Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

Evan Wildstein What is the first thing that you think about when you hear the term, “servant leadership?” While this term isn’t very popular anymore, the essence of being a servant leader is precisely what most nonprofit leaders aspire to be. Today’s guest, Evan Wildstein breaks down what this term means and what it practically looks like to apply servant leadership to everyday situations.  Rob’s guest is Evan Wildstein, author of the book, The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide: 30 Practical Ways to Boost Philanthropy Through Servant-Leadership. His book inspires readers to take fast action by exploring the ten core behaviors of servant-leaders. When it comes to the term servant leadership, Evan believes that the two words must coexist, since he sees service and leadership as both action oriented activities. He explains that the term isn’t actually a paradox like many assume, because you cannot have one without the other. Evan explains that the concept of servant leadership is talked about at a very high level. This is why he is passionate about explaining it in a very practical, tangible way that people can apply to their organizations. Evan describes how servant leaders can become more empathetic in their approach to others. He also shares the importance of truly becoming a better listener, as a leader. Finally, Evan believes that we, as leaders, need to heal ourselves first before we can hope to heal others. Part of this healing must be done on an individual level and part must be done on an organizational level, by holistically checking in on our team. Mentioned:  The Nonprofiteer’s Fundraising Field Guide Connect with Evan on LinkedIn The Servant As Leader This Episode is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org  Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Hardy Smith As a nonprofit leader, do you ever feel frustrated at the engagement of your board members? Do you wonder why they aren’t performing the way they should be? Rob’s guest, Hardy Smith explains the reasons why board engagement may be down and what you can do to improve it. Hardy is a speaker and consultant who helps nonprofits customize solutions, strategies, and systems. He is also the author of the book, Stop the Nonprofit Board Blame Game: How to Break the Cycle of Frustrating Relationships and Benefit from Fully Engaged Boards. Hardy believes that nonprofit leaders are the biggest contributors to the issue of poor board member engagement. He shares that leaders are not only bringing the wrong people onto their boards, but they also forget to be clear about the board member’s responsibilities. Hardy describes what the recruiting process should look like, and emphasizes the importance of having a pool of potential candidates to choose from. He also describes the main reasons members may have a poor experience during their time on the board, and how leaders can mitigate this by improving their communication skills. When it comes to selecting board leadership, Hardy explains why it’s crucial to look at one’s prior experience. Finally, he offers clear advice on how nonprofit leaders can reach their goal of having more diversity and inclusion amongst their board members.  Mentioned:  Connect with Hardy on LinkedIn Book: Stop the Nonprofit Board Blame Game Hardy’s website This Episode is sponsored by: Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Julie Gehrki, Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart We know that Walmart is a successful corporation, selling goods throughout the world, but that is not all they do. You may be surprised by the impact Walmart is making through their many philanthropic efforts, local and world-wide. Today’s guest, Julie Gehrki, explains the various ways Walmart is supporting nonprofits through their new social impact program, Spark Good. Rob’s guest, Julie Gehrki, is the Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart. Last year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provided more than $1.5 billion in cash and in-kind to support programs that align with their philanthropic priorities. Through the combined philanthropic efforts of both Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, Walmart is creating opportunities for people to live better every day. Julie shares information on Walmart’s new social impact program, Spark Good, and how it is meeting both the needs of customers and the local nonprofits they want to support. She explains the four main tools that make up the Spark Good program, and how each of these tools offer support to the various needs nonprofits may have. Julie also shares that Walmart often matches customer donations and fulfills the material requests of the nonprofits they work with. Julie believes companies cannot have real impact if they are not truly listening. That is why Walmart is trying to thoughtfully walk alongside both local communities and nonprofits, to really understand their needs. Julie offers advice to large companies who are seeking to make an impact by becoming involved in philanthropy. Finally, she shares some insight into Walmart as a whole and what she wishes more people knew about the corporation. #FromTheArchives Mentioned: Sign up for Spark Good  Walmart.org Connect with Julie on LinkedIn Links to Resources: If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at rob@robharter.com To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com This Episode is sponsored by:

Importance of financial processes in nonprofits, challenges faced by nonprofits without knowledgeable finance team, determining when to upgrade financial staffing, significance of audits for nonprofits, resources available for nonprofits on Voracity Pros website

