How many of us would love to be funded by Robin Hood? Ever wondered if you've hit a ceiling with your fundraising efforts? Today my guest is Suzi Epstein, Managing Director of the Robin Hood Foundation who discusses a free program for nonprofits at Robin Hood to up their game, some of the mistakes that she sees on proposals and what it takes to qualify for Robin Hood funding. Please note that the deadline for the Robin Hood GRIT program is January 17, 2020 so get it while the getting is good! To...
Dec 19, 2019•35 min
This episode is coming in HOT! As we head into end-of-year fundraising, Kara breaks down how we need to flip the switch in our own minds about fundraising. We talk about the mindset and psychology of an effective fundraiser, how to shake it off (hint: it's not about YOU), the power dynamics for fundraisers of color and how to retain our fundraisers. Kara is funny, direct and an expert in her field. It's a fundraising masterclass! For more about Kara's firm, check her out here: http://harvestklb....
Dec 12, 2019•29 min
For the busy nonprofit executive, it just feels like social media falls to the bottom of your very long to-do list, amirite? It's all so overwhelming--so many platforms, not enough time. Join me and my guest Julia Campbell to talk about how to leverage social media effectively to build community for your cause, how to stop using it like a billboard and how to avoid common mistakes (spoiler alert: answer your comments!) For the forward-thinking nonprofit, it's time to get on the social media bus ...
Dec 05, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Happy Thanksgiving y'all! It's particularly fitting that today's post is with my friend Kishshana: truth-teller, inspo and fundraiser extraordinaire. I'm thankful to have people like Ms. Kishshana in my life. Join today's no-holds-barred convo about the unique challenges that women of color (especially Black women) face in major gift fundraising, what happens behind closed doors and how to get that DEI party started at your organization. Ms. K drops ALL the truth bombs like it's hot and she's fu...
Nov 28, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Today I'm chilling with the Big Poppa of the New York nonprofit world, Rich Berlin. Rich walks us through the quick history of Harlem RBI that has since become multi-service wraparound school called Dream. Rich tells us how his organization went from almost closing to its current $40M a year budget. He shares his thoughts about board recruitment, board management and how to prepare a board to punch above its weight. One day, I would like to be able to say "We're not talking to you for less than ...
Nov 21, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 61
As we careen towards year-end, we know all you fundraisers are out burning the midnight oil. Annual appeal, Giving Tuesday, making budget, oh my! My guest Patrick Kirby FEELS YOU . Take a quick 30 minutes to take a listen to this fun episode. Patrick and I talk about why people dread fundraising, what happens when boards and executives don't know how to fundraise (spoiler alert: unreasonable much?) and how to create a culture of philanthropy in your org. Patrick is fun, caffeinated and HERE FOR ...
Nov 14, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 60
This month, as we head into the holiday giving season, we're featuring podcasts about fundraising! This week, I'm chatting with Crystal Leochko Johnston, Founder of Eclipse Research to talk about how to identify and validate donor prospects. Do you ever feel like fundraising is trying to find your way in the dark? Ever hear your board tell you that they don't know anyone wealthy? Think that you could target your current donor list for bigger gifts? Don't miss this episode. Today's $100 donor cou...
Nov 07, 2019•25 min
Any ED will tell you that it feels like stress and pressure are part of the job. Constant worry and panic got you down? Join me and my buddy Shalini as we talk about strategies and tactics to make the time for self-care, how to use that four-letter word "H-E-L-P" and being responsible for your own energy. Shalini is, like me, a recovering Executive Director and coach to leaders. Make yourself a cup of tea, give yourself a little break and hang with us. We FEEL YOUR PAIN, y'all! For more about Sh...
Oct 31, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 76
This week, I'm interviewing CEO and Co-founder of New Classrooms Joel Rose. Joel started his career as a math teacher and created an organization that is re-thinking the classroom experience with technology. While building New Classrooms, he shares his lessons learned about building an organization, the single most important practice for his team and the importance of being useful over being right. For more information about Joel and New Classrooms, check it out here : https://www.newclassrooms....
Oct 24, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Daniel Oscar: educator, nonprofit exec, marathoner. Listen in to Daniel's gems of wisdom for staying the course in the nonprofit world. Daniel helped Wendy Kopp build Teach for America and has been in various roles in the nonprofit/education reform sector since then. He shares his tips on how to run the marathon and not the sprint, how to prioritize self-care and his best advice to young people starting out in nonprofit. My favorite takeaway: focus on being helpful instead of being right. For mo...
