Nonprofit Lowdown

Latest Episodes:

#254 - Being Fiscally SeCURE with Raj Thakkar Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

Hey friends and fellow nonprofit nerds! Get ready for a super fun and informative chat with my buddy Raj Thakkar.

You may know Raj as the founding genius behind FOREsight Financial Services for Good. But did you also know he's the author of a brand-new book called Fiscally Secure?! Raj knows his stuff when it comes to helping nonprofits get their financial ducks in a row. And let me tell you, it is WAY more interesting than it sounds. Who knew analytics could be so uplifting?

In this episode, we're talking all things budgeting, fundraising, and shaking that scarcity mindset! Raj shares his 10-step framework for getting – and staying – fiscally fit. I know it sounds intimidating but I promise it’s way more empowering than it is scary.

We also dive into creative ways to build revenue that don’t involve emptying your bank account. Hint: the answer isn’t always hiring expensive development pros! Sometimes the best solutions are right under our quirky nonprofit noses.

So pour yourself something fun (I’m drinking sparkling water with lime today!) and get ready to geek out on numbers. I promise you’ll be feeling inspired, not stressed, by the time our chat is done.

Sound like your kind of episode? Then click play! Let’s get fiscally secure together, friends.

“What I realized was there was actually a method to our madness and ended up calling it “The Fiscal Responsibility Method” where there's ten components to responsible financial management in the way we define it.” - Raj Thakkar

Important Links:
https://csbm.com/fiscally-secure/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-thakkar-135b172/

#253 - Joy in Storytelling with Tara Dorabji Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

We all know storytelling is a powerful way to move people and effect change on the important issues of today. But in the fundraising world, storytelling has gotten a bad rap. Poverty porn, sensationalism, and negative storytelling practices have left a bad taste in our mouths and, at times, exposed the very people we want to help.

So how can we use the powerful language of storytelling to unify and empower communities rather than divide and conquer?

Join me today as I talk to Tara Dorabji, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for The Center for Cultural Power!

We talk about the need for value-aligned storytelling that is rooted in authenticity and how we can choose, gather, and elevate stories and storytellers to amplify and elevate diverse voices that can accelerate systemic cultural change.

We also dive into how to test and measure the impact of our influence so that our efforts don’t fall on deaf ears.

Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that just might put the joy back into your storytelling!

“It's not just about one messenger. … [D]ifferent Messengers speak to different groups, so it's important to have a multitude of stories and to continue to test and … learn. And as culture shifts and people shift, the storytelling will change too.” - Tara Dorabji, Vice President of The Center for Cultural Power

Important Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-dorabji-a364711/
The Border Report 2023: https://www.culturalpower.org/stories/the-border-report-2023/

#252 - Maximizing LinkedIn for your NPO with Tania Bhattacharyya Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Social media is a modern-day jungle. If you don’t know who you are and what you want to say; the algorithms will eat you for breakfast. So what choice do non-profit folks have if we want to be heard above all the noise? Please, don’t tell me I have to dance... PLEASE don’t tell me I have to dance…

Not even a little, my non-profit fam!

For your sake and mine, today I’m joined by the marvelous Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing Co and host of Campfire Circle Podcast. She’ll tell us all about her experience in the non-profit world and her unmatched storytelling prowess on LinkedIn. Tania teaches underrecognized social impact leaders - coaches, consultants, service providers, and nonprofit execs - to build top of mind trust and community by sharing their stories on LinkedIn.

“What's beautiful about building a personal brand as a non-profit leader is you get to pick the audience that … lights you up and that you were put on this planet to make a difference for. And so often it is the person that you once were or still are. It's the person that you can become a guide for because you have trudged through that journey yourself and now you have some nuggets of expertise and advice and wisdom to pass on.” - Tania Bhattacharyya

Tania champions the idea that you can be consistent and “lazy on LinkedIn” and still gain traction with people you want to meet. It’s all about resonance versus reach, and I can’t wait for you to soak it all in!

