Nonprofit Radio Show
89 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago -The Nonprofit Radio Show podcast offers bite-size, practical information to help small nonprofits thrive.
Homepage Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Successful End-of-Year Fundraising
October 19, 2021 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBOctober marks the start of end-of-year fundraising efforts. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about what a small nonprofit might consider to maximize end-of-year giving. We build on earlier discussions about strategic fundraising to give concrete steps to take in October and November to increase your odds of success in December. Question to reflect on before you listen: Who do you want to reach this giving season? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic?...
Nonprofit Radio Show LIVE @ Idaho Nonprofit Center conference
October 14, 2021 15:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBIn September 2021, Sarah and Nancy recorded a live episode of the Nonprofit Radio Show with an audience of Idaho nonprofit leaders. They talk about maintaining morale, boards, fundraising, and more. Hear the voices of nonprofit executive directors as they ask what is most on their minds. Question to reflect on before you listen: What keeps you up at night? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow...
TECH SERIES: Your website is your front door (with guest Margaret Schulte)
October 04, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBYour website is the front door to your organization. Is it inviting people into your movement? In this episode, Nancy and Sarah welcome special guest Margaret "Meps" Schulte of 3 Choices Creative Communications to talk about what you need to know about nonprofit websites. Meps talks us through four main points and gives us ideas on how small nonprofits can manage it all. Question to reflect on before you listen: Why do people most often come to your website? What are they looking for? En...
TECH SERIES: All things databases
September 14, 2021 15:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBThe number one question Sarah gets asked is about databases. How do you choose the right one? How do you make it really work for you? In this episode, Sarah talks us through databases and what we need to know about them to help drive our movement forward. Question to reflect on before you listen: How do you organize your information about donors, participants, volunteers, etc. now? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonprofitradioshow@gmail...
TECH SERIES: How to make the most of social media (with guest Tom Lang)
September 02, 2021 00:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBWe decided this summer of 2021 to spend three episodes talking about technology topics. Specifically, we are going to focus on social media, websites, and databases. We have invited some of our friends to join us. In this episode, Tom Lang leads us through a conversation about what nonprofits need to know about social media. Question to reflect on before you listen: How do you currently use social media to grow your movement? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request...
Summer reflections
August 19, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBWe are in the middle of August, a time when many people are on vacation or taking time to reflect on the next year. Some of us, like co-host Sarah Brooks, are experiencing the challenges of natural disasters and trying to find their equilibrium. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about what they are reflecting on this summer. Questions to reflect on before you listen: What are you reflecting on this summer? Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us...
Useful free or low cost resources for nonprofits
July 21, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.16 MBWe know that a lot of nonprofits we work with have very limited budgets. They are trying to make things work without spending money. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah share their favorite free or low-cost tools available to nonprofits. Here's the list of tools and links to them: TECHNOLOGY TechSoup (low cost software) | https://www.techsoup.org/ YouTube (video storage) | https://www.youtube.com/ Surveymonkey (online survey tool) | https://www.surveymonkey.com/ Mailchimp (email ...
Reclaiming Your Nonprofit Power
July 06, 2021 23:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBWe read an interesting article by Nell Edgington of Social Velocity about power in social change movements. It got us thinking. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about ways that nonprofits give their power away and ways that we can take that power back to better achieve our missions. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on these social media channels: Facebook: www.facebook.com/nonprofi...
Centering Equity in our Nonprofits with guest Tara Ramos
June 25, 2021 15:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBAt their core, nonprofits exist to build community around important missions. That community needs to be one defined by equity and belonging, where everyone is welcome and seen. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk with Tara Qallaq Ramos about racism and nonprofits and what we can do to build equitable communities. Tara is an equity consultant based in Spokane, Washington. She is Iñupiaq (Alaska Native) and a survivor of the educational system, the juvenile justice system, and the child we...
Community Building: Strategies for knowing who cares about your mission and how best to engage them
June 03, 2021 20:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBA nonprofit spends a lot of time growing its database of people, whether that database is an excel spreadsheet or something fancy. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about how to know who is in your community and how best to engage them. They talk about the assumptions we make about people when we give them binary options-- give or don't give-- something that we can fix by expanding what we ask of people. They share ways to take what we learn about people in our database to strengthen our...
