Episodes

94: Can Nonprofit Leaders Bring An Equity Lens to their Strategic Planning? (Anna Dewar Gully) SUMMARY Many nonprofit organizations are talking about equality, diversity and inclusion, but are they making genuine progress to support their stated goals? Making public statements is a start, but incorporating DEI into the fabric of your nonprofit organization requires an intentional strategic planning effort, and that’s exactly how Anna Dewar Gully wants to help. Anna’s use of...

93: Leadership Lessons from The Duke Endowment (Rhett Mabry) SUMMARY It’s hard not to be impressed by an organization that has contributed over $4 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations since its inception, but that’s exactly The Duke Endowment has done, making it one of the largest 501(c)(3) private foundations in the United States. Equally impressive as the Endowment’s impact on its four program priorities (higher education, health care, rural church and child care) is the thou...

92: The 4 Stages of Nonprofit Leadership (Ben Mohler) SUMMARY Where do you fall within the different stages of nonprofit leadership? Our guest in episode #92 of the Path Podcast offers a fascinating view of career development in the charitable sector by breaking it into four distinct stages. Ben Mohler brings extensive experience in higher education leadership as well as his distinction as an ACFRE within the fundraising community. We had a great discussion about the different stages o...

91: Bringing A Business Perspective to Nonprofit Leadership (Laryn Weaver) SUMMARY Have you contemplated whether your for-profit experience might translate into effective leadership in the charitable sector? Many nonprofit leaders bring invaluable skills from their for-profit days, but sometimes face barriers in effectively translating those experiences into current nonprofit practice. Laryn Weaver proved to be the perfect guest to talk about that exact topic (and much more!).&nb...

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. ...

89: How to Accelerate Your Nonprofit Leadership (Men Tchaas Ari) SUMMARY How do you combine a diverse set of skills, talents and experiences to best position yourself for nonprofit leadership? In episode #89 of the Path Podcast, I explored that exact question with Men Tchaas Ari, who successfully engineered a career path that positioned him for his current role as President & CEO of Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, one of the largest CIS affiliates in the United Sta...

88: How Do You Create a Dynamic Culture as a Nonprofit Leader? (Mary Ward) SUMMARY Will you be ready for your next opportunity to be a nonprofit leader? Often the best opportunities occur when you're least expecting them, and you must rely on past experience, great mentors, and simply gut instinct, before you make the move. This type of opportunity occurred for Mary Ward, our guest in episode #88 of the Path Podcast, when she had the opportunity to lead the McLeod Center. She off...

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...

86: 3 Entrepreneurial Skills Nonprofit Leaders Must Learn (Matt Larson) SUMMARY There is much to be learned between the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and many nonprofit leaders are elevating their organizations through creative and entrepreneurial tactics. Matt Larson is a wonderful resource on exactly that type of mindset, as he’s been wildly successful in both the tech and software industry but also translated his success into nonprofit development and leadership. In Episod...

85: How Can Nonprofit Leaders be More Authentic Fundraisers? (Jennifer Harris) SUMMARY Fundraising is one of the most important - but often dreaded - functions you have to contemplate as a nonprofit leader. You clearly believe in the mission of your organization, yet fundraising often feels disconnected and transactional. How do you get more comfortable assuring your nonprofit has the funding it needs to achieve its core purpose, and feel good about it at the same time?&nbs...

84: 4 Keys to Building A Global Nonprofit (Elizabeth Hausler) SUMMARY Are you pondering nonprofit leadership among multiple career options? That’s exactly what Elizabeth Hausler considered before she started the global nonprofit Build Change in 2004, and she offers a fascinating review of her leadership journey and the many lessons learned on Episode #84 of the Path Podcast. These lessons, of course, offer great insight for others considering a similar nonprofit caree...

83: Maximizing Advocacy to Fulfill Your Mission (Karen Lee) SUMMARY Managing a nonprofit organization requires a variety of skills and experiences to succeed, and a leader can certainly be consumed by simply keeping their organization in motion. The best nonprofits, however, commit to a vision the exceeds the direct impact of their programs and services but also seeks to positively influence their communities at large. Karen Lee is a great example of a nonprofit leader just like ...

