and author of five books, including 7 New Rules for the Sandbox. It focuses on creating productive cross-generational teams, and attracting and retaining great employees of every age.

Paula has some useful suggestions for making work “work-able;” every one of us needs to learn to adjust and bend instead of complain and resist. Your organization will not be as successful as it could be if you don’t understand what your employees need to be happy and you treat them all the same.

Before you listen to this episode, I have a request. Let me know how Nonprofit Spark has helped you and your organization. This show is downloaded some 40,000 times per month but that doesn’t tell me what kind of difference this show is making for you. That’s what really matters to me. So email me at nonprofitspark@gmail.com and let me know of an idea or two that has helped you. I’ll give your nonprofit a shout-out on the show!

Okay. Enough about that. Enjoy this fast-paced show that will give you a fresh take on your employees.

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Nonprofit Spark – Overcoming board dysfunction – replay 07/01/13 Jul 01, 2013

This week, Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th so I’m taking the week off. And in the spirit of breaking free from tyranny, I’m replaying a show from 2011 called Overcoming Nonprofit Board Dysfunction!

Gee, you’ve never had to deal with that have you?

There are two interviews. The first is with Susan Mogenson of Brown Dog Consulting. She’s an expert at non-profit governance. The second interview is with Allan Techiman who, at that time, was president of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

This is a longer show but I promise you, it’s worth every minute. You will laugh with recognition and be very happy with the concrete ideas my two guests provide.

I have a request. Let me know how Nonprofit Spark has helped you and your organization. Did you hear an idea or two that you implemented? Just like you measure your program effectiveness, this is how I’ll measure mine. Send me an email at nonprofitspark@gmail.com and let me know how the show made a difference for you. I’ll be glad to mention you and your organization on the show!

Enjoy this insightful, hopeful show, Overcoming Nonprofit Board Dysfuntion.

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Nonprofit Spark – Creating a donor cultivation pathway – 06/24/13 Jun 24, 2013

We focus the show this week on building relationships with donors so they stick around, and become more invested in your organization and eventually your true partners in fulfilling your mission. My guest is Andrew Shoaff, the interactive strategy manager of Blackbaud, the leading provider of software and services to nonprofits. Andrew works with a team to build something called “constituent engagement campaigns” for clients and he recently wrote an article for Blackbaud’s specialty magazine, npengage.

We’ve all heard the term “engagement” but how does this engagement guru define it and why should we care about it? Is it only about social media? Does it mean we have to get to know our donors? And what the heck is a cultivation pathway anyway? Despite the jargon, we all know it’s better to get related to our donors than treat them like a bank cash machine. What you may not know, though, is that this cultivation process with donors can be tremendously satisfying work for nonprofit leaders.

Since Andrew brings a global and high tech point of view to this topic, I encourage you to listen to a more low-tech approach to cultivation that I had in a conversation with a top-notch fundraising coach and consultant earlier year. The show is Jerold Panas on donor attribution and retention. It aired the week of March 18.

This week’s episode is fast-paced and will ground you in a modern approach to donor cultivation. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

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Nonprofit Spark – Measuring outcomes and extraordinary results – 06/17/13 Jun 17, 2013

This week, we look at the way one 90-year-old agency is transforming how it impacts the lives of women and families who are homeless and in recovery from addiction and/or mental illness. Emma Norton Services is based in St. Paul, Minnesota and my guest this week is Executive Director Roxanne Condon. She has been with the organization since 2010.

On the show, Roxanne explains the thoughtful and intentional way the staff and board determined program outcomes – essentially, what they wanted their clients to have or be able to do by the time they leave the transitional housing and support services of Emma Norton Residence and the permanent housing of Emma’s Place. Using outcomes is fairly new for this agency and so it is a perfect case study for those of you who are starting to devise outcomes for your own programs. The agency has already begun to see extraordinary results.

Also, since Roxanne has more than 20 years experience with nonprofit program management, I asked her what she would do if she were starting a nonprofit like Emma Norton Services today. She asks some really great questions that every leader of a new organization needs to answer to get off on the right foot.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – The new and inspiring global fundraising frontier Jun 10, 2013

This week we go beyond the boundaries of North America and explore what’s happening with fundraising around the globe. Seem too big a subject for you? Well, think again. My guest this week is Penelope Cagney, the president of The Cagney Company, a fundraising consulting firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. She recently co-edited a book with Bernard Ross called Global Fundraising, How the World is Changing the Rules of Philanthropy. The book is about global developments that are rocking the fundraising world.

This show gives you a feel for what’s great about fundraising, how innovation and charitable giving in India and Africa are generating millions of dollars in support, and more. So this is a show that will give you historical and global context about fundraising that is inspiring. You are one with peers around the world: you just haven’t met them yet.

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Nonprofit Spark – Making your nonprofit a welcome place for young professionals – 06/03/13 Jun 04, 2013

Last week, the show explored how to keep high performers happy and this week, we look at young professionals. What do you need to do to attract and keep them? Are you willing to try something new? My guest this week is Keenan Wellar, a co-leader and director of communications for LiveWorkPlay, a nonprofit in Ottawa, Canada. It supports people with intellectual disabilities in having a good life. He founded the organization with his wife, Julie Kingstone, in 1995 and since then, LiveWorkPlay has become a welcoming place for young staff members searching for meaningful work.

On the show, Keenan describes four ingredients in making an organization the kind of place where young professionals thrive and stay. These may require a paradigm shift in how you operate but it’s a change worth undertaking if it results in a new generation of capable and passionate nonprofit leaders.

If you’re curious about the transition LiveWorkPlay made in operating from a social change point of view, listen to my interview with him on the show, A nonprofit reinvents itself, which aired the week of April 16, 2012.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Keeping high performers happy at your non-profit May 27, 2013

I’ve been thinking about emerging nonprofits, which I describe as those undergoing a noticeable, intentional shift in what their organizations are doing. This change often happens where there is a high-performing team and at this critical stage, you can’t afford to lose anyone. This week, my guest is Monique Ayotte-Hoeltzel, a partner with The Management Center, a Washington, D.C. organization that works with nonprofit leaders to help them learn how to manage people.

Monique’s career began as a Teach for America corps member. She later joined the staff of Teach for America where she eventually joined the leadership team making strategy and capacity decisions impacting more than 1,000 staff members.

On the show, we discuss how to be a great manager of high performers so they continue to do great things for your organization. One of the keys, Monique says, is to find out what they need and want to be happy. “A great manager is always asking, ‘What can I do to keep this person around?'” Frankly, board members all need to ask this regarding their executive directors.

Having been a manager, I know how easy it is to take high performers for granted, or to worry about what will happen if they leave. This show will provide you some solid answers and may even ease your mind.

A related show with Monique and Jerry Hauser from The Management Center is Delegating and letting someone go. It’s a great interview about dealing with low performers who negatively affect your organization and drain your time. It first aired April 23, 2013.

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Nonprofit Spark – Keeping your website out of legal hot water – 05/20/13 May 20, 2013

This week, I talk to two attorneys from Venable LLP, a Washington, D.C. law firm, about how to make sure your website stays out of legal hot water. A.J. Zottola handles all types of negotiations involving intellectual property, privacy, trademark and copyright, and more. With him is a return guest, Jeff Tenenbaum, who is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys and who chairs the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group.

On this show, we discuss who owns the content on your site, some basics about copyright, licensing, and trademark laws, and how to be conscientious about protecting your work and the work of others. It is NOT TRUE that if you find something on the web, you’re free to use it however you want. This is a fast-paced, eye-opening show for website newbies and longtime website editors.

If you want to read more about copyright, licensing and trademarks, go to the nonprofit publications of Venable’s website to start your search.

The bottom line is: Pay attention to your website! Enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Six ways to make your case statement great – 05/13/13 May 13, 2013

We’re back to talking about fundraising on this show, but with an emphasis on making your case for support. My guest this week is Jennie Winton, a founding partner of Mission Minded, a branding firm that believes that nonprofits, foundations, and other do-gooders can only have an impact if people understand the importance of their work. Since starting the company, Jennie has advised more than 150 nonprofit organizations on their brand strategy, messaging and fundraising.

In this interview, Jennie describes six ways to make your case great so that your donors can’t resist supporting your nonprofit. Developing a case statement is not easy but it reaps such huge rewards as you share stories about lives and communities you impact. We also talk a bit about how to work with a branding or design agency so you end up with materials and ideas that actually help you raise more money.

Another show that pairs well with this is a recent one with Jerold Panas, a brilliant fundraising consultant who has raised millions of dollars and written numerous books on fundraising. As with Jennie, you’ll hang on his every word. That show aired the week of March 18, 2013.

This is a fun show that will get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Using dashboards for nonprofit evaluation – Replay – 05/06/13 May 06, 2013

This week’s show builds on last week’s about budgeting. On that show, I mentioned how important it is to help your board understand your budget and financial statements. These reports are not easy to read and nonprofit leaders add to the confusion when they create a budget that doesn’t closely resemble the ensuing financial statements. Make them match! Also, create a simple visual dashboard so board members can immediately see how you’re doing financially and even, programmatically.With that in mind, I’m replaying a “show and tell” show from a year ago with Myia Welsh, an independent evaluation consultant who created and discussed sample dashboards you can download here.. She produced them using Microsoft Excel, so no fancy software is required to make these handy visual aids. I bet you can find a volunteer or staff member who’s facile with Excel and can create these for you.

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Nonprofit Spark – Basic nonprofit budget tips – 04/29/13 Apr 29, 2013

This show is geared to those nonprofit leaders who are somewhat intimidated by budgeting or who know there’s a better way to do it. I’m guessing that some of you have begun work on your July to June budgets and others are making mid-year budget corrections. My guest is Harold Parsons, a CPA with our show sponsor CliftonLarsonAllen. He’s worked with nonprofits for more than 30 years as a CPA and he volunteers for Wingspan, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that serves developmentally disabled adults.

Harold and I discuss how budgets tie in to your plans, where to start, your chart of accounts, depreciation, capital budgets, cash management and more. This is an easy-going conversation that is sure to address some of your concerns and questions about budgeting. A thoughtful, thorough budget is your best tool for helping managers and board members make good decisions. Shortcuts and quick spreadsheet calculations won’t cut it if you want your organization to thrive.

To learn more about nonprofit financial management, I encourage you to visit the online service, Fun with Financials, a terrific website for nonprofit managers.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Texas innovation: Making a 90-second pitch for community foundation grants – 04/22/13 Apr 22, 2013

We’re back to Texas again this week with a focus on two community foundations that have put a fun twist on their grant-making process. They’ve set up an event where grant finalists have to make 90-second pitch to a panel of judges and a public audience. Can you make a 90-second pitch about your nonprofit?

I have two guests this week who describe their Fast Pitch and Grand Slam events that have produced a number of great outcomes.

Julie Johnson is the project manager of the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation based in Georgetown, Texas. Her focus is on relationship building and collaboration with nonprofits, businesses and individual donors. She also manages communications.

Jayne Zirkel is PR and event coordinator for the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country based in Kerrville, Texas. She oversees marketing for galas, grant-giving and training events, and all communications. As it happens, these two are sisters.

This week, they talk about the distinct role of community foundations and their events, both which gave away $20,000 to the most articulate and deserving of the nonprofits who competed for awards.

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Nonprofit Spark – Initiating a professional volunteer management program – 04/15/13 Apr 14, 2013

This week my guest and I talk about what a professional volunteer manager can do for you. It’s our experience there are still too many non-profits who haven’t seen the light about how a full-time, paid volunteer manager can lighten your load and help you accomplish more. My guest is Mary Beth Harrington, a Texas-based nonprofit consultant who travels the state encouraging nonprofits to collaborate and work smarter not harder by implementing volunteer management programs.

Consider that professional volunteer managers are every bit as valuable as professional fundraising executives! Mary Beth cites examples of how she enlisted volunteers to get work done in every department and how that gave managers and staff more time to take on new and expanded roles. Yes, budgets are tight, but consider that enlisting and managing great volunteers gets you over that hump so you can concentrate on raising more money and providing more direct services.

Before becoming a consultant, Mary Beth was the volunteer manager at the Dallas Public Library where she coordinated 3500 volunteers at 23 locations. She also was Director of Agency Relations for the Volunteer Center of North Texas, and most recently, she was director of community outreach for the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

She mentions using the Independent Sector’s value of volunteer time. In 2012, it was $22.14 per hour. Also, check out this January, 2012 show with Susan Ellis of Energize, Inc., Strategic Volunteerism in your Non-Profit. These shows can help you make a great case for a volunteer management position at your non-profit.

I hope the show inspires you to professionalize your volunteer management. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – How Strategic planning works and benefits your non-profit 04/08/13 Apr 08, 2013

On this week’s show, we focus on strategic planning, and how the process works and benefits your organization. My guest is Wendy Siegel, a consultant with Millennia Consulting based in Chicago, Illinois. Wendy helpfully describes the neutral facilitation role she plays and a four-step process that is inclusive, engages a task force in doing research, aligns the research with the mission and vision of the organization, and ends with a plan that identifies key strategies.

Strategic planning is a great way to bring board, staff and other stakeholders together and to get them on the same page. It also forces the group to agree on where the nonprofit is headed and NOT headed. Finally, a plan shows funders and donors that you have thoughtful reasons for doing what you’re doing and that you’re focused on making a measurable difference in the community.

Strategic planning is not something you can credibly do on your own. You must hire a skilled, neutral facilitator who keeps the process moving forward within a set of rules and parameters. If you have a new executive director, if you’re resources are stretched thin, if your target population is changing or the funding climate is shifting, if there’s tension between the staff and board, then it’s time to for strategic planning.

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Nonprofit Spark – Common pitfalls of hiring and managing nonprofit staff – 04/01/13 Apr 01, 2013

On this week’s show, I speak to two attorneys, Jeff Tenenbaum and Dave Warner of Venable LLP, a law firm based in Washington, D.C. We talk about common pitfalls they see nonprofit managers fall into when hiring and managing staff.

Dave and Jeff offer ideas about preparing to hire, the interview process, and the importance of writing down who you interviewed, what you asked, and why you chose the person – and saving that information for years. They describe why you must document performance appraisals and also, what the difference is between exempt and non-exempt employees. Finally, we touch on some guidelines for defining who is an independent contractor.

Jeff Tenenbaum is a partner with Venable and he is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit attorneys. He chairs the firms Nonprofit Organizations Practice Group and is an accomplished author, lecturer and commentator on nonprofit legal matters.

Dave Warner is a partner with Venable as well, and he focuses on resolving and litigating labor, employment and business disputes. He represents private and public sector clients, with a particular emphasis on the government contractor and nonprofit industries.

Nonprofit managers cannot afford to be naive about managing people; the consequences can be very expensive and time-consuming. Doing good for the world comes with the responsibility of being a good employer.

A companion show to this one is Delegating and letting someone go, which aired the week of April 23, 2012.

I hope you enjoy this episode; take lots of notes.

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Nonprofit Spark – How Girls on the Run nonprofit thrives in Boise, Idaho – 03/25/13 Mar 25, 2013

This week, I interview the program director of a nonprofit that serves girls by combining teaching life lessons and running. It’s a fun and inspiring program run by one paid staff person and a whole lot of volunteers.