Communication That Invites People In
May 04, 2021 03:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBEffective communication is key to community building. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk generally about ways to think about communication as a way to bring people in to your community. They also break down some practical steps on how to manage your database and cull names out when people aren't engaged. Sarah makes the case for going beyond the binary of inviting people to give (or not), challenging you to think about ways that you can invite further conversation. What do you think? Will...
Communication That Invites People In
May 04, 2021 03:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBEffective communication is key to community building. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk generally about ways to think about communication as a way to bring people in to your community. They also break down some practical steps on how to manage your database and cull names out when people aren't engaged. Sarah makes the case for going beyond the binary of inviting people to give (or not), challenging you to think about ways that you can invite further conversation. What do you think? Will...
Disaster Planning for Nonprofits
April 12, 2021 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBWildfire season is coming in much of Washington. Other parts of our state face earthquakes and tsunamis. And our friends elsewhere in the country face winter storms, tornadoes, flooding and more. It is hard to set time aside to get ready for something you don't really know when or how it will come. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah give you three steps to put a nonprofit disaster plan in place. They tell you about a new disaster planning resource for nonprofits being launched at a regional c...
Together-Solving Hard Problems in Community
April 05, 2021 03:00 - 12 minutes - 8.44 MBHard problems require collaboration. But collaboration is hard! In this episode, Nancy and Sarah share some tips on how to think about collaboration and position yourself to succeed at building strong collaborations. They talk about starting small, building trust, and taking time to shape a relationship that will hold your shared work into the long run. Questions to reflect on before you listen: Name a collaboration that you are a part of. How it is going? Does it bring you strength or dra...
The Power of All-Volunteer Nonprofits
April 01, 2021 15:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBSo many of the nonprofit organizations in our communities are run by volunteers. There is no paid staff moving forward their mission. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah speak to these organizations and how they can be sure to provide both the governance and management functions every organization needs. They point out the challenges these organizations often face, challenges that can be overcome with purpose and intention. Questions to reflect on before you listen: If you serve an all volunt...
Get Ready for a Catalytic Board Retreat
April 01, 2021 15:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBDaffodils are blooming and the days are warmer, and that means that people are starting to think about getting together in person. More specifically, boards are thinking about gathering for a board retreat. In this episode, Nancy and Sarah implore board members not to pull out their old retreat agenda but to use this opportunity to refresh their purpose, culture, and focus. We talk about what a retreat is and isn't. We share how the Nonprofit Radio Show principles can guide a board in buildi...
Create a culture that people want to be a part of
March 25, 2021 16:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBWe hear about culture a lot, but what does it really mean, and how do we influence it to help us deliver our mission? Nancy and Sarah pull apart what culture is and what makes a culture. Culture is malleable, so they talk about how a small nonprofit can shift its culture to be more inclusive, more learningful, and more reflective of their values. Of course they need to mention the oft-cited quote, "Culture eats strategy for lunch," which is particularly relevant given how often nonprofit peo...
The Nonprofit Radio Show LIVE
March 06, 2021 03:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBEnjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on these social media channels: Facebook: www.facebook.com/nonprofitradioshow Instagram: www.instagram.com/nonprofitradioshow Twitter: @smallnonprofits LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-radio-show/ You got this.
Seeing Volunteers in New Light
February 01, 2021 17:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this episode, Nancy and Sarah talk about ways to engage volunteers so they feel more commitment to your organization. Too often nonprofits see volunteers as free labor when in reality they are vital to your movement. Sarah and Nancy share tips for seeing volunteers in a new way and therefore strengthening the role that your volunteer program plays in achieving your mission. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. ...
The 4 Fundraising Metrics Every Small Nonprofit Needs to Know
February 01, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBIn this episode, Nancy and Sarah recognize that fundraising can be overwhelming. Many nonprofit leaders set out with the simple goal of raising more money, which makes it hard to prioritize what to do. In this episode, we provide some focus around four metrics that matter the most. These are numbers that are accessible with any form of database. Having these numbers in mind will help you and your board prioritize your work. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a t...
