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Send us Fan Mail If your budget meetings inspire elaborate escape plans, this conversation offers a welcome reset.  Nonprofit budget planning and accountability get a fresh look when “no” becomes the start of a better business conversation. Joseph Plagge of Martus Solutions and Jeremy Brown of Kari Hub explain how shared ownership, contingency planning, and monthly reviews connect spending decisions to mission results. Joseph and Jeremy challenge the idea that an approved budget is the finish line. The bigger test: does that plan move your organization toward the financial position its future requires? Jeremy puts it plainly: “Build a budget that’s worth defending.” That starts with identifying owners who understand their numbers, help shape their plans, and explain results throughout the year. Joseph describes three ownership groups (executive leadership, finance, and department or program leaders) and references Martus’s nine-phase budget playbook. The goal is to make responsibilities and deadlines clear before spreadsheet season becomes a competitive sport. The guests also explain how to prepare for surprises. Jeremy recommends writing a contingency plan before building the budget, including responses to scenarios such as expenses running 5% over plan. His suggested rhythm: two to three months for budgeting, followed by a one-hour department budget meeting every month. And when something needs a “no”? Joseph offers a useful distinction: “So it’s not a person that we’re saying no to. It’s more the plan alignment that we might say no to.” Discover how documenting assumptions, reviewing budget versus actuals, and redirecting resources toward stronger mission results can make nonprofit financial management more collaborative and less personal.  Key Takeaways:   - Assign budget ownership across leadership, finance, and program teams. - Evaluate budgets against future financial needs and strategic goals. - Write contingency responses before revenue or expense surprises arrive. - Document spending assumptions and intended mission results. - Use monthly reviews to sustain ownership and explain variances. - Consider reallocating resources toward higher-impact work before defaulting to cuts. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Budget Conversations: Starting With “No” 00:04:42 Spending Access and Shared Financial Responsibility 00:06:15 Turn Budget Season Into Strategic Planning 00:07:17 Connect Annual Budgets to Long-Term Goals 00:09:10 Does Your Budget Improve Your Financial Position? 00:12:03 Build a Budget Someone Will Defend 00:14:09 Define Budget Owners, Responsibilities, and Deadlines 00:16:53 Write a Contingency Plan Before Surprises Arrive 00:18:08 Document the Mission Behind Each Budget Request 00:20:17 Say No Without Making It Personal 00:22:19 Connect Spending to the People You Serve 00:24:12 Monthly Budget Reviews, Reforecasting, and Accountability #NonprofitFinance  Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit program design for results starts with knowing whom you serve and what they want to achieve. Rob Jentsch of ADGN Education shows how that clarity can guide budgets, strengthen fundraising, and keep tempting funding opportunities from steering your mission off course. A community center wants children reading on grade level. Then come a donor’s yoga classes, a science grant, and a community garden!! All good things. But are they moving those children toward the reading goal, or giving an already stretched team three more things to juggle? Rob joins Julia C. Patrick and co-host Ellie Hume of Your Part-Time Controller for a lively conversation about nonprofit program strategy, resource allocation, and the confidence to keep funding aligned with purpose. “It’s like an octopus tug of war where you’re pulled in so many different directions,” Rob says. Sound like your last leadership meeting? His story about Cooperative for Education in Guatemala brings the stakes into focus. Rob reports that about 99% of the students consulted came from families with very tight resources, and all wanted access to a fair-wage job after high school. Listening to students helped clarify the support they needed: employment access, interview clothing, and soft skills. That clarity also gave the organization a stronger story to bring back to its board and donors. Discover Rob’s results → reputation → revenue flywheel and his straightforward “theory of impact”: if we provide these supports, we expect this outcome. Ellie connects that thinking to leadership across finance, fundraising, and programs, while Rob brings HR and staff schedules into the equation. Watch for a donor conversation that protects the reading program and still leaves room for a friendly invitation to hot yoga. Bring this discussion to your next leadership meeting and test whether your time, people, and money support the same result.  Key Takeaways  - Define the participant and desired outcome before selecting program activities. - Assess funding opportunities against outcomes, staff capacity, and available time. - Use participant interviews and surveys to strengthen strategy and donor communication. - Build a written “if we provide X, then we expect Y” theory of impact. - Align finance, HR, fundraising, and program leaders around the resources that outcome requires. 