Melissa Bixby manages Girls on the Run of the Treasure Valley which includes communities in and surrounding Boise, Idaho. Her nonprofit is a chapter of the National Girls on the Run organization. I’ll let her tell you more about the program during our interview.

Melissa is a focused, enthusiastic leader who receives great support from the national organization. I am always inspired by these on-the-ground nonprofit leaders and also, the enormous variety of nonprofits that are making a difference in the world.

I’ve no doubt you’ll hear, in Melissa’s sharing, what it takes to be an effective leader of a growing organization. It’s amazing what a one-person shop can accomplish. Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Jerold Panas on donor attrition and retention – 03/18/13 Mar 18, 2013

This week, I speak with my favorite fundraiser about donor attrition – that is, the rate at which donors stop giving – and how to keep donors connected and giving to you. My guest is Jerold Panas, the CEO of Jerold Panas, Linzy and Partners, one of the world’s most esteemed firms in the field of financial resource development. In February, Jerry received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Fundraising Success magazine in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the development profession. He is the author of many books on fundraising, including the top-sellers Asking, and Mega Gifts.

In the early stage of building an organization, attention focuses on building a donor base, starting with lists of families and friends. As that base grows, you must also pay attention to is how you’re encouraging donors to give again and again. In this interview, Jerry gives very specific coaching about what to say on thank you phone calls, the kind of newsletter you should produce each month, what questions to ask donors so you build a relationship with them, and more.

You can’t get better and more practical advice than from this interview with Jerry Panas. Be ready to take notes. I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Creative volunteering with bicycles – 03/11/13 Mar 11, 2013

On this week’s show, we explore all the ways bicycles and volunteers go together and it’s a great starting point for thinking about volunteer initiatives you might create to start your organization or new program. My guest is Tristan Dahn of the Philadelphia-based Energize, Inc., my favorite resource for leaders of volunteers.

Tristan describes how bicycle organizations and other nonprofits have tapped into volunteers as ambassadors, or to share their knowledge and skills, or to ride and raise money, or to provide hands on services. These volunteers are spreading the word and fulfilling the mission of organizations throughout the world.

Tristan manages Energize’s online bookstore and the “News in the Volunteer Field” blog. Prior to joining the staff, he worked for an independent book store and he currently is a volunteer leader of the nonprofit Books Through Bars in Philadelphia.

Thriving nonprofits regularly engage with and expand volunteer opportunities. So what can you do to inspire more and more volunteers to spread the word about and fulfill your organization’s mission? I hope you think about that as you listen to this week’s show.

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Nonprofit Spark – DC Ad Club’s five-step rebranding process – 03/04/13 Mar 04, 2013

This week, we focus on rebranding and how to go about it. It’s one of those projects that sounds like a great idea but means a lot of different things to board members, staff and communication professionals. It goes way beyond a new logo and is time-consuming, so you really need to know what you’re doing before you jump in.
My guest this week is Sherri Anne Green, the volunteer board president of DC Ad Club, an association that serves advertising professionals in the Washington, DC area. She recently spearheaded a rebranding process for that organization that took a year even with advertising professionals as members. Consider that your own project could take considerably longer.

On this show, my guest describes why they rebranded and the five sensible steps they took to complete the project. The reward of all their efforts is that they are counting more members and seeing more participation.

Sherri was recently recognized as the January 2013 Volunteer of the Month by Points of Light and BoardSource. She is director of business development for LM&O Advertising in Arlington, Virginia.

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Nonprofit Spark – Harnessing board energy and enthusiasm to cause non-profit growth – 02/25/13 Feb 25, 2013

This week, I speak with the executive director of a small nonprofit in Dallas, Texas about how she has worked with her board to cause the young organization to grow by leaps and bounds. My guest is Teri Walker and her organization is the Aberg Center for Literacy.

What actions did she and her board members take that caused the number of clients and volunteers to grow significantly in a relatively short time? Did they carry out a careful plan or create and adapt as they went along? How did they get the right mix of people on the board and how active are they? What public relations have they done to increase financial and volunteer support?

Teri and her board have discovered a formula that works for them in expanding the scope and reach of their literacy and learning programs. Their approach just might work for you and your organization as well. You be the judge!

A related show is interview I did last fall with an executive director and her board president who work with an award-winning literacy organization in North Carolina. You’ll hear a different approach to building an organization that addresses the same community issue. Listen to Cape Fear Literacy Council.

I hope you enjoy this week’s show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Easy listening about your nonprofit board’s “Duty of Care.” – 02/18/13 Feb 18, 2013

It’s easy to say “yes” to serving on the board of an organization you’re passionate about. It’s often difficult, though, to bring that energy and enthusiasm to the nonprofit’s financial policies or legal requirements. I would bet that at least half of board members in the U.S. don’t understand what they’ve really agreed to when they start serving on a board.

On this show, I speak with Nat Bartholomew, a partner with CliftonLarsonAllen, about Duty of Care and basic internal controls that ensure the assets of an organization are protected. Nat has 25 years of public accounting experience and for more than 20 of those, he has exclusively served not for profit clients. He is a nationally recognized expert on audit, accounting, tax and technology issues.

This is an “easy listening” show that addresses the least favorite work of board members with humor, practical examples and suggestions to compare your own board work to. Donors and your community are counting on you to act as a good steward of the nonprofit’s assets and the staff is counting on you to help the organization thrive.

A related show is Using dashboards for nonprofit evaluation which aired the week of April 30, 2012. My guest describes how you can measure the progress of a nonprofit using simple graphs and charts. They will help you explain to others what’s happening with your organization.

I encourage you to have your favorite nonprofit in mind as you listen to the show. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit startup best practices at Center for Disaster Philanthropy – 02/11/13 Feb 11, 2013

The week we explore nonprofit startup best practices and frankly, the ideas work for new programs of existing nonprofits as well. My guest is Robert G. Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy in Washington, D.C. The Center was highlighted in The Chronicle of Philanthropy in December as one of five “nonprofit high points of 2012.” Bob has been on the show a few times but it was in his former role as the leader of Guidestar, an online information source about nonprofits.

Bob and I discuss his new organization’s vision and how he’s developing services that help community and foundation leaders respond with certainty and alacrity to natural disasters. He describes start-up best practices he’s using and also, common mistakes startups often make. It’s a fascinating conversation about the challenges of starting a non profit and the world of disaster response.

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Nonprofit Spark – Making social media work for your nonprofit – 02/04/13 Feb 04, 2013

On this week’s show my guest and I talk about social media and how his organization uses it to serve members. I have been waiting to focus on this topic until these different tools became more solid and defined, and smaller, local nonprofits were using them well.

My guest this week is Chris Oien of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities (that’s Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota). Its mission is to provide and promote opportunities for the development of young nonprofit professionals. YNPN-Twin Cities is less than 10 years old and has 300 members and a distribution list of around 1000 professionals in their 20s and 30s. Chris Oien has worked in the nonprofit sector for eight years and he’s a volunteer board member of the local chapter of YNPN. He works for the Minnesota Council on Foundations where he the web communications associate.

Chris was kind enough to describe for me how YNPN-Twin Cities weaves together the website and blog with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and e-newsletters. The volunteer board members have been very smart about promoting the organization and taking on new social media channels as they build capacity.

If you don’t understand social media tools and what each provides, this is the show for you. If you want to hear how your organization might grow and thrive by using social media, then this also is the show for you.

I hope you enjoy the interview.

Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities

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Nonprofit Spark – Preparing for nonprofit technology purchases – 01/28/13 Jan 28, 2013

I just heard about a nonprofit that spent much more than it needed to on hardware and software the staff doesn’t need or have time to learn. The organization’s decision-makers became enamored by the technology and did not spend their money well. It’s a common problem.

My guest this week is Allen Gunn, executive director of Aspiration, a San Francisco-based organization that helps nonprofits and foundations use software tools more effectively and sustainably. He and his staff serve as allies, coaches, strategists, mentors and facilitators to nonprofits who want to make sure their technology impacts their social change efforts.

We discuss how to approach technology decisions so you make choices that support you and your staff in doing better work more efficiently. Also, some of the ideas that Allen shares will help you write a proposal for funding of technology to increase your capacity to serve more people.

A perfect companion Nonprofit Spark interview is one with Randy Romes of CliftonLarsonAllen in September of 2012: Creating standards for using your computer hardware and software.

This week’s show is fast-paced and full of common-sense ideas. I hope you enjoy it.

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Nonprofit Spark – Five Steps to a Great Fundraising Auction – 01/21/13 Jan 21, 2013

I’m pleased to have Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions back on the show this week. She is a charity auction educator and onstage auctioneer who has worked with nonprofits on more than 300 events. She also is a certified meeting planner. She’s one of my regulars because Sherry offers tips and tricks that can really make a difference for those of you who plan auctions. We want you to use your time well and enjoy it rather than pull your hair out and drive your family and the staff crazy.

This week, we begin at the beginning with 5 steps to a great fundraising auction. Most of us have attended fundraising auctions and some of us have even planned them. Often, we imitate what other organizations have done. But what if the auction we’re imitating wasn’t well planned? What if it could be 10 times better? How about if we start with a fresh point of view about auctions and solid information about our auction event?

I encourage you to check out Sherry’s book, What Sold Swell in 2012, so you get some great ideas for auction items. You’ll find other resources on her site as well.

This back-to-basics look at fundraising auctions will help new fundraisers but also, more experienced volunteers who never were grounded in solid auction best practices. Enjoy!

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Nonprofit Spark – Creating pilot programs to jumpstart new nonprofits or new services – 01/14/13 Jan 14, 2013

In late December, I replayed a 2012 interview with Aaron Rome about writing a statement of need for a grant proposal. It is really helpful if need to understand the kind of data and stories that you must compile to make a persuasive case for support. This week, Aaron and I take this conversation further to look at how creating pilot projects can help start-ups come to life and existing organizations grow.

Aaron Rome has been a grant writer and even a grant maker for 17 years. His fundraising experience started in his mid-20s when he founded a nonprofit aimed at improving education at urban high schools. He’s based in Rhode Island but writes proposals for nonprofits around the country. Part of the work he does is help nonprofits figure out if they have good information to write a proposal and what they need to do to get ready for it. He often suggests creating a pilot program to test a theory about how to improve services or solve a community problem.

This week’s show focuses on creating pilot programs that can become the jumping off point for a new nonprofit or for a new program for an emerging organization. One type of nonprofit has no track record and the other one does, but leaders of both types can use the common-sense advice you’l hear on this show. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Media relations tips for nonprofit leaders – 01/07/13 Jan 07, 2013

Welcome to Nonprofit Spark, a show for leaders and board members of new and emerging non-profits. And happy 2013, the best year of our lives!

This week’s show offers great tips about working with local media. It is so great when nonprofit stories are told in the newspaper or on the radio or television because nonprofits are, after all, community assets that citizens should know about!

Newer nonprofits who succeed quickly embrace the opportunity to build relationships with reporters and to pitch story ideas. So what are some of the things you need to do before you call them up or answer their calls?

My guest is Brad Phillips, the president of Phillips Media Relations, a media and presentation training firm. He writes the world’s most-visited media training website, Mr. Media Training and he just released a new book! It’s called The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need to Know Before Your Next Interview.

We talk about how you can be successful when you’re in the news, how reporters work and what they need, and we get in to some nitty gritty stuff about messaging, too. It’s a perfect starting point for nonprofit leaders who want to engage an audience of thousands who are reached through traditional media but Brad also ties some of that advice to Twitter as well.

I hope you enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Best of Nonprofit Spark 2012: Writing a statement of need and understanding the funder’s point of view Dec 31, 2012

This week, I’ve combined two great shows to help you think through grant writing and approaching foundations and corporations for grants.

Are you even ready to write a grant proposal? Not without a statement of need that compels the grantmaker to pay attention to why your organization matters in the community you serve. You must include demographic data that provides context about true problems and then connect that data to stories about the people you are serving. The first interview on this week’s show is is an excerpt of one I did with Aaron Rome, a veteran Rhode Island-based grant writer. He describes how he coaches his clients to compile great information and what he includes in a grant proposal’s statement of need.

I combined this interview with one that helps you understand the world of foundations and corporations who make grants. You have to read their guidelines, build relationships with program officers, and understand the constraints they operate with: they cannot possibly fund every proposal that comes their way.

The second part of the show, then, is an interview I did with Kristen Smith, the executive director of Planet Dog Foundation. It’s the nonprofit arm of Planet Dog, a company that contributes 2% of every sale of any Planet Dog product to fund the foundation’s grantmaking. Kristin describes what she and her board look at to determine who will be funded and who won’t, and she has suggestions for how to increase your chances for success. Before leading the Planet Dog Foundation, Kristin worked in a variety of nonprofits in the U.S. and abroad, doing development and fundraising, legislative activism, grassroots mobilization and education, communications and public relations.

Together, these two guests provide a realistic picture about fundraising from foundations and corporations. I hope you enjoy the show. I’ll be back again with fresh episodes of Nonprofit Spark on January 7.

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Nonprofit Spark – How newer nonprofits succeed (replay) – 12/24/12 Dec 24, 2012

I’m repeating a terrific show this week for all of you who have just begun a nonprofit or are considering starting one. I recently met with a young man who has embarked on this great adventure and I was reminded of why I do this show: So new leaders and board members can make a big difference in the world faster and more effectively.

My guest on this show is the executive director of an association that started with 70 nonprofit members in 2004 and has expanded to more than 600 today. He knows from first-hand experience what it takes to build a nonprofit and, in fact, advised them on how to succeed. Patrick McWhorter is the president and and CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. He manages external relationships, represents the Alliance in the community, and works to sustain the organization.

As you listen to our conversation, you’ll hear how grounded, practical and business-like great nonprofits have to be in order to succeed.

Have a healthy, peaceful Christmas! Thanks so much for listening.

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Nonprofit Spark – Powerful photographic storytelling II – 12/17/12 Dec 17, 2012

This week’s show is my gift to you for the holidays. Yes, you’ll learn about shooting great pictures, but mostly, I just want you to enjoy looking at wonderful photos of some very special animals who are cared for at Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit that rescues and cares for animals at two sanctuaries in California and one in New York.

My guest this week is JoAnne McArthur, an award-winning, freelance photojournalist from Toronto who has taken many photos of the animals at Farm Sanctuary and we’re going to view them on her website, We Animals. I hope you take time out to get acquainted with the stars of these photographs – roosters, pigs, cows, rabbits and more. You’ll see how great photos tell a story and be inspired to bring your own photographic storytelling to the next level.

Farm Sanctuary’s mission is to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living.

A companion show to this is Powerful photographic storytelling I in which I speak with the program director of Photophilanthropy.org about a stunning series of photos of children at an orphanage in Transylvania.

Please find a computer and soak in the compassion so evident in these Farm Sanctuary photos. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Thoughtful non-profit succession planning – 12/10/12 Dec 10, 2012

Nonprofit succession planning is one of those best practices that boards are not encouraged to work on. In fact, barely more than 30% of U.S. nonprofits have a plan they can go to during a big time of organizational change.

But a thoughtful succession plan is absolutely necessary because a lot of executive directors will be retiring soon, and newer and younger executive directors don’t stay as along as their predecessors. It provides continuity and certainty during change.

