Nonprofit SnapCast

Latest Episodes:

The Prepared Organization with Michael Randel Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Michael Randel makes his second recording with the SnapCast. This time we talk about how to determine if an organization is really prepared for growth. Among the things we cover:

Insights from studying Mackenzie Scott grant recipients that led to the concept of "the prepared organization."
Consequences for organizations that are not prepared for growth opportunities.
The importance of Purpose and Identity as the foundation of the framework.
The necessity of having a plan for growth.
The impact of leadership alignment on successful growth strategies.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Five Critical Mistakes with Michael Randel Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Michael Randel is the founder and director of Randel Consulting Associates, a consulting firm that leads organizations through change and growth. He visits the SnapCast to talk about how to make organizational change less challenging. In our conversation, we talk about five common problems organizations experience as they navigate change. Among the things we discuss:

Is it true that 70% of organizational changes fail?
Emphasizing mistakes that happen early in a change process
Three Levels Of Resistance
Advising leaders on how to lead change initiatives that are more likely to be successful

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Technology Won't Do The Work For You with Paul Morris Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Paul Morris of Foundry Fundraising visits the SnapCast to talk about your technology and making the right technological investments. Among the things we discuss:

Technology won't do the work for you and doesn't solve all your problems. No matter how shiny it is
Nonprofits are woefully underinvesting in the technology tools needed, especially for development
Nonprofits don't have to invest wildly, they can and should be smart about it
The right tools supports the work
The impact of this underinvestment? Wasting a ton of time - staff, stakeholders, volunteers, donors.
The risk to not investing has short-term and long-term impacts

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

The Endowment Handbook with Laura MacDonald Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Laura Macdonald visits the SnapCast to talk about endowments, their utility, and why your nonprofit might want to think about adding an endowment to your funding priorities, and how to prepare to do so. Among the things we discuss:

Making the Case for Endowments • Why are endowments beneficial from an institutional perspective? • What resonates with donors about endowments? • How can we help donors see the benefits of endowments versus annual cash donations? • How do we make a solid case for endowments to skeptical donors? Stewardship of Endowments • How do we steward endowments effectively? • What are common pitfalls in endowment management, and how can they be avoided?

Be sure to check out the Endowment Handbook for more insights into this important topic.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Supporting Humanitarians Through Burnout and Vicarious Trauma with Dimple Dhabalia Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

Dimple Dhabalia visits the SnapCast to talk about burnout and vicarious trauma among nonprofit professionals. Among the issues we cover:

Common occupational traumas in the non-profit sector.
Causes of vicarious trauma and moral injury, along with healing strategies.
The relevance of generational trauma in the workplace.
The connection between self-care, nervous system regulation, and the workplace.
How organizations, not just individuals, can experience trauma.
A call to action for mission-driven organizations to provide a more comprehensive duty of care.
Steps leaders and organizations can take to create a holistic, human-centered duty of care.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Data & Tech and Organizational Culture, with Emily Hicks Rotella Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Emily visits the SnapCast again to illustrate that nonprofit technology is not a project-based endeavor. We talk about data and technology are integral to defining organizational culture:

Human / data interaction Models of tech hiring Emily's Apprenticeship Program

Be sure to drop Emily a line and ask her about Friday Conversations.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

The HR Episode with Rita Sever Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

Full disclosure: Rita Sever and Mickey trash talk some HR practices. We know not all HR people/departments do these things. There are many good HR folks who walk their talk and are user friendly. Among the questions we cover:

What is Rita's history with HR?
As a consultant, how did Rita support organizations in terms of HR?
What are some unique challenges of HR – in a nonprofit in particular?
What if an organization doesn’t have an HR department or person?
When should an organization designated that role?
What does a good HR department cover?
What are some traits of a good HR person?
When and how does HR not work?
How does it impact staff when HR is not trusted?
What do you see as the best possible role of HR?
What has to be in place to make that role possible?
What impact does this have on staff, leadership, and mission?

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

You Think You Know The Nonprofit Sector? (with Lisa Dietlin) Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Lisa Dietlin visits the SnapCast and schools Mickey on the Nonprofit Sector. We start with taking in the 30,000 foot view of the sector and break some things down from there. Among the many things we discuss:

Do you know how the nonprofit/philanthropic sector evolved in the US?
Did you know the nonprofit sector is the largest employer in the US?
Did you know that every position that exists in the for-profit world exists in the nonprofit world?
Did you know that nonprofit does not mean non-revenue?
In 2023, more than $577 billion was donated to causes in the US with the majority of it coming from individuals. This means that almost $1.6 billion is given away every single day of the year?
Did you know that 80% of nonprofits receive 50% of their annual budget during the last two months of the calendar year? Yet kids are hungry in April, rivers need to be cleaned up in May, books need to be put on library shelves in July…. In other words, nonprofits work 24/7/365.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

HIdden Rules: Now What? with Rita Sever Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

Rita Sever and Mickey do a dive into organizational culture to examine the hidden rules that lead to discrimination and toxicity. Among the questions we address:

Remind us what hidden rules are and how they work?
Give us an example of a societal hidden rule?
Give us a few examples of hidden rules in a nonprofit organization?
How do they tend to undermine inclusion and equity?
Who tends to benefit from hidden rules?
How can you recognize hidden rules? Where should we look?
Then what? What are you supposed to do when you find a hidden rule?
Who is most likely to recognize hidden rules?
What is a supervisor’s role in regard to the hidden rules?
What about the role of HR and/or leadership if there is no HR?
What about as an individual – what can one person do?
This sounds like a lot of work. Does it really matter?

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.

Computerwork vs Peoplework Colleen Cook Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Colleen Cook is the Chief Business Officer for High Tide. We talk at length about computerwork vs peoplework, and how High Tide's unification of data makes data management universally useful for the entire nonprofit. Among the things we discuss:

Unified, comprehensive data for nonprofits: Nonprofits deal with a lot of data points, but too often that data is siloed, making it difficult to see the complete picture. Streamlined data allows nonprofits to make fully informed decisions about donor relationships, communication strategies, etc. This is especially important because nonprofits tend to deal with higher levels of employee churn, meaning that data points can be lost when employees leave the organization if streamlined processes are not in place.
Technology lag in the nonprofit sector: Nonprofits tend to be years behind other industries when it comes to technology development & adoption. Fundraising vs. sales: Fundraising and sales at times use similar strategies and concepts (i.e. digital engagement metrics) - but there are key differences when one asks for a donation for a nonprofit, compared to selling a product or service to a customer.
Donor experience: Every touchpoint with a donor is critical for nonprofits in order to maintain positive, lasting relationships within their donor revenue stream. Nonprofits should tailor the donor experience to each individual donor, with unique communication, requests, and touchpoints for each donor. “People give to people.”
Changing donor demographics: Nonprofits need to consider and begin establishing relationships with the next generation of donors. Trillions of dollars will be changing hands from current, aging donors to the younger generation (donors of tomorrow), and nonprofits need to establish those relationships well before they begin asking for money. Millennials and Gen-Z also have different expectations on communication, accountability, etc. than Boomers. All of this must be considered & acted upon by nonprofit organizations.

We welcome support of the Nonprofit SnapCast via Patreon. We welcome your questions and feedback via The Nonprofit SnapCast website. Learn more about Nonprofit Snapshot's consulting services.