Management Episodes

316: Building a Mission-Driven Nonprofit That Pays the Bills (Maggie Kane) SUMMARY Special thanks to TowneBank for bringing these conversations to life, and for their commitment to strengthening nonprofit organizations. Learn more about how they can help you at TowneBank.com/NonprofitBanking. How do you stay true to your mission while keeping the lights on? In episode 316 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we dive into that question and others with Maggie Kane, who shares the story behin...

311: Leading with Systems: The Secret to Mission-Driven, High-Performing Nonprofits (Kevin Wilkins) SUMMARY Special thanks to TowneBank for bringing these conversations to life, and for their commitment to strengthening nonprofit organizations. Learn more about how they can help at TowneBank.com/NonprofitBanking. Are you so focused on keeping your nonprofit running that you don’t have time to step back and fix the systems holding you back? In episode 311 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership...

306: Building Resilient Nonprofits Through Interim Leadership (David Harris) SUMMARY This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check out their Interim Management Institute. Leadership transitions can be a pivotal moment for any nonprofit, yet many organizations rush to fill the gap without assessing their true needs. In episode #306 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we explore the critical role of interim executive leadership with David H...

298: Do You See Your Nonprofit as a Corporation? (Laura Bonnell) SUMMARY This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader. Are you running your nonprofit like a passion project – or a thriving corporation? Maybe you’re struggling to balance mission-driven work with the organizational discipline needed for sustainable growth. In episode #298 o...

294: Starting from Scratch: What it Takes to Build a Successful Nonprofit (Courtney Johnson) SUMMARY This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader. What does it really take to build a nonprofit from scratch, especially when you’re balancing limited resources, overwhelming demands, and the challenge of staying resilient as a leader? In epis...

289: Is it Time to Go? Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Succession Plan (Mike Melara) SUMMARY This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help to find an interim executive or your next leader. Succession planning is often an overlooked priority for nonprofit leaders, but its importance can't be overstated. In episode 289 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we explore the critical difference bet...

270: Entrepreneurial Best Practices for Nonprofit Leadership Success (Katya Hancock) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, how can you amplify your nonprofit’s impact through strategic funding and a clear organizational vision? In episode 270 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Katya Hancock, Executive Director of Young Futures, shares her innovative approach to strategic design and funding, and how she’s amplified impact across various themes like digital play and youth expression. By outlining...

265: Prioritizing Mental Wellness as a Nonprofit Leader (Yolanda Robano-Gross) SUMMARY How do you support your team when they (and you) are feeling the effects of a high-stress environment? In episode 265 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Yolanda Robano-Gross shares invaluable insights and experiences on building a supportive workplace culture. She discusses the importance of prioritizing staff well-being and creating a space where individuals feel valued and heard. From implementing st...

261: How to Overcome Barriers & Build Capacity as a Nonprofit Leader (Matt Sharp) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, have you ever considered how investing time in refining your nonprofit’s operational processes could significantly amplify your organization’s impact on the communities you serve? In episode 261 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, you’ll learn invaluable strategies for maximizing organization efficiency and effectiveness from expert consultant, Matt Sharp. Delving into key ...

246: How Do You Address the Capacity Dilemma as a Nonprofit Leader? (Teri Beckman) SUMMARY Is your organization operating below its capacity while your team feels like they are overloaded? This is the crux of the capacity dilemma, and in episode #246 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Teri Beckman discusses the imbalance this challenge creates and how nonprofit leaders can resolve the tension this apparent contradiction creates. Teri also shares key tools and routines to help you manage ...

229: What Should You Outsource at Your Nonprofit? (Eric Thomas) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, are you short-handed or unable to scale your team to keep up with growth, especially in more technical areas like technology and finance? In episode #229 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Eric Thomas shares how outsourcing may be a practical solution for your organization. Learn exactly what outsourcing in the nonprofit sector is and how it can help address your needs. Eric discusses the talen...

222: Why Doesn’t Your Nonprofit Have a Succession Plan? (Mandy Pearce) SUMMARY Do you have a succession plan in place at your nonprofit? Most nonprofits don’t, and you may be facing any number of challenges when planning for the inevitable transition that occurs at every organization. In episode #222 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we learn from Mandy Pearce why having proper strategic and succession plans is vital to an organization’s long-term health. She shares the key benefits of ...