82: 4 Things They Don’t Teach You About Nonprofit Leadership (Martyn Drake) SUMMARY How do you look at profitability as a nonprofit leader? Our sector’s leadership often grapples with conflicted emotions about running their nonprofit “more like a business” despite the fact it is a business and needs to employ critical revenue-generating practices to assure long-term sustainability. In episode #82 of the Path Podcast, Martyn Drake brings a global perspective to this to...

81: 3 Ways Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way (Kris Putnam-Walkerly) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, you have multiple responsibilities to manage and often limited time to adjust to changing circumstances (case in point: 2020!). Complicating this leadership challenge are often self-imposed barriers that nonprofit leaders need to understand and avoid. In episode #81 of the Path Podcast, Kris Putnam-Walkerly helps not only identify ways nonprofit leaders stop themselves, b...

80: How to Attract Young Professional Talent to Your Nonprofit (Kamber Parker) SUMMARY As more young professionals look to the nonprofit sector as an attractive option for their career path, Executive Directors and other senior leaders are eager to recruit and retain the best and brightest to join their organizations. In episode #80 of the Path Podcast, I had a great conversation with Kamber Parker, who not only serves as the Development Director for the nonprofit Greenville Area Parki...

79: Is Co-Leadership Right for Your Nonprofit? (Alicia Winckler & Alan Mather) SUMMARY What is Co-Leadership and how could it elevate your nonprofit to the proverbial next level? In episode #79 of the Path Podcast, I had a great conversation with Alicia Winckler and Alan Mather, two talented individual leaders who have embarked on a co-leadership model for the Chicago-based Golden Apple Foundation. By combining forces, they have not only strengthened a great organizatio...

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? ...

77: How to Recruit and Engage Stellar Board Members (Karen Eber Davis) SUMMARY As a nonprofit leader, two topics are always on the top of your list of strategic priorities. First, how do I recruit and engage great board members? And second, how do I create a sustainable and dynamic fundraising that secures my nonprofit for the future? In episode #77 of the Path Podcast, I had a great conversation with Karen Eber Davis, who proves she is the perfect person to answer bo...

76: Fundraising During A Perfect Storm (Chris Carnie) SUMMARY How do you fundraise during a perfect storm? Nonprofit leaders are challenged in numerous ways right now, and face uncharted territory in terms of the fundraising environment in which they must operate. While Chris Carnie’s work originates primarily in the UK and Spain, he brings a global perspective to not only the elements of the storm we must understand, but also ways to better navigate through it. In episode ...

75: How to Engage Your Community Through Nonprofit Leadership (Stacy Sumner Jesso) SUMMARY Perhaps you are considering a move between nonprofit sectors, or even moving to an entirely different community to advance your career. As a nonprofit leader, these are transitions you’ll likely manage along your journey, and you may also be helping navigate such a transition for someone who joins your team. My guest in episode #75 of the Path Podcast, Stacy Sumner Jesso, has managed a...

74: 4 Ways to Make Your Virtual Fundraiser More Successful (Jenni Hargrove) SUMMARY Every nonprofit is planning - or pondering - some sort of virtual fundraising event. Either adapting a previous live model, or trying something online for the first time. How confident are you in your design and potential for success? If a virtual fundraising event is in your future, Episode #74 of the Path Podcast is the perfect resource to guide your thinking. Jenni Hargrove brings her marketing,...

73: What Nonprofit Leaders Must Do to Support Their Teams (Valerie Williams) SUMMARY The year 2020 has reminded nonprofit leaders of two significant issues they must manage to succeed: diversity, equity & inclusion and the mental health of their teams and themselves. This can be a tall order when combined with everything else leaders in the charitable sector must face. Fortunately, our guest on Episode #73 of the Path, Valerie Williams, is exactly the person who can help us understand these issu...

72: What Can a Mastermind Do for Your Nonprofit Leadership? (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY What is a mastermind, and how could it help you on your nonprofit leadership journey? In episode #72 of the Path Podcast, Patton provides some history on the mastermind concept, and explains how PMA has adapted the model to best serve nonprofit leaders. He explains the characteristics that best describe successful participants, and the philosophies and structure that went into the design and imp...

71: Bringing A Global Perspective to Nonprofit Leadership (Jennifer Garner) SUMMARY How do you incorporate all of your previous nonprofit leadership experiences in a way that strengthens your current work? Jennifer Garner has built an impressive resume on the way to her current position at the University of Denver, including international advancement work at two institutions in the United Kingdom. While the experiences are impressive in and of themselves, she also does a fa...