Changemaker Conversations: The Podcast for Nonprofit Leaders

Most nonprofit leaders know staff should be involved in strategic planning. Far fewer can say what "involved" means: which staff, at which points, deciding what — and how their expertise should be weighed against board and beneficiary input.

In this episode of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy and Lindsay Mullen pick up where last month's board episode left off. They dig into what staff should own, what they shouldn't, who "staff" actually means when you're building a planning committee, and why the closest people to the work still aren't a substitute for the voices of the communities you serve.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

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Picture your last strategic planning retreat. A full agenda, a room full of smart people, big things to decide...but at some point, things go off the rails. Staff shrinks into the background. Someone takes the whole day off track by trying to relitigate a program decision from six months ago. The loudest, usually wealthiest, voice in the room starts running the show.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone, and it's not your board's fault, nor is it yours. These situations occur simply because no one has ever clearly explained what a board's role in strategic planning is actually supposed to be.

In this solo episode of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy goes deep on just one seat at the table: the board. She breaks down what board members are legally responsible for, why over-involved and under-involved boards both create problems, and how board involvement changes once you build your strategic plan the Shared Power™ way, with the people you serve at the center.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

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Strategic planning used to be handled the same way at most nonprofit organizations: hire a consultant, have them conduct research and facilitate a retreat, make some important decisions, and write the plan. It also used to be only the domain of those with a significant budget. However, that is changing rapidly.  

In this solo episode, Prosper Strategies principal Alyssa Conrardy shares not one but three distinct ways to approach  nonprofit strategic planning, and explains which sort of organization each option may be a fit for. She also shares how the philosophy underlying those options is as important as the approach itself.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

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Strategic Planning Decision Guide: https://prosper-strategies.com/strategic-planning-decision-guide/

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www.ChangemakerConversations.com for show notes and additional resources

Prosper-Strategies.com to learn more about our strategic consulting practice

[email protected] with topic suggestions, guest recommendations or questions On LinkedIn with Alyssa Conrardy, Lindsay Mullen and Prosper Strategies.

Picture your last board retreat. Smart, well-meaning people in a room. An agenda. Everyone fired up. And then, three hours in, you're still relitigating the same two sticking points and the day ends in frustration instead of clarity. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you, because you probably need a facilitator.

In Episode 15 of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy interviews Lindsay Mullen on what a strategic planning facilitator actually does, and just as importantly, what they don't do. This episode is a candid look at when bringing in an outside facilitator is worth it, when it isn't, and how to tell the difference.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

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Prosper-Strategies.com to learn more about our strategic advising practice.

Most nonprofits approach strategic planning the same way: a small group of senior leaders and board members make the calls, and then the plan gets shared out. Shared Power™ Strategic Planning flips that completely on its head, putting the people a nonprofit serves at the center of the most important decisions. In this episode, Alyssa and Lindsay walk through exactly how it works, step by step.

Using a real client example, an organization navigating a complex multi-stakeholder landscape, they break down all eight steps of the Shared Power Strategic Planning™ process: Prepare, Engage, Research, Retreat, Set OKRs, Listening Sessions, Finalize, and Implement.

You'll hear how the process works whether you're DIY-ing your plan, working with a facilitator, or partnering with a full-service firm, and what happens when you skip any of the steps.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✅Why deeply involving your stakeholders in strategic planning (before, during and after) is absolutely critical, and how to do it well

✅ Why preparation is really a readiness and culture check, not a scheduling exercise

✅ How to design stakeholder engagement that works for hard-to-reach populations like people living with serious diseases or youth

✅ What three assessments anchor the research phase and how they come together

✅ How a two-day retreat takes you from hundreds of strategic questions to three or four plan pillars

✅ Why listening sessions (often skipped entirely) can change the entire direction of a plan

✅ The role of OKRs in turning aspirational pillars into measurable, staff-owned work

If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like to build a strategic plan that centers the people and communities your organization serves, how much time it takes, or what will be asked of you in the process, this is your episode. 

🎁 Listener offer: Get $125 off the Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox at strategicplanningtoolbox.com with code CHANGEMAKERCONVERSATIONS

"Are you trying to put yourselves out of business?"

That was the very first question Alyssa got after Prosper Strategies launched its new Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox earlier this month. In this special solo episode of Changemaker Conversations, she answers it head-on — and tackles every other question that's been coming in since launch.

Why would a consulting firm with 12 years of high-touch strategic planning experience release a DIY toolbox? What's actually inside it? Who is it for? And how is it different from the free templates already floating around the nonprofit sector?

If your organization needs a real, stakeholder-driven strategic plan but a near six-figure consulting engagement isn't in the budget right now, this episode lays out exactly how the Toolbox is designed to close that gap.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

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🎁 Save $125 (our biggest discount yet) on the Nonprofit Strategic Planning Toolbox with the code CHANGEMAKERCONVERSATIONS — exclusive to Changemaker Conversations listeners. Apply at checkout: https://www.strategicplanningtoolbox.com

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Funding uncertainty is top of mind for many nonprofit leaders right now. Between shifting policies, unstable grants, and rising demand for services, organizations are being asked to do more with fewer resources.