00:00:00 Designing Nonprofit Programs for Results and Revenue 00:01:41 Aligning Time, People, and Money With Strategy 00:03:38 The Stakeholder Tug of War 00:05:27 Start With the Participant and Desired Outcome 00:07:33 When Funding Pulls Programs Off Mission 00:09:52 The Results, Reputation, and Revenue Flywheel 00:12:06 Finding the Confidence to Push Back on Funding 00:15:10 Guatemala: What Students Actually Wanted 00:19:06 Communicating the “So That” Behind Your Program 00:22:19 Building a Theory of Impact 00:23:30 Redirecting a Donor Without Losing the Relationship 00:25:27 Aligning Finance, Fundraising, HR, and Programs Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail This Independent Sector National Summit recap brings you inside the Phoenix gathering through the experiences of Tiffani R. Brown and Nancy Bacon. Discover the conversations, connections, and unexpected moments they brought home and what those experiences could mean for your nonprofit’s leadership, operations, and workforce! Tiffani R. Brown of Monroe Impact Advisors and Nancy Bacon of Nancy Bacon Consulting reflect on why they invested in attending, what caught their attention, and why they left with more than a stack of conference notes. For Tiffani, a first-time summit attendee, a standout was the CEO intensive: a full day with dozens of leaders navigating different stages of organizational life. She met a new CEO just months into the role and another with 17 years of experience already considering succession planning. Those exchanges offered perspective that can be hard to find inside your own organization. Nancy describes connections stretching from frontline professionals to state and national leaders. She also noticed generations learning from one another: “And I saw such a spirit of generosity of the generations connecting.” Both guests found encouragement in the emerging leaders they met. Their summit highlights also carry nonprofit business impacts. Tiffani was excited by shared-services models supporting nonprofit finance, HR, and IT. Nancy welcomed the attention to workforce health, including compensation, retention, morale, and benefits, as part of the sector’s long-term sustainability. “I walked away feeling really inspired and energized,” Tiffani shares. Watch their recap for a candid look at what made this gathering worthwhile, and why you should plan to attend the next Summit!! Key Takeaways - Tiffani’s CEO intensive connected leaders facing onboarding, succession, and organizational change. - Nancy’s conversations linked frontline experience with state and national perspectives. - Shared-services sessions offered models for strengthening administrative capacity across nonprofits. - Workforce health emerged as a sustainability priority extending beyond individual burnout. - Both guests saw intergenerational connections and realistic optimism as summit strengths. 00:00:00 Independent Sector Summit Recap 00:01:20 Meet Summit Attendees Tiffani R. Brown and Nancy Bacon 00:04:22 Why They Invested in Attending the Summit 00:06:17 Different Regions, Shared Nonprofit Challenges 00:09:16 Tiffani’s Highlight: The CEO Intensive 00:10:40 Nancy’s Highlights: Leadership and National Connections 00:12:43 Meeting the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders 00:15:55 What Surprised Tiffani: Shared Services and Open Conversations 00:17:49 What Encouraged Nancy: The Workforce Health Focus 00:22:22 The Summit Atmosphere: Realism Meets Optimism 00:23:59 Serious Conversations—and Yes, Some Dancing 00:26:28 Was the Summit Worth the Time Away? #TheNonprofitShow #IndependentSector Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Wondering how to get board approval for a nonprofit CRM when “too expensive” ends the conversation? Tony Beall and Julia C. Patrick explore the business case for donor management software, then tackle board reporting, outside board service, and the work-from-home debate. It’s Fundraisers Friday, and the questions have arrived with their sleeves rolled up! First up: a board that sees a CRM subscription as a budget burden. Tony encourages fundraisers to explain the investment through the work it supports: managing donor information, strengthening fundraising processes, and preserving knowledge when employees leave. His question puts a different number on the conversation: “So what price tag are you putting on that information walking out the door?” Julia and Tony discuss using vendor testimonials to help make the case and exploring capacity-building support. Tony shares a local community foundation example that he believes offers up to $5,000—an illustration of a possible funding route, rather than a universal grant opportunity. Next comes boardroom access. How often should the development director present? Julia advocates a place at every meeting; Tony favors monthly engagement when possible, with quarterly presentations at a minimum. The goal: stronger relationships, clearer fundraising expectations, and better understanding of how revenue reaches the organization. They also consider whether fundraisers should serve on another nonprofit’s board. The conversation centers on learning, community participation, confidentiality, and knowing when to step back from a vote. Then comes the office debate: must productive fundraising happen within earshot of everyone else’s phone calls? They explore hybrid work, employee well-being, and performance monitoring. As Julia puts it, “And that trust goes both ways.” Watch to get fresh ideas you can bring into your next budget discussion, board meeting, or conversation with your manager.  Key Takeaways: - Build the CRM case around fundraising processes and donor knowledge continuity. - Explore capacity-building funding for donor management infrastructure. - Establish regular development director presentations to strengthen board understanding. - Address outside board service through confidentiality, conflict policies, and recusal. - Evaluate hybrid work through performance, employee satisfaction, and available tools. 