54: Building a Leadership Gift Culture at Your Nonprofit Organization (Chris McLeod) SUMMARY How do you assure your nonprofit is in a position to receive Leadership Gifts ? Many nonprofit organizations dream of that type transformational donor investment, but fail to put themselves in a good position to receive one. Chris McLeod knows all about that challenge, and helped co-found the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership - and its signature program called Leadership Gift School – to help organi...
Aug 13, 2020•48 min
53: Building A Legacy Organization Through Nonprofit Leadership (Jeff Michael) SUMMARY Every nonprofit organization has an upcoming anniversary, whether it’s their first, their 150th, or somewhere in between. While simply celebrating an anniversary may not help your organization achieve strategic success, it may well provide a unique opportunity to raise awareness of your organization's history, as well as elevate your vision going forward. That’s exactly what Jeff Michael and I discussed during...
Aug 06, 2020•57 min
52: Celebrating Black Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (Valaida Fullwood) SUMMARY What can your nonprofit do to better engage Black philanthropists? There is no one better suited to answer the question than Valaida Fullwood , who brings her pioneering experience through Charlotte’s New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP) and its Bold Project , as well as her experience as a champion for Black Philanthropy Month and the #BPM2020CLT initiative. She also brings to life more ...
Aug 04, 2020•48 min
51: Is a Merger Right for Your Nonprofit? (Laura Belcher) SUMMARY As uncertain conditions continue to challenge nonprofit leaders and their ability to plan strategically, the need for effective collaboration is greater than ever. While effective partnerships and collaborative opportunities exist without an actual merger taking place, many nonprofit leaders are contemplating what an actual merger might do for their organization. In episode #51 of the Path Podcast , Laura Belcher , the President &...
Jul 30, 2020•53 min•Ep. 51
50: Elevating A Cause Through Nonprofit Leadership (Curtis Drafton) SUMMARY Not many nonprofit leaders have actually experienced the personal and professional challenges facing the individuals their organization serves. After two Army tours in the Middle East left him injured, Curtis Drafton then had to overcome the tragic loss of his fiancé to cancer. In his words, he was “mentally broken and confused,” but also realized he was not alone in his struggle. Few would have blamed him for taking yea...
Jul 23, 2020•56 min
049: 4 Tips for Effective & Efficient Fundraising ( Patton McDowell ) SUMMARY Patton had an opportunity to be a guest on Dolph Goldenburg’s great podcast and discuss four key tips he’s found to help nonprofit organizations organize their fundraising efforts. This was also our first opportunity to participate in a “reverse podcast,” as this episode first appeared on Dolph’s feed on July 16, 2020, and now is included on our feed as well. Description from The Successful Nonprofits Podcast : Sma...
Jul 21, 2020•30 min
48: Agile Arts Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector (Devlin McNeil) SUMMARY How do you manage an Arts organization when every aspect of your program is disrupted? Perhaps no nonprofit sector has more challenges right now than Arts & Culture organizations, given the limitations to programming, performances and gatherings. And with the philanthropic community understandably focused on health and human services, the Arts sector faces even greater needs for agile leadership. Fortunately, Devlin Mc...
Jul 16, 2020•50 min
47: Millennials & Corporate Partners: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know (Derrick Feldmann) SUMMARY How do you get the millennial generation to engage in your nonprofit’s cause? That’s the first question Derrick Feldmann and I explored during our conversation on episode #47 of the Path Podcast . There is no one more qualified to answer that question, given his decade-long research on the millennial generation. While Derrick provided a fascinating look at that demographic, we were also able ...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr 2 min
46: Finding New Opportunities Through Nonprofit Leadership (Cheryl Richards) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, how do you know when it’s the right time to make a change? That’s exactly where Dr. Cheryl Richards and I started our conversation, as she was only two weeks into her new role as the first female President of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus. After great success in her previous leadership role as the CEO & Founding Regional Dean at Northeastern University , she certain...
Jul 07, 2020•57 min•Ep. 46
45: Navigating the Nonprofit Leadership Journey (David Malloy) SUMMARY Making a job transition is challenging enough under any circumstance, but how about with the addition of a pandemic, cross-country logistics, and the addition of a new baby in the family?!?! That’s exactly what David Malloy had to maneuver as he assumed his new role as Executive Director of the California-Nevada United Methodist Foundation . David and I had great discussion in episode #45 of the Path in which he shares many l...