218: 5 Ways to Turn Around a Struggling Nonprofit (Lance Kawaguchi) SUMMARY Is your nonprofit organization not delivering on its mission? Is it struggling from poor governance, alienating key donors and staff and producing lackluster results? In episode #218 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with Lance Kawaguchi, who committed to fighting cancer when the disease hit his family in 2016 and became the new CEO of the struggling nonprofit, Cure Brain Cancer Foundation. Although he b...

215: The Talent Magnet: How to Attract Nonprofit Leaders (Reid Ricciardi) SUMMARY How can you create a culture and strategy that motivates and empowers your team, while also aligning with your mission and vision? In episode #215 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we talk with talent management expert Reid Ricciardi about building the kind of team necessary to achieve your mission. Reid shares how to attract, retain, and develop talent in a competitive and changing nonprofit sector. Learn...

160: Your Nonprofit Alliance May Not Be a Good Idea (Michelle Shumate) SUMMARY Are you building successful alliances that truly benefit the mission of your organization? We operate under the assumption that collaborations in and of themselves are a good idea; however, Michelle Shumate’s extensive research of networks for social impact reveals why alliances are not always a good thing for nonprofit leaders to consider. In episode #160 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Michelle ...

128: Leading Your Organization Through Strategic Execution (Logan Herring) SUMMARY Should you stop calling your organization a nonprofit? That was one of many intriguing topics Logan Herring and I discussed during our conversation in episode #128 of the Path Podcast. Logan is the dynamic leader of The WRK Group in Wilmington, Delaware, and is not only transforming his community, but also offers a unique organizational model for communities around the world to consider. We discuss ...

98: Embracing Kinship as a Nonprofit Leader (Charlie Elberson, Diane Gavarkavich, Whitney Feld) SUMMARY When a prospective funder asks you how to define success for your nonprofit, how do you answer? It seems like a straightforward question, but it usually leads to the more important question: how do you know if you’ve achieved it? These questions lead to a fascinating conversation with Charlie Elberson and Diane Gavarkavich about the funder perspective, the importance of measurem...

96: Getting a Grip on Uncertainty as a Nonprofit Leader (Gail Bower) SUMMARY Still feeling a bit paralyzed in your strategic planning given the uncertainty that surrounds us? This is a perfect time to utilize the talents of a futurist, and that’s exactly the skill Gail Bower brings to episode #96 of the Path Podcast. Gail provides a clear framework to activate your nonprofit’s strategic planning in a way that’s both practical and engaging for staff and board volunteers. Equ...

90: Can Fractional Leadership Transform Your Nonprofit? (Rocky Cabagnot) SUMMARY One of the key challenges in nonprofit management is the identification, recruitment and retention of top-tier talent. This challenge is compounded by budgetary realities that limit your ability to secure individuals with the skills and experience your organization needs, and as a result, critical hiring offers are often made to “B players” or emerging talent that can (hopefully) grow into the role. ...

87: What Questions Should Nonprofit Leaders Be Asking? (Tosha Anderson) SUMMARY Nonprofit leadership requires a wide range of skills and experiences to be successful, but no single leader can manage all of the technical aspects of a growing enterprise without help. For nonprofit professionals who advance through the program, marketing or fund development side of the organization, the thought of also managing the finance and accounting part of the business is uncomfortable at best...

78: 5 Ways to Build Your Nonprofit Leadership Plan (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY In episode #78 of the Path Podcast, Patton offers a coaching session to help you find 5 Ways to Build Your Nonprofit Leadership Plan. How do you effectively conduct a personal annual review? How do you build your personal board of directors? How do you curate content given the volume of data coming at you? How do you better express yourself in professional settings that can help you get ahead? ...

70: 7 Strategies to Drive Sustainable Change (Dyisha Reliford) SUMMARY The ability to manage change must be part of your toolkit as a nonprofit leader. After starting her career with Teach for America in Chicago, Dyisha Reliford continued to learn from her successful corporate, community and nonprofit experiences to formulate the essential steps to managing change. Her study led to a wonderfully practical new book called The Transformation Playbook: 7 Winning Strategies to Drive ...

59: 5 Keys to Leading Dynamic Virtual Meetings (Lea Williams) SUMMARY Even before the pandemic, the lack of effective meetings was one of the biggest productivity challenges for many nonprofit organizations. As a leader, you cannot afford to waste the collective time and talent of your staff, board and key volunteers. To offer practical advice for better meetings - especially in a virtual setting - Dr. Lea Williams shares her five keys for creating a more dynamic and p...

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 to f...