00:00:00 Fundraisers Friday: Questions Fundraising Leaders Are Asking 00:02:30 When Your Board Says a Nonprofit CRM Is Too Expensive 00:05:04 Protecting Donor Knowledge When Fundraisers Leave 00:07:31 Finding Capacity-Building Funds for CRM Software 00:08:39 How Often Should Development Directors Present to the Board? 00:11:46 Can Fundraisers Serve on Another Nonprofit’s Board? 00:15:19 Confidentiality, Boundaries, and Recusing Yourself 00:17:19 Making the Case for Working From Home 00:20:28 Noise, Neurodiversity, and Employee Well-Being 00:20:59 Explaining Remote Work Decisions Without Damaging Trust 00:24:14 The Architecture of Fundraising: Careers and Leadership 00:26:30 Send Your Nonprofit Leadership Questions Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail You’ve crafted the appeal, told the story, and inspired someone to give. Victory lap? Almost. Your donation form still has a job to do, and one extra field, confusing message, or inconvenient payment process can blow-up that moment of generosity!  Learn how to improve nonprofit donation forms so a donor’s “yes” becomes a completed gift. Bloomerang’s Evan DaSilva shares how simpler checkout, digital wallets, and timely thank-yous can strengthen fundraising conversion and donor retention. Evan, Senior Vice President of Payments at Bloomerang, joins us to explore the business of getting donors across the finish line. As he puts it, “You don’t want to introduce moments of friction after you’ve already won that appeal.” One conversation-stopper: what if you collected the donation before asking for additional donor details? Evan reports that Bloomerang’s Express Donate feature has shown a 55% increase in conversion by capturing the gift first. He addresses the fear of losing contact information and why losing the donor’s attention may be the bigger risk. The discussion connects nonprofit donation form optimization with campaign planning, internal coordination, and donor confidence. Your appeal and landing page should tell the same mission story. Digital wallets can reduce typing on mobile devices. Even the wording used to ask donors to cover processing fees deserves attention. Then comes the chore with fundraising upside: testing. Walk through the entire giving experience on phones, tablets, desktops, and different browsers. Invite people across generations to try it, too.  And don’t leave the thank-you until later. Evan cites a statistic that first-time donors thanked within 48 hours are four times more likely to give again. He explains how consistent impact messaging and preferred communication channels help connect that first gift to an ongoing relationship. Key Takeaways: - Align campaign appeals, donation pages, and acknowledgments around the same mission. - Capture the gift before requesting additional donor information. - Offer digital wallets to simplify mobile giving and support donor acquisition. - Test across devices, browsers, and donor generations. - Prepare timely thank-yous before launch; ask how donors prefer to stay in touch. 00:00:00 Make It Easy for Donors to Give 00:01:43 Capturing the Gift at the Moment of Generosity 00:04:04 Align Your Donation Form With Every Campaign 00:07:08 Connect Fundraising, Marketing, and Form Design 00:08:19 Donation First, Donor Details Second 00:12:14 Improve Form Copy and Processing-Fee Requests 00:12:56 Digital Wallets for Mobile Giving and Donor Acquisition 00:15:41 Test Donation Forms Across Devices and Browsers 00:17:33 Test the Giving Experience Across Generations 00:19:49 Plan the Thank-You Before Campaign Launch 00:21:52 Match Donor Follow-Up to Communication Preferences 00:24:32 Ask Donors How They Want to Stay in Touch #TheNonprofitShow #DigitalFundraising #DonorExperience Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail AI recruiting for nonprofits can help teams manage a mountain of applications, but a polished résumé still leaves one big question: can this person do the work? Dana Scurlock, Managing Director of Staffing Boutique, explores smarter screening, candidate transparency, and hiring practices that keep human judgment in the process. Joining Julia C. Patrick and Sherry Quam Taylor, Dana considers a hiring puzzle that deserves a seat at your next leadership meeting: employers want candidates who can use AI, yet still need to understand what those candidates can contribute themselves. That résumé might sparkle. The interview still has a job to do. “AI is not a replacement for the human portion of recruiting and hiring, and it shouldn't be looked at as such,” Dana begins. She describes recruiting situations where a single job posting brings hundreds of résumés, making screening efficiency a real operational concern. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help organize candidate information, and AI-assisted screening raises questions about keywords, access, and who advances. For nonprofit hiring managers balancing recruitment with an already-full workload, the discussion connects technology choices to staff capacity, candidate experience, and the quality of hiring decisions. The conversation also moves beyond résumé screening into AI interviews and hiring assessments. If candidates will use AI on the job, how should that affect the assignments used to evaluate them? What should employers disclose and what should applicants explain about their own AI use? Discover why even relationship-centered fundraising roles increasingly involve technology, how résumé optimization can signal a willingness to learn, and why impressive presentation deserves a closer look at actual capability. Dana’s recommendation for nonprofit leaders: develop employee guidelines that explain where AI belongs, where human judgment matters, and what your organization expects. Key Takeaways: - Use AI to support screening while retaining human evaluation. - Assess demonstrated ability beyond résumé polish and keywords. - Disclose when candidates are interacting with AI. - Set clear AI-use expectations before hiring assessments. - Define organizational boundaries for AI in employee guidelines. 