In today's podcast, I share a concrete method for communicating your work to potential supporters — no matter who they are: The Stakeholder Communication Bridge . Drawing from my own experience with fundraising and network building, the Stakeholder Communication Bridge is a straightforward and powerful framework for clarifying and connecting your mission to the activities and outcomes that make your organization stand out. If you've ever struggled to articulate the impact of your work in a way t...
Apr 09, 2024•29 min
The end of a quarter is a powerful opportunity for growth and strategic planning. In this episode, I share five critical questions that can guide you and your team through a meaningful exercise of introspection and evaluation, helping you stay on track toward, and aligned with your goals. Whether you're utilizing these insights during a quiet week or a CEO day, this episode is your guide to refining your approach, optimizing resources, and making strategic, impactful decisions. What You Will Lea...
Apr 02, 2024•13 min
In today’s episode, I offer a catalog of the episodes in which I’ve done a deeper dive into how to think about and operationalize leverage. You can find all of the episodes in this curated playlist: brookerichiebabbage.com/leverage-playlist Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Accelerator , a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations that want a smart, powerful playbook for taking their growing organization to the next level. Connect with me!...
Mar 29, 2024•7 min
In this episode, I’m doing a deep dive into the concept of leveraged networks - the secret sauce to expanding your organization's capacity, influence, and impact without breaking the bank. As a founder and leader myself, I've navigated the complexities of growing an organization, and I've discovered that the strength of your network can truly make or break your impact. Today, I'm sharing personal insights and strategies on how to build and leverage a micro-group within your broader network to ac...
Mar 28, 2024•17 min
In this episode, I walk through how Key Financial Indicators can serve as a high leverage navigational compass through the murky world of your financial health. Whether it's understanding your liquidity to seize new opportunities or measuring your mission's efficiency to ensure alignment with your values, KFIs are indispensable tools. What You’ll Learn: The role of financial KPIs in navigating your business towards its financial health goals. How to leverage KPIs for strategic decision-making an...
Mar 27, 2024•14 min
Over the past 25 years, I've learned that understanding the concept of leverage can mean the difference between sustainable growth and burning out. In this episode, I explore three areas in which leverage is critical: evaluating your impact, leveraging your network and partnerships, and optimizing your use of resources. I share concrete questions every organization should ask itself in each of these 3 areas, as part of an organizational leverage self-audit process. What Listeners Will Learn: How...
Mar 26, 2024•8 min
A CEO Day isn’t just about stepping away from the day-to-day tasks. It’s about stepping fully into a role that demands vision, strategy, and long-term planning. In this episode, I share why dedicating time to think like a CEO can be a game-changer for your organization. From fostering a mindset shift from managing to leading, to ensuring every effort aligns with your overarching objectives, a CEO Day is your catalyst for growth, innovation, and renewed focus. What You’ll Learn: The importance of...
Mar 25, 2024•9 min
Do you ever wonder about the approaches someone actually takes to grow their organization’s budget, team, board and impact? Like what strategies do they actually use to go from a $450K budget, a tiny team, and awesome but scrappy programs to a $2M budget a strong team, board, and impact that go along with that growth? The answer is by using approaches to growth that are intentionally about increasing leverage. In this episode, I’m breaking down five of the most powerful organizational and leader...
Mar 19, 2024•23 min
I'm resharing one of my most popular podcast episodes: A fantastic conversation with Cindy Wagman, Founder and President of The Good Partnership , best-selling author of Raise It! The Reluctant Fundraiser’s Guide to Raising Money Without Selling Your Soul, and host of the top-rated podcast, The Small Nonprofit. Cindy offers a mini-masterclass on how to build your fundraising team as your organization grows, before you have the budget for a full-time development director. She shares: Why it’s dan...
Mar 12, 2024•34 min
Welcome to this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast! I'm your host, Brooke, and today, I’m thrilled to share an insightful conversation with one of my dearest friends and a true game-changer in the nonprofit world, Rachel Bearbower. As the founder of Small Shop Strategies, Rachel is a wizard in teaching nonprofit leaders the art of untangling complex systems to focus on what truly matters – nurturing relationships and boosting fundraising efforts. In our chat, we delve into the nu...
