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When a nonprofit grows faster than its structure, things start to break. Decisions slow down, roles blur, and good people get worn out. Most leaders assume it's a people problem. It usually isn't. Tosha Anderson talks with Dee Benno, VP of People and Operations at the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, about leading through the messy middle of nonprofit growth. Dee explains the early signs of an organization outgrowing its systems and walks through her five-part approach to restoring clarity. She also shares simple ways nonprofit leaders can reduce overwhelm, clarify decision ownership, and communicate better during change. Practical nonprofit leadership and operations advice for CEOs, executive directors, and anyone who has ever said, "We're working hard, but we're not moving forward." Connect with Dee Benno on LinkedIn for insights on nonprofit leadership, organizational structure, and people strategy. 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dee-benno-esq/Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

Your Donors Can Tell: The Right and Wrong Ways to Use AI in Fundraising Your donors can tell when an email was written by AI. Cherian Koshy, VP at Kindsight and author of Neurogiving, returns to the show to talk about the right and wrong ways nonprofits are using AI in fundraising. Cherian shares data from his two year study of more than a thousand donors, why "human in the loop" has become a meaningless policy line, and what nonprofit leaders should actually do Monday morning if their team is already using AI without any rules in place. A practical, honest look at donor trust, nonprofit technology, and where the line should be. Cherian also shares his new Fundraising Judgment Benchmark study. Take it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZNJMMW Connect with Cherian Koshy🌐 https://kindsight.io/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheriankoshy/📘 https://www.amazon.com/Neurogiving-Science-Decision-Making-Cherian-Koshy/dp/1394370458/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint#nonprofitleadership #donorengagement #nonprofitstrategy #thecharitycfo

🔁 Encore episode — bringing back one of our most relevant conversations, because we keep hearing the same struggle from clients heading into budget season. Most nonprofits think they need to soften the story to keep donors close — don't share the crisis, don't reach out too often. Erin Straza, CEO and Chief Donor Engagement Strategist, says that's exactly backwards, and it's quietly costing orgs their donor relationships. In this episode, Tosha and Erin discuss:— Why a "safe," generic mission statement is invisible to donors— The two biggest fundraising myths killing donor trust— Why hiding your org's struggles makes donors more hesitant, not less— How to get your whole team aligned on your mission message 🔗 Connect with Erin: https://erinstraza.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinstraza/ 📺 Watch next: Episode 154: Why Donors Don't Give Again: https://youtu.be/uEYFL-mPXLk Episode 110: Engaging Donors Through Impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJKxlKAAQoM 📚 New on our website: AI Isn’t Replacing Your Nonprofit CFO. It’s Redefining the Job. — https://thecharitycfo.com/ai-nonprofit-cfo-role-change/ 🌐 www.thecharitycfo.com 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/thecharitycfo 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-charity-cfo-llc 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoNeed help with your nonprofit's accounting? Book a free consultation: https://thecharitycfo.com/contact/#NonprofitFundraising #DonorEngagement #NonprofitLeadershipJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

95% of nonprofit leaders say they are burned out. Not tired. Not stretched thin. Burned out. And one in three is actively thinking about leaving the sector for good. In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, host Tosha Anderson sits down with nonprofit executive and governance expert Annette Eros, founder of EROSolutions, to challenge the usual advice. More rest. Better boundaries. A calendar reset. Annette makes the case that nonprofit burnout is not a wellness problem. It is a structural one.Annette has raised more than $250 million for mission driven organizations, led a $47 million capital campaign, and managed budgets exceeding $60 million. In this conversation, she and Tosha unpack: -Why the overhead myth quietly punishes the exact systems and infrastructure that prevent burnout -How "strain masked by competence" hides organizational problems until they become a crisis -What actually separates a fractional leader from a traditional consultant -Why nonprofit capacity building often means funding real help, not more training -Annette's proprietary ANCHOR Method for moving from survival mode to sustainable leadershipIf you are a nonprofit CEO, executive director, or finance leader who feels like you are wearing five jobs at once, this episode will change how you think about burnout, staffing, and what real support actually looks like. Full blog recap here: https://thecharitycfo.com/nonprofit-leader-burnout-structural-problem/ #nonprofitleadership, #nonprofitburnout, #fractionalleadership, #nonprofitstrategy, #nonprofitoperations, #nonprofitboardgovernance, #nonprofitfinancialmanagement Connect with Annette Ero 🌐 Website: erosolutions.co 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-r-eros/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