Purposeful Gathering
February 01, 2021 16:00 - 17 minutes - 12.4 MBIn this episode, Nancy and Sarah consider whether there are aspects of 2020 that we might hold onto in delivering purposeful gatherings in 2021. They talk about the role of purpose in shaping effective gatherings. Zoom has brought an interesting intimacy to our conversations, which can build deeper connections. Because being on Zoom all of the time is stressful, Nancy and Sarah draw on learning research to see how using on demand tools (videos, emails, info sheets, etc.) can increase engagem...
Nonprofit Human Resources with guest Skye Mercer
January 15, 2021 13:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBNancy and Sarah welcome Human Resources expert Skye Mercer to talk about what nonprofit people-- particularly "accidental HR managers" -- should be thinking about as we start 2021. Skye tells us why it is worth our time to get HR right, even if we are an all volunteer organization with no staff. We talk about how to boost morale when so many people are working from home. Skye shares her wish for all nonprofits when it comes to HR. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to reques...
Nonprofit New Year's Resolutions
December 14, 2020 23:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBWe’ve been thinking about our 2020 Nonprofit Radio Show conversations, and in today’s episode, we’re each going to share three resolutions for 2021 that we hope your nonprofit will consider. There's a lot of value in taking stock of the past year and resolving to do some things differently – even if you don’t meet every resolution perfectly. Setting good resolutions starts with understanding what you’ve learned this past year and then picturing where you want to be a year from now. Enjoye...
Evaluation
December 07, 2020 12:00 - 16 minutes - 11 MBIn this episode we talk about evaluation and how to measure what matters. With everything a nonprofit needs to do, evaluation is often an afterthought. Our funders expect us to gather data about what we do, so we count heads at our events or use surveys to get feedback. There are a few ways that we can better measure what matters for our organization, giving us the data we need to better tell our story. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at nonpr...
Why have a board?
November 12, 2020 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.77 MBIn this episode we talk about the core purpose of a nonprofit board. We know that boards can be challenging. There is a certain about of tension that comes with having a group of people who don't know each other well making important decisions together. We start by underscoring why our nonprofits have boards and then talk about three ways to strengthen your board. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also...
Stressed in Unpredictable Times
October 29, 2020 16:00 - 11 minutes - 8.03 MBIn this episode we recognize that we are a little stressed out and talk about how we are navigating through these unpredictable times. Nonprofit people know stress. We are used to doing a lot with very little. But there comes a time when stress turns into fatigue which becomes burnout. We explore why we are so exhausted and what we can do about it. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on th...
Technology Sound Bytes: Cloud Storage
October 19, 2020 21:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBIn this episode we talk about cloud storage and why it is so important for your organization. Think about it. A disaster destroys your documents and you lose everything. How long would it take you to recreate everything you need to keep your organization running? Consider your financial documents, your board history, your organizational paperwork, etc. It would take a long time--and it may be that you can't replace certain documents. Can you recover? Cloud storage is a simple way to make yo...
Effective Online Meetings
October 06, 2020 22:00 - 13 minutes - 9.6 MBIn this episode we talk about online meetings and how to make them engaging and productive. We break down the key elements of a successful online meeting and give some tips on how to increase engagement. We know that nonprofit people spend a lot of time in meetings--board meetings, staff meetings, event planning meetings, etc. Our goal is to support you as you plan an intentional gathering that makes a difference. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email...
Good Programs as a Core Strategy
September 15, 2020 16:00 - 11 minutes - 7.96 MBIn this episode, we define what we mean by a "good program." We talk about how you know a program is good, and how you can leverage them as a core strategy to strengthen your board, collaborations, and fundraising. The episode is only 11 minutes long. Why not play it for your board and have a conversation about a program that your nonprofit depends on to achieve its mission? All of our advice on fundraising, strategy, and financial strength assumes that you are running the right programs i...