Mar 07, 2024•55 min
In this episode, I unravel the art of getting out of the daily hustle to carve out space for strategic visioning and impactful leadership. Join me as we explore how to harness 3 specific strategies for spending time on high leverage activities throughout your leadership journey, whether you're implementing them today or aspiring towards them as your future benchmark. What You'll Learn: Elevating Productivity with Energy-Aware Scheduling: Understand how to align your tasks with your natural energ...
Mar 05, 2024•29 min
This week is another quick strategy episode. I’m sharing a powerful strategic framework that organizations use to anchor and align their growth: Intentional Design . What You'll Learn: The difference between Referential & Iterative and Intentional Design approaches in strategic planning. How to define and analyze your organization's focal problem for clearer vision and impact. Steps to develop a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) and align your activities with your Theory of Change. Key Takeawa...
Feb 27, 2024•14 min
In this episode, I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Farra Trompeter, Co-Director and Worker - Owner at Big Duck. Not only is Farra just delightful to talk to, every time I talk to her it’s like a masterclass in strategic brand building. She - and her colleagues at Big Duck - have been the go-to for nonprofit brand building for as long as I can remember. I used to devour their resources when I was an ED, because they helped me come to see my organization’s brand as more than just its logo...
Feb 22, 2024•42 min
In this week’s quick strategy episode, I dive into a pivotal mindset shift that revolutionized my approach to leading and coaching: the concept of 'WHO not HOW.' This idea isn't just a strategy; it's a growth catalyst, steering you away from mundane tasks and towards high-impact activities like visioning, strategy, and relationship-building. What You'll Learn: The importance of focusing on 'WHO' instead of 'HOW' in organizational leadership. Strategies for delegating tasks effectively to facilit...
Feb 20, 2024•10 min
In this episode, I explore the concept of the flywheel concept, a game-changer for any organization aiming for sustainable growth and impact. Developed by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great,” this concept is about building systems that gain momentum over time, propelling your organization forward with each turn. I share my journey of understanding and implementing this powerful tool, offering concrete examples and actionable insights. Whether you’re struggling with donor retention, seeking m...
Feb 13, 2024•20 min
In today's episode, I’m talking with two of my favorite people: Becky Endicott and Jon McCoy, co-founders of We Are For Good. They pull back the curtain on one of their collective superpowers: A strategy they’ve used to grow their community to tens of thousands of nonprofit leaders and practitioners, and one of the simplest and most powerful ways to amplify your organization’s impact. Content syndication. Content syndication is the process of turning a single piece of content into a ripple effec...
Feb 08, 2024•55 min
What do I do with new donors so I don't lose them? The answer is: Learn as much about your new donors as possible so that you can communicate with them better and more intimately. In today’s episode, I’m going to give you an easy, low-hanging fruit strategy for gathering information about your donors so that you can begin to segment and personalize your emails, donor appeals, and even events. What Listeners Will Learn: How to personalize communications for more impactful donor engagement. Effect...
Feb 06, 2024•29 min
Today I’m doing a special rerun of one of my most downloaded and shared episodes, as a tribute to my sister, Darcy Richie. This tribute show is airing on January 30th and Darcy would have been 42 years old today. I think honoring her work - of which she was so proud - is just one way that I can celebrate her today. This episode is a celebration of three things that Darcy was so very good at: >> Managing people in ways that helped them step into the best version of themselves, in whatever r...
Jan 30, 2024•44 min
Whether you're an aspiring changemaker or an established leader in the social sector, the essential rules of strategic and sustainable growth don’t change - that’s what we’ll be exploring today. In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Jack Graham, a UK-born, Brooklyn-based queer social change strategist and writer. Jack's journey from founding Year Here, a fellowship for aspiring social entrepreneurs, to consulting for nonprofit clients in the U.S., is both inspiring and educationa...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Now that you’ve had your board retreat, and set your goals to grow your board or expand your gala, it’s time to think about implementation. So now the challenge is this: How exactly do you keep your board motivated in the new year? In this episode, I’m going to talk about the purpose, power, and anatomy of a good board agreement, and about how it will help you be intentional about shaping your work with your board. What You’ll Learn: The importance of clarity and personalized commitments in enha...