Get ready to hear practical tips for building your brand and cultivating legit relationships on LinkedIn through thought leadership–without doing a song and dance or an endless stream of meaningless content.
Important Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-bhattacharyya/

https://lumosmarketing.co/podcast

#251 - When a Black Founder Transitions with Cassie Haynes & Jean Friedman-Rudovsky Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Succession planning. We all know it’s a possibility, but none of us wants to think about it. What processes do you have in place to protect your organization from losing funding? How will you manage the optics and let funders know your organization’s values and vision won’t change just because one person steps down?

Hint: Don’t make it all about you!

Join me today as I talk to Cassie Haynes and Jean Friedman-Rudovsky, the powerhouse co-founders of Resolve Philly, to get the lowdown on how they emerged from a leadership transition after Cassie, a black co-founder, stepped down from her position to be closer to her newly widowed mother.

Find out what strategies they used to mitigate damages, disperse responsibilities, and elevate staff members to positions of higher visibility so that the organization could continue affecting change to make Philidelphia’s journalism scene a more equitable and diverse playing field.

“We have always prioritized the storytelling around our work coming from those who are carrying out the work. More and more folks on our team are… showing up at conferences to talk about the work. […] When our funders think about who Resolve is, they should think about 25 people.” - Cassie Haynes, Resolve Philly Cofounder

Important Links:

https://resolvephilly.org/

#250 - Philanthropy by the Numbers with Dr. Una Osili Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

I’ve said it before; if you want to get big contributions, you have to make big asks. But, for so many of us, our scarcity mindset holds us back. We wonder, can we really make big asks in an economic downturn? Does generosity still exist in America in 2023? Do donors of color give monetarily to the causes they care about?

The numbers say, yes, to all of the above! Data for the win!

Nerd out on numbers with me on today’s podcast as I get Dr. Una Osili’s thoughts on global philanthropy and giving trends in our complex philanthropic ecosystem.

Dr. Una Osili is the Director of Research at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at the Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe for more data-based tips and tricks that will transform your mindset and help you niche down to find large givers and build trust as you can form a community of givers united under a common mission and vision.

“So donors now know that it's possible to give in an unrestricted way. This is not just a good time to be engaging donors, but it's also an important time to bring innovative and transformational opportunities to those donors and to ask for those transformational gifts because more donors are aware of the needs.” - Dr. Una Osili

Important Links:

Lilly Family School of Philanthropy - https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/index.html

The General Social Survey - https://gss.norc.org/

Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy - https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/institutes/mays-institute/about/index.html

Global Philanthropy Tracker - https://globalindices.iupui.edu/tracker/index.html

Global Philanthropy Indices -https://globalindices.iupui.edu/tracker/index.html

Global Philanthropy Environment Index -https://globalindices.iupui.edu/environment-index/index.html

#249 - Women's Leadership Council Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we're joined by the inspiring voices of Alison Overseth, Gisele Castro, and Erica Hamilton at The Women's Leadership Council. Our discussion centers around the dynamic landscape of leadership, highlighting our personal experiences, insights, and the ever-important journey toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

We’ll dive into topics that are pertinent for any woman pursuing a career in leadership, specifically current and future CEOs and EDs. Join us as we get answers to the following questions:

What’s the importance of defining a North Star to guide your decisions and actions?
How do you maintain and balance your peace and well-being in such a demanding job?
What mental shifts and practices are necessary for leading an organization?
What bright spots and challenges will we see as the next generation enters the workforce?
What are some hard-earned tips for recruiting, managing, and changing your board?
And how can we drive authentic change through cultural shifts and ongoing DEI efforts?

“[H]ow much are we pursuing excellence and how are we passing on what we have learned to another group of people? [...] As an organization that at one point was not so visible and now it is, it comes with different pressure points… I didn't know I signed up for that. I did, I actually did by being a women leader.” Gisele Castro, CEO of exalt

Important Links:

http://exaltyouth.org

http://www.pasesetter.org

https://www.memoinevergot.com/

#248 - Small Shop Strategies with Rachel Bearbower Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

Meet my friend and homegirl, the amazing Rachel Bearbower. She is the Founder of Small Shop Strategies, a nonprofit consultancy focused on teaching Executive Directors how to detangle their systems so they can focus their time + energy on building relationships and raising more for their causes.