Oct 17, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Have you ever walked away from a hard conversation feeling like a bomb went off and you didn't take cover? Join me and my friend and mentor Jen Mayer, Founder of Becoming Better Together to talk about how to have hard conversations with fierceness and kindness, how to learn how to know thyself and how to be in the world even when it's uncomfortable. Jen is the queen of resources and offers this resource as thought-starters and tools for fierce conversations....
Oct 10, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Join me for a chat with master coach and my former Board Chair Ted Federici to discuss the common pitfalls of leaders and the mistakes they make. The job that we have as leaders is daunting and we sometimes do ourselves a disservice by being our own worst enemies. Learn how to tame the ego, build trust and have the meeting before the meeting. Bonus: you'll learn some of my favorite "Federicisms" like: "Everyone caters to the craziest person in the room," or "It's just a fart in a windstorm." To ...
Oct 03, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Happy Birthday to Nonprofit Lowdown! Thanks, listeners, for hanging with me for a year. It's been a blast and a JOURNEY! For today's pod, I'm reviewing three books that have really taken my game to the next level. There's something for everyone. For organizational design geeks, there's Brave New Work . For productivity and people who just need to get to work, there's Free to Focus . And for managers and leaders who want to give better feedback, there's The Feedback Fallacy: Why Feedback Rarely D...
Sep 26, 2019•18 min•Season 1Ep. 52
We're back with our resident Technologista Emily Hicks-Rotella ! In today's pod, we talking about our favorite tech tools, tips and books for how to wrangle our to-do lists, get to inbox zero and manage our focus. Too much to do and not enough time? Join the club. This is a must-listen if you're trying to get to work and for tech to work for you, not against you. Some of our favorite tools: Airtable Assistant.to Sanebox Slack Trello Boomerang Freedom Zapier Streak Notion Tettra Books we love: Ge...
Sep 19, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 52
You know how there are people in your life who inspire you to level up your game? Lisette Nieves is one of these people. She's an educator, a do-er, a coach and an inspiration. On today's pod we talk about the challenges of managing a board and staff and how to make people feel USEFUL is more important than making them feel happy. We discuss the dangers of a bored board, why you need to challenge your assumptions about who you need on your board and the emotional labor of leadership. For more Li...
Sep 12, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 51
People: your biggest asset and perhaps your biggest pain point. Join me on today's pod with organizational strategist, human capital and DEI expert Sydney Henriques-Payne to explore some of the obstacles and opportunities with your people. How do you spark cultural change? How do you bring on the right level of leader for the maturity of your organization? How do you put DEI in the center of the work and work with people at different levels of "wokeness"? Sydney is dropping knowledge bombs like ...
Sep 05, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Humans. So complicated, amirite? Today I'm talking with Laura Wolff at Ideas42 about the work they do with nonprofits to boost positive behavioral change. Learn some quick tips and tricks about lowering friction to desired behaviors and how to make teenagers do things. We discuss simple changes that make a big impact from increasing enrollment to Gifted and Talented programs to decreasing community college dropout rates. To access FREE workshops @Ideas42, click here . For access to resources we ...
Aug 29, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 49
This one is for all you Founders out there. Join me as I chat with my friend and professional coach Paul Thallner as we talk about the pitfalls of leadership. How does one go from a passionate person with a start-up to an effective organizational leader? How do you use the power of story-telling and narrative to shape culture and why does being a leader just suck sometimes? Join us for some empathetic, good sense with Paul. For more info about Paul, check out his company High Peaks Group if you ...
Aug 22, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 48
I don't think you're ready for this jelly. Two of the fiercest Asian-American women I know are with me on today's pod and we're ready to torch the patriarchy. Join me and my buds Seisei and Cosmo as we discuss what it means to be an Asian-American in the social justice space, how we can use our own privilege in service to others and why the Harvard lawsuit is a wedge issue. Also, for those of you who want to negotiate a raise for yourself, call Seisei. Click here to get in touch with these badas...
Aug 15, 2019•42 min•Ep. 47
What's harder than raising $5M for operating? How about $34M for a new building? Join me and my dear friend Amanda Kraus, Founder and CEO of Row NY , to talk about what she's learned about launching a capital campaign for their beautiful new Harlem-based boathouse. In this convo, we talk about how to know when you're ready, how to avoid cannibalizing your annual fund donors and tips she's learned from Rich Berlin. Also, can you check out this gorgeous boathouse ?...