In this episode of Changemaker Conversations, Alyssa Conrardy and Lindsay Mullen wrap up their three-part Fix Your Funding series by discussing a practical tool nonprofit leaders can use to prepare for uncertainty: scenario planning.

Scenario planning helps organizations think through potential financial outcomes before a crisis hits — so leaders can make thoughtful decisions instead of reacting under pressure.

In this conversation, Alyssa and Lindsay walk through a simple framework for creating “bad,” “worse,” and “catastrophe” scenarios and tying them to clear decision triggers.

They also discuss how scenario planning can surface hidden organizational challenges and help nonprofit leaders move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

In this episode, we discuss:

What nonprofit scenario planning is and why it matters right now

How to build “bad, worse, and catastrophe” financial scenarios

How to set decision triggers tied to financial indicators

What scenario planning can reveal about programs, staffing, and expenses

How to involve your board without pulling them into operational details

Why planning ahead can make crisis leadership easier

Whether you’re already facing financial uncertainty or simply want to strengthen your organization’s resilience, this episode offers practical guidance for planning ahead.

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Fix Your Funding Part 3: Take On Scenario Planning

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Blog post: Nonprofit Scenario Planning Guide

In this powerful episode of Changemaker Conversations, we confront what it means for nonprofits and their leaders to show up in times of moral crisis.

Amidst violent ICE raids and the recent killings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, nonprofit leaders within and beyond Minnesota are grappling with how they can respond when communities are grieving, afraid, and in urgent need of support.

Against the backdrop of recent events in Minnesota—and with an eye toward future crises—we explore the real risks, responsibilities, and decisions nonprofit leaders face when choosing whether to stay silent or speak out, and how to align their services and actions to meet the moment.

If you’re wrestling with how your organization should show up while protecting its mission and adapt its work during times of moral urgency, this episode offers clarity, practical guidance, and a values-driven framework for action.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

How to decide whether—and how—to speak out during a moral crisis like the one taking place in Minnesota right now

The risks of silence and the risks of public statements

How mission and values should guide crisis decisions

A practical framework for nonprofit crisis response and communications

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Minnesota Nonprofits Resources for Supporting Communities During ICE Operations

Nonprofit Rapid Response Communications Framework

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[email protected] with topic ideas or questions

We’re kicking off 2026 with a topic that’s top of mind for nearly every nonprofit leader right now: funding.

As part two of our three-part Fix Your Funding series, Lindsay and Alyssa walk through how to build a fundraising crisis response plan—so you can stabilize cash flow, close budget gaps, and focus your efforts where they’ll move the needle fastest.

If you're heading into the new year feeling the pressure of financial uncertainty, restricted dollars, or a lack of revenue diversification, this episode is for you.

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

How to build a fundraising crisis response plan based on your organization’s most urgent financial health metric

Why your board should be your first (and most powerful) lever in a funding crisis

High-ROI ways to mobilize board members quickly—without burning them out

How to approach current funders with transparency, urgency, and a clear stabilization goal

What to do when restricted revenue is limiting your ability to operate effectively

How to think about revenue diversification in a crisis (and what not to do)

What to prioritize when all four financial gauges are off track

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Fix Your Funding Part 2: Build Your Nonprofit's Crisis Response Fundraising Strategy

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In this first episode of our three-part Fix Your Funding series on Changemaker Conversations, we dig into the financial crisis nonprofits are facing right now—and why “we just need more money” isn’t a clear enough diagnosis. From disappearing federal funds to shrinking corporate support and skyrocketing community need, we walk through how to get brutally honest about your organization’s financial health so you can protect what matters most: your nonprofit’s survival.

If you’re lying awake wondering how many payrolls you can cover, how to explain the situation to your board, or where to even start with the numbers, this episode will give you a simple framework and language to get everyone aligned around reality—and ready for action in parts two and three of this series.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

The four essential financial “gauges” every nonprofit should be tracking in a crisis

How to calculate and interpret your operating reserves (months of cash on hand)

Why your restricted vs. unrestricted revenue mix can quietly put your mission at risk

How to spot dangerous overreliance on any single funder or funding stream

A practical way to project your year-end surplus or deficit—before it’s too late

How to bring your board into the financial truth so they can actually help

*SHOW NOTES *

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Prosper Strategies’ Financial Health Gauges for Nonprofits 

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Fix Your Funding Series – Part 2: Build a Crisis Response Fundraising Strategy 

Fix Your Funding Series – Part 3: Prepare for the Future with Scenario Planning

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ChangemakerConversations.com for show notes and additional resources

Prosper-Strategies.com to learn more about our strategic consulting practice

[email protected] with topic suggestions, guest recommendations or questions

On LinkedIn with Alyssa Conrardy, Lindsay Mullen and Prosper Strategies