Tosha lays out rule number one for nonprofit financial health: monthly reports, on a fixed schedule, every single time. At The Charity CFO, that means a strict 15-day reporting cycle — even when data is missing from a client's team, the report still goes out, flagging what's incomplete and what it could mean financially. Tosha shares a real example: an organization spent three to seven years' worth of planned capital improvements in just two years — the kind of overspend a proper budget-to-actual analysis would have caught early, before it became a crisis. #NonprofitFinance #BudgetToActual #FinancialReporting #NonprofitLeadership #CapitalPlanning Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

A local utility company just posted a 15.6 million dollar deficit. Tosha Anderson breaks down what really happened at Kirkwood Electric and why she does not think fraud is the answer, even though everyone assumes it is. She unpacks the three real explanations behind a finance team gone quiet, the reports every nonprofit board should demand every month, and how to tell the difference between a capacity problem and a skill problem before it costs you millions.Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

Brandon Peacock survived a drive by shooting, was told he'd never walk again, and went on to run an Ironman. But this episode isn't about his comeback. It's about what he learned after: that being the face, the fundraiser, and the operator of his own nonprofit was quietly burning him out. Tosha Anderson and Brandon talk honestly about nonprofit founder burnout, the guilt of stepping back, and why building a nonprofit that can survive without you is one of the most important things a founder can do. They also cover nonprofit marketing in 2026, including which platforms are actually working right now. A must listen for nonprofit leaders thinking about sustainability, delegation, and what comes next. Connect With Brandon Peacock 🌐 Website: https://www.htgrcharity.com/⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-peacock/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

What if your team's performance problems are actually a leadership problem? Tiffany Slater, founder and CEO of HR TailorMade, joins Tosha Anderson for a frank conversation on why teams underperform and what nonprofit leaders are missing. They dig into onboarding, unclear expectations, accountability systems, and the hard question of when to coach versus when to move on. Tiffany and Tosha also share how TCCFO uses success profiles and monthly one-on-ones to build high-performing teams, and close with the one question every leader should ask before blaming their people. Practical, honest, and a little uncomfortable in the best way. Connect with Tiffany Slater 🌐 Website: https://www.hrtailormade.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-e-slater/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint And if this episode resonated, leave a review or share it with a fellow nonprofit leader who needs to hear it.

Most nonprofit leaders know what burnout feels like. But not everyone burns out the same way.In this episode, Tosha Anderson sits down with Britt Stockert, Certified Fundraising Executive and coach at Donorbox, to talk about something that rarely comes up in the nonprofit leadership conversation: neurodivergence and the invisible workload it creates.Britt and Tosha both share their own experiences realizing, in their 40s, that what they thought was anxiety, over-ambition, or just being "a lot" was actually something more specific. And they explore why the nonprofit sector may be uniquely positioned to both attract and burn out neurodivergent leaders at an alarming rate. In this conversation, you'll hear about: What "superhero mode" looks like in practice, and why it eventually collapsesThe secondary operating system neurodivergent leaders carry that neurotypical colleagues don'tWhy neurodivergent burnout often goes undetected in teams until it's a crisisWhat alexithymia is and why it matters for nonprofit leadersSmall, practical changes that leaders and organizations can make right nowWhy a formal diagnosis is not required to start advocating for yourself This is one of those episodes that will make a lot of people feel a lot less alone. Read more on our blog: https://thecharitycfo.com/neurodivergent-burnout-nonprofit-leaders/ Connect With Brittan Stockert 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittans/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint Subscribe to A Modern Nonprofit Podcast for conversations on nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy, financial management, and the human side of running mission-driven organizations.

Your press release is not getting picked up because it's written for you, not for the journalist. In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson talks with Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, about what actually makes a nonprofit press release work. They cover the story arc journalists want to see, how to pitch local media with no budget, why your quotes are probably too safe, and how to turn earned media into a tool for donor retention and staff morale. Practical, direct, and full of real examples. A must-listen for any nonprofit leader who has sent a press release into the void and heard nothing back. Connect With Mickie Kennedy 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://www.ereleases.com/causewire/ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/publicity/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ Get the nonprofit finance insights your org needs: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

Nonprofit burnout is real and nonprofit leaders are carrying more than ever before. In this episode, Tosha Anderson sits down with productivity coach and Winning the Week co-author Demir Bentley to talk about sustainable leadership, weekly planning, productivity systems, and how nonprofit professionals can stop living in constant overwhelm.If you constantly feel behind, struggle to disconnect from work, or feel guilty setting boundaries, this episode will help you rethink what healthy leadership actually looks like. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why nonprofit professionals experience extreme burnout ✔ How perfectionism and urgency culture hurt organizations ✔ Why weekly planning creates calm and clarity ✔ The importance of operational systems and delegation ✔ How leaders unintentionally create organizational dependency ✔ Boundary-setting strategies for mission-driven leaders ✔ Practical habits to reduce overwhelm immediatelyThis episode is packed with actionable strategies nonprofit executives can start using this week. 📘 Learn more about Winning the Week: https://www.lifehackmethod.com 📊 Learn more about The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://www.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint Connect With Demir Bentley 🌐 Website: https://lifehackmethod.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demirbentley/ 📘 Grab Winning the Week here. Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfo🔔 Subscribe to our newsletter for more nonprofit leadership conversations, financial strategy insights, fundraising tips, and operational best practices.