00:00:00 AI Recruiting and Nonprofit Hiring 00:03:29 AI Skills Are Appearing in Job Descriptions 00:06:57 Nonprofit Employers Weigh Efficiency and Ethics 00:08:04 Keeping Human Judgment in Recruiting 00:10:53 Applicant Tracking Systems and Résumé Screening 00:12:11 Keywords, Candidate Access, and Technology Skills 00:14:19 Why Fundraising Roles Need AI Fluency 00:15:58 What AI-Ready Résumés Signal to Hiring Managers 00:18:24 Transparency in AI Screening and Interviews 00:20:20 Setting AI Rules for Hiring Assessments 00:22:23 Evaluating Capability Beyond a Polished Application 00:25:37 Employee AI Guidelines and Human Judgment #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitHiring #AIRecruiting Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit leadership equity strategies come to life when they shape hiring, board decisions, and everyday operations. Dr. Orletta Caldwell and Erick Seelbach explore how to close the gap between stated values and organizational behavior . . . . .especially during leadership transitions! Your nonprofit has a values statement. Wonderful. But does it show up when the board chooses its next executive director, evaluates organizational culture, or decides which problems can wait? Joining host Julia C. Patrick, Dr. Caldwell of Beyond Existing Enterprises and Seelbach of Third Sector Company bring candid perspectives on nonprofit governance, equitable hiring, and interim leadership. Their conversation connects equity to the business of running an organization: talent, revenue, donor relationships, and the conditions a new leader inherits. Dr. Caldwell addresses the barriers facing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) leadership candidates and the funding fears affecting African American-led nonprofits. Her starting point is straightforward: “If it is not written, it hasn’t happened.” Written policies give an organization something concrete to discuss, implement, and revisit—and responsibility belongs across the organization. Seelbach brings the assessment perspective, explaining how an outside leader can identify gaps, help boards prioritize improvements, and prepare for an equitable executive search. That includes examining the board’s own behavior. The mirror comes with the assignment! As Seelbach comments, “It’s not about wanting to do good. It’s about what actually happens.” The two guests also describe organizations retreating from equity commitments, communities strengthening their own resource networks, and the value of bringing politically charged questions back to mission. These are observations from their work, offering leaders useful starting points for conversations inside their own organizations. Watch to discover where your policies, leadership practices, and mission messaging could work better together. Bring this conversation to your next board discussion and give those good intentions a job to do! Key Takeaways: - Translate stated equity values into written policies and observable leadership practices. - Examine executive searches for barriers that overlook qualified BIPOC candidates. - Use organizational assessments to identify short-, medium-, and long-term improvements. - Include board behavior and executive support in the organizational diagnosis. - Evaluate outcomes and people’s experiences when assessing equity. - Prepare board ambassadors to connect difficult questions back to mission and values. 00:00:00 Advancing Equity in Nonprofit Leadership 00:02:17 When Equity Values Have No Operating Plan 00:03:16 Funding Fears in African American-Led Nonprofits 00:05:43 Leading Through Fear 00:09:33 Turn Equity Commitments Into Written Policies 00:12:03 Interim Leaders as Organizational Truth Tellers 00:15:46 Measure Outcomes Beyond Good Intentions 00:16:29 Connect Equity to Fundraising, HR, and Culture 00:18:17 Board Accountability and Equitable Executive Searches 00:21:18 Mission Clarity Under Political Pressure 00:24:23 Prepare Board Members as Mission Ambassadors 00:25:36 Community Resources, Mutual Aid, and Resilience Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit revenue operations strategy starts with helping fundraisers succeed.  Your operations team clears the report queue. Your fundraisers get their spreadsheets. Everybody’s busy . . . .but is the work helping fundraising move forward? Thomas Turner of charity: water reveals how a customer success approach can sharpen priorities, simplify data access, and strengthen donor relationships. Thomas, Vice President of Revenue Operations at charity: water, joins us to explore a different approach: make fundraising success the mandate for the team supporting it. That means agreeing with development leaders on the two or three priorities that deserve focused attention. A routine report might take longer because operations is building something that will save time or improve decisions across the team. The trick is making that tradeoff clear, and making it together! Discover how self-service analytics can give fundraisers useful dashboards and filters without requiring them to become CRM report writers. Thomas shares a geographic filtering example that replaces repeated requests with a few selections and an export. CRM adoption gets a refresh, too. Instead of selling staff on “more data,” connect documentation to a situation they recognize: inheriting