On this week’s show, I interview Paula J. MacLean of MacLean Management Consulting. She has more than 30 years experience as a business owner and nonprofit executive director and adult educator. Paula points out that succession plans should consider three areas: emergency situations, anticipated short-term leaves, and a final departure. Related to this show is one I did with Paula back in August of 2011 where we talked about Five Questions for an Executive Director Performance Review.

Here is a SAMPLE SUCCESSION PLAN that worked beautifully for Simpson Housing Services in Minneapolis a year ago when the executive director departed. Everyone knew what to do: they simply turned to the document and took action from there.

And let me just add that my guest also is the author of six human resource books, including The Supervisor’s Big Book of Answers and also, Great Boards Plain and Simple. Her company operates a publishing company, Silver Creek Press.

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Nonprofit Spark – 2012 nonprofit sector report and ending foundation proposal budgets – 12/03/12 Dec 03, 2012

There are two guests on this week’s show talking about non-profit funding. The first guest talks about the recent Blackbaud report, State of the Nonprofit Industry. It describes what nonprofits in three countries are doing to attract new donors and retain current donors. My second guest is a finance wizard and she gives us an update about a paradigm-shifting idea she has for grantmakers: stop asking for budgets to go along with grant proposals!

Starting off the show, then, is an interview with Dennis McCarthy, the vice president of strategy and business practice for Blackbaud. His company is the leading global provider of software and services to nonprofits and each year, it produces the State of the Nonprofit Industry report. Dennis has been serving nonprofits for more than 30 years in the design and implementation of integrated marketing solutions, which means he’s seen firsthand what works in raising lots of money. I’m pleased to have him on the show. My second guest is Carol Cantwell, the founder of Fun with Financials, a San Francisco-based company that teaches nonprofits practices that support informed financial decisions. It also assists foundations with their grants and processes so they support nonprofit financial health. Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Making a nonprofit web site redesign easier with content strategy – 11/26/12 Nov 26, 2012

We’re back to talking about non-profit websites on this week’s show and something called “content strategy.” Getting a new or redesigned website up and running can be frustrating and time consuming and I’ve learned the hard way it’s because we weren’t using a content strategy. So what is it? It’s a process you can use to plan for, create, and deliver compelling content that aligns with your organization’s goals. Content is the text, the graphics, the donation button, the menu – all of it. When you use a strategy, you stay focused and certain. When you don’t have one, you feel confused and make constant, expensive changes.

My guest this week is Tim Spell, the Director of NonprofitCMS, a custom web design company offering a suite of software services to associations and nonprofits. They design websites and apps, and have online awards and conference management tools as well. Tim was on the show in March of 2011 and we talked about Elements of a Great Website. He was so helpful that I thought I’d have him back on the show to give the web designer’s point of view about content strategy.

This is a show and tell show – we look at a website part-way through the interview that his company built. Check out Adhesives.org. It’s perfect for newer nonprofit leaders about to embark on starting a website or redesigning one. It’s also great for those of you who’ve wondered what the heck content strategy is. Enjoy the show!

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Nonprofit Spark – Avoiding the Special Events Bug – repeat 11/19/12 Nov 19, 2012

It is the week of Thanksgiving, that all-American holiday that recalls pilgrims, Native Americans, pumpkins and family traditions. In the spirit of gratitude, I’m taking a break and repeating a great show about special events, which raise needed dollars but often at a high price. The staff, board and volunteers are burned out afterward and have little desire to do any other kind of fundraising. Frankly, events often are an avoidance strategy for meeting with individual donors and asking for gifts, and they limit a nonprofit’s capacity for growth.

My guest on this episode was Nick Parkevich, a partner and consultant with Loring, Sternberg & Associates, a company based in Indianapolis, Indiana that serves small to medium-size nonprofits throughout the U.S. They focus on board fundraising and governance training; strategic planning; feasibility studies and more. We talked about how you know if you’re infected with the special events bug, why that’s a problem, and strategies and tools for turning what could be addictive into a building block for strong donor relationships and major gifts.

In the show, Nick mentioned the book Asking by Gerald Panas. We both recommend you read it. In addition, listen to the interview I did last year with Mr. Panas. He is a masterful fundraising coach and every word he says is pure gold in the episode, Raising Money in Tough Economic Times.

I hope you get some great ideas for leveraging your 2013 events to build deeper relationships with individual donors. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Tapping into the power of pro bono services for non-profits – 11/12/12 Nov 12, 2012

On this week’s show, my guest and I focus on pro bono services that can make a huge difference for non-profit marketing, human resources, technology and other areas that it can be hard to raise money for. Many nonprofits have had mixed experiences with pro bono professionals, though, and are skeptical about seeking them out. It really takes some hard thinking and time to make such relationships work.

My guest this week is Aaron Hurst, president and founder of Taproot Foundation. Its mission is to lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. Since its inception in 2001, the foundation has connected some 3,000 nonprofits to pro bono consultants and has compiled everything its learned into a new book, Powered by Pro Bono: The Nonprofit’s Step-by-Step Guide to Scoping, Securing, Managing and Scaling Pro Bono Resources. It really is a “how to” book for nonprofits of all sizes who want to increase income through donated services.

Taproot Foundation works with nonprofits in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. But even if you’re not located in any of those cities, you can still benefit from Taproot Foundation experience by listening to this interview with Aaron, by reading the book, and by checking out the organization’s website at taprootfoundation.org.

As you listen to the interview, start thinking about what you dream of accomplishing in the next 12-18 months. It all is possible with pro bono consultants!

Dream big and enjoy the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Choosing a board self-assessment tool – 11/05/12 Nov 05, 2012

The interview I did a couple weeks ago with the executive director and board president of award-winning Cape Fear Literacy Council reminded me of the need to do a show about board learning again. The most common trait of the successful organizations I’ve interviewed is that the staff and board are always learning: they evaluate what’s working and not working about their programs and services. They measure the impact of what they’re doing. They pay for training. And most do a board self-assessment of some kind at least annually.

On this show, my guest and I talk about why you should do a board assessment and then we review a number of possible assessment tools so you don’t have to start from scratch. The idea is to select one or put two of them together that you think will end up giving you useful information to make your board better.

My guest is Dr. Debra Beck, a consultant and author with nearly 30 years experience serving on, and consulting with, nonprofit boards. Debra is based in Laramie, Wyoming and she started a blog called the Laramie Board Learning Project to encourage community leaders to embrace their responsibilities and shape the future of their organizations.

This is another “show and tell” show which means we’re going to send you to a website where you can follow along with us as we review the various assessment tools. So, please go to the Laramie Board Learning Project at boardlearning.org to review the October 29 blog post where Debra lists and links to a number of assessment tools. Enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Building natural relationships with individual donors – 10/29/12 Oct 29, 2012

One of the biggest challenges non profit leaders face is growing the individual donor base. It’s not unusual for them to be quite sophisticated about raising money from “professionals” at corporations and fundraising and then to be far less skilled at building relationships with individual donors.

On this show, I speak to the founder of a nonprofit that has increased giving from individuals by 70% within a few years. They raised $593,000 from 443 donors in 2009 and by the end of 2011, were raising $1,010, 324 from 613 donors. So, what happened?

Eric Howard is the founder and CEO of Outreach, Inc., a Christian ministry with the mission of equipping and empowering homeless teens and young adults to achieve stability and life transformation. It’s based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Eric tells an extraordinary story about a shift in his thinking about individual donors and money, and how he now spends so much more one-on-one time with his donors.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re religious or an atheist, the main thing to get from this show is how important it is for you to figure out a context for approaching donors that works for you, that empowers you so you get over your fear about talking to individual donors. Eric’s epiphany came after reading the book, A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nowen.

Perhaps as you listen, you’ll want to order that book. No matter. My hope is that this interview causes you to think about how individual fundraising can become a natural self-expression for you. – Host Renee McGivern

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Nonprofit Spark – Best Practices in Action: Non-profit Cape Fear Literacy Council on relationships and continuous improvement – 10/22/12 Oct 22, 2012

What do leaders of an award-winning non-profit sound like? Listen to this show and you’ll hear an executive director and her board president talk about how they work together and how they engage their board. You’ll find out how relentless the staff and board is about building relationships with nonprofits, colleges, businesses, and government agencies to identify people who aren’t literate and get them help. Finally, you’ll learn how creative they are about using the media and even coffee beans to draw attention to their organization and the problem of illiteracy.

My guests this week are Linda Patton Lytvinenko, the executive director of Cape Fear Literacy Council, and her board president, Karen Pappas. Cape Fear Literacy Council provides adults with free and confidential instruction in reading, writing, spelling, math, computers and communicating in English and serves between 450 and 500 adults each year. It’s based in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Cape Fear Literacy Council just won the Nonprofit Sector Stewardship Award from the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits for using exemplary practices in their stewardship of the community’s trust and resources. I’ve no doubt that you will agree they deserved this honor after you listen to this interview.

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Nonprofit Spark – Charitable solicitation news and Internet/online fundraising – 10/15/2012 Oct 15, 2012

This week’s show is a delightful interview – it’s true! – about charitable solicitation rules and the people who make sure nonprofits are operating legitimately. You’ll learn about filing the right paperwork with the right people but also, there is new information here for even the most seasoned fundraisers.

My guest is Kristalyn Loson of the Venable law firm in Washington, D.C. She says that if you solicit or receive donations from people in other states, you must know whether you have to register your nonprofit in multiple states to legally raise money there. This relates to mailed letters and thank yous, and Internet fundraising. She describes the Charleston Principles (http://www.afpnet.org/ResourceCenter/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3309) which focus on Internet fundraising.

And did you know you may be randomly selected for a review of your fundraising materials to see if you’re making fraudulent claims? Kristalyn describes this new initiative of the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance which is starting to aggressively root out bad charities.

Finally, my guest says there is good news for nonprofits who spend hours each year filling out legal paperwork so they can operate and fundraise in other states. The National Association of State Charity Officers announced a new pilot project this month to streamline this filing process with a single online form! To Kristalyn, who’s practice focuses on nonprofits and associations, this news was exciting as for an Apple customer finding out about a new mobile device. It’s a big deal!

This is an energetic show about rules that you cannot afford to be ignorant about.

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Nonprofit Spark – A Boston-based nonprofit takes on program evaluation – 10/08/12 Oct 07, 2012

There is more and more pressure on nonprofits to address strategic questions like, “What long-term impact are we having on the people we serve?”and “What do we want this community to look like as a result of our work?” and finally, “How will we track our progress?”

My guest this week runs a Boston-based non-profit that was created some six years ago from the merger of two historic and well-known Boston nonprofits that served low-income women. This show is a really interesting look at how that merger breathed new life into the staff and board, and created the need to initiate evaluation processes to measure their achievements.

Beth Babcock is president and CEO of Crittenton Women’s Union, an organization that transforms the course of low-income women’s lives so that they and their families can achieve economic independence. We discuss how the merger raised big questions, caused a new strategic direction, and prompted evaluation activities that involves the entire staff. During our interview, she mentions a practical book about evaluation that she uses a lot. Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes in an Era of Scarcity by Mario Morino can be ordered from Amazon.com.

This is one of those shows that is rich with ideas for what you can do to incorporate evaluation and become a learning and risk-taking organization.

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Nonprofit Spark – A knockout nonprofit annual report: storytelling at its best – 10/01/12 Oct 01, 2012

This week’s show is a “show and tell” show so my guests will talk about their annual report and we’ll view it online at the same time.

Nonprofit annual reports have been receiving a lot of attention lately in the nonprofit sector. With the increasing conversation about community engagement, instigated in part by the advent of social media, more non-profits are asking themselves, “Has it been wise to eliminate our annual report or merely post a pdf version of it on our website? Is it realistic to expect people to jump online to find out how we’re doing? And finally, how can we be more a more transparent and engaging nonprofit?”

Many of us are figuring out that there still is a place for printed and mailed annual reports and newsletters. E-newsletters are for quick, timely content. Web pages are for brief, useful content. And print newsletters and annual reports are for longer story telling and providing context about organizations. Altogether, online and print content reinforce your organization’s brand and unique place in your community.

So what if you chose to spend more money on your annual report and created something so enticing, interesting, and celebratory that your donors, volunteers, and stakeholders can’t resist reading it when it arrives in their mailboxes? My guests on this week’s show have created an annual report just like that. View their annual report as we talk about it.

Susan Pagani is the communications director and Kelly McManus is the creative director of the Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit that delivers meals to the chronically ill. You may recall that I interviewed their associate director, Jennifer Van Wyk of Open Arms of Minnesota back in March of 2012 about how the organization was dealing with the theft of thousands of dollars by a trusted employee. It’s an extraordinary interview about crisis communications.

This time, Susan and Kelly describe their annual report goals and theme, how they go about pulling together text and infographics, what their donors say about the report, and how the report supports the brand of Open Arms of Minnesota.

I hope these women inspire you as much as they do me.

interview about crisis communications https://webtalkradio.net/2012/03/19/nonprofit-spark-–-nonprofit-crisis-management-best-practices-dealing-with-fraud-031912

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Nonprofit Spark – Creating standards for using your computer hardware and software – 09/24/12 Sep 24, 2012

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Andrea Berry of Idealware about choosing donor software. She provided very useful advice about that but I did not get into issues about how making sure the database is secure, how you determine who has access to it, and even more broadly, what kinds of rules nonprofits should have about appropriate use of computers and software, how they’ll handle information located on both personal and work computers and so on.

So on the heels of that interview, I decided to call my friends at CliftonLarsonAllen to find someone I can talk to about standards for using technology. I’m pleased to say that I discovered Randy Romes, a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen, who specializes in information security. He works with clients to test their systems, do risk and security assessments, and he helps executives understand complicated IT issues and challenges.
He is a nationally recognized expert on technology-related issues with hundreds of public engagements, interviews and published articles.

I think you’ll find that we make IT issues easy to listen to and ponder as you apply what we discuss to your own organization.

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Nonprofit Spark – Writing an effective statement of need for a grant proposal – 09/17/12 Sep 17, 2012

Are you ready to write a grant proposal? Not without a statement of need that compels the grant maker to pay attention to why your organization matters in the community you serve! Here’s an example of a part of a simple but attention-getting statement of need about a new nonprofit serving youth after school.

The youth at the schools we serve come from predominantly disadvantaged households with 75-95% qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The majority of students in these schools, and in our programs, are African American or Latino. Additionally, at least 85% of the students in our programs live in a single parent household and 65% return to an empty home at the end of the day. Nationally, on school days, 3-6pm are the peak hours for teens to commit crimes, be victims of crime, and smoke, drink and use drugs. This statistic rings true for New York City as well – the highest rates of arrests of juveniles committing violent crime (20%) and youth victimized by crime (25%) occur during this time period. It is absolutely vital to have safe, productive and educational after school programs for middle and high school students in New York City; this is what we provide.

My guest this week is a grant writer who works with nonprofits throughout the US and a big part of his job is helping them articulate this statement of need. He says it is the most important component of the grant proposal. Aaron Rome has been a grant writer and even a grant maker for 17 years. His fundraising experience started in his mid-20s when he founded a nonprofit aimed at improving education at urban high schools. On this show, he talks about what you need to write a compelling statement of need and also, what to look for when hiring a grant writer for your organization. And no, you do not pay a grant writer a percentage of a grant you receive. You pay him by the hour or project as you would any other fundraising consultant.

