Advertise on podcast: Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions

Send us Fan Mail Funding freezes. Anti-advocacy clauses. Funders who walk away when things get hard. Earned revenue, or money from selling a product or service, gives you cash that no funder can take away. Some nonprofits we've spotlighted on the podcast bring in over $2 million a year, on top of fundraising revenue. In this episode, you’ll learn how to spot revenue opportunities that's already hiding in your work . You’ll also learn how to start by naming your buyer, pitching a sale instead of a donation, and starting with one offer. ABOUT THE GUEST Caitlin McBride is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with nearly 15 years of fundraising experience. She works with Maria at Further Together, helping small nonprofits make fundraising feel more doable and less chaotic. Caitlin and Maria share: Why funder money always comes with stringsHow to pitch a sale instead of a donationReal examples of mission-aligned earned revenueThe first step to starting a social enterprise“There is no ends justify the means.”Connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinmcbride/ Maria’s CCF Hub article on funding yourself: https://communitycentricfundraising.org/2025/03/17/tired-of-fair-weather-funders/ Watch the episode with Chicago Eco-House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q_q2NmHRq0 Watch the  episode with The Seed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irRp3cDJ6zA Support the show

Send us Fan Mail A potential donor scrolling LinkedIn gives your post about three seconds. If they have to reread a sentence, you’ve lost them. In this episode, we talk about why nonprofit jargon pushes away the people you most want to reach. You’ll learn which words turn donors off, and how even familiar terms like “food insecurity” may mean different things to different people. We also cover how a clear mission helps you write stronger grant applications and turn down funding that pulls you off course. Plus, you’ll get a simple test to see how well your own team can explain what you do. On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Maura Fitzpatrick. Maura is a senior strategist at PushTen, a creative agency that does branding, web design, and strategy for mission-driven organizations and nonprofits. She also worked as a communications manager at a legal aid nonprofit. Maura shares: The 3-second LinkedIn ruleSmart people skim too.Jargon hides in familiar words.A clear mission makes fundraising easier.Clear words help a sector that’s underfunded.If your nonprofit needs more hands on deck to get more dollars and donors, book a call with the Further Together team and we can see if we can help: https://www.gofurthertogether.ca/discoverycall  Maria shares more cool and innovative fundraising tips on LinkedIn. If you want to connect with us, send her a message here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-rio-ethical-fundraising/  Connect with Maura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurafitzpatrick/Email Maura at [email protected] (mention this podcast for a free 30-minute consult)Visit their website: https://www.push10.com/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Most of us walk into a networking event or donor meeting and lead with our job title. It’s safe. It’s also forgettable. In this episode, you’ll learn a different way in: start with questions. You’ll hear how one simple opener gets people talking about who they are, beyond what they do. You’ll learn how to choose which parts of your story to share, based on who’s in front of you. And you’ll hear what it sounds like to talk with donors as a peer, instead of inspiring their pity. ABOUT THE GUEST Frank Velasquez Jr. is the founder of 4 Da Hood, where he helps organizations and leaders reclaim their stories. His goal is to help people lead with more authenticity, courage, and joy. Frank has spent about nine years in fundraising. He’s also a speaker who calls himself an “extroverted introvert.” He runs Ascending Leaders in Color, a cohort program for leaders of color. Each group has no more than 10 people, so leaders can be real, reconnect with each other, and reclaim every part of their story. Frank shares: The difference between who you are vs. what you doThe extroverted introvert’s secretHow to decide what to share by listening firstHow to shorten the Community-Centric Fundraising principles learning curveListen to Frank's previous episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/208666/episodes/18654392 Connect with Frank on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fvelasquezjr/ Connect with Frank: [email protected] Visit 4 Da Hood: www.4dahood.