This episode is perfect for those Executive Directors and fundraisers who are neurospicy, who struggle with consistent, boring action, and who need help prioritizing tasks that drive results.

Are you awkward when you’re fundraising? So are we! We talk about the importance of being a real human and not taking things personally when you hear the word “no.”

Hear our personal experiences and mistakes in fundraising as we discuss nurturing donor relationships, managing board expectations, capitalizing on your board member’s genius, and upgrading yourself, your systems, and your software for sustainable success.

“You can create all the systems, but at the end of the day, it’s just doing the damn thing. There’s not a silver bullet. It’s the consistent reps over and over and over that are going to get you the result that you want... It’s those little things, building in those little habits that are going to help you raise that million dollars… two million… five million.” -Rachel Bearbower

Links:

https://www.smallshopstrategies.com/

Additional Resources:

10x Is Easier Than 2xby Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy

The Nuclear Effect by Scott Oldford

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

#247 - Root Causes of Burnout with Dr. Emily Bennett Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we’re joined by the mind-bending Dr. Emily Bennet, ND, CEO of Kindling who answers the question, “How can we take better personal responsibility for our own well-being in the midst of being devoted to this purpose-driven work?”

We talk about our personal experiences with workplace burnout and explore the internal and external pressures of wanting to “do more for the cause” at the expense of our mental and physical health. We dive into potential factors influencing our decisions to muscle through it despite all the warning signs. Are we influenced by hustle culture? Do we have generational baggage on board? Do Gen Zers have the answer to all our workplace woes? Join us to learn the three facets of burnout, practical tips for managers and execs to protect their teams and some of the common triggers of burnout. Spoiler alert! Your loneliness just might be killing you.

Also, listen for a quick self-evaluation to determine if you or your team are at risk for or are currently experiencing burnout.

“There are these structural pieces that play a part in influencing somebody to set themselves aside entirely and give too much, such that the energy they’re putting toward the cause is not going to be sustainable.” - Emily

Links:

https://www.dremilybennett.com/free-training

Additional Resources:

Going Horizontal by Samantha Slade

Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux.

#246 - Childfree by Choice with Therese Shechter Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, we're joined by the fierce Therese Shechter, the brain behind "My So-Called Selfish Life," who's flipping the script on pronatalism and societal norms.

From tearing apart the underpinnings of pronatalism to exposing its ties with white supremacy and racism, we're setting the stage for an eye-opening conversation. We deep-dive into how our policies, driven by hidden pronatalist forces, shape our society and what it means to be a woman.

Next, we explore powerful real-world scenarios where pronatalist policies are taking center stage.

As we advocate for equitable policies, join us for a conversation about childfree living as a choice, and a right.

"I think that being able to make the decision that you don't want to be pregnant and then having a procedure where you're no longer pregnant is a basic human right." - Therese

Links:

Additional Resources:

https://www.newlegacyinstitute.com/

#245 - Funding Feminist Movements with Latanya Mapp Frett Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

In this insightful episode, I engage in a profound discussion with the esteemed Latanya Mapp Frett, Executive Director of Global Fund for Women, and author of 'The Everyday Feminist: The Key to Sustainable Social Impact - Driving Movements We Need Now More than Ever'.

Fun fact: Latanya was my boss over 20 years ago when I interned at UNICEF and we’re reconnecting!

We delve into the heart of influential feminist social movements, examining the leaders, art, and narratives that have propelled them to success. Mapp Frett shares her expertise, offering practical steps that organizations and individuals can implement to further their impact.

We discuss the significance of feminist funds, the role of men and boys in advancing a feminist future, and provide actionable advice to enact change globally.

'The Everyday Feminist' serves as a strategic blueprint for effecting social change. You can find the book in our show notes or click here to purchase. This episode is a crucial listen for anyone committed to making a difference. Tune in for a deep exploration of practical feminism in action.

"Women are the ones who are doing the work. So why are matching the resources not getting to them?" - Latanya

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