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Nonprofit Spark – Considerations for choosing fundraising software – 09/10/12 Sep 09, 2012

This week, we focus for the first time on donation software and what you need to be thinking about as you prepare to invest in it. I don’t think there’s anything that impedes productivity like a software that is hard to use when it comes time to start a fundraising campaign or produce reports about it. For new non-profits, this show will help you move away from your spreadsheets and use something more multi-dimensional. For emerging organizations, this show will help you think about how much more donor information you need to ramp up individual and major gifts fundraising.

My guest this week is Andrea Berry, director of partnerships and learning with Idealware, a nonprofit that provides thoroughly researched, impartial and accessible resources about software to help nonprofits make smart software decisions. Andrea oversees fundraising and training activities, including the Field Guide to Nonprofit Software, sponsorships, corporate and individual giving, grants management and online seminars. We discuss what kind of fundraising reports you need, who should be involved in choosing a software, and we even touch on integrating the separate volunteer, event and donor spreadsheets and databases your staff may be using.

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Nonprofit Spark – Primer on managing your non-profit’s cash flow – 09/03/12 Sep 03, 2012

It’s the Labor Day holiday in the U.S.and so I’m taking a break from my work by repeating one of my favorite shows. Believe it or not, it’s about managing cash flow. The thing I love about this show is that my guest, who is a CPA specializing in nonprofit accounting, shares from his direct experience as a board member of a youth service organization.

Most leaders of active non-profits produce a monthly balance sheet and income statement. However, many don’t produce a cash flow projection which tells executives and board members if they’ll have enough cash in the bank to cover the bills every month. On this week’s show, my guest and I discuss why managing cash flow and using a projection is so helpful. For instance, you won’t panic when you see a deficit on your next income statement. You’ll anticipate when you’ll need to borrow cash, and you’ll know how much your line of credit needs to be at the bank. And you won’t operate under the illusion that you’re rich when most of the money in your bank account is not for general operating expenses.

Jon Hoffmeister is a CPA and partner with CliftonLarsonAllen, our Nonprofit Spark sponsor. He has more than 20 years experience assisting nonprofits, colleges and universities, and closely-held businesses. Jon has been serving on the board of a community youth service agency for more than 10 years, and has been treasurer and finance committee chair much of that time. His financial leadership of the agency earned him statewide recognition for outstanding dedication in helping youth, and for his appreciation for the challenges facing non-profit managers.

On this show, Jon uses his practical experience with this agency to highlight his key points about managing cash flow. Even the most financially-phobic non-profit leaders will understand this show!

A great companion Nonprofit Spark episode to this one is Understanding a Balance Sheet from February of 2011. No kidding, I still see downloads of this show and the balance sheet we discuss several times a week, it’s that helpful!

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Nonprofit Spark – Success factors in nonprofit mergers – 082712 Aug 26, 2012

Nonprofit mergers are being explored throughout North America as a way to address funding cuts, strengthen services, increase operational efficiency and even, pending executive director retirements. In Minnesota, more than nonprofits have already merged, or the better term is “realigned.”

A new report was issued this summer about a study of 41 direct service organization mergers that occurred in Minnesota from 1999 to 2010. The study, Success Factors in Nonprofit Mergers, was a joint project of MAP for Nonprofits and Wilder Research, both based in St. Paul. There is a lot experience embedded in this report of value to nonprofits everywhere who are considering realignments. Leaders of new nonprofits might consider exploring opportunities to realign with older ones where retirements are pending. And leaders of emerging nonprofits may use realignments as a way to expand the scope and reach of their services.

My guest this week is Renae Oswald-Anderson, director of redesign services for MAP for Nonprofits. Her organization has completed 65 realignments affecting 120 organizations since 2007. It also provides management consulting and services, and board recruitment and training, and has done so for more than 30 years.

On the show, Renae and I talk about what nonprofit executives and boards need to consider when exploring a realignment. You’ll notice that the primary driver of successful realignments is not finances, but rather, how the merged nonprofits will better serve changing community needs.

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Nonprofit Spark – Getting started with planned gifts: bequests, appreciated stock and annuities – 08/20/12 Aug 19, 2012

On this week’s show, I return to my favorite topic – fundraising. Many, many organizations – even 30, 40 or 50 years old – are not encouraging donors to remember the organization in their wills. It’s a huge lost opportunity and yet, planned giving can be an easy and natural fit into the fundraising and communications you’re doing now. It does not have to be complicated and it can be about gifts for today and tomorrow.

My guest this week is Michael J. Rosen, a certified fundraising executive, and President of ML Innovations, Inc, a fundraising and marketing consulting firm based in Philadelphia. He’s the author of the bestselling book, “Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing.” He also is an adjunct professor at Drexel University where he teaches a course on advanced fund development. Finally, he is a recipient of the prestigious Skystone Prize for Research in Fundraising and Philanthropy from the international Association of Fundraising Professionals.

You’ll come away from this show with just enough information to talk internally about how to incorporate planned giving into your current fundraising program and to get started. A great companion Nonprofit Spark episode is Planned gifts and endowment primer which aired on September 19, 2011.

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Nonprofit Spark – Five marketing ideas that will immediately boost your silent auction results – 08/13/12 Aug 13, 2012

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers right now across North America who have begun work on fall special events and related silent auctions. This show is designed to help all of you boost your success at the silent auction, once you’ve got the items in hand and people at your event. We’re honing in on this: What are you doing to market the items in your silent auction room?

For instance, are you using a sound system to make announcements about items and is the lighting subduing or supporting buying? You’ll get some very practical ideas for marketing your items on this show and raising more money.

My guest this week is such an expert about silent and live auctions that I just had to have her back on the show this week. Sherry Truhlar is president of Red Apple Auctions. She is a charity auction educator and onstage auctioneer. She also is a certified meeting planner. She has worked with nonprofits on some 300 events and is a walking, talking, and lively idea machine about auctions. You may want to listen to the interview I did with her last October, Handheld Bidding Devices, which also is lively and packed with ideas. That show aired the week of October 24, 2011.

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Nonprofit Spark – Avoiding pitfalls of cause-related marketing-080612 Aug 05, 2012

The show this week is about cause-related marketing, that unique relationship between a nonprofit and a for profit who both benefit from associating with each other and together, generate revenue for the nonprofit.

You may be familiar with the recent cause-related campaign between Coca Cola and the World Wildlife Fund. They joined forces to raise awareness and money through the Arctic Home campaign that focused on protecting the polar bear’s natural habitat. The campaign ran from November 1, 2011 through March 15, 2012.

For the campaign, Coca Cola changed 1.4 billion of of their Coke cans to white matched donations from customers who supported the World Wildlife Fund by texting the package code off of their can and a donation. The company was willing to match up to $1 million in texted donations through the period of the campaign.

Now, that’s a big example of cause-related marketing for an international organization, but you can look around your own area to find more local examples. These can be highly effective relationships that make a big financial difference for a nonprofit.

So what are the basics you need to know before you consider cause-related marketing? What pitfalls should you avoid? How is this different from company sponsorships? I have two attorneys on the show this week from the Venable law firm and it’s main office in Washington, D.C. It has a large nonprofit practice. Kristalyn Loson as an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Practice Group. She focuses primarily on nonprofits and associations, and legal issues related to charitable giving. She’s joined on the show by her colleague, Jonathan Pompan is Of Counsel at the Venable firm; he focuses on providing legal advice and regulatory advocacy for companies, nonprofits and associations. Together, they encourage due diligence before embarking on a cause-related marketing campaign.

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Nonprofit Spark – Criteria for a successful major campaign – 07/30/12 Jul 30, 2012

With so much gloom and doom about the economy here and in Europe, we can lose sight of the fact that nonprofits like yours are still working your magic in your communities. And guess what? There are a lot of people in addition to your current donors who have the financial means to support what you’re doing.

What if you’ve been dreaming about expanding by buying or renovating space, adding programs, or establishing an endowment? How will you know you’re ready for a major fundraising campaign and when to move forward with it?

On this week’s show, I speak with Rita Galowich, president of Fund Inc, a Chicago-based fundraising consulting firm to nonprofit organizations. Rita has run campaigns of all kinds for her clients and she knows, as all good fundraising consultants do, that there are criteria for success that must be understood and accepted prior to launching. We discuss those today.

I interviewed Rita last year about building an individual fundraising program and I encourage you to listen to that, too, because you’ll hear today about how important it is for your organization to have an established donor base before you initiate a big campaign. The other thing about that show is she describes how to develop fundraising skills that will serve you very well when it’s time for a larger campaign. Developing Individual Donors and Your Fundraising Skills aired a year ago, the week of July 25, 2011.

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Nonprofit Spark – Millennial Impact Report 2012 and boosting engagement – 07/23/12 Jul 23, 2012

On this week’s show, my guest and I discuss a new point of view about fundraising and cultivation to encourage more contributions. Recently, I replayed an interview I did with Martha Taylor of the University of Wisconsin Foundation about unique ways to cultivate women donors. This week, we look at Millennials, the active and passionate men and women between 20 and 35 and the myriad ways they engage with nonprofits.

My guest this week is Derrick Feldmann is CEO of Achieve. It’s a fundraising agency that creates campaigns that nonprofits use to attract attention and secure financial support from all audiences, especially Millennials. Achieve partnered with Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates, a company that works with philanthropic organizations, to conduct their third study Millennial involvement with nonprofits. They released the Millennial Impact Report 2012 just a few weeks ago.

While it’s easy to write off people in this age group as potential donors. my guest this week says, ‘Take another look.” Some 64% if Millennials volunteered for a nonprofit and 75% said they gave a financial gift in 2011.

This is an interesting interview with a Millennial about Millennials, and he challenges us to reconsider how nonprofits define giving, volunteering, and involvement so as to be open to the tremendous contributions this generation has to offer. It’s all about authentic communication.

In the interview, Feldmann refers to a YouTube video of a presentation by Carolyn Everson, Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook. She describes the new wave of expectations more and more people have – not just Millennials – for authentic connections with nonprofits. Here’s the link to the video, Social by Design.

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Nonprofit Spark – Funders: Stop asking non-profits for budgets! – 07/16/12 Jul 16, 2012

My guest this week has a truly radical idea that you’re going to love. She first shared it with me a week ago and then in our actual interview but you know, I could not get my head around it at first. It was almost too simple. She is on a mission to persuade funders to stop asking for budgets from nonprofits who are applying for grants! Say, what??

Carol Cantwell is the founder of Fun with Financials, a San Francisco-based company that teaches nonprofits practices that support informed financial decisions. It also assists foundations with their grants and processes so they support nonprofit financial health.

Over the years, Carol gained experience working in financial roles at a nonprofit and while working with hundreds of social justice organizations on their finances. She knows full well the burden placed on nonprofits to devise budgets and variations of budgets and reports about budgets in order to obtain foundation grants. She’s pointing to the pink elephant in the room that most of us who’ve sought grants haven’t dared to say a word about.

I’m so delighted by this that Carol and I have set up a Twitter conversation about it at to start a movement to eliminate budgets for funders. Check out the conversation at #nofunderbudget.

Before you participate in the Twitter chat, listen to this interview about Carol’s radical, elegant and completely responsible idea.

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Nonprofit Spark – “How to use your photos for storytelling – 07/09/12” Jul 09, 2012

On this week’s show, we explore what you can do to build a collection of great photos that tell the story of your organization. This is another “show and tell” show, which means we want you to look something we’re talking about. In this case, We review a blog post that shows examples of photos in online annual reports, on donation pages, in e-newsletters and on Facebook.

My guest is Julie Damon, CEO and marketing director of Branded4Good, a company that provides nonprofit marketing and website development services to help organizations build their brand and support their fundraising. Julie and I are particularly passionate about this topic because we’re the ones who actually work with the photos you take. Most of them, frankly, are not good and sometimes, there’s not even one worth showing from a batch of 200 images you send us. Not having great photos is a lost opportunity for telling your organization’s unique story. All the text and explanations in the world are not as powerful as a few great photographs.

Julie and I make lots of suggestions here, and I hope you’ll be inspired to try even just a couple of them over the next year, and then a couple more the year after that. Within a few years, you’ll have a library of great images at your fingertips to use to you pull people closer to your organization and into caring deeply about it.

To support you in learning more about photography, I suggest you listen to an interview I did last year with the awards manager for the nonprofit, PhotoPhilanthropy. About 20 minutes into that episode, we review a slideshow of stunning images telling the story of an orphanage in Transylvania. That show, Powerful Photographic Storytelling, aired the week of August 15, 2011.

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Nonprofit Spark – Training do’s and don’ts for non-profit trainers – 07/02/12 Jul 02, 2012

The show this week focuses on training because just about every nonprofit has someone in the organization who is training staff, volunteers, board members, service providers or clients.

I know a nonprofit that cooks and distributes meals every day. The kitchen director regularly has to train people about food safety and preparation. Another organization trains new staff about mental illness, and how best to work with the clients who come in for services. A third organization runs a massive fundraising walk and trains staff and volunteers how to manage registrations, answer participant questions, and even, perform CPR and apply First Aid.

Training is happening all the time in nonprofits, but only in rare cases is there someone on staff who has formal training in how to design great training. Inexperienced trainers talk too much and overwhelm participants with material. Inexperienced trainers don’t have participants try out what they’re learning so they discover things on their own. Inexperienced trainers are, plain and simple, not making the kind of difference that creates memorable “ah ha” moments for learners. The result is that people take a long time to catch on, they make mistakes, money and time is wasted, legal and financial risks build, and it all creates lots of frustration.

Did you know that highly skilled trainers only talk a total of 45 minutes in a day-long seminar? Did you know you should cover only three key points every 60-90 minutes? There is a lot to learn about learning!

My guest this week is Gayle Noakes, a principal and the managing director of CLA University at CliftonLarsonAllen, our Nonprofit Spark sponsor. Gayle is charged with overseeing the learning and development efforts for the firm. She consults with leaders and facilitates various meetings and events, in partnership with business leaders. She holds an MA in Human Resource Development and Certificate in Organization Development from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.

We talk about common misconceptions managers and new trainers have about training, and offer several ideas for designing a great training program that helps people do great work.

Want to learn more about designing effective training? Gayle Noakes and her CliftonLarsonAllen colleague, LaChel Hird, and I are facilitating a follow-up webinar on July 31 from 12-1:30 p.m. EST. Learn more about Six Do’s and Don’ts of Training online; I’ll also talk about the webinar later on the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Advice from the wisest nonprofit fundraisers in North America – 06/25/12 Jun 25, 2012

On this week’s show, I knit together golden nuggets about non-profit fundraising from three of the wisest development professionals in North America. Together, they have more than 60 years experience and have raised millions of dollars – if not billions – for charities. The interviews were held early last year and I didn’t want you to overlook those podcasts because they are so rich with ideas for improving your fundraising results.

I start the show with Phil Schumacher of Gunderson Lutheran Medical Center in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, who describes what he’d do – and what he wouldn’t do – if he were starting a new development program at a nonprofit. My second guest is consultant and author Jerold Panas who focuses on the need to have a strong board of directors, and how the staff and board can work together to approach donors. Finally, my third guest is Martha Taylor of the University of Wisconsin Foundation who sheds light on how to court women donors to your organization. These are extraordinary fundraising professionals so I hope you make time to sit back and soak in what they have to share.