Aug 08, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 46
You're not bossy if you are the boss. Today I'm talking with my friend Tammy Dowley-Blackman about her journey as a leader, the challenges faced by folks of color in the development field and how she went from Executive Director to launching her own consulting firm. We talk about the strategy of scaling, how to think about the business and why motherhood inspired her to be an entrepreneur. This is a must-listen for those of you who are thinking about striking out on your own....
Jul 25, 2019•41 min•Ep. 43
In today's pod, I'm talking with Judy Levine , Executive Director of Cause Effective. Judy and her team just released an important white paper about the state of fundraisers of color in the nonprofit industry. Some value bombs: The single most important factor of success for a fundraiser of color is a supportive Executive Director. People who make the transition into senior development roles often jump orgs to find their right fit. You can't afford NOT to listen to this episode. Get your hands o...
Jul 18, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 42
This is the original bosslady. On today's pod, I'm talking with former CEO of iMentor and Executive Coach Caroline Kim Oh. We're spilling the tea on all the things including being the Only Ones in rooms, how Asian Americans have been misused as the "model minority" and how to start your own biz. As more EDs are leaving their positions, listen to one former ED's story of how she set up her business to work for herself (and conquered her fears in the process!) For more information, check out Carol...
Jul 11, 2019•46 min•Ep. 42
Happy July 4th! Free yourself from the tyranny of white supremacist hiring practices! Join me for a great conversation with consultant Judy Pryor-Ramirez about how to source, hire and retain folks of color. Some value bombs: 1) how to assess your current practices 2) how to question white supremacist paradigms in hiring 3) what "Real Talk with Judy" means. For more information about Judy, check her out here. For Judy's recommendation on white supremacist culture, download it here....
Jul 04, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 41
So, fun fact: I've always secretly wanted to be a Navy SEAL. Or a Marine. Join me on today's pod with my friend retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Bill Wroten. Here's a value bomb for you: You lead people and manage processes. Once you talk about managing people, you've reduced them to processes and that's why they don't feel ownership. Boom!
Jun 27, 2019•35 min
How much of a pain point is hiring for you? Are you looking to diversify your pool, make your process more equitable and inclusive and retain a diverse workforce? Duh, aren't we all? Join me as I chat with Anthony Barrows , Managing Director of Ideas42 , as we talk about how they have redesigned their process to mitigate implicit bias. For NYC-based nonprofits, check out their Behavioral Design Center. For implicit bias test, click here. For Iris Bohnet research, click here....
Jun 20, 2019•36 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Today we're chatting with my buddy, Morty Ballen , who lived through the go-go days of charter school expansion. As the CEO and Founder of Explore Schools, Morty oversaw the replication of three schools in an eight year period. He shares his lessons learned (spoiler alert: it's the people!) and what is on the other side of leaving after 20 years of being the CEO. Morty is humble, insightful and good-natured and I enjoyed this conversation immensely....
Jun 18, 2019•26 min
Join me on today's pod as I talk with veteran nonprofit leader, Jane Martinez Dowling. In today's chat, Jane discusses how her experience as a first-gen college-going, Dominican-American woman has influenced her leadership. She's been in the top job in three different organizations and also touches on how to be a boss and a mom. Spoiler alert: leave the guilt and judgement behind. Jane was a joy!
Jun 13, 2019•40 min
Today, we're speaking with our resident Tech Goddess, Emily Hicks-Rotella about how technology and spirituality are connected. This conversation is a little more whoo-whoo than others we've had so feel free to skip it if it's not your jam. We talk about what it means to have a single source of truth, how technology can connect us to our purpose and clarity and how you don't have to go sit on a mountaintop to achieve peace. Click here for more about Emily....
Jun 06, 2019•26 min
So. Many. Truth. Bombs. This interview with The Ready 's Sam Spurlin. I reached out to Sam because I'm OBSESSED with the book Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan. So often in organizations when things aren't working, when communication breaks down, when we're having meetings about meetings--well, it just makes you crazy. Sam talks about how our approach to organizational change might be about identifying and fixing the operating system one experiment at a time. We talk so much about culture, but cult...
May 30, 2019•39 min