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THE HOST Maria Rio is the founder and CEO of Further Together, a fractional fundraising firm that specializes in Community-Centric Fundraising. She arrived in Canada as a refugee when she was young, and her early experience with charitable services is what drew her to nonprofit work. She started fundraising in 2011 as a face-to-face fundraiser, then led development and communications at small and mid-sized nonprofits. Maria has spoken at AFP ICON, AFP Congress, APRA, Xlerate, and Imagine Canada, appeared on TVO's The Agenda and CityNews, and spoken at the Ontario Parliament. Her writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the book Against the People: How Ford Nation is Dismantling Ontario. She was a finalist for the 2022 Charity Village Best Individual Fundraiser Award, received the 2025 Young Alumni Impact Award from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto, and was one of ten Canadian entrepreneurs selected for the ELLA Accelerator Altitude program at York University's YSpace. Maria pushes the sector to stop fundraising in a way that caters to donors instead of community, and start sharing power with those that our nonprofits exist to serve. Connect with Maria on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-rio-ethical-fundraising/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Small Nonprofit Podcast is produced by Further Together, a Toronto-based fractional fundraising firm serving social justice nonprofits across Canada and the United States. Every engagement is built entirely on a Community-Centric Fundraising methodology. Further Together is dedicated to driving systemic change, both inside and outside the nonprofit sector. Fundraising has the power to do more than keep the lights on. Done well, and done ethically, it can shift power. Build movements. Change who gets a seat at the table. That's our north star: creating real change inside the sector and beyond it. Book a no-pressure chat with us: https://www.gofurthertogether.ca/discoverycall Support the show

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever put months of work into a gala, only to have most of the guests disappear until next year's event, this episode is for you. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio talks with Amy Milne, CEO and founder of Beyond Fundraising Inc. Amy has spent her career helping nonprofits raise more money through events: runs, walks, rides, you name it. Amy explains why your event should be part of a year-round relationship with your supporters and how staying in touch between events can turn guests and volunteers into committee members, sponsors, and even major donors. You'll also hear how a kids' cancer charity replaced its tired gala with an adult pajama party, complete with chicken and waffles and a Twister dance floor. Visit their website: https://www.startingbeyond.com/ Connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrmilne Connect with Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedownthereaffair/ Connect with Amy on thedownaffair Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedownthereaffair/ Listen to her podcast, Real Talk for the Non-Profit Event Pro: https://realtalkforthenonprofiteventpro.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Most stewardship advice assumes you have a team, a budget, and time to hand-deliver flowers to every donor. This episode is for fundraisers who have none of those. You'll learn five stewardship strategies that work for small teams and hear how a $100 donor became a $10,000 donor after receiving a short impact email every other month.  On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Caitlin McBride, a Certified Fundraising Executive, used these strategies as a one-person fundraising department to nearly double her individual giving campaign in two years. If stewardship keeps sliding to the bottom of your list, start here. Connect with Caitlin on LinkedInDownload our donor stewardship email templatesSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail What does your annual report say about your volunteers? If it's a headcount, a total of hours, and a dollar figure for how much they "saved" you, Jessica Pang-Parks has some thoughts. Most EDs don't set out to treat volunteers as free labour. The systems we've inherited make it easy, especially when funding won't cover the staff you actually need. This week, Maria is joined by Jessica. They talk about where volunteer engagement goes wrong, and what it looks like when it's done right. Jessica Pang-Parks helps nonprofits create impact and inspire belonging through ethical volunteer engagement frameworks. Her work is grounded in Community-Centric Fundraising, and it starts from one idea: volunteers are whole people. If your organization works with volunteers and you suspect they deserve better stewardship than they're getting, this one's for you. Visit Jessica's website: https://www.learnwithjpp.com/ Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Perfectionism doesn't feel like fear. It feels like caring. But underneath the reviewed-a-hundred-times email is usually one thing: fear. In this episode, Maria talks with leadership coach Tessa Bridge about why leaders mistake control for competence and what it actually takes to lead from a grounded place instead of a scared one. Tessa Bridge is the founder of Tessa Bridge Coaching and author of Do Your Part: Bold, Sustainable Leadership for Social Impact Leaders in a Time of Crisis.  