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Nonprofit Spark – Transforming a nonprofit culture to embrace individual fundraising 06/18/12 Jun 18, 2012

On this week’s show, we focus on a non-profit that is emerging in the communities it serves. It recently initiated individual fundraising activities after almost 30 years of relying exclusively on government funding. Spending time and money on individual fundraising requires a huge cultural shift for the staff and board; many leaders of established human service agencies are understandably fearful of this change.

Our guest is Nancy Batterman, the CEO of Employment and Community Options, a San Diego-based nonprofit that serves adults with developmental disabilities in both southern and northern California. She has been with the organization since it began, and the time and energy she’s now putting into fundraising has altered her day to day focus dramatically. And guess what? She’s enjoying every minute of it.

We talk about how the culture is shifting with the board and the staff, and Nancy has some very specific examples of what she’s done to engage them in fundraising. She discusses how they’ve been working with a fundraising consultant and even a p.r. agency, something totally new for her organization.

A great companion show to this one is an interview I did with Keenan Weller of LiveWorkPlay, an Ottawa-based nonprofit that also serves people with developmental disabilities. He talks about how his organization has shifted its focus from being program-concentrated to using marketing and community engagement strategies. The show is titled “A nonprofit reinvents itself: LiveWorkPlay takes on social change.” It aired the week of April 16, 2012.

Nancy Batterman, like Keenan Weller, is an incredibly inspiring leader. Nothing stops her from making sure the people her organization serves find jobs and live independently, even if it means learning to be a great fundraiser. And you know what? If she can do this, you can do this.

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Nonprofit Spark – Making your board dramatically more effective- 06/11/12 Jun 11, 2012

Non-profit mission statements often are so lofty no one understands them nor can boards fully identify with them. They sound like a great idea but mission statements often are disconnected from what the board is supposed to do. It’s no wonder that board governance gets confusing; members aren’t sure why they’re there.

What if you think of your mission statement as a promise to your community instead? As a board member, a promise is something I am willing to make or not, willing to be held accountable for or not. A promise says that the board and staff will make the community better as a result of their work and describes how that will look.

On this week’s show, my guest and I explore three things a board can do right now to transform from mediocrity to excellence, starting with making a promise. Gayle Gifford is the author of How to Make Your Board Dramatically More Effective Starting Today and president of Cause & Effect, a Rhode Island consulting firm that helps nonprofits make a bigger impact on their communities.

Gayle asks lots of questions in her book to prod her nonprofit clients to think hard about the kind of organizations they want to be and why. You’ll hear a number of her questions on the show this week: notice how they focus a board’s attention away from the details of staff work, events, the budget.

A great companion show to this is a recent one about nominating committees with Trisha Lester of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits about nominating committees. That show aired the week of May 21.

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Nonprofit Spark – How newer nonprofits succeed – 06/04/12 Jun 04, 2012

My guest this week is the executive director of a non-profit association that started with only 70 nonprofit members in 2004 and has already expanded to serving more than 600. He knows from first-hand experience what it takes to build a non-profit and, in fact, advises them on how to succeed. On the show, we talk about characteristics, or actions, of new organizations which are growing and thriving.
Patrick McWhorter is the president and CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. He helped launch the Alliance nearly ten years ago, and has served as chief executive since 2005. He manages external relationships, represents the Alliance in the community, and works to sustain the organization. His favorite role is “champion of community impact,” delivering speeches that articulate the value and impact of Arizona’s nonprofits. He has nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit community, along with tenure in business and government. He has served on many nonprofit boards, including the National Council of Nonprofits, for which he served as Chairman.
As you listen to our conversation, you’ll hear how grounded, practical and business-like great nonprofits have to be in order to succeed. If you are an older organization that needs a jumpstart, these ideas also will help you!

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Nonprofit Spark – Avoiding the highly contagious special events bug – 05/28/12 May 28, 2012

A recent article in Nonprofit Quarterly caught my eye. It asked if non-profit special events are an addiction, a kind of illness. I tracked down the source of the question and it was a workshop being offered in Indiana entitled, Avoiding the Highly Contagious Special Events bug. My guest on this week’s show co-authored an article about this for the Association of Fundraising Professionals and also, taught that workshop.

Now, there certainly can be a place for special events in a non-profit’s annual life, but what mostly happens is that the staff, board and volunteers are burned out afterward and have little desire to do any other kind of fundraising. Frankly, events often are an avoidance strategy for meeting with individual donors and asking for gifts and they limit a nonprofit’s capacity for growth. People are caught in a repetitive cycle of event, exhaustion, event, exhaustion and no energy is left to focus on planning and building a future.

On this show, Nick Parkevich and I talk about how you know if you’re infected with the special events bug, why that’s a problem, and strategies and tools for turning what could be addictive into a building block for strong donor relationships and major gifts.

Nick is a partner and consultant with Loring, Sternberg & Associates, a company that serves small to medium size nonprofits throughout the U.S. They focus on board fundraising and governance training; strategic planning; feasibility studies and more.

Prior to consulting, Nick served as the director of advancement at Damar Services, a disability services provider based in Central Indiana, where he led a $40 million campaign that doubled the number of clients that organization serves. See what a serious focus on fundraising can accomplish? He lives and breathes fundraising, and is passionate about making it a source of transformation for donors and organizations.

In the show, Nick mentions the book Asking by Gerald Panas. We both recommend you read it. In addition, listen to the interview I did last year with Mr. Panas. He is a masterful fundraising coach and every word he says is pure gold in the episode, Raising Money in Tough Economic Times.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nominating committee: The unsung hero of non-profit sustainability – 05/21/12 May 21, 2012

The unsung hero of nonprofit boards is the nominating committee. I don’t know why, but its work is undervalued by many, many non-profits. The finance committee is a big deal. The fundraising or event committee is a big deal. And then there’s the lowly nominating committee, which is pulled together for a few months with the task of finding new board members – and you better be quick about it!

My guest this week and I have figured out over the years, that the nominating committee IS the one charged with the responsibility of building the organization’s future. The committee members are looking out this year, over three years, over six years and discussing, “Here is where this organization is headed, so here is who must be on our board to secure that future.” The nominating committee cannot be an after thought if you are serious about a sustainable future for your organization.

This week’s guest is Trisha Lester, vice president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, a statewide association serving 501(c)(3) organizations. It provides information about best practices and also advocates for the nonprofit sector at the state legislature. On this show, Trisha provides context and advice for your nominating committee, and draws from the experience of her own committee. This is a perfect show to share with your board president, vice president and of course, your nominating committee.

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Nonprofit Spark – Thriving in this economy: Fundraising tips from Kim Klein 051412 May 14, 2012

The economy is limping along and so is income for a large number of nonprofits, many whom were just making it before the recession. When you’ve cut as deep as you can, and foregone salary increases for several years, what should you do? That’s right. Give more time and attention to your individual donors and fundraising.

On this week’s show, I have a delightful conversation with Kim Klein, a passionate fundraising consultant and blogger who will get you thinking about new actions to take to build your non-profit’s individual donor base. It’s no longer prudent for any non-profit to treat individual fundraising like an afterthought – and we’re talking about you if you hastily assemble spring and year-end campaigns that look the same as the past few years. Your lack of imagination is recognized by donors.

During our discussion, Kim also describes what sustainability is, and encourages nonprofit leaders to be more thoughtful and vocal about the role of public funding. Kim is the author of several books, including Fundraising for Social Change, now in its 6th edition, and also, Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times.

This is a fun, thought-provoking show, and we hope you laugh as much as we did during the interview!

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Nonprofit Spark – Writing a grant proposal: The funder’s point of view – 05/07/12 May 07, 2012

This week’s show focuses on writing non-profit grant proposals but it comes from the funders point of view. You can find all kinds of information on the web or in your library about how to write a grant proposal, but actually very little about how it feels to be the one who has to read it and even, reject it. New nonprofit leaders, in particular, will find this show helpful because you’ll get honest comments from the director of a small but very typical grant-making organization.

What does a funder look for in a proposal? What is it like to sift through dozens more proposals from non-profits than you can possibly fund? What annoys a funder so much that your project will be tossed in the trash?

My guest this week is Kristen Smith, the Executive Director of Planet Dog Foundation. It’s the nonprofit arm of the company, Planet Dog, which contributes 2% of every sale of any Planet Dog product to fund the foundation’s grant-making activities.

Before leading the Planet Dog Foundation, Kristin worked in a variety of nonprofits in the U.S. and abroad, doing development and fundraising, legislative activism, grassroots mobilization and education, communications and public relations. In other words, she’s been in your shoes!

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Nonprofit Spark – Using dashboards for nonprofit evaluation – 04/30/12 Apr 30, 2012

This week’s episode is a “show and tell show,” which means that my guest and I want you to look at sample dashboards as we talk about them. Please download the worksheet with Sample dashboards here before you listen to the show.

A dashboard gives nonprofit leaders an at-a-glance view of what’s happening in the organization. It measures progress at a higher level, much like your car dashboard indicates what’s happening under the hood of your car. New nonprofits who quickly succeed use evaluation to discover what part of what they’re doing is effective, and to get better and better at it. They discover what’s not working, too, and get it out of the way. Learning and evaluation go hand in hand, and donors can’t resist supporting organizations that can say with confidence, “This is what we do, this is what we know works, this is what we’ve learned, and won’t you learn with us?”

My guest this week is Myia Welsh, an independent evaluation consultant who provides ethical and practical solutions to the evaluation challenges of nonprofits. Her passion for helping nonprofits improve programs and meet their missions is backed by more than 12 years of experience in the sector. Organizations that Myia has worked with include The National Human Trafficking Resource Center, the Washington Area Women’s Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Myia holds an MSW specializing in Social Policy and Program Evaluation from the University of Michigan.

Myia has been kind enough to create dashboards for a fictitious organization, Happy Paws Animal Rescue, and we talk about each one on the show. Now, it’s easy to dismiss these dashboards as being too simple to be useful, but don’t be too hasty. Evaluation experts like Myia know how effective dashboards are in supporting decision-making and board governance.

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Nonprofit Spark – Delegating and letting someone go – 04/23/12 Apr 23, 2012

This week’s show is a replay of a great episode about non-profit management that aired the week of December 12, 2012. Specifically, we discuss delegating and letting someone go. What are the elements of effective delegation? How do you balance handing over a project and making sure it stays on track? What should you do when you realize you’ve got a staff person who isn’t a fit for the work she’s been hired to do? My guests this week, Jerry Hauser and Monique Ayotee-Holtzel of the Management Center, describe a delegation cycle they use to assign and review work. They talk about their own experience and mistakes in managing people and also, a progressive discipline process to address performance problems. Hauser is the CEO of the Management Center, based in Washington, D.C. It’s mission is to instill the management practices that make it easier for nonprofit leaders to produce outstanding results. Ayotee-Holtzel, at the time of the original interview, was executive vice president of alumni affairs at Teach for America, which is based in New York, NY. She is now on staff at the Management Center. If you’ve ever worried about or been accused of being a micromanager, this show is for you!

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Nonprofit Spark – A nonprofit reinvents itself: LiveWorkPlay takes on social change – 04/16/12 Apr 16, 2012

It’s National Volunteer Week in Canada and so I speak this week with the leader of an organization that has transformed the way it thinks about and manages volunteers. The show isn’t just about volunteers, though. You’ll hear how about an honest-to-goodness transformation in how this agency serves its members, and how the board and staff function.

This conversation ties in beautifully to the Interview with Paul Schmitz of Public Allies a few weeks ago. Paul is the author of a new book, Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up. In our conversation the week of March 5, 2012, he shared passionately that nonprofits need to give up a programmatic model of operation to focus instead on causing lasting social change. It requires seeking out and nurturing leaders in their communities. Paul is a thought-provoking change agent, and he manages a dozen offices throughout the country. So after the interview I wondered, well, where can I find a smaller, local nonprofit that is actually shifting from a programmatic model of service to focusing on causing social change?

Lo and behold, I discovered Keenan Wellar an Executive Staff Co-Leader of LiveWorkPlay, an Ottawa, Canada nonprofit that supports people with intellectual disabilities to have a good life. Keenan is co-founder of the organization with his wife, Julie Kingstone. He has a background in teaching and special education, he is a master at social media, and he is learning to be a marketing genius. Keenan describes how LiveWorkPlay used to serve its members, tap into volunteers, and operate day to day. And he then contrasts that with what is happening now because of their renewed commitment to the original intention of the organization: Changing how the community views people with intellectual disabilities. Here’s a real, on-the-ground example of organizational reinvention that’s beginning to cause lasting social change in Ottawa. I hope you enjoy it.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Best Practices in Volunteer Communication – 04/09/12 Apr 09, 2012

April is National Volunteers Month so I want to revisit the topic of volunteer management. Earlier this year, I had Susan Ellis of Energize, Inc, on the show, and she made an excellent Case for strategic volunteerism in nonprofits. That interview aired the week of January 23, 2012. Now here’s a new twist: Have you ever heard of an NFL team that manages some 6,000 volunteers for local nonprofits? That’s what the Miami Dolphins organization does for nonprofits in South Florida. Last April, I had them on the show to talk about the one-year anniversary of what they call the Miami Dolphins Special Teams by Chevy program.

The Dolphins organization initiated the volunteer management program in 2010 after they heard the news that South Florida ranked last in the nation in percentage of volunteers, and volunteer hours per capita. They developed an online system that lists volunteer opportunities in the area, and makes it easy for residents to sign up for them. And then the staff sends out the confirmations and instructions, and afterward, thank yous. They also track volunteer hours and offer incentives for philanthropic volunteering.

On this week’s show, I speak with Leslie Nixon, manager of volunteers for the Miami Dolphins, who predicts a two-year total of 100,000 hours of donated time by the end of this month. Leslie describes in detail how the Special Teams staff communicates with nonprofits and volunteers so they keep coming back and spreading the word about their good experiences. She and her staff have volunteer management down to a science. I love this program.

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Nonprofit Spark – Embracing change in the non-profit sector – 04/02/12 Apr 02, 2012

This week, we get an eagle’s-eye view of the nonprofit sector from Bob Ottenhoff, CEO of Guidestar, an online service where you can find detailed information about your favorite nonprofits. We discuss what’s happening in the non-profit sector, what his concerns are for it, and what opportunities he sees for nonprofits, particularly in light of continuing uncertainty about government funding. He urges nonprofit leaders to see this as a great period of liberation and to embrace change. You’ll be inspired!

Bob is leaving his job later this year after 10 years in that role. During his tenure, he and his staff have made Guidestar a national model for nonprofit sustainability, generating sufficient earned revenues to cover operating costs while still providing most services for free.