Allyson Fryhoff Amazon is not just a place full of great products to purchase and movies to stream, but the company is also making a social impact. Rob’s guest, Allyson Fryhoff, explains how Amazon Web Services provides many tech tools to nonprofits which is helping them to go further, faster.  Allyson is the Managing Director of Nonprofit and Nonprofit Health at Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS provides cloud solutions to nonprofits, that can help with fundraising, donor engagement and donor retention Allyson explains how their new program, Tech Action, is supporting nonprofits in building fundraising, growing donations, and improving member engagement. Allyson believes nonprofits need to effectively connect and communicate with donors, and she shares how the Tech Action program is helping with fundraising efforts. She explains how AWS can help organizations collect donor data and simplify it into visual systems so nonprofit leaders can make faster and better decisions. Allyson also tells us how the use of high tech tools can actually help create a high touch relationship between donors and organizations. Finally, she shares information about the Imagine Grant Program that AWS offers to 501c3 organizations.  Mentioned: AWS for Nonprofits AWS IMAGINE GrantAWS IMAGINE: NONPROFIT Conference AWS Solutions Library for Nonprofits  Five Ways nonprofits can reduce the burden associated with fundraising activities AWS Marketplace for Nonprofits Allyson’s LinkedIn This Episode is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org  Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Stephanie Yan Many donors give to nonprofits via family foundations. There are times that this type of donation could pose a conflict of interest, which could eventually lead to ethical or legal issues down the line. Rob’s guest, Stephanie Yan, explains that this conflict of interest is known as “self-dealing.” She also explains how foundations can avoid finding themselves in this type of situation.  Stephanie is the Private Foundation Practice Leader of GHJ, a national advisory and accounting firm that provides a broad range of audit, accounting, tax, participations and advisory services to nonprofits, food and beverage, entertainment and media and health and wellness companies. Stephanie explains what “self-dealing” is and the implications it can have on foundations and those involved within the foundation. She shares that this type of transaction can happen either intentionally or unintentionally, but that either way, the penalties for engaging in self-dealing can be quite impactful. Stephanie goes on to describe the seven types of transitions that the IRS considers as self-dealing, and offers specific examples of what it can look like in action. She offers ideas of internal processes and policies foundations can have in place, in order to avoid participating in self-dealing. Finally, Stephanie highlights the importance of hiring a CPA or attorney who has expertise and experience working with tax-exempt organizations.  Mentioned:  Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn GHJ website IRS Charities and Nonprofits link This Episode is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org  Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/ Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page

Brian Crimmins When it comes to traditional giving to nonprofits, we are facing a downward trend. Today’s guest, Brian Crimmins, shares why traditional giving is declining. He also describes ways nonprofit leaders can change how they approach development and fundraising in order to turn things around.  Brian is the co-author of the book, The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Restore Humanity and Solve Our Biggest Challenge. The book explores the current state of philanthropy and how we can change course to bring about a different, more connected future that benefits us all. Brian explains that the traditional nature of giving is under stress and explains that if it continues in this downward trajectory, this type of giving will cease to exist in only a matter of decades. Brian describes an important term from the book, “radical connection,” and why it is so important for nonprofits to build this type of connection with potential donors. He also believes in the power of collaboration between different sectors to solve the world’s problems, since no one sector can do this work alone. Brian offers advice on ways the nonprofit sector can reverse this downward decline in giving and shares why he believes the nonprofit sector is more than capable of achieving this. Finally, he shares why fundraising and building radical connections must be a responsibility of the whole organization, not just the job of the fundraising department.  Mentioned:  Connect with Brian on LinkedIn GenerosityCrisis.com This Episode is sponsored by: Links to Resources:Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/  Join the discussion over on Rob’s LinkedIn page 