donors with three years of missing relationship history. As Thomas puts it, “And so we do these things in service of the future.” The conversation also connects donor portfolio management with giving capacity, project sponsorship, and longer-term partnerships. Thomas describes a target of around 150 major donors per portfolio and recommends measuring internal service before a culture shift, then repeating the survey after three or six months. For context, Thomas reports that charity: water has served 22.1 million people with clean water, with roughly 700 million still without it. He also explains its 100% model: public donations fund water projects, while separate supporters fund operations. Key Takeaways:  - Set two or three shared operational priorities with fundraising leaders. - Replace repeat report requests with usable dashboards and filters. - Explain CRM documentation through donor continuity and portfolio transitions. - Treat fundraisers’ relationship insights as inputs to engagement analytics. - Establish a service baseline and reassess after three or six months. 00:00:00 Revenue Operations: Helping Fundraisers Succeed 00:01:57 charity: water’s Mission and Scale 00:02:53 The 100% Model and Funding Operations 00:04:51 Donor Portfolios and Moves Management 00:07:01 From Project Sponsorship to Multi-Year Partnerships 00:08:51 Self-Service Analytics for Fundraisers 00:11:21 Building a Partnership Around Fundraising Data 00:14:34 Defining Internal Customer Success 00:17:10 Choosing the Priorities That Move Fundraising Forward 00:18:47 CRM Adoption and Protecting Donor History 00:20:58 Portfolio Targets and Measuring Culture Change 00:24:29 Fundraiser Insights and Donor Engagement Scores #TheNonprofitShow #FundraisingOperations #charitywater Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit budgeting beyond the annual budget starts with a surprising shift: stop treating the numbers as a deadline and start using them to guide decisions! Peyton Burch of Martus Solutions and John Tiso of JMT Consulting explore how shared ownership, stronger revenue assumptions, and ongoing forecasting can turn budget season into a leadership advantage. “We don’t have the budget!!!.” Conversation over. Idea shelved. Everyone back to their spreadsheets. But what if that familiar response is hiding the problem your nonprofit actually needs to solve? Peyton and John challenge the annual scramble to produce a budget, secure approval, and move on. Their conversation connects nonprofit financial planning to the decisions leaders make every day: hiring staff, funding programs, responding to revenue changes, and keeping the board informed. As John puts it, “The budget is a mirror of the organization and the team and the processes and the systems.” When the numbers stop working, the underlying issue may be communication, data quality, or assumptions that nobody has revisited. The duo explain why revenue forecasting deserves closer attention, how financial literacy strengthens department-level participation, and why reforecasting should become a normal response to changing conditions. They also explore the cultural shift that happens when program managers understand how their decisions contribute to organization-wide financial goals. Peyton offers a memorable priority: “So the time needs to be spent in conversations and being strategic, not in building a budget spreadsheet.” There’s a milestone, too!  Peyton announces that Martus has reached 1,000 customers using Sage accounting platforms, including 600 added over the previous three years, with JMT closing the 1,000th deal. Watch the full discussion for a fresh perspective on collaborative nonprofit budgeting, and bring this conversation to the people who build, approve, and work within your financial plan. Key Takeaways: - Test revenue assumptions; accurate expense estimates cannot compensate for unreliable income projections. - Make budget ownership a leadership responsibility shared across finance and program teams. - Build financial literacy so department managers understand the consequences of their assumptions. - Communicate funding and expense changes immediately, then reforecast as needed. - Reduce spreadsheet maintenance to create more time for analysis, collaboration, and mission decisions. 00:00:00 Stop Blaming the Nonprofit Budget 00:01:47 Budgeting, Reporting, and Financial Planning 00:04:16 Martus Announces 1,000 Sage Customers 00:07:26 Turn Financial Technology Changes Into Growth 00:11:24 Why Budgets Fail: Revenue Assumptions and Ownership 00:14:16 Move Beyond the Once-a-Year Budget 00:15:48 Financial Literacy and Department Participation 00:17:06 Build a Culture of Collaborative Budgeting 00:19:39 Structure the Budget Process Into Manageable Steps 00:22:10 Connect Leadership, Finance, and Program Goals 00:24:02 Shared Assumptions, Trust, and Strategic Conversations 00:26:55 Communicate Changes and Reforecast Promptly   #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitBudgeting  Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail A donor offers land. Wonderful! Then comes a condition: your nonprofit must farm it for the next 50 years! Suddenly, “thank you” needs a little company . . . Planned giving legal support for nonprofits can help turn complex donations into gifts your team is prepared to accept. Jamie Holzer White joined us to explore noncash gifts, donor confidence, and why bringing an attorney in early can keep generosity moving. Jamie, J.D., LL.M., Vice President of Legal Services at Crescendo Interactive, explains how legal expertise can help fundraising teams identify obligations, shape realistic expectations, and protect relationships before a promising gift gets tangled