Most nonprofits have a budget. But very few are actually using it to make better decisions. In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson sits down with CFO Pat Fisher from The Charity CFO to break down what effective nonprofit budgeting really looks like. This is not about spreadsheets. It is about strategy. You will learn: Why every nonprofit needs a board-approved budget The biggest budgeting mistakes nonprofit leaders make How to turn your budget into a real management tool Why involving your team changes everything The difference between budgeting and forecasting How to plan for funding uncertainty and pivot with confidence This episode highlights Principle #12 of The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint, a framework built from working with hundreds of nonprofits. If your budget feels disconnected, outdated, or stressful, this conversation will show you a better way forward. Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint here. #nonprofitbudgeting #nonprofitfinance #nonprofitleadership #thecharitycfo #financialmanagement Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1

Are you constantly chasing funding but still struggling to build sustainable growth?In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson sits down with Drew Reynolds, Principal Consultant at Common Good Data, to break down why so many nonprofits are stuck in the funding trap and what to do about it.With increasing funding uncertainty and limited capacity, nonprofit leaders are being forced to rethink their fundraising strategy. The key is not doing more. The key is getting clear on your mission and proving your impact. In this episode, you will learn: Why nonprofits get stuck in the starvation cycleHow the Clarity Impact Fundraising framework drives sustainabilityHow to improve donor retention through impact storytellingPractical ways to measure impact without overwhelmHow to align your team around mission and results If you want to build a more sustainable nonprofit and stop chasing funding, this episode is for you. Check out the full episode and blog here: https://thecharitycfo.com/nonprofit-funding-sustainability/ Connect With Drew Online 🌐 Website: https://www.commongooddata.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewdreynolds/ Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint #nonprofitleadership #nonprofitfunding #fundraisingstrategy #impactmeasurement #thecharitycfo

Grant Writing in 2026 Is Harder Than Ever - Here’s How to Adapt Federal funding volatility. Private foundations acting like contracts. Massive nonprofits competing for $5,000 grants. And now AI flooding the system with applications. In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson sits down with Dr. Krista Kurlinkus to unpack the state of grant seeking in 2026 and what nonprofit leaders must change to survive. We cover: -Why competition for grants is exploding -How AI is increasing volume but lowering quality -The dangers of “spray and pray” grant writing -Administrative burden and hidden compliance costs -Why nonprofits need a Grants Operating System -How to align strategy before writing another proposal If you’re feeling overwhelmed by funding shifts, this episode will give you clarity and actionable next steps. #grantwriting #nonprofitleadership #fundraisingstrategy #nonprofitfinance #aiingrantwriting #thecharitycfo Connect with Krista Kurlinkus FREE Templates on Krista's website: https://www.grantwritingmadeeasy.com💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kristakurlinkus YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrantWritingMadeEasy 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristakurlinkus Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint

Why Are Donors Disappearing? Here’s What Nonprofits Must Change Only 20% of first-time donors give again. That means for every 100 new donors you acquire, 80 disappear. Is it donor fatigue? The economy? AI? Federal funding volatility? In this episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson and donor strategist Erin Straza unpack the real reasons donors don’t return - and what nonprofit leaders must change to improve donor retention. We discuss: The truth about donor retention rates Why transactional fundraising fails The power of phone calls and personal outreach How messaging impacts lifetime donor value Why “fully funded” grant-heavy nonprofits are still vulnerable How to shift from a numbers game to relationship strategy If your fundraising appeals feel like they’re vanishing into the void, this episode is for you. #donorretention #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitleadership #fundraisingstrategy #thecharitycfo 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinstraza/ 🌐 Website: https://erinstraza.com/ FREE Open Office Meet Up with Erin on April 14th Register for FREE here: https://mailchi.mp/1af00243dff3/charitycfogrowtime Follow Us Online 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠www.thecharitycfo.com⁠⁠ 📸 Instagram: @thecharitycfo 📘 Facebook:⁠⁠ /thecharitycfo⁠⁠ 💼 LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ / the-charity-cfo⁠⁠ ⁠ 🎵 TikTok: @thecharitycfoJoin our newsletter: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/l/995872/2025-02-24/6ldn1Download The Charity CFO Financial Blueprint: https://go.thecharitycfo.com/financial-blueprint