Ann Lee As nonprofit leaders, we aim to make the biggest impact possible. Sometimes in order to make the biggest and most effective impact long term, we need to be humble and consider collaborating or partnering with other organizations. Today’s’ guest, Ann Lee, shares not only why it’s important to approach your mission from a holistic, long term perspective, but to understand the importance of collaboration and partnership.  Rob’s guest is Ann Lee, CEO and Co-founder of CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort.) CORE is a humanitarian response organization that brings immediate aid and recovery to underserved communities across the globe. Ann created CORE with her Co-founder, Sean Penn. Ann describes how she and Sean met in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and why they decided to create their crisis relief organization. Ann explains why marginalized communities deal with a never ending cycle of crisis and how demand driven approaches are needed instead of traditional relief models. She points out the importance of a holistic model that focuses on long-term solutions, not just immediate relief. To give specific examples of how this can work, Ann describes the relief solutions CORE has brought to recent crises like the Ukraine war and the fires in Maui. She also offers practical advice to leaders who are looking to developing deeper connections with the communities they serve during crisis. Ann shares how the Covid pandemic affected the work of their organization, and the different areas of work they entered as a result. She describes CORE’s unique funding model that starts with donations first from the general public and then from institutional organizations such as the US government. Finally, Ann offers advice to nonprofits on how they can most effectively work with government agencies in order to make the best impact on huge problems the world faces.  Mentioned:  Connect with Ann on LinkedIn  CORE This Episode is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org  Links to Resources: Want to work with a leadership and life coach, check out Rob’s website https://robharter.com/ If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/ 

In today’s digital age, it is more important than ever for nonprofit organizations to innovate and optimize their fundraising. Today we are honored to learn from nonprofit thought leaders who recently attended the 2023 Nonprofit Innovation and Optimization(NIO) Summit in Dallas, TX. These leaders share the best practices for how nonprofits can improve their fundraising efforts. Rob’s guests are Tim Kachuriak, Mallory Erickson, Brian Sooy, Andrew Olsen, and Gabe Cooper. Tim is the creator behind the NIO summit as well as the founder and CEO of NextAfter, a digital fundraising consultancy. Mallory is the host of the podcast, What the Fundraising and the CEO of the Power Partners Formula which provides tools to help nonprofits fundraise. Brian is the President of Aespire Branding, a branding and marketing agency for service companies. Andrew is the host of the Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast and the Senior VP of DickersonBakker, a fundraising and strategy agency for large and small nonprofits. Gabe is the CEO of Virtuous, a software company that offers a responsive fundraising platform for nonprofits. As the founder of the NIO Summit, Tim shares what he hopes people will take away from the conference. He wants nonprofit leaders to recognize the importance of letting donor behavior speak for itself when it comes to creating funnels. Mallory describes how fundraisers can effectively navigate donor behavior to increase their fundraising impact. She also explains how our own cognitive behaviors as nonprofit leaders can either negatively or positively affect fundraising. Brian describes the different generations of donors that currently exist and how nonprofits should future proof their fundraising in response to these different types of donors. Andrew shares that the key to improve donor participation is to focus on building relationships and less on the nonprofit’s immediate desires. Finally, Gabe explains what the real meaning of generosity is when looking at your nonprofit as a whole. He also explains what makes a good donor journey, versus one that is filled with friction.  Connect with Tim on LinkedIn Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn  Connect with Brian on LinkedIn Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn  Connect with Gabe on LinkedIn  This Episode is sponsored by: Donorbox: www.donorbox.org  Links to Resources: If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.comFor more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Lindsay Hadley Tanisha Shedden When looking at the current state of the nonprofit sector, we have to look at both the biggest challenges and the biggest opportunities facing nonprofit leaders. Today we are honored to learn from nonprofit leaders who recently attended the 2023 Utah Nonprofits Association’s (UNA) Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rob’s guests are Lindsay Hadley, Tanisha Shedden, Victoria Petro, and Peggy Green. Lindsay is a consultant in the nonprofit sector and is the keynote speaker at the 2023 UNA conference. Tanisha is a public speaker as well as a mental health counselor. Victoria is a Salt Lake City Council Member as well as a consultant for nonprofits and local governments. Peggy is a program manager at the Utah Office of Homeless services.  Peggy Green Victoria Petro As the keynote speaker, Lindsay shares what she hopes people will take away from the conference. She believes nonprofit organizations need to pay their employees and spend on marketing, in order to stay competitive and make a bigger impact. Tanisha believes burnout is a big problem facing nonprofits and explains that organizations need to focus on mental health improvements so their workers can contribute more effectively to their cause. Victoria recognizes the lack of funding streams available and explains this is due to a scarcity mindset. Finally, Peggy explains the importance of nonprofits collaborating with each other in order to get things done together.  Mentioned:Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn Connect with Tanisha on LinkedIn Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn Connect with Peggy on LinkedIn2023 UNA Annual Conference This Episode is sponsored by: Links to Resources: If you have any suggestions for the show, email nonprofitleadershippodcast@gmail.com For more episodes and to subscribe to our newsletter, check out https://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/