Connect with Tessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessabridgecoaching/Visit her website: https://www.tessabridgecoaching.com/ Tessa is running a live book club on October 28, November 4, November 18, and December 2, based on her book, Do Your Part, with four sessions of peer discussion and group coaching. This offering is for high-achieving, deeply committed leaders looking for a way to lead that is both bold and sustainable. Register for the book club, and use code MARIA150: In-person event - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-your-part-book-club-in-person-tickets-1999790009752?aff=oddtdtcreatorVirtual event -  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-your-part-book-club-online-tickets-1999791915452?aff=oddtdtcreatorSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits lose more than half their donors after that very first gift, and it's rarely because those donors stopped caring. In this episode, Maria breaks down a simple, repeatable framework for keeping donors engaged long after they hit "donate." She walks through the five stages every donor moves through, why skipping even one of them kills retention, and how to weave stats and stories together so your messaging actually sticks. Then she digs into the psychology behind giving decisions, from anchoring to loss aversion to social proof, including the real story behind a $400,000 donor who ended up giving a million. This is Part 2 of Maria Rio's workshop, "How to Get More Donors, Retain Your Base, and Deepen Their Connection."  Connect with Maria on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/maria-rio-ethical-fundraisingListen to Part One: https://www.buzzsprout.com/208666/episodes/19724266Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Nearly half of nonprofit Executive Directors are reporting burnout as a serious concern, and that number is climbing fast. In this episode, we dig into the Center for Effective Philanthropy's 2026 report and unpack what's actually driving the crisis: rising service demand, shrinking budgets, and boards and staff who often can't be the safe space EDs need. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria is joined by Caitlin McBride, a Certified Fundraising Executive with close to 15 years in the sector, to talk honestly about burnout and what small nonprofit leaders can actually do about it, starting today. Connect with Caitlin on LinkedInRead the Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2026 report Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits ask foundations for what they think a funder is comfortable giving, not what the mission actually needs to succeed. That gap is costing the sector real impact. This episode pulls back the curtain on how private philanthropy really operates: why 95% of foundation assets sit invested with zero connection to mission, why "private" family foundations are actually funded with public money, and why the polite, small ask has become the norm even when it guarantees failure.  On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Glenn Galaich, CEO of the Stupski Foundation and author of Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short, to talk about what happens when a foundation commits to spending down its entire endowment instead of sitting on it.  Connect with Glenn on LinkedInVisit their websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail Throwing spaghetti at the wall can't fix broken fundraising systems. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio, a fundraising expert with over 15 years of experience, shares what it actually takes to turn acquisition and retention into a repeatable system instead of a scramble. You'll learn how to move donors through each stage of the funnel, from total stranger to lifelong supporter, and why retention deserves more of your attention.  This episode is Part 1 of Maria's live workshop, "How to Get More Donors, Retain Your Base, and Deepen Their Connection," recorded for a cohort of nonprofit leaders. Connect with Maria on LinkedInWatch The Golden Circle by Simon Sinek (TED Talk)Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Small nonprofits are constantly told to do more with less. More fundraising, more reporting, more services, same tiny team. This episode flips that pressure on its head. Instead of asking "how do we do more ourselves," our guest makes the case for asking "who could we build this with together?" You'll hear real examples of what collaboration actually looks like on the ground, from a food bank that partnered with mental health organizations to a youth coalition that hit real growing pains. We break down why duplicated efforts hold small nonprofits back and how the right partnerships create capacity instead of just more work.  