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Nonprofit Spark – Technical assistance from Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations – 03/26/12 Mar 26, 2012

Many nonprofits run on a tight budget and will love to hear that there’s an organization of very bright undergraduate students who are eager to provide pro bono consultation to local non-profits. Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations has a growing number of chapters on college and university campuses. SCNO members apply their personal skills and coursework knowledge toward complex issues facing nearby non-profits. Not all students can join the chapters, only the ones who are very bright and demonstrate the ability to work with a team and devote the time to consulting. I speak with two guests this week. One is Michael Gallagher, who serves on the national volunteer board of SCNO and has the primary duty of expanding the number of campus chapters. He is a 2008 graduate of Michigan State University where he participated in the SCNO chapter and consulted with nonprofits. The other guest is Julie Ufford, an environmental engineering major at Johns Hopkins University who founded an SCNO chapter on campus this year where three projects with nonprofits have just kicked off. Their enthusiasm for making a difference is infectious and the nonprofits who’ve worked with SCNO student have been thrilled.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit crisis management best practices: Dealing with fraud – 03/19/12 Mar 19, 2012

Every month, I see at least one story in an American newspaper about an employee of a nonprofit who has stolen money from the organization. Theft happens across a spectrum of large and small, national and local, efficient and inefficient nonprofits. In every story, the leaders say they were completely shocked that a person they trusted, worked beside, shared lunch with, and thought they knew was stealing from their non-profit.

So what is it like to discover fraud and how would you handle it? Recently, there was a story in the newspaper about Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit that delivers meals to the chronically ill. The organization’s leaders had just discovered that a trusted employee had set up arrangements with several agencies to deliver meals to their constituents. Unbeknownst to the agencies, their payments for the meal deliveries were being pocketed by the employee. The incident is still under investigation but early on, it looked as though the theft involved more than $100,000 in less than a year.

When I read the newspaper article, it was clear to me that the organization, Open Arms of Minnesota, was doing everything right in how they were handling the situation. I am so pleased to have on the show this week, Jennifer Van Wyk, deputy director of Open ARMS of Minnesota, who generously shares how they have been dealing with this crisis and in particular, communicating about it. I suggest you read the letter they sent their constituents to get context for the show: View Letter to constituents on their website.

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Nonprofit Spark – Primer on managing your non-profit’s cash flow – 03/12/12 Mar 12, 2012

Most leaders of active non-profits produce a monthly balance sheet and income statement. However, many don’t produce a cash flow projection which tells executives and board members if they’ll have enough cash in the bank to cover the bills every month. On this week’s show, my guest and I discuss why managing cash flow and using a projection is so helpful. For instance, you won’t panic when you see a deficit on your next income statement. You’ll anticipate when you’ll need to borrow cash and you’ll know how much your line of credit needs to be at the bank. And you won’t operate under the illusion that you’re rich when most of the money in your bank account is not for general operating expenses.

Jon Hoffmeister is a CPA and partner with CliftonLarsonAllen, our Nonprofit Spark sponsor. He has more than 20 years experience assisting nonprofits, colleges and universities, and closely-held businesses. Jon has been serving on the board of a community youth service agency for more than 10 years, and has been treasurer and finance committee chair much of that time. His financial leadership of the agency earned him statewide recognition for outstanding dedication in helping youth and for his appreciation for the challenges facing non-profit managers.

On this show, Jon uses his practical experience with this agency to highlight his key points about managing cash flow. Even the most financially-phobic non-profit leaders will understand this show!

Two great companion Nonprofit Spark episodes are Understanding a Balance Sheet and Nonprofit Budgets and Financial Outsourcing.

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Nonprofit Spark – Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up – 03/05/12 Mar 05, 2012

The non-profit sector excels at meeting community needs and is becoming masterful with non-profit best management practices. But are these enough? To solve the problems of our day, my guest this week asserts that the job of nonprofits is not to provide services but to develop leaders. he even redefines the concept of leadership: that it’s an action for the many, not a position held by a few.

Paul Schmitz is the CEO of Public Allies, which works in 21 communities in the U.S. with a mission to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, non-profits and civic participation. The organization identifies diverse young Americans who have a passion to make a difference and helps them turn that passion into careers working for community and social change.

Paul also is the author of a new book, Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up. He often writes and speaks on topics about national service, civic engagement, community building, diversity, nonprofit workforce development, and social entrepreneurship. In December 2010, he was named to the White House Council for Community Solutions. He also serves as Chair of the Nonprofit Workforce Coalition and is a blogger for The Washington Post. He’s a thought-provoking change agent and he’ll inspire you to view your nonprofit efforts through the new lens of finding and developing leaders.

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Nonprofit Spark – Non-profit website redesign, part 2 – 02/27/12 Feb 27, 2012

On this week’s show, Christine Durand of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and I focus again on her website redesign project. Christine is the communications and marketing director for that organization. Non profit leaders may be wondering why I’d do a show about websites when those projects often have little to do with my target audience of executive directors and boards.

Here’s why: You almost always underestimate the time that’s required to create a useful website that supports your goals, and helps you raise more money. And then you think when the project’s over, the work is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. You will want to keep adding fresh content to your non-profit website to reflect how you’re growing and changing.

The other thing is that you have to know enough about website redesigns to ask great questions to determine which website designer is best for you, and if their fees are reasonable. Finally, you need to know enough to hold your staff accountable.

On our January 30 show, Christine and I talked about her RFP process, how to involve staff and volunteers, and the early stages of working with a web design company. On this show, we discuss branding, working with a site map and wire frames, organizing pages and content, and alpha and beta testing. Also, after the interview, I realized I had forgotten to ask about the project costs, so I followed up later with her to find out. I share information about that at the end of the show, after the final commercial break.

Our conversation here is as nuts and bolts as it can be and I warn you, you’re listening to two communication geeks who love talking about this stuff! You’ll want to take notes on the key ideas.

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Nonprofit Spark – Elements of a non-profit fund development plan – 02/20/12 Feb 20, 2012

There’s nothing that makes newer non-profit leaders more nervous than asking for money, especially from individuals. Their hearts clench. Their eyes glaze over. Their bodies freeze like deer looking into headlights. I’m not sure what all that’s about but perhaps you’ll feel better when I tell you that the experience is universal and automatic. You’re not alone.

I can also tell you that thousands of leaders have made a conscious choice to overcome that first reaction and fear by learning about fundraising, writing and using a fundraising plan, and then meeting with donors again and again. The more you do this, the more natural it feels.

On this week’s show, my guest and I talk about four elements of a fund development plan and help you think like a professional about donors and raising money. There’s no magic bullet here, just common sense ideas.

Simone Joyaux is a top-ranked speaker and trainer, and fundraising, planning and governance consultant. She is recognized internationally as one of the most thoughtful, inspiring, and provocative leaders in the non-profit / NGO sector.

Simone is a faculty member for the Masters Program in Philanthropy and Development at Saint Mary’s University, Winona, Minnesota. She also is the author of the book Strategic Fund Development, 3rd edition, and co-author of the book Keep Your Donors. Finally, she writes a column for Nonprofit Quarterly about fund development.

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Nonprofit Spark – What’s happening with the business of doing good? Social enterprise models – 02/13/12 Feb 13, 2012

Almost every day, we read about passionate people who want to solve a big problem and they do so in myriad ways. We hear about social entrepreneurs, social enterprises, and for-profits and non-profits, all working toward social change. Clearly, we are long past the days when non-profits are the only do-gooders in the world.

In 2008, a student at Stanford University designed a machine that punches holes in plastic tubing. His idea has turned into the company Driptech, which makes affordable drip irrigation systems for small farms. Three partners in a New York design firm founded Hello Rewind, a company that makes custom sleeves for laptops out of old t-shirts. Its mission is to help sex trafficking victims prepare for jobs and the partners work closely with a non-profit to hire workers. Then there’s the example of the Pennsylvania environmental non-profit which spun off a for-profit, BlackGold Biofuels. That company knows how to chemically turn sewer grease into biofuel.

What are we talking about? Why does one person start a for-profit and another a non-profit? What models are being used to solve world problems? For that matter, why the heck are for-profits operating in what has been traditionally the non-profit do-good domain?

On this week’s show, I speak with Jon Carson, a social entrepreneur and CEO of BiddingforGood who describes why some people start companies while others start non-profits. He also gives examples of the types of organizations that are being created. Any way you look at it, according to Jon, they are being founded by social entrepreneurs with the intention of doing good.

A great companion to this show is my interview with Dan Pallotta, author of Uncharitable. He talks about the constraints we place on non-profits that prevent them from “growing to scale” and therefore, from solving world problems. That interview took place the week of September 5, 2011.

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Nonprofit Spark – Traveling Guitar Foundation’s start-up success story, and a presentation contest for non-profits – 02/06/12 Feb 06, 2012

The Traveling Guitar Foundation is a rising nonprofit star. It was founded in the New York tri-state area less than three years ago by Damon Marks, a guitarist and songwriter. Damon has performed and recorded with notable musicians including Bret Michaels, Beyonce, Melanie Fiona, and Marco Mendoza and was a touring guitarist on Alicia Keys’ Freedom Tour. The Foundation travels to schools whose music programs are in jeopardy and gives music education clinics and concerts, and donates guitars, amplifiers and cables to the schools from major music industry sponsors.

The Foundation has already impacted some 40 schools in California, Georgia, Florida and Pennsylvania reaching an estimated 20,000 students and giving away $50,000 in musical equipment. The Traveling Guitar Foundation is a true grassroots organization: musicians, sponsors and parents are spreading the word and even lining up more schools on behalf of the Foundation. Damon is quick to give credit to the team he’s assembled who make it all work. He also is not shy about using traditional and social media every chance he gets. It’s an inspiring nonprofit start-up story.

Also on the show is Heidi Jackman, chief marketing officer for SlideRocket, an online presentation platform. Heidi describes a fun presentation contest that’s going on right now for nonprofits that’s designed to inspire your creativity using their elegant, online presentation software. The top four winners will get $5,000 each so you’ll want to stay tuned to learn more later in the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Non-profit website redesign, part 1 – 01/30/12 Jan 30, 2012

One of the most daunting projects every non-profit has to face at some point is a website redesign. It is time consuming, has great potential for complications and cost overruns, and requires both big picture thinking and attention to the smallest details. The redesign requires lengthy conversations and lots of work by many people, all happening on top of their day to day work.

On this week’s show, I speak with Christine Durand, communications and marketing director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN). She recently led a massive website redesign project for her organization. In fact, her team and the website design company were working on three sites at the same time, if you can imagine that. This is the first of a two-part case study and it focuses on the early stages of the redesign process including planning, assessments, and the Request for Proposal (RFP). In a few weeks, we’ll delve into content development, branding and costs.

MCN worked with Browser Media, a website design company based in Bethesda, Maryland with extensive experience working with associations.

I follow up the interview about the website redesign project with a conversation focused on finding resources about nonprofit websites. My second guest is Laura Quinn, executive director of Idealware, a non-profit that tests and researches non-profit software. She talks about training, articles and reports about websites that are available for free on her website.

This is a fun show, packed with ideas, and you’ll want to take notes.

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Nonprofit Spark – The case for strategic volunteerism in your non-profit – 01/23/12 Jan 23, 2012

Why is it that volunteer involvement and management is rarely given the same amount of attention that non-profit leaders give to fundraising and programs? Let’s be honest. What most leaders do is give a kindly pat-on-the-head to volunteers and the staff who manage them. But what if we considered volunteers as the brains of the organization who are fully capable of supporting all managers and fulfilling the mission of the organization? My guests this week make a compelling case for being as strategic about volunteerism as you are about other management issues.

My first guest is Susan J. Ellis, the president of Energize, Inc., which is a training, consulting, and publishing firm that specializes in volunteerism. She founded the Philadelphia-based company in 1977 and since that time, has assisted clients throughout the world. Susan is the author of 12 books, including From the Top Down: The Executive Role in Successful Volunteer Involvement.

My second guest is Nikki Russell, volunteer initiatives manager at the United Way of King County, which serves the Seattle, Washington area. She has developed workshops and trainings for local nonprofits and in particular, Nikki inspired and influenced the development of her agency’s Volunteer Impact Program (VIP). It’s a free program that is designed to strengthen local non-profits’ ability to deliver services through effective volunteer involvement. You’ll be amazed by the increases the nonprofits have experienced in volunteerism after going through the VIP in-depth assessment and planning process. The assessment, by the way, was created by my first guest, Susan Ellis.

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Nonprofit Spark – Quit complaining: best practices for non-profit board learning – 01/16/12 Jan 16, 2012

You know how you’re having a problem with your board? Consider that at the root of it is weak and possibly, worthless board orientation. All those complaints you have about how board members meddle or misbehave or don’t “get” the organization could disappear with thoughtful, ongoing board learning about what good governance is, how big picture the board needs to be, and how the board can best support the staff.

On the show this week, Dr. Debra Beck and I describe best practices in board development, drawing upon our adult education backgrounds. We turn the typical board orientation process upside down and describe the 70-20-10 adult learning process that makes direct experience a priority, allows for observation and mentoring, and last of all, focuses on formal training.

Debra is a non-profit blogger and consultant, and an adult educator. She has more than 25 years experience serving on boards. This experience has given her a strong understanding of the special challenges and rewards of board governance. She also is an award-winning distance educator with more than 10 years experience teaching online courses about non-profit management for universities in Wyoming and Pennsylvania.

You know how you’re passionate about the work you do for non-profits? Well, designing effective learning is our passion and we could have talked about it all day.

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Nonprofit Spark – What accountants wish non-profit leaders knew about non-profit finances – 01/09/12 Jan 09, 2012

On this week’s show, I speak with John P. Langan CPA, managing partner of CliftonLarsonAllen, a top 20 national accounting firm with 225 professionals serving more than 5,000 not-for-profit organizations in 18 states. John has served the non-profit sector for more than 25 years and worked with all sizes and types of non-profits and trade associations. John talks about the things that concern him about non-profit finances. CliftonLarsonAllen is the primary sponsor of Nonprofit Spark.

Joining the conversation is Lori Derkay, the chief operating officer of University Professional & Continuing Education Association. She was hired in February 2011 to help create a new infrastructure and modernize the operations and governance of the association. She has years of hands-on non-profit financial management experience and she generously shares from that on the show.
We cover a lot of topics here: The IRS 990, cloud computing for non-profits, outsourcing, non-profit reserves, and non-profit retirement plans. I’m certain you’ll hear a few things that you’ll want to improve upon in 2012.

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Nonprofit Spark – Common sense non-profit board policies – 01/02/12 Jan 02, 2012

A primary responsibility of a non-profit board is to create policies that support the use of best practices in the organization. What are basic policies every non-profit board should approve? How are these different from policies that staff create? My guest this week is Paula J. MacLean, author of the Canadian best-seller, Great Boards Plain and Simple. We hone in on conflict of interest, committee and financial oversight policies, and even a “what kind of board are we?” policy. We also discuss an approach to getting all the policies written so other board work is not impeded.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Budgets and Financial Outsourcing – 12/26/11 Dec 26, 2011

On this show, I speak with Nancy Engelken, executive director of Housing Colorado! who describes how she considers the strategic plan and fundraising plan in the budgeting process. I also speak with Jason Spessard of LarsonAllen accounting form who describes the benefits of outsourcing non-profit bookkeeping and non-profit accounting functions. There’s something here for large and small non-profit leaders who want a fresh point of view about non-profit financial management.

