Nonprofit Lowdown

Latest Episodes:

#140-Creating Equity in Philanthropy with Kerri Forrest Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

So often, when grant-seekers apply for funding, it can be a black box. Who makes the decisions, how and why? The process can be particularly opaque for BIPOC-led nonprofits who don't have a network to access privileged information. Join me and Kerri Forrest, Director at the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, to share some of the changes they have made to make their funding more equitable. From being an open space for grantees to drop by to simplifying grant applications, hear some of Kerri's advice to fellow foundation staff.

For more about Kerri, visit: https://gddf.org/people/

#139-Optimizing your Board for Fundraising with Lucretia Gilbert Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

This was seriously a masterclass on rebuilding a board. Lucretia headed up fundraising for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and helped to revamp the board to reach their $100M fundraising goal. Whether you're raising $100K or $100M, your board is key to your success. Lucretia provides key insights from her experience, which includes how to recruit and orient new members, how to make your board members feel the TLC, and how to plan for the long-term. This is a must-listen and make sure to have a notebook handy.

To find out more about Lucretia, check her out here: https://www.philanthropyadvantage.com/

#138-Community Leadership with Mino Lora Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Join me and my friend Mino Lora as she talks about what it means to truly lead with a community. Mino is the dynamic co-founder of People's Theater Project, proud New Yorker and candidate for City Council. Mino's irrepressible spirit, commitment to service and relentless optimism will give you hope for the future of New York. She is a true leader for the people and exactly what we need right now. NY, don't forget to vote June 22!

For more about Mino: https://www.minoforthebronx.com/

#137-Get Your Board Excited About Fundraising with Marti Fischer Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts because we're taking a ride on the #realtalk train. Join me and master communicator and coach, Marti Fischer, as we tackle the #1 problem most Executive Directors face. Listen in to these gems like how to identify WHY your board isn't fundraising and tactics for dealing with it. Some other juicy topics we explore: how to make your board meetings less boring, how to deal with the age-old question of give/get limits and how to measure what matters. If you need some inspo about motivating your board to be your top fundraisers and cheerleaders, listen to this episode and prepare to take notes.

To find Marti, visit her website: https://www.martifischergroup.com/

#136-5 Steps Towards Being Comfortable as the Face of an Organization with Jeany Park May 24, 2021

Show notes

I'm the first to admit it--I HATE seeing my face on video. As the face of an organization or company, our jobs might include being the public face, but many of us don't like it. Join me and Jeany Park, actress turned video producer, to talk about how to come across your best in video. We discuss why it's important to have a video strategy, how to improve your video presence and other tips to look your best (and give yourself some grace). Also, we coined a new phrase: RDF. Listen in to find out what that is!

For more about Jeany and her company, visit: https://treeswingvideo.com/

#135-Fundraising for 501c4s with Steven Choi May 17, 2021

Show notes

For a career 501c3 ED such as myself, I thought of 501c4s as a mystifying entity. I thought, they're like us...but different. In this conversation with veteran nonprofiteer, Steven Choi, he pulls back the curtain on the differences between the two from a fundraising and policy perspective. If you've ever considered a 501c4 arm of your current nonprofit, this is a valuable episode. We talk about how to fundraising differs, how 501c4s can be effective in politics and with elected officials and how to set it up alongside a 501c3.

For more about Steve, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-choi-66072b5/

#134-Lessons in Leadership with Rich Buery May 10, 2021

Show notes

Join me and the iconic Rich Buery to talk about all the lessons he's learned so far. Rich has founded organizations, headed up some of the most influential in New York and been the deputy mayor of New York City. He has maintained his commitment to serving children and leading with humility and grace through it all. I was humbled by this wide-ranging conversation. This is a must-listen, especially for those working in youth development.

To connect with Rich, check him out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbuery/

#133-Centering Communities in Grantmaking with Shruti Sehra and Hassan Brown May 03, 2021

Show notes

Join me and my pals, Shruti Sehra and Hassan Brown, to learn about how venture philanthropy firm, New Profit, has re-designed giving for equity. We talk about how community proximity IS expertise, how they redesigned proposal processes to be more accessible and equitable and what questions they are asking of themselves and the field. I really enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation with two insightful, thoughtful and equity-minded philanthropy leaders.

For more about New Profit, visit: https://www.newprofit.org/

For more about the framework for changing behaviors, visit: https://www.newprofit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Impact-Report_Grantmaking_v2.pdf

#132-Fundraising While Black with April Walker Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

My friend and colleague April Walker has worn many hats: funder, consultant and development director. In this honest and engaging interview, we discuss the problematic dynamics of traditional philanthropy, how she, as a Black woman, navigates predominantly white funder spaces and what we can all do to de-center white supremacy in philanthropy. April is insightful and drops all the truth bombs.

For more about April and to read her weekly column Ask April, follow her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilcwalker/

#131-What Sales and Fundraising Have in Common with Ramon Basie Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Join me and my new pal Ramon to talk about similar best practices in sales and fundraising. Ramon and I explore how bad salespeople and bad fundraisers give us all a bad name, the power of relationship and the need to invest in yourself to succeed. Some key takeaways:

Bringing the right energy and being in the right headspace are key to fundraising and sales.
Invest in yourself to increase your skills--don't wait for someone else to give you permission.
Focus on building the relationship and the rest will follow.
Believing deeply in your product (or mission) to improve your client's (or donor's) life will drive success.

I really enjoyed this wide-ranging conversation and it was an eye-opener for me to realize how similar sales and fundraising are (and how they're different in important ways!). To connect with Ramon, check him out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramon-w-basie/

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