On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Daniel Francavilla, a marketing strategist and capacity-building consultant who works with nonprofits through The Good Growth Company, Daniel Does, and Clarity Content. Daniel has spent years helping nonprofits and social purpose organizations tell their stories and build the kind of partnerships that expand reach. Nonprofit leaders will walk away with a clearer sense of what collaboration can look like beyond the usual program partnership and why capacity-sharing might be the missing piece in their strategy. Visit Daniel's website: https://www.thegoodgrowth.company/Learn more about the Together for Impact Summit, coming this November 5th: https://www.thegoodgrowth.company/summitSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders don't talk about what actually happens the day you walk into an ED role. They talk about the vision and the strategy, not the fact that your admin manager just quit, the reserves are empty, and you're going to have to let people go before you've even found the bathroom. This episode is about that first year as an ED, unfiltered. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Lenny Sweeney, Executive Director at SHORE Centre and a fundraiser of nearly 20 years across community services, gender-based violence, disability, and reproductive justice work. If you're a first-time ED, considering becoming one, or currently in the middle of a challenge, this episode will make you feel a lot less alone. Connect with Lenny Sweeny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenny-sweeney-cfre-a8309b11/Learn more about SHORE Centre (Sexual Health Options, Resources and Education): https://www.shorecentre.ca/Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Search engines were never built with equity in mind. The organizations that show up first are the ones with money for ads, not necessarily the ones doing the most impactful work. For small and grassroots nonprofits, that means decades of good work can go unseen by the donors, program officers, and advisors who'd want to support it if they only knew it existed. It's clear the playing field was uneven long before AI entered the picture. But AI is also changing who gets found, and not always in the direction people assume.  On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio sits down with Brandolon Barnett, Chief Innovation and Philanthropy Officer at Giving Compass, to unpack why small nonprofits struggle to be discovered and what it actually takes for donors to find you in a AI-first digital landscape. Nonprofit leaders will walk away understanding why "just post more on social media" isn't the fix it used to be and what steps they can take instead without needing a tech team or a big budget. Connect with Brandolon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandolon/Visit their website: https://givingcompass.org/ or https://gg.givingcompass.org/Learn more about how donors and funders find you in the age of AI: Free self-paced course hereSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt pressure to chase every funding opportunity that crosses your desk just because the deadline lines up and the dollar amount looks good? This episode is your permission to slow down. You'll learn why "does this person have money" is the wrong first question, and what to actually look for before you sink hours into an application or a pitch. You'll hear the real cost of chasing misaligned funders (hint: it's not just your time), and get a practical framework for spotting values alignment before you're locked into a partnership.  On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio is joined by Caitlin McBride, a certified fundraising executive with close to 15 years of experience helping small nonprofit leaders make fundraising feel easy, ethical, and less chaotic. Together, they unpack how experienced fundraisers actually assess whether a funding opportunity is worth pursuing, and nonprofit leaders will walk away with a clear-eyed way to evaluate funders before committing time, energy, or their organization's reputation. Connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caitlinmcbride-ethical-fundraising/ The Unbearable Hypocrisy: Fundraising in a World of Compromised Integrity: Read here CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Not Every Funder Is Worth Chasing 01:43 Meet Caitlin McBride: Making Fundraising Ethical and Less Chaotic 02:35 The "Looks Good on Paper" Trap — Money, Deadlines and Program Fit 03:41 Not All Money Is Good Money: Hidden Time and Reputational Costs 05:58 How to Check a Funder's Real Giving History (CRA Website Tip) 07:27 Values Alignment: Vision, Tactics, and How Donors Treat Your Staff 09:11 Closed-Door Funders: Why "They Won't Talk to You" Is the Answer 12:14 Scarcity Mindset vs. Being Strategically Picky About Funders 13:21 The "Ends Justify the Means" Debate in Nonprofit Fundraising 14:49 Funding Should Follow Mission, Not the Other Way Around 15:27 Assessing the Grant Application: Is It Worth Your Time? 16:23 Sneaky Recognition Requirements (Christmas Gifts, Logo Wars, and More) 18:41 Sponsorship vs. Donation: Know What You're Actually Signing 20:00 Why Being Picky Is the Strategic Move Support the show