Starting a nonprofit organization will require your team's attention to detail, and your ability to fund its mission and meet community needs while adapting to change. It can take nonprofit leaders years to get their organizations off the ground because they don't know where to start, or where to go to get help to keep the organization going. We created this webinar to help you cut to the chase and to decide whether or not to start a new nonprofit. We have also included a complimentary workbook ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 176
Coming July 1, 2025: 90 Days to A New Nonprofit™ – A Clear Path from Idea to Impact You’ve got a vision for change—a nonprofit idea that keeps you up at night because you know the world needs it. But like so many others, you may find yourself stuck before you even start. The legal hurdles, the paperwork, the pressure to “get it right”—it all feels overwhelming. Join us as we unpack a powerful new resource designed to change that. 90 Days to A New Nonprofit™ is a structured, founder-centered cour...
May 26, 2025•5 min•Ep. 175
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has had far-reaching consequences for the nonprofit sector, as many organizations rely on federal funding, regulatory stability, and government partnerships to fulfill their missions. With mass layoffs, budget cuts, and policy shifts under DOGE, nonprofits are facing significant challenges. Join us for an enlightening conversation on the impact of DOGE on nonprofits, and how they can pivot for success in this current environment.
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 174
Did you know that tax-exempt organizations are 2 times more likely than tax payers to be late with filing annual returns with the IRS? According to the IRS, there are about 2.95 million registered nonprofit organizations in the United States. Of this number, 1.065 million registered organizations, or 36%, lost their tax exempt status because they didn’t file Form 990 for three years in a row. While the remaining 1.88 million registered organizations are still eligible to receive tax-exempt contr...
Jun 11, 2024•37 min•Ep. 172
Often called the personality of an organization, organizational culture is a shared set of workplace beliefs, values, attitudes, standards, purposes, and behaviors. It reflects both the written and unwritten rules that people in an organization follow. Your organization’s culture is the sum of all that you and your colleagues think, say, and do as you work together. If that sounds important, it is. (Bamboo HR) For our purposes, when we speak of toxic nonprofit cultures, we are speaking of enviro...
Oct 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 170
The nonprofit employee handbook can be used to support operations, communicate benefits and other employment retention policies and minimize risks that might arise from lawsuits and failure to comply with state and federal regulators. We will show you how to develop an employee handbook, what should go into it, and refer you to professionals who can review your finished product. If you are a member of the Nonprofit Utopia community, we will share templates and free and low-cost resources you can...
Oct 28, 2022•33 min•Ep. 169
Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana meaning “to retrieve" More commonly, it symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Sankofa is often symbolized by a mythical bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth. As we finish out the year in the Nonprofit Utopia community, we are taking stock of our wins, our losses and challe...
Oct 27, 2022•34 min•Ep. 168
Oct 26, 2021•58 min•Ep. 167
I have worked with a number of nonprofit leaders who live by the adage, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." Often, when it comes to volunteer management, they don't pay quite as close attention. After all, volunteers are not salaried employees, and they are often brought on for ad hoc projects. The tendency is to give higher priority to processes that have greater budget impact. However, leaving volunteer management up to chance is doing your organization and volunteers a great disserv...
Oct 26, 2021•40 min•Ep. 166
According to Lawrence Wallack, a prominent health researcher, "media advocacy is rooted in community advocacy and has as its goal the promotion of healthy public policies. It can be differentiated from traditional mass media strategies in a number of ways. Media advocacy shifts the focus from the personal to the social, from the individual to the political, from the behavior or practice to the policy or environment. While traditional media approaches try to fill the 'knowledge gap,' media advoca...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 165
Generally speaking, when we think of organizational capacity building, we think of activities like board development, strategic planning and program evaluation. One often overlooked method for improving organizational capacity is developing issue advocacy campaigns. Not only do issue advocacy campaigns help develop leadership capacity for staff and stakeholders, but they can effect systems change, creating the environment to produce positive outcomes for your clients, communities and organizatio...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 164
Generally speaking, when we think of organizational capacity building, we think of activities like board development, strategic planning and program evaluation. One often overlooked method for improving organizational capacity is developing issue advocacy campaigns. Not only do issue advocacy campaigns help develop leadership capacity for staff and stakeholders, but they can effect systems change, creating the environment to produce positive outcomes for your clients, communities and organizatio...
Oct 26, 2021•58 min•Ep. 163
All too often nonprofit leaders are so busy focusing on program development and fundraising that they often overlook policy advocacy as an effective means of capacity building. In this episode we will go over the various forms of advocacy and show you how to develop community action plans to effect systems change where you live.
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 162
FBRK Impact House is Chicago’s first dedicated work club focused on serving and supporting the philanthropic sector by providing a place where granting organizations can work together, intentionally sharing ideas and resources, to operate with greater efficiency. Home to 18 philanthropic organizations, the center is working across multiple sectors to develop innovative solutions to some of the most entrenched problems in the state of Illinois. Join us for a lively discussion with DeJuan Kea, Co-...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 161
Monique B. Jones, LCSW is the President and CEO of Forefront, Illinois’ statewide association representing both grantmakers and nonprofits, as well as their advisors and allies. She is a visionary leader with an extensive background in mental health, violence prevention, philanthropy, and gender & racial equity. Join us for a lively discussion as Monique shares lessons learned from her 100-day listening tour and ways she's preparing to lead Forefront to its next level of development.
Jul 16, 2021•48 min•Ep. 160
Regardless of your position in a nonprofit organization, your job is to communicate with the public. This means talking about your programs and services, your impact to the community, upcoming events, etc. We will show you how to develop a solid communications strategy so that you can attract volunteers and funders and arm your board members and employees with strategies they need to attract more resources to the organization.