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Nonprofit Spark – Non-profit advocacy made simple – 12/19/11 Dec 19, 2011

Many non-profits are great about consistently educating constituents about why their organization’s work matters. They often fall short on their advocacy work, however. Meeting with legislators and testifying about a bill is often done at the last minute. Little time is taken in the months prior to speak with and get in the world of legislators to find common ground. On this show, I speak with Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation, which is based in Honolulu, Hawaii, about his success as an environmental advocate. Blue Planet Foundation is committed to ending the use of fossil fuels on Earth. Jeff describes essential elements of advocacy and how it’s integrated into all facets of his organization. He also clears up the confusion lots of people have about whether non-profits can lobby. This show pairs well with the April 18, 2011 Nonprofit Spark podcast about media advocacy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Non-profit website content governance and user testing – 12/05/11 Dec 05, 2011

It’s easy to get into legal hot water as inexperienced and overburdened staff people add copyrighted text, images and graphics from other sources to your organization’s website. The people who created that content in the first place call it theft. On this show, I speak with Clinton Forry, a nationally-recognized content strategist in the financial services industry, about how important it is to govern your website’s content, much like your board governs your organization. We talk about ways we get into trouble, and a method for staying out of it. We don’t describe the specifics of copyright law, licensing and the like. Rather, we offer a way of thinking about your website so it’s a manageable, useful communications tool that makes potential donors, volunteers and advocates feel good about connecting with you.

I also speak with Darrell Benatar of UserTesting.com which is a very affordable, quick and helpful useability testing service that has ordinary people visit your site and offer honest, recorded feedback about it. It can be quite a shock to learn that your site isn’t as easy or useful as you think! Also, user tests can be a great way to make your case that less is more when it comes to content!

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Nonprofit Spark – Free non-profit help on Google Grants, SEO and social media advice – 11/28/11 Nov 29, 2011

Non-profit marketing and communications goes well beyond writing web content and sending e-newsletters. You also need to explore online marketing tools like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more: non-profit social media. And don’t forget search engine optimization (SEO) to help potential non-profit volunteers, donors and advocates find you on the Web. How about turning to a free non-profit resource for help? On this show, I interview Eric Facas of Media Cause, a new non-profit that has enlisted more than 600 volunteers to offer non-profit advice about $10,000 Google Grants, SEO, and social media. Media Cause’s non-profit assistance is quick and free. It’s easy to post a project challenge on the Media Cause website. You can even ask a Media Cause consultant to explain what all of this is about so you can talk intelligently to your boss or non-proft board about it. Media Cause provides terrific non-profit help.

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Nonprofit Spark – Overcoming Nonprofit Board Dysfunction – 11/21/11 Nov 21, 2011

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, that unique American holiday, so Host Renee McGivern is replaying an episode from August 1, 2011. It’s packed with ideas and solutions that get more practical as the show progresses. Volunteering on a dysfunctional non-profit board drives you crazy and makes you wonder, “Why do I put myself through this?” This week’s show addresses dysfunctional board meetings and non-profit governance. Susan Mogenson of Brown Dog Consulting is an expert on non-profit governance. There’s no dysfunction that she hasn’t seen and helped boards solve. She provides practical advice and a context for thinking about the role of the board; a lack of clarity about this role often is a source of the dysfunctional behavior. Allan Teichman is the volunteer board president of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. He gets into the nitty gritty of practices his board uses so it’s effective and fulfilled. Both guests use the Policy Governance model of John Carver. Allan discusses how the model helped turn his board away from drama and conflict. We’ll play an original song, The Boardroom Blues, for you as well! This show is full of great advice from beginning to end.

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Nonprofit Spark – Helpful hints on working with a printer 111411 Nov 14, 2011

Because nonprofits can create materials using desktop publishing software, we assume that printing that material is a breeze. But ask printers and they’ll say many non-profits have no idea what they’re doing. My guest this week is Dee Conklin, the owner of Palliser Printing in Invermere, British Columbia. She describes common problems that printing customers make and how to avoid them. She also talks about how important a relationship with a local printer can be, particularly if you’re going to ask for donated services. Dee also happens to be the mayor of nearby Radium Hot Springs and so she talks a a bit about local non-profits and seeking grants. Finally, she and her husband own CasaVino, a cozy wine bar located on the main floor of their home. I recently vacationed in Radium Hot Springs and while there, met Dee and sipped a lovely glass of wine with her as we chatted about local politics and publishing.

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Nonprofit Spark – Tips for Clear Nonprofit Communication – 11/07/11 Nov 07, 2011

The most effective non-profit leaders and fundraisers are masters of communication. They use words that all types of people understand; they save jargon for conversations with experts in their field. On this show, I interview Tony Proscio, a communications consultant and contributor to the useful online tool, The Jargon Finder. We discuss how you’ll know if you’ve fallen into the jargon trap, and tricks professional communicators use to make sure their words create a connection with donors and volunteers. By the end of this show, you’ll be able to look at your own writing and websites and see where you fail to be clear. You can then rework your content so your audience hears and responds to the great work your non-profit does.

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Nonprofit Spark – Exploring a moneymaking venture, or social enterprise, for your organization – 10/31/11 Oct 31, 2011

Contributions from foundations, individuals and government sources can ebb and flow with the economy. It makes considerable sense, then, to create a social enterprise in your nonprofit that helps sustain the organization in good times and bad. According to Rolfe Larson of Rolfe Larson Associates, the strongest non-profits in the 21st century will have a solid moneymakng strategy in addition to a traditional fundraising strategy. What are the characteristics of non-profits with successful social enterprises? What kind of board members do you need? Do you have to have a business degree to make it work? On this show, Rolfe Larson provides a very helpful overview of what it takes to initiate a social enterprise in your organization. Rolfe not only consults with non-profits about this but has written a book on the subject: Venture Forth! The Essential Guide to Starting A Moneymaking Business in Your Non-profit Organization.

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Nonprofit Spark – Handheld bidding devices for nonprofit auctions – 10/24/11 Oct 24, 2011

Handheld bidding devices add a cool factor to silent and live auctions but are they worth the expense? How do you make sure they help you net more money than last year’s event? On this show, I speak with Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions, an auctioneer and certified meeting planner who discusses when it makes sense to use these handheld devices and when it doesn’t. She also describes an effective way to incorporate them into the live “ask” at your event so donors are seen and recognized despite people’s attention on the devices. It’s a lively conversation!

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Nonprofit Spark – Succession planning and risk management 101 – 10/17/11 Oct 17, 2011

As many as 75% of non-profit executive directors will be retiring in the next five years. Are you ready for a search process? On this week’s show, I speak with Phyllis Hockett, board president of the Utah Nonprofit Association, about the search process that board has undertaken to replace the retired executive director. The process includes members and staff but is being developed on-the-fly; there was no succession plan to work from but you’ll get ideas here for your own plan. Hockett also is the co-founder of Pathway Associates, a consulting firm that primarily serves non-profits in Utah and the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. My second guest is Michael Gurtler of Safe-Wise Consulting. He provides a basic overview of non-profit risk management and some ideas of how to manage risks within the context of your organization’s day to day operations.

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Nonprofit Spark – Earning Media Coverage for Your Organization – 10/10/11 Oct 10, 2011

It’s a common complaint: Why doesn’t the media feature my nonprofit or cover the issues we care about? On this week’s show, we explore how you should connect to reporters, share your stories and engage the community in caring about your issues. My guests and I take the mystery out of working with the media and provide some very concrete advice and a great example of effective media relations.

My first guest is Cynthia Wallace of Media Storytelling Consulting. She is a media relations consultant from Austin, Texas who has been a reporter, editor and producer for major news outlets in the U.S. She describes well how journalists think and what they need from you to tell great stories. My second guest is Thom Clark, president of Community Media Workshop, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to diversify the voices in news and public debates. He talks about his organization, provides tips for working with reporters, and an describes an upcoming Become a Spokesperson Rockstar webinar that you’ll want to register for.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Innovation and Community Engagement – 10/03/11 Oct 03, 2011

On this week’s show, I focus on two Minnesota-based organizations to explore examples of nonprofit innovation and community engagement. They demonstrate nonprofits’ amazing ability to be nimble and creative in response to the constituents they serve. They’re passionate, common sense leaders and you’ll get some great ideas from them.

My first guest, Angie Miller of Community Action Duluth, piqued my interest because in an economically depressed community, she has managed to identify and ramp up two major initiatives in the organization in the past couple of years. They’ve created new revenue streams that were unimaginable just five years ago. My second guest is Jill Kilibarda, the education and civic engagement program manager for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. She’s kicking off a bookclub this week to engage advocacy volunteers in reading about and discussing books about homelessness and substandard housing.

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Nonprofit Spark – The Conservation Foundation: A Stakeholder-Driven Nonprofit – 09/26/11 Sep 26, 2011

On this show, I speak with the Brook McDonald, the president and CEO of The Conservation Foundation, a highly effective nonprofit that is a superb example of what it means to be “stakeholder-driven.” The dictionary defines stakeholder as a type of organization in which all the members or participants are seen as having an interest in its success. As I speak with Brook McDonald, you’ll hear how being stakeholder-driven permeates internal and external facets of the Foundation’s work. Involving lots of stakeholders takes the Foundation longer to accomplish conservation projects, but the relationships patiently developed across communities over time result in more contributions, continual growth and most importantly, a greater impact on the world.

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Nonprofit Spark – Planned gifts and endowment primer 09/19/11 Sep 19, 2011

This week, I focus on planned giving and endowments. While the area of planned giving can get complicated fairly quickly, we hone in on the types of planned gifts that just about every nonprofit should encourage, especially once you have a stable annual giving program. My first guest is Phil Schumacher of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation who has more than 25 years of fundraising experience. In addition to discussing planned gifts, we look at endowments, too, to help you think through whether encouraging such tightly restricted gifts is a good idea. Finally, I discovered Benchmark Email which provides free e-newsletter services to PTAs and nonprofits that serve children and teens. I speak with Denise Keller, COO, about the We Care About Kids program and also, why e-newsletters are a great way to build relationships with your donors.

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Nonprofit Spark – In depth with Nonprofit Sector Innovator Dan Pallotta – 09/05/11 Sep 05, 2011

On this week’s show, I speak with nonprofit sector innovator and author Dan Pallotta who is challenging Americans’ long-held beliefs about charities that he says constrain nonprofits from solving the problems of the world.

Pallotta invented the multi-day AIDSRides and Breast Cancer 3-Days Walks, fundraisers that have gone on for so long now that we forget there was a time they didn’t exist. In the nine years his for-profit company ran these events, $581 million was raised, netting $305 million for those causes. Then critics began yelling about his company’s 40% administrative costs and participating charities reacted; they stopped working with his company and he had to close it down.

The negative reaction to the administrative expenses despite the wild success of the fundraising events shocked Pallotta: What is it that would make nonprofit leaders, their boards and the public attack the success of raising $305 million over nine years to fight AIDS and breast cancer? His search for an answer formed the basis of his paradigm-busting book, Uncharitable: How Restraints On Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential.

Pallotta is now Founder and Chief Humanity Officer of Advertising for Humanity, and he’s the founder and president of the Charity Defense Council. He also blogs for the Harvard Business Review.

Don’t miss this candid, thought-provoking interview.

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Nonprofit Spark – Five Stages of Nonprofits and Capacity-Building Internships – 08/29/11 Aug 29, 2011

What’s happening when everything feels like a struggle? Consider your organization could be naturally progressing from one stage of development to another. On this week’s show, I speak to Judy Sharken Simon of MAP for Nonprofits about her book, The Five Life Stages of Nonprofit Organizations: Where You Are, Where You’re Going, and What to Expect When You Get There. She wrote this oldie but goodie to help staff and boards understand how they fit into the natural cycle of nonprofit life and also, to help them prepare for the next stage. My second guest is Dr. Robert Manzer, the chief operating office of the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO). He describes a major capacity-building initiative focused on win-win internships for his members. He also describes what you need to do to ensure that interns do, indeed, build capacity in your organization.

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Nonprofit Spark – Leadership coaching to boost executive director happiness – 08/22/11 Aug 22, 2011

What should an executive director or her board do when she’s highly stressed, can’t delegate, is burned out or lacks confidence? Hire a coach to help her devise solutions and put new behaviors into action. An executive who isn’t happy can’t be creative, supportive or fully productive and this impacts the nonprofit’s overall performance. On this week’s show, I talk to two highly skilled coaches who have helped leaders solve practical problems often in a very short time. Jill Sheldon of Open Road Coaching & Consulting, gives examples of how a coaching relationship works. Sandy Vilas, the volunteer board president of The Coach Initiative, talks about the free 90-day coaching services for nonprofit leaders and teams that’s available through The Coach Initiative. Vilas also is president of Coach University, the world’s largest training organization for personal and business coaches. Jill and Sandy make a convincing case for executive director coaching.

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Nonprofit Spark – Powerful photographic storytelling – 08/15/11 Aug 15, 2011

This show is designed to inspire you and it will involve both your ears and eyes as my second guest and I review an phenomenal photographic story about an orphanage in Transylvania. My two guests work for PhotoPhilanthropy, a two-year old nonprofit that brings together professional photographers and nonprofits with the intention of causing social change through photographic storytelling. The organization believes in people’s interest in knowing more, in understanding better, in seeing the story, which can lead to action and involvement. My first guest is Nancy Cole, the executive director. She provides great information about this nonprofit start-up. Then I speak with Kathleen Hennessy, the director of the Activist Awards for PhotoPhilanthropy. We discuss the orphanage photos and what makes them so powerful. You’ll be moved and inspired to create something similar for your nonprofit.

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Nonprofit Spark – Five Questions for an Executive Director Performance Review – 08/08/11 Aug 08, 2011

A recent study showed that only 45 percent of executive directors had a performance review in the past year and of those, 2/3 said it was of little or no use to them. This show describes a great process boards can use and five questions they can ask to ensure the evaluation empowers both the board and staff. My guest is Paula J. MacLean of MacLean Management Consulting which operates Silver Creek Press. She is the author of six human resource books, including The Supervisor’s Big Book of Answers and also, Great Boards Plain and Simple. Get ready for lots of practical advice!

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Nonprofit Spark – Developing individual donors and your fundraising skills – 07/25/11 Jul 25, 2011

Reluctant nonprofit leaders and board members can learn to overcome their fear of fundraising. Two extraordinary guests on this week’s show provide coaching about identifying and calling on people who may be interested in supporting your nonprofit. Rita Galowich of Fund Inc. describes what she has her clients do to build their individual donor base and you’ll see how do-able it is. Andrew Watt of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) shares methods that he knows are effective; he’s been a volunteer fundraiser and worked with hundreds of fundraising professionals over the years. In addition, Rita quickly reviews the recently-released Giving USA 2011 report and what it means to you. Andrew explains what AFP has to offer you even if you’re not a member.

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Nonprofit Spark – Minnesota Government Shutdown, and Community Foundations – 07/18/11 Jul 18, 2011

Although Minnesota’s governor and top legislative leaders have agreed to end the government shutdown, there’s still a great deal of uncertainty. Nonprofits and businesses are laying off hundreds of people every day. Listen to Angie Miller, executive director of Community Action Duluth, describe how her organization, staff and clients are being affected. The bright spot in the crisis is that her strong relationships with local community funders is helping her manage her cash flow crisis at the moment. To learn more about community foundations and their unique philanthropic role, listen to Tony Banegas, philanthropic advisor at the Arizona Community Foundation, talk about how he works with nonprofits. You’ll never fear contacting a program officer again.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Careers and Young Professionals – 07/11/11 Jul 11, 2011

This week’s show focuses on how to get started in a nonprofit career and also, understanding young professionals. I speak with Nathan Hand, author of the blog Nonprofit Nate and vice president of development for Indy Schools on Wheels. He discusses his career, fundraising and how to increase individual giving. He also provides great advice about the best ways to support young nonprofit professionals. My second guest is Rosetta Thurman, also a blogger as well as a nonprofit consultant, leadership coach and co-author of the book, How to Become a Nonprofit Rock Star: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career. She offers concrete tips in the book and on the show for getting ahead in the nonprofit sector. This is a delightful, insightful and hopeful show so sit back, relax and enjoy.