Jul 02, 2020•57 min
44: Building A Supercharged Nonprofit Board (Dolph Goldenburg) SUMMARY How do you best engage your board members as a nonprofit leader, especially given the challenges the sector is facing right now? This episode of the Path poses that question to someone who literally wrote a book about the topic, called Successful Nonprofits Build Supercharged Boards . Dolph Goldenburg and I certainly discuss board development in episode #44 of the podcast, but also talk about specific fundraising tactics you ...
Jun 25, 2020•50 min
43: What is Your Nonprofit Career Vision? 6 Questions You Need to Answer (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY These are challenging times for all kinds of reasons, given the isolation of the pandemic, the obvious disparities of race and privilege we’re seeing up close, and the economic uncertainties that affect our personal and professional livelihoods. These existential questions don’t have easy answers, but nonprofit leaders are looking for guidance as they get their heads around them and evaluate what i...
Jun 23, 2020•30 min•Ep. 39
42: Challenging the Nonprofit Status Quo (Tina Postel) SUMMARY What should you put in place at your nonprofit organization before you encounter challenges like those we’re facing right now? That’s one of the many topics Tina Postel and I discuss in episode #42 of the Path podcast, and fortunately you’re not too late to implement many of her great ideas. Families struggling with food insecurities have enough barriers to overcome, and she knew her organization, Loaves & Fishes , had to be more...
Jun 18, 2020•51 min
41: Dealing with Adversity as a Nonprofit Leader (Michael Ward) SUMMARY It’s easy to celebrate successes when things are going well for you as a nonprofit leader, but what about when things don’t go so well? Michael Ward has had some fantastic successes as a fundraiser and nonprofit leader, but what made our conversation so powerful was his willingness to tackle adversity. His thoughtful and proactive approach to dealing with personal and professional challenges offers great insight for anyone o...
Jun 11, 2020•49 min
40: What Do I Do With My Nonprofit’s Strategic Plan? (Andrew Hollo) SUMMARY Given the uncertainty nonprofit leaders are facing right now, it’s no wonder many are dismissing long-range strategic plans as practically useless. However, Andrew Hollo brings a much needed and fresh perspective to this strategic planning dilemma and demonstrates that the work he has done across Australia is very much applicable to nonprofit leaders around the world. We discuss four existential questions every nonprofit...
Jun 08, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 41
39: Nonprofit Leadership in Healthcare Philanthropy (Adam Cook) SUMMARY What’s it like to lead a healthcare foundation in the midst of a pandemic? How do you stay organized when all of your events are pushed off the calendar and everyone you speak with has a new idea? Adam Cook has great insight and perspective on these questions and many more in episode #40 of the Path . He has served multiple health care foundations over the course of his nonprofit career, and we talk about many of the lessons...
Jun 04, 2020•50 min•Ep. 40
38: The Secret Lives of Nonprofit Leaders (Kishshana Palmer) SUMMARY Kishshana Palmer is not afraid tell us what we need to hear, even if we’re not sure we’re ready for it! She’s the kind of truth-teller the sector needs, and our conversation on the Path provided all kinds of valuable insight for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers that can be applied right now. Kishshana shared a candid view of her journey into nonprofit leadership, and the challenges she’s overcome and the lessons she’s learned ...
May 28, 2020•54 min
037: Maintaining Strategic Focus as a Nonprofit Leader (Brian Maness) SUMMARY What do you do to stay organized in an ever-changing environment with children and families from across the state depending on you? Like many nonprofit CEO’s right now, Brian Maness has had to navigate both the personal and professional demands of nonprofit leadership despite an uncertain landscape around him. Brian is the President & CEO of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina , providing services ranging fro...
May 21, 2020•57 min•Ep. 37
036: Fortune 500 to Nonprofit Founder & CEO (Tina Admans) SUMMARY It’s quite possible that you (or someone you know) have contemplated leaving the for-profit world to pursue an opportunity in the nonprofit sector. That’s exactly what Tina Admans did after moving to Los Angeles over a decade ago. She could very well have stayed on a successful corporate track that included senior positions at Panavision, GE and NBC Universal, but she knew something was missing and nonprofit leadership was cal...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 35
035: Vital Resources from BoardSource (Jim Taylor) SUMMARY How can a nonprofit leader take advantage of the resources BoardSource has to offer, especially in a time of uncertainty and strategic challenge? The answers come from Jim Taylor , who not only highlights the tools available from BoardSource for nonprofit leaders everywhere, but also leans on his personal and professional experience to add even greater value for listeners of this episode of the Path. A pandemic certainly highlights vulne...