Jan 23, 2024•22 min
While some people may think that predictions about the state of the world are somewhere between hubris and a distraction, I don’t agree at all. I think that when offered thoughtfully and rooted in real insight, the information can give us more arrows in our impact quill. There are people who know a lot about what they do — they have concrete, meaningful insight into what is happening in their corner of the world, and we are only made stronger and more powerful in our own purpose when they gracio...
Jan 16, 2024•14 min
Do you want to learn how to share your insights, stories, and impact in a way that connects with the right people and brings new supporters into your world consistently and effortlessly? In this inspiring and brass-tacks episode, I talk with Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing, about the power of thought leadership as a driver of organizational growth and impact. Lumos Marketing is a thought leadership consultancy for social impact leaders ready to stand out as they stand up for thei...
Jan 11, 2024•51 min
Just as every organization I work with has a mission and theory of change - a belief about how best to bring about the change in the world that they want to see - so does this show! I organize this show around a set of core pillars that I believe are critical to your organization having the kind of impact that will change our world. And so I wanted to pull back the curtain on what those are, and share what you can expect from this show as we head into 2024 and where your organization will improv...
Jan 09, 2024•15 min
Hello and welcome to 2024! I'm still wrapping my head around how fast time flies. As we step into this new year, fresh from our reflective period, I'm excited to dive into leveraging this new year energy. In today's episode, I'll walk you through a 3-part framework to help you and your team focus on what truly matters, avoiding the chaos that often comes by March. This isn’t about adding more to your plate; it's about organizing and moving forward with intention. We'll explore how to use a simpl...
Jan 02, 2024•18 min
This week's quick strategy episode is a special one for me! I'm doing something a little different: I'm sharing the insights and experiences of 4 of the incredible leaders inside my Next Level Nonprofit program! Each of these leaders was invited to share their insights into a practice or tactic that had a positive impact on their organization over the past year. They shared insights into everything from storytelling to mindset shifts, and in sharing, remind us to pause and take a moment to note ...
Dec 12, 2023•7 min
In this episode, I delve into a concept that's especially relevant for nonprofit leaders, and especially these days: the relationship between hope and gratitude. What You'll Learn: Understanding the deep connection between hope and gratitude. Techniques for developing a consistent gratitude practice. The impact of gratitude on our perception and experience of life. Key Takeaways: Hope is an anticipation of goodness, essential for overcoming life's challenges. Gratitude is not just seasonal; it's...
Nov 21, 2023•11 min
In this episode we delve into a transformative strategy for recognizing and leveraging moments of joy and success in your professional life. I share a heartening story from a leader in my Mastermind community, highlighting the profound impact of acknowledging and celebrating these moments. Discover how simple practices, like maintaining a collection of positive feedback, can significantly bolster your resilience and motivation, especially during challenging times. Key Learning Points The importa...
Nov 14, 2023•12 min
In this relatable and insightful episode of "Nonprofit Mastermind," Brooke shares two personal stories about her leadership journey, focusing on the theme of 'failing forward.' She opens up about her experiences, discussing the vital lessons learned from moments of failure and how these moments can be powerful catalysts for growth and change. This episode is not just about sharing strategies that work, but it's about the raw, honest path of leadership - the mistakes, the missteps, and how they f...
Oct 31, 2023•22 min
Feeling overwhelmed about keeping your nonprofit board engaged throughout the year? In this episode of Nonprofit Mastermind, Brooke shares the secret of how to plan your board's engagement activities for the whole year— in less than a day! You'll discover how this simple yet robust framework enables you to map out key engagement points like meetings, check-ins, and inspiration moments, saving you tons of decision fatigue. What You'll Learn: The importance of intentionality in nonprofit board eng...
Oct 24, 2023•25 min
This week, I'm previewing a snippet from the private Q&A style coaching podcast inside my new program for nonprofit founders: Nonprofit StartUps Demystified. My goal is to help demystify the seemingly chaotic process of starting a new nonprofit by responding every week directly to questions and challenges on the private podcast inside the membership. Members also get a weekly start-up toolkit focused on strategy, fundraising, board and staff, and program and impact. If you’re a founder, you ...
Oct 18, 2023•14 min