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Nonprofit Spark – Understanding a Nonprofit Balance Sheet (replay of 02/21/11 show) Jul 04, 2011

It’s a holiday week for Host Renee McGivern so we’re replaying the very helpful show, Understanding a Balance Sheet. The nonprofit balance sheet is a complete mystery to thousands of leaders in nonprofit management and also to board members. The balance sheet tells a unique story about the organization’s financial health that shouldn’t be overlooked; your other financial statements do not replace this valuable point of view. In this show, Host Renee McGivern and Terry Fraser of LarsonAllen review a balance sheet in a conversational way so it makes sense for even the most novice of listeners. Download the sample balance sheet they’re talking about so you can follow along!

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofits and the IRS: Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) and more – 06/27/11 Jun 27, 2011

On this show, I speak with Jeffrey Tenenbaum, an expert on nonprofit law, about unrelated business income taxes. If you receive income from corporate sponsorships, advertising, licensing agreements or endorsements, or cause-related marketing, then you and the staff people involved must know when that income is taxable and when it’s not. If you don’t receive this type of income, listen to this show anyway; one of your board members may ask, “How can we generate more revenue? How about getting in on the cause-related marketing craze?”

We cover two other IRS-related topics on the show as well. Tenenbaum describes how 275,000 nonprofits recently lost their tax exempt status (see the list) and also discusses the IRS’ latest plans for conducting nonprofit employment tax compliance audits. Employers must know and honor the difference between independent contractors and employees and also, which employees should be classified as exempt versus non-exempt.

The show moves along very quickly and provides a solid base of knowledge so you spot tax-related red flags in your organization.

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Nonprofit Spark – Cultural Sensitivity in Guatemala and a Nifty Service for Choosing Nonprofit Software – 07/20/11 Jun 20, 2011

My first guest on this week’s show illustrates how to be a stranger in a strange land providing service with sensitivity and respect. Gary Teale of Avivara tells the story of how he and his wife started a nonprofit in Guatemala and what they’ve been learning about supporting teachers there. My second guest is Laura S. Quinn who founded Idealware, a nonprofit that helps nonprofits make good software decisions. Think of Idealware as a kind of “consumer reports.”

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Nonprofit Spark – Charting Impact, a Powerful Online Nonprofit Tool – 07/13/11 Jun 13, 2011

Charting Impact is a new online tool and its five, deceptively simple questions will sharpen your thinking about your nonprofit, clearly define your strategies, and help track your progress. Bob Ottenhoff, CEO of Guidestar, will talk about why the tool was developed in partnership with The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance and Independent Sector. M.J. Ebenhack, President and CEO of Ahead Energy, did a great job answering the Charting Impact questions and we’ll talk about it. Along the way, you’ll hear an extraordinary story about a tenacious nonprofit that is helping African schools and medical facilities gain access to energy. Follow along with the interview by downloading the Ahead Energy report from the Charting Impact website.

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Nonprofit Spark – Clarity and openness, key qualities of start-up leaders – 06/06/11 Jun 06, 2011

On this week’s show, you’ll hear two guests who are very clear about their organizations’ missions and yet very open to new ideas for manifesting them. They instill confidence in volunteers, donors, and customers. My first guest is Gary S. Fagin, the founder, musical director and conductor of The Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra. In three short years and despite a difficult economy, he and his board are staying true to their mission, fundraising, and making this orchestra THE community orchestra of lower Manhattan. My second guest is Steli Efti, a co-founder of SwipeGood. The online fundraising tool encourages donors to sign up their credit cards, have their purchases rounded up to the next dollar, and then donate the difference to a favorite charity. The service started in November 2010 and is already serving over 600 nonprofits.

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Nonprofit Spark – Creative board and volunteer recruitment – 05/30/11 May 30, 2011

On this week’s show, you’ll get simple ideas for being creative about recruiting board members and young volunteers. Kristin Rortvedt is a younger board member of Ronald McDonald House Charities of New Mexico who talks about an innovative Teen Ambassador program she’s developed for the organization. You can download the toolkit for this program from their online resource area at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (of New Mexico) website. Paula J. MacLean is a nonprofit consultant who has written six human resource books about supervision, employee retention, nonprofit governance and the multi-generational workforce. Her books are available through Silver Creek Press. She offers practical advice about board recruitment and even suggests you make it fun! Here’s Jim Coningsby’s blog post about how he strives for efficiency at PNOLA: http://pnola.blogspot.com/2011/05/update-from-boss-pnolas-strive-for.html

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Nonprofit Spark – Boost efficiency and save thousands with cloud technology – 05/23/11 May 23, 2011

This week’s show focuses on efficient nonprofit management and nonprofit technology. Jim Coningsby of PNOLA in New Orleans discusses how he uses Salesforce and Google apps to manage volunteers, donors and projects. Being efficient with operational systems gives him time to look ahead and be responsive. Tal Frankfurt of Cloud for Good goes into more detail about these online tools and how they can support nonprofits. Don’t spend one more dime on software or technology until you’ve listened to this show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Engaging artists and the arts for communities – 05/16/11 May 16, 2011

The show focuses on how artists and the arts support and can be supported by communities. My first guest is Megan Rye, one of the organizers of a successful, first-time fundraising event that involved more than 400 artists who contributed 1200 works of art. Art4Shelter tapped into artists’ deep concern for the homeless. My second guest is Jessica Jarrett who is executive director of Creative Advocacy Network, a temporary nonprofit with the goal of engaging leaders in the Portland, Oregon area to support legislation to establish a $15-$20 million annual state fund for the arts.

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Nonprofit Spark – Silent, live and online auction tips and best practices – 05/02/11 May 02, 2011

Fundraising auctions can produce greater returns if you think like a creative merchant rather than an event planner. On this show, you’ll hear from Sherry Truhlar, a passionate auctioneer and founder of Red Apple Auctions LLC
and Jon Carson, chairman and CEO of BiddingForGood. Be prepared to take lots of notes!

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Nonprofit Spark – Engaging Miami volunteers: The Miami Dolphins Special Teams program – 04/25/11 Apr 25, 2011

The Miami Dolphins is the only NFL team to coordinate volunteers on behalf of nonprofits in the area. The Miami Dolphins Special Teams volunteer management program kicked off one year ago and to date, has enlisted 3,120 volunteers who’ve contributed 41,509 hours of community service. On this show, you’ll hear Adam Grossman, senior vice president of public affairs, describe why they started the program and what makes it effective. I also speak to Tina Silver, a Miami Dolphins Special Teams volunteer, who shares what the impact of the program has been on her.

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Nonprofit Spark – Using media advocacy to cause sustainable change – 04/18/11 Apr 17, 2011

Despite all the talk about social media, newspapers, radio and television still are the most effective media for causing sustainable change. In this show, I speak with Brenda Simmons of the Institute for Public Strategies. It’s an agency that specializes in population-based prevention. She’ll talk about how the organization uses media advocacy to earn the attention if legislators and the community. She’ll also discuss how they combine their media advocacy with intentional community organizing, data, and policy development and enforcement, to cause a cultural shift.

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Nonprofit Spark – Taking the risk out of event planning – 04/11/11 Apr 11, 2011

This show is geared to the organizations without formal event planners and it’s an eye-opener! We touch on critical issues related to budgeting and the legally binding contracts you sign with hotels and other venues. Though events can be fun, they’re not to be taken lightly. My Minneapolis-based guests are Kathleen Sheridan of Sheridan Association & Meeting Services (952-472-4762, http://mksheridan@aol.com) and Melanie Weber of the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel (612-338-2288 http://melanieweber@cpminneapolis.com).

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Nonprofit Spark – Creating a movement to engage people’s passion – 04/04/11 Apr 04, 2011

On this week’s show, Robbin Phillips of Brains on Fire will challenge you to think creatively about your nonprofit as a movement. Your role is to ignite people’s passion and support them in taking action to solve the injustice your organization brings to light. You’ll learn what “engagement” really looks like. Also on the show, I speak with Vanessa Hope Schneider of Eventbrite, an online event management tool. It’s the kind of online or Web 2.0 resource that can help you work smarter and support a passionate movement of your own.

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Nonprofit Spark – Best of Nonprofit Spark – 03/28/11 Mar 28, 2011

This “Best of Nonprofit Spark” show features three of my favorite guests from the past 25 episodes who are hands-on leaders. The first guest is Alicia Hansen of Salt, a new nonprofit based in New York City. The second guest is Gibson Fay-Lablanc of The Telling Room, a five-year-old organization based in Portland, Maine. The final guest is Whitney Smith of Girls for a Change, a 10-year-old nonprofit based in San Jose, California. Taken together, the interviews demonstrate a common progression in how nonprofits grow and build over time. Alicia, Gibson and Whitney are energetic, inspiring leaders and it was a delight to have them on the show.

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Nonprofit Spark – Elements of a great Web site – 03/21/11 Mar 21, 2011

Web sites are a fundamental communications and marketing tool for nonprofits. On this show, my guest is Tim Spell of Nonprofit CMS and I explore a modern, fresh example of a social service agency Web site and discuss the elements of the site that make it so effective. Please follow us along as we talk about the Web site of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association in Memphis, Tennessee.

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Nonprofit Spark – Encouraging women’s philanthropy – 03/14/11 Mar 14, 2011

Listen in to learn more about how to encourage more women to give generously to your organization. On this show, you’ll hear some great insights about women donors from a pioneer and leader in the field of women’s philanthropy, Martha Taylor. She also shares practical actions most nonprofits can take to improve their relationships with women donors. Martha is a vice president at the University of Wisconsin Foundation and recently co-authored her third book called Women & Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World.

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Nonprofit Spark – Embracing Program Evaluation – 03/07/11 Mar 07, 2011

Program evaluation can be a rich and rewarding discovery process and it’s considered a nonprofit Best Practice. Jessica Mele, the executive director of Performing Arts Workshop in San Francisco, discusses how her organization’s evaluation processes have evolved and how the staff hold itself accountable for outcomes. Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman of the Frank Porter Graham Center for Child Development at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill provides a program evaluation overview and ideas that make evaluation seem do-able and even desirable.

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Nonprofit Spark – Raising Money in Tough Economic Times – 02/28/11 Feb 28, 2011

This week’s show provides a hopeful message about fundraising in tough economic times combined with very practical advice. Jerold Panas is a masterful and beloved fundraising coach and the CEO of Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, one of the country’s top firms for campaign services and resource development. He is a founder of and trainer for the Institute for Charitable Giving and has written many great books, including Mega Gifts, which is in its 12th printing. Get out some paper and a pencil and get ready to take lots of notes!

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Nonprofit Spark – Understanding a Nonprofit Balance Sheet – 02/21/11 Feb 21, 2011

The nonprofit balance sheet is a complete mystery to thousands of leaders in nonprofit management and also to members of the board. The balance sheet tells a unique story about the organization’s financial health that shouldn’t be overlooked; your other financial statements do not replace this valuable point of view. In this show, host Renee McGivern and Terry Fraser of Larson Allen review a balance sheet in a conversational way so it makes sense for even the most novice of listeners. Download the sample balance sheet they’re talking about so you can follow along!

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Nonprofit Spark – The Effective Nonprofit Board President – 02-14-11 Feb 14, 2011

It’s an honor to be a board president but we often take on the role without much training. Listen in to this week’s show for help in being thoughtful about how to run effective board meetings and also, to build good relationships with the executive director and board members. I first speak with a Fergus McCann, the co-chair of the board of Beauty Night, a nonprofit based in Vancouver, British Columbia with a mission to provide marginalized people and youth the tools to make positive lifestyle changes. My second guest is Frank Martinelli, president of The Center for Public Skills Training where he specializes in strategic planning, board development, volunteer management and more.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Development vs. Fundraising – 02/07/11 Feb 07, 2011

Want to raise more money for your organization? Then start thinking like a development professional. This show distinguishes between the short-term view of fundraising and the long-term view of development. I talk to Phil Schumacher again, the executive director of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, LaCrosse, Wisc. and Jackie Bright, the executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albermarle in Virginia.

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Nonprofit Spark – Expanding Your impact through Replication – 01/31/11 Jan 31, 2011

Considering scaling up your program and results so other communities benefit? Then listen in to this week’s interview with Whitney Smith of Girls For A Change, a San Jose-based program that was founded 10 years ago and has expanded throughout the country and across the globe. We’ll also speak with Peggy Hill of Denver-based Nurse-Family Partnership which developed its model for serving young, disadvantaged mothers over three decades and finally brought it to 30 other communities in the past five years.

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Nonprofit Spark – The Executive Director’s Many Roles – 01/24/11 Jan 24, 2011

Executive directors have many roles and this show hones in on those of visionary and relationship builder. It’s a rare opportunity to spend some time thinking about how important a vision and relationships are to making newer organizations prosper. There are two guests on the show. Alicia Hansen is the executive director and founder of a new nonprofit, SALT, which is a photography program for inner-city teenagers in New York City. Margaret Donohoe is a nonprofit consultant and co-author of the book, The Executive Director’s Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader.

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit Best Practices: A Guide to Excellence 1/17/11 Jan 17, 2011

Nonprofit “best practices” provide a foundation of experience for nonprofit leaders and board members. The practices and principles focus on “what works” in the areas of planning, boards, financial management, fundraising, program evaluation and more. This week, I’m talking to Trisha Lester, the vice president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits about how best practices were developed and how to use them. I’ll also speak with Carter McNamara, creator of the Free Management Library Web site which includes handy assessment tools to help you measure how well you’re doing compared to the best practices

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Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit blogs that help you work smarter 1/10/11 Jan 10, 2011

There’s never a dull moment for leaders of newer nonprofits. This show focuses on two useful resources to help you work smarter. Bob Ottenhoff, the CEO of Guidestar, shares how you can use the organization’s Web site for research. He also talks about national nonprofit news he’s written about in his blog. Isaac Seliger, founder of Seliger + Associates Grant Writing writes a terrific blog with his son, Jacob. Isaac has written $200 million in funded grant applications; he talks about misconceptions people have about grant writing and other topics from his blog. This show pairs very well with Nonprofit Spark Episode #13, Preparing to Write a Grant Proposal.

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Nonprofit Spark – Strategic Planning: Creating a Roadmap 1/03/11 Jan 03, 2011

Strategic planning focuses and transforms nonprofits if done well. What do you need to know before you jump into strategic planning? Who needs to be involved? Does it still make sense to create a strategic plan given these uncertain economic times? On this show, I talk to Jim Troxley, a strategic planning consultant with Millennia Consulting about the benefits of strategic planning, how you know you’re ready for a plan, and what needs to happen to make the process effective. I also chat with Paul Hamann of The Night Ministry, a Chicago-based nonprofit that connects with the city’s vulnerable youth and adults. The organization completed a strategic plan in 2010 and he shares about the process they used, who was involved and what he learned about strategic planning along the way.

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