Money--Time for a Six Month Financial Forecast
August 28, 2020 18:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBMoney. It is a topic that many of us are thinking a lot about right now. Will we have enough money to get through this crisis? How do we make decisions about money when there is so much uncertainty around us? In this episode, we make the case for why you need a financial forecast right now. We explain what that is and how you can make some quick calculations on the back of an envelope. These calculations will capture what you think might happen in the next six months. You'll be defining a b...
Events: What do we do now?
August 06, 2020 16:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBMany of us rely on events to raise money and build community. As we look ahead to the fall, we know that we can't hold our favorite events as we have in the past. What to do? In this episode, we talk about the three reasons we hold events: raise money, build community, and engage people in activities. We talk about what questions your staff and board can ask in determining whether or not to move your event online. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email...
Advocacy: Your Voice a Little Louder
July 16, 2020 20:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBWhen policymakers hear your voice on issues in front of them, they are better able to do their jobs. They hear the impact of decisions on your work, the stories of people impacted by policies, and opportunities to do better by your community. Nonprofits are directly impacted by decisions being made at the local, state, and federal level. This episode is all about advocacy and how you can move forward your mission by creating or joining a movement. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a frie...
Working with People: Compassion, Connection, and Culture
July 08, 2020 18:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBWhatever our mission is, ultimately our work is about people. We work with people, our boards are made up of diverse people with different interests, and we engage people as clients or participants in our programs. As we release this episode, many nonprofits are returning to work after being out of the office due to COVID-19. Staff and volunteers are having to find new ways of connecting with colleagues. Being intentional about how we work with people will help us to better achieve our missi...
What is your North Star? Finding Strategy
June 23, 2020 15:00 - 13 minutes - 9.57 MBImagine if everyone in your organization had their eyes on the same destination. That's what a strategy gives you. While a strategic plan too often sits on the self, a strategy gives you a practical tool to make decisions and move forward with your board and partners. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on these social media channels: Facebook: www.facebook.com/nonprofitradioshow Instag...
Making Space for Conversations about Racism
June 08, 2020 18:00 - 4 minutes - 3.09 MBWe recorded this episode the week of George Floyd’s funeral. We acknowledge the need to address what is happening in our communities today. We did not tape our usual banter about nonprofit topics. We took the week to be in conversation with each other and people in our communities on racism, privilege, and what we can do. We want to share some of what we have been reading and discussing. We warmly invite you to be a part of this conversation and commitment to action. Resources for reflecti...
Engaging Your Board When You Can't Meet
June 04, 2020 22:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBIt is hard to get your board fully engaged in the best of times. How are you supposed to do it when you can't meet? Sarah, Nancy, and JoAnn answer that, sharing some tips on ways to bring your board together when they can't meet in person. If you follow some of these suggestions, you may come out of quarantine with a stronger board! Wouldn't that be cool! Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow u...
Building Financial Strength
May 14, 2020 23:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBToday we're talking about the frequently unpopular topic of finance. Nancy, Sarah, and JoAnn explore how we can position our organizations today to be financially stronger tomorrow. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on these social media channels: Facebook: www.facebook.com/nonprofitradioshow Instagram: www.instagram.com/nonprofitradioshow Twitter: @smallnonprofits LinkedIn: www.lin...
Fundraising in Uncertain Times
May 14, 2020 21:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBWe raise money to achieve our mission. It is hard to raise enough money in good times, and COVID just made fundraising even harder. Join Nancy, Sarah, and JoAnn for a conversation about how to reach out to donors. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend. Want to request a topic? Email us at [email protected]. You can also follow us on these social media channels: Facebook: www.facebook.com/nonprofitradioshow Instagram: www.instagram.com/nonprofitradioshow Twitter: @sma...
Welcome to the Nonprofit Radio Show!
May 14, 2020 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.56 MBWelcome as we launch this new podcast designed specifically for small nonprofits! We'll be exploring a wide range of topics and offering bite-size practical information to help your nonprofit soar even higher. In this short audio clip we share who we are and what you can expect from the Nonprofit Radio Show. We'll tell you why we have a word for the week. And, of course we want to hear from you, our listeners! Join us as we embark on this journey with you. Enjoyed this episode? Share it wit...