May 12, 2020•53 min
034: The War for Fundraising Talent (Jason Lewis) SUMMARY Fundraising is on every nonprofit leader’s mind right now, and perhaps there is no one better to talk about that topic than Jason Lewis , who literally wrote a book about the topic, The War for Fundraising Talent . As Jason and I discuss, many of the topics he raised in the book are even more relevant right now. Why do so many organizations rely on “arms-length” fundraising tactics, and what can they do about it now? Why are more executiv...
May 07, 2020•44 min•Ep. 34
033: Adapting to Short-Term Challenges with Long-Term Benefits (Carrie Bhada) SUMMARY Carrie Bhada’s journey in nonprofit leadership has led her to outstanding higher education and healthcare institutions, but it has also given her the experience of dealing with internal and external challenges. While nothing compares to the unique complexities of the COVID-19 situation, she has utilized previous experiences to adapt and lead her team at North Carolina State University as they navigate this unch...
Apr 30, 2020•44 min•Ep. 33
032: Community Leadership in the Philanthropic Sector (Michael Marsicano) SUMMARY Michael Marsicano leads one of the largest community foundations in the United States. He is passionate about bringing communities together to maximize philanthropy and improve all aspects of society. Like nonprofit leaders around the world, he was faced with an unprecedented challenge – and opportunity – with the arrival of COVID-19. What did he do? He mobilized his team and collaborative partners throughout the r...
Apr 27, 2020•48 min•Ep. 32
031: Making the Jump: Corporate America to Nonprofit Executive (Kristin Beck) SUMMARY After twenty years of success in the for-profit arena, Kristin Beck could have easily continued on her upward trajectory. But her inner voice confirmed something was missing and she knew a change might be warranted. She then began a thoughtful process to evaluate her options and make sure she was prepared for the eventual nonprofit leadership opportunity that could take advantage of the skills and experience sh...
Apr 23, 2020•55 min•Ep. 31
030: Nonprofit Leadership in Uncertain Times (Angela Woods) SUMMARY As the COVID-19 situation descended on her organization with stunning speed, Angela Woods knew she would have to make critical strategic decisions without the luxury of time to thoroughly evaluate options or wait for additional data. Like so many nonprofit leaders right now, she had to rely on her instincts and experience to best “triage” an evolving situation. How she’s managed these circumstances so far is a great study in lea...
Apr 16, 2020•47 min•Ep. 30
029: Agile Nonprofit Leadership During the COVID-19 Crisis (Mike Blackwelder) SUMMARY Uncertainty abounds in the charitable sector, but leadership is needed now more than ever. My colleague Mike Blackwelder and I tackle five critical areas of leadership, and lift up examples, suggestions and resources to better address each of them. Whether you’re a current nonprofit leader or aspire to be one, these are the types of circumstances you must be ready to manage. How do you work with your staff and ...
Apr 13, 2020•38 min•Ep. 29
028: 5 Questions to Answer Before Using A Nonprofit Consultant (Heather Yandow) SUMMARY As you move into senior leadership in the nonprofit sector, the opportunity to explore external contractors and consultants will likely present itself. How do you evaluate such an option? What are the factors you should consider before engaging such a resource? These are exactly the questions Heather Yandow and I explore in this episode of the Path. Through her experience founding Nonprofit.ist , she is the p...
Apr 09, 2020•49 min•Ep. 28
027: Building A Culture of Philanthropy at Your Nonprofit (Stamie Despo) SUMMARY Despite her successful fundraising experience, Stamie Despo knew as a new Executive Director she would need the entire organization to embrace philanthropy for it to achieve the kind of mission success she knew was possible. That’s exactly what Stamie and I discussed during this episode. What exactly is a culture of philanthropy ? What did she find when she began her role as Executive Director at the Susan G. Komen ...
Apr 02, 2020•50 min•Ep. 27
026: 3 Essential Skills for Nonprofit Leadership (Hal Lewis) SUMMARY Dr. Hal Lewis was the perfect person to illustrate three critical skills that nonprofit leaders must develop. As a nonprofit executive himself, a scholar published on a variety of leadership topics, and a consultant working with leaders across the country, he was well-positioned to provide the practical advice and resources you need on your nonprofit path. Hal and I discussed the ability to attract and retain top-notch talent ,...
Mar 26, 2020•57 min
025: Utilizing A Coach to Strengthen Your Nonprofit Leadership (Nancy Beard) SUMMARY Nancy Beard offers great perspectives on the value of finding good mentors as well as the potential a coach can have on your personal and professional journey. Her path to nonprofit leadership was shaped by early volunteer roles, both as a board member and a volunteer, and she continued to hear a calling for social justice causes that began during her childhood. We had a great conversation about what she is seei...
Mar 19, 2020•52 min•Ep. 25