in surprises. When should counsel join the conversation? “And my answer is always early.” The opportunity extends well beyond cash. Jamie estimates that probably 90% of the gifts she encounters are noncash, with examples ranging from publicly traded securities and business interests to cryptocurrency and farming equipment. She also references Dr. Russell James’s research linking consistent securities giving with roughly six times the contribution growth of cash-only fundraising. But opportunity needs an operating system. Gift acceptance policies should help staff understand which assets the organization accepts, who approves them, what due diligence is required, and how receipt and liquidation work. Jamie recommends reviewing policies at least annually, with more frequent reviews where changing assets warrant attention. The conversation also explores independent donor counsel, concerns about paying donors’ legal fees, and ways local planned giving councils may connect nonprofits with legal expertise. Separate attorneys can support a shared goal: “They complement each other, but there are different interests that are being represented on both sides of the table.” Watch to discover how stronger preparation can help your team welcome generosity with confidence, and give the “Department of No” a more productive assignment. Key Takeaways: - Involve qualified counsel before donor expectations harden. - Define approvals, due diligence, and handling procedures for noncash gifts. - Preserve separate representation for donor and nonprofit interests. - Review gift acceptance policies annually; update sooner when needed. - Train staff and board members to communicate the gift process confidently. - Explore planned giving councils for legal connections and possible pro bono support. 00:00:00 Planned Giving: Who Belongs on Your Team? 00:02:19 Legal and Tax Expertise in Gift Planning 00:04:00 How Legal Support Helps Shape Complex Gifts 00:05:25 Major Gifts Beyond Cash 00:07:03 Noncash Gifts and Fundraising Growth 00:08:55 When to Bring an Attorney into the Conversation 00:11:49 Legal Costs, Donor Capacity, and Unhappy Heirs 00:13:24 Who Pays for the Donor’s Attorney? 00:16:33 Gift Acceptance Policies That Build Confidence 00:19:44 Policy Reviews and Team Training 00:22:21 Separate Attorneys, Shared Giving Goals 00:23:12 Finding Legal Support and Building Capacity #TheNonprofitShow #PlannedGiving #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Managing multigenerational nonprofit teams takes more than a shared mission. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z bring different experiences to nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and daily operations. But assuming someone’s age tells you how they communicate (or whether they embrace technology) can send your management strategy sideways before the meeting even starts! Our Co-hosts, Tim Sarrantonio and Julia Patrick, explore how communication standards, clear decision ownership, and better feedback help four generations work together without turning every difference into a workplace showdown. The conversation gets wonderfully specific with a fish tank. Tim explains RACI—Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed—through his family’s fish-feeding responsibilities. Multiple people can perform tasks, but one person remains accountable for the outcome. Translate that to a campaign, board meeting, or finance deliverable, and suddenly “I thought somebody else had it” becomes much harder to hide behind. As Tim puts it: “And then once people understand the rules of communication, I think a lot of the friction goes away.” Julia shares a leadership approach that gives employees room to think: bring two or three possible solutions, then work through them together if support is needed. Tim also challenges overreliance on feedback scores and makes the case for listening long enough to hear what people actually mean. Their discussion connects staff retention, leadership access, and hybrid work to a fundamental human need. Tim points to the most important question: “I've worked for people younger than me, older than me, and really it comes down to, do you see me?”   Key Takeaways: - Define communication channels before preferences become organizational friction. - Use RACI to distinguish task responsibility from final accountability. - Help employees make decisions by requesting two or three proposed solutions. - Combine feedback measures with conversation, observation, and patient listening. - Make leadership accessible while keeping decision authority clear. - Approach hybrid work through team needs and individual circumstances. 00:00:00 Four Generations, One Nonprofit Mission 00:01:29 Learning Across Generations Through Play 00:02:27 Generational Labels and Shared Experiences 00:04:44 Why Workplace Stereotypes Get in the Way 00:09:25 Set Communication Standards Before Friction Builds 00:12:34 RACI: Who Does the Work, Who Owns the Outcome? 