May 14, 2021•33 min•Ep. 159
When you start your nonprofit organization, it is so easy to focus on filing forms to establish your organization, and then start on your application for tax-exempt status. There is a very strong possibility that you didn't know about the other forms you need to fill out so that your organization can start out on strong footing. You are not alone. This is very common for new organizations--and some established organizations. You would be surprised at how many organizations there are that have be...
May 14, 2021•52 min•Ep. 158
Filing for tax exemption is tedious, time-consuming, and not for the faint of heart. The process often requires applicants to “go back and forth” with the IRS for a number of reasons, including errors, clarification of statements and omission of key information. Clearly, following instructions is critical. Tune in as Valerie F. Leonard talks about some of the most common reasons the IRS rejects applications for tax exemption, and how you can avoid common mistakes.
Apr 22, 2021•26 min•Ep. 157
James Mueller, President of Mueller & Associates, will be a guest on the Nonprofit Utopia Podcast to talk about his latest book, Onboarding Champions, the the essential guidebook for nonprofit board members and executives. It challenges board members to become champions of governance and provides a roadmap to get there. We will talk about seven recruiting principles of highly effective nonprofit boards, including culture, character, competence, connections, composition continuity and collabo...
Apr 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 156
Tune in as Valerie F. Leonard talks about how to start and manage a nonprofit business in the State of Illinois. Topics of discussion include conducting a community needs assessment; selecting your team; developing the bylaws; incorporating your organization, filing for tax exemption and managing the organization.
Apr 16, 2021•59 min•Ep. 155
Peter Hoy, the Founding Executive Director of the Stein Learning Gardens of St. Sabina was preparing for the organization's third season when the COVID-19 shutdown hit Chicago. Gardening supplies and materials were just delivered; schools were closed and everyone was sheltering in place. On top of that, the organization lost a much-needed $90,000 grant, jeopardizing the very existence of a program that served over 150 youth on Chicago's South Side. Tune in to find out how Peter, with the help of...
Apr 08, 2021•58 min•Ep. 154
Earth Wind and Fire is one of the most influential bands of all time, transcending R&B and shaping pop culture around the world. With global sales of over 90 million records, the band has earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums, 7 Grammys, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and 4 American Music Awards. The group has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame, and Hollywood's Rockwalk, in addition to rec...
Mar 19, 2021•41 min•Ep. 153
I was scrolling down my Facebook feed and was totally amazed to read my Whitney Young High School classmate Vanessa McNorton's testimony: "1 year ago today Quadruple Bypass Surgery. Actually spent 8 hours pre-transplant taking all the EK,EEG and more E test, passed NO Heart Issues, Received Call to receive the Kidney Transplant on 2--20-20,heart attack 2 days later! That's Why I Praise Him!!! I GOT A TEST-A-MO-O-NY!!..." ("Testimony" purposely misspelled in reference to a popular gospel song) Va...
Mar 13, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 152
We will kick off Nonprofit Utopia's Resilience Month with an interview with John Emenecker, a peer support specialist and mental health advocate. John will share his wellness journey, including surviving cancer; coping with illness that threatens his vision; anxiety and depression. John will also share his vision and business model for Resilience House. Resilience House will be a wellness community to help members cope with challenges caused by adversity, including serious illness, depression an...
Mar 13, 2021•43 min•Ep. 151
Nonprofit Utopia hosted a CARES Act forum for nonprofits, churches, performance arts organizations and small businesses on March 6, 2021, from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM. The live streamed event was facilitated by Congressman Danny K. Davis, and included an update on the COVID-19 Stimulus Package. Mark Ferguson, Illinois Deputy District Director for the SBA, shared an overview of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. We also had a panel di...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 39 min
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, passed in December, 2020, extends many relief programs from the CARES Act. It also creates several new programs and provides clarity around some of the questions brought about under the CARES Act passed last spring. We will look at some of the major provisions of the legislation and how it impacts nonprofits, small businesses and communities.
Jan 29, 2021•21 min•Ep. 125
Using examples from rural and urban communities, we will talk about how local networks may be used to develop plans and strategies to address environmental justice and sustainability issues. Featured Guests: Romona Taylor Williams, Executive Director, Montgomery Citizens United for Prosperity (MCUP) Robert Fishkin, Executive Volunteer Match, Sharon "Sy" Lewis, Executive Director, Meadows Eastside Community Resource Organization (MECRO)
Oct 11, 2020•1 hr 10 min
The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges, the likes of which we have never seen before. Schools, churches, restaurants, nonprofits, local businesses, and nonessential government and health services are closing temporarily. The need for health and human services is increasing. We are practicing social distancing. We are conducting business and hosting public forums online. In short, our economy and quality of life as we know it, have changed, and may never be the same again. What does this me...
Mar 30, 2020•57 min•Ep. 124
Partnerships can take on any number of forms, including co-locating, sharing back office or fundraising staff, permanent joint programming, and mission-based mergers. Whatever form your partnership takes, there is always more to it than meets the eye. While no two collaborations are the same, there are always financial, legal, cultural and other relational issues to consider. Forefront’s Mission Sustainability Initiative (MSI) gives nonprofits the resources they need to sort it all out and posit...
Mar 16, 2020•59 min•Ep. 122
If you are a nonprofit practitioner, you should be very interested in the innerworkings of the Illinois Supreme Court—particularly if you work in the areas of family services or social, criminal and/or restorative justice. The rules and practices surrounding evidence; access to competent counsel; sentencing guidelines and diversity, equity and inclusion determine the degree to which justice is truly served. Join Daniel Epstein, Esq., Candidate for Illinois Supreme Court, for a lively discussion ...
Dec 02, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 121
