Episodes

105: The Nonprofit Leader’s Guide to Demystifying Donor Advised Funds (Catherine Warfield) SUMMARY While the knowledge required for successful nonprofit leadership is extensive, one area that can be challenging - and even intimidating - is legacy or planned giving. Complicating this subject are the various philanthropic vehicles many donors are using, especially the increasingly popular Donor Advised Fund. What are they? How do they work? How can your nonprofit better engage the d...

104: The 3 Dimensions of All Nonprofit Board Challenges (Mary Hiland) SUMMARY Maximizing the talent of your board of directors is an ongoing objective for a nonprofit executive, but creating a healthy engagement with the board is difficult if you are facing any number of issues, from micromanagement to apathy. What are the underlying issues that create challenges for you and your board, and how do you address them? That’s exactly what Dr. Mary Hiland and I discuss in episode #104 ...

103: Effective Nonprofit Leadership in a Virtual World (Heather Burright) SUMMARY While nonprofit leaders are welcoming a gradual return to in-person meetings and events, the virtual access required during the pandemic will remain an operational reality going forward. For many leaders, the prospect of more online meetings and trainings is frustrating, but how can you make the best of this reality and in fact leverage the technology to improve the effectiveness of your virtual platforms ...

102: Leading A Nonprofit Through Dramatic Growth (Rob Harter) SUMMARY It seems obvious that most nonprofit leaders hope to grow their impact and increase the numbers they serve, but are they really ready for dramatic growth? Growth without planning can create all kinds of problems, which makes the thoughtful leadership of Rob Harter even more helpful as a guide to program growth and strategic expansion. Rob serves as the Executive Director of the Christian Center of Park City in Utah, a...

101: How to Energize Your Nonprofit’s Social Media (Dana Snyder) SUMMARY Do you find your nonprofit’s digital marketing strategy is simply reacting to the latest social media craze? As a nonprofit leader, you’re not alone, and you simply don’t have the time or resources to flounder around in a space that is increasingly important to the engagement of critical friends and donors to your organization. Fortunately, Dana Snyder is the perfect person to talk about this dilemma, and bri...

100: Leadership Lessons from the First 100 Episodes (Patton McDowell) SUMMARY Reaching the 100-episode milestone on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership was a wonderful journey thanks to incredible nonprofit leaders who were willing to share their wisdom and experiences with our listeners. Chris Delisio, our guest on episode #24 on the Path, offered to rejoin the show and interview me about the experience since the inaugural episode on November 21, 2019. Our discussion lifted up many fanta...

099: Moving Through the Pandemic: What Do We Do Now? (Michael Marsicano) SUMMARY As one of the most popular guests on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, it seems only fitting to bring back Michael Marsicano as the podcast completes its first 100 episodes. On his first visit to the Path (episode #32), Michael raised important questions - and offered key insight - on the role of philanthropy as nonprofit leaders grappled with a global pandemic in April of 2020. A year later on episode #99...

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...

97: Nonprofit Leaders: When is it Time to Leave? (Kathy Ridge) SUMMARY On your path to nonprofit leadership, you will face difficult decisions about whether it is the right time to leave your organization. This decision can be even more difficult if you are the leader of your nonprofit and have dedicated countless hours to the cause and feel genuine concern for its well-being after your departure. Kathy Ridge, our guest on episode #97 of the Path Podcast has helped dozens of nonprofit ...

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...

95: Adapting Your Plan to Nonprofit Leadership (Bob Carter) SUMMARY Are you open to new opportunities along the path to nonprofit leadership? None of us know exactly where our journey will take us, but advice from Bob Carter, the guest on episode #95 of the Path Podcast, will certainly help. Bob brings four decades of leadership experience in the charitable sector, and leads one of the top philanthropic consulting practices in the world at Carter Global. He shares man...

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...