00:15:50 Finding the Right Balance of Team Feedback 00:17:47 Beyond Feedback Scores: Listen and Observe 00:19:41 Help Employees Feel Safe Making Decisions 00:23:20 Give Teams a Place to Practice and Experiment 00:24:21 Staff Retention, Leadership Access, and Authority 00:26:12 Hybrid Work: Balancing Flexibility and Connection #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitTeamManagement Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail Funding women of color-led nonprofits in the South means looking closely at who receives philanthropic investment, and who keeps being overlooked. Carmen James Randolph of the Women’s Foundation of the South shares how funding, leadership support, and regional collaboration can build health, wealth, and power for women, girls, and gender-expansive people of color. These leaders are holding communities together. Is philanthropy giving them the resources to keep going and grow? Carmen explores the relationship between Southern generosity and unequal access to funding. Drawing on 28 years in philanthropy, she describes how racism, patriarchy, and judgments about “worthiness” can influence which organizations receive support. She also shares accounts from nonprofit leaders whose work appeared in funding proposals without resources reaching their organizations. For grantmakers, fundraisers, and boards, that raises a business question: are funding relationships strengthening the organizations doing the work? WFS approaches that challenge as a regional public foundation that raises and invests money, connecting donors with community organizations across the South. Leadership support is part of that investment. After opening in August 2021 and encountering Hurricane Ida within 30 days, WFS changed its approach to engaging exhausted nonprofit leaders. Care and connection came before another listening session. “What would freedom look like for you in your work?” Carmen recalls asking participants at a two-and-a-half-day retreat. Their responses helped shape WŌC @ Rest and ongoing capacity support. Carmen reports reaching 131 leaders across six states, with support addressing succession planning, effective teams, boards through crisis, messaging, and branding. “We have to think more collaboratively and understand that we’re all in this together,” she says. Watch to discover how regional relationships, more inclusive funding decisions, and investment in women of color leaders can strengthen nonprofit operations and community outcomes. Learn more about WFS at https://womensfoundationsouth.org. Key Takeaways: - Examine how funding criteria can overlook women of color-led organizations. - Ask foundation partners whom they fund—and whom they cannot fund. - Build capacity support around needs identified by nonprofit leaders. - Treat rest and peer connection as investments in leadership. - Align personnel policies with the values your organization promotes. - Connect leaders across states to exchange strategies and resources. 00:00:00 Regional Philanthropy and Community Change 00:01:52 Building Health, Wealth, and Power in the South 00:03:10 Why a Regional Foundation for Women of Color 00:05:40 Connecting Donors and Community Organizations 00:06:20 Building Organizational Values Into Personnel Policies 00:07:56 Hurricane Ida Changes WFS’s Approach 00:09:34 Rest and Connection as Leadership Investments 00:11:08 Capacity Support for 131 Leaders Across Six States 00:13:28 Generosity, Race, and “Worthiness” in Southern Philanthropy 00:17:30 Underinvestment in Women and Girls of Color 00:20:00 Shared Benefits, Donor Narratives, and Family Leave 00:27:02 Finding Overlooked Grantees and Following Through #TheNonprofitShow #WomenOfColor #Philanthropy Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail How can you improve the year-end donor experience before the giving rush begins? Bloomerang Chief Marketing Officer Ann Fellman showed us where a donor’s path to giving can get difficult and what to do after the gift arrives! This Nonprofit Power Week finale follows the donor journey from campaign message to donation page to the first welcome. Ann asks teams to walk through their website and giving process with fresh eyes: Can a first-time visitor quickly understand what the organization does, where a gift goes, and what difference it makes? Does a recurring donor have an equally clear path? Then comes the thumb test. Pick up your phone, scan the QR code on a direct-mail appeal, and try to give one-handed. Tiny text, unexpected steps, or a difficult form can turn an interested donor’s moment of generosity into a frustrating errand. A small team does not need to rebuild everything before December 31. Ann recommends choosing one or two improvements with the greatest effect on the donation experience. As she puts it, “Pick one thing to do it and do it really well.” The work continues after someone clicks submit. Ann describes a young event attendee who made a $25 gift partly to see how the organization would thank her; she had more to give, but wanted to experience its response first. The lesson for fundraising teams is to plan the welcome, impact update, and next contact for every new donor, whether the first gift is $10 or $25. Ann also explains why a recognizable look, voice, and message should carry from direct mail and email through to the donation page. Donors may encounter only a few pieces of a campaign. Each one should help them know they are in the right place. Watch for a focused way to strengthen this giving season—and build the relationship that carries into the next. Key Takeaways - Test the full giving path as both a new and a recurring donor. - Use a phone and one thumb to check QR codes and donation forms. - Fix the one or two points most likely to stop a completed gift. - Segment messages around whom you want to reach and what they need to hear. - Plan the thank-you, impact update, and next contact before gifts arrive. - Keep campaign identity consistent across mail, email, ads, and landing pages. 00:00:00 Nonprofit Power Week finale 00:01:47 Ann Fellman on sharing sector knowledge 00:04:39 Why the giving season needs an after-gift plan 00:08:24 Test the donor journey before year end 00:10:07 Try the one-thumb donation test 00:11:56 Choose the fixes with the greatest donor impact 00:13:54 Segment messages before building the campaign 00:14:53 What a $25 gift can reveal about your welcome 00:18:10 Keep campaigns recognizable to donors 00:20:33 Connect mail, email, ads, and donation pages 00:23:28 Do one or two things well Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail How do you retain first-time donors after their first gift? An event can take months to produce. The room responds, new supporters give, and the team celebrates. That moment deserves celebration, but the donor journey has barely begun!  . . . .“It’s just starting.” During Day 4 of Nonprofit Power Week with Bloomerang, James Goalder examines the follow-up, engagement, and measurement that keep a promising donor relationship moving. So what happens next? James urges nonprofits to send thanks quickly and address donors personally. He recalls donating $25 to more than 1,000 organizations as an experiment, then receiving correspondence addressed to “Dear Donor” or “Dear Friend.” A timely acknowledgment can still feel impersonal when the organization fails to use what it knows about the person who gave. He also challenges teams to offer engagement beyond another message. A tour or volunteer experience, where appropriate, lets supporters see the work behind the numbers they heard at an event. Those visits can deepen understanding and reveal interests that a donation record alone cannot show. When it is time for another conversation, James recommends looking across giving history, event participation, volunteering, capacity, and interest. That fuller picture can help a fundraiser decide whether a recurring gift or a larger individual ask fits the donor. Finally, James put donor retention rate on the leadership agenda. James shares cost estimates he has heard: about $1.30 to raise $1 from a new donor, compared with about 25 cents to raise $1 from an existing donor. He also recalls that only about 20% of a roughly 100-person conference audience knew their current retention rate. His point is direct: “If you’re not measuring it, you’re not going to pay attention to it.” Key Takeaways: Treat the first gift as the start of a managed relationship. Send prompt acknowledgments that use the donor’s name. Offer tours or volunteer experiences when the mission permits. Use participation and giving data to shape the next conversation. Track donor retention rate and discuss it with leadership and the board. Examine recurring giving alongside major-gift opportunities.  00:00:00 Nonprofit Power Week: From First Gift to Retention  00:01:51 Why the First Gift Starts the Relationship  00:04:08 How Quickly Should You Thank a Donor?  00:05:28 The Cost of “Dear Donor”  00:08:48 What Meaningful Donor Engagement Looks Like  00:10:32 Tours and Volunteering After an Event  00:17:38 Using Donor Data to Plan the Next Ask  00:22:34 Why Leaders Should Measure Retention  00:26:27 Growth Opportunities Among Existing Donors  #DonorRetention #NonprofitFundraising #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail How can nonprofits improve donation conversion without losing sight of the donor relationship? During Day 3 of Nonprofit Power Week with Bloomerang, Kirsten Wantland examined what happens when someone is ready to give . . and what can still get in the way! Kirsten starts with a deceptively simple move: record how each donation came in. A supporter who has given digitally seven times may respond differently to a direct mail appeal than someone who regularly returns a mailed gift. That history can guide segmentation and help a team decide where a more costly channel deserves its budget. If your records are incomplete, Kirsten says you can begin tracking today and learn as the data builds. Then comes the ask itself. Donors can better picture their contribution when an appeal connects an amount to a clear purpose. Kirsten discusses giving ladders with examples at $50, $75, and $200 . . .and why descriptions beside those amounts matter more than a list of numbers alone. Specificity can reveal which part of the mission first draws a donor in. Over time, fundraisers can introduce that supporter to the organization’s broader work, including opportunities to provide unrestricted support. “The best thing you can do as a fundraiser is reduce the friction,” Kirsten says. The conversation turns to online donation forms, unnecessary decisions, payment options, and the steps that can interrupt a gift after a donor has decided to make it. The episode wraps with trust between appeals. Kirsten recommends showing donors what their support accomplished and making “kindness deposits” through updates and recognition. If the only message a supporter receives is another request for money, the organization misses a chance to build a lasting partnership. Key Takeaways: Record each gift’s channel so future appeals can reflect observed donor behavior. Start tracking now if historical records are incomplete. Connect suggested gift amounts to specific outcomes donors can understand. Use interest in a particular program as an entry point to a broader relationship. Review donation forms for extra decisions and steps that could interrupt completion. Report impact and recognize donor milestones between fundraising asks. 00:00:00 The Ask: Making It Easier to Say Yes 00:01:45 Track How Donors Choose to Give 00:02:47 Segment Appeals by Giving Channel 00:06:05 What If You Haven’t Tracked Gift Sources? 00:08:23 Make the Impact of Each Gift Specific 00:12:37 Specific Asks and Unrestricted Support 00:16:24 Remove Friction from Donation Forms 00:18:45 Give Donors an Easier Way to Pay 00:22:43 Earn Trust and Show the Receipts 00:24:23 Make Kindness Deposits Between Asks 00:26:05 Invite Donors to Participate #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitPowerWeek #NonprofitFundraising Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show