Every nonprofit leader knows the feeling of too many priorities, too few resources, and a growing list of "good ideas" that never seem to get done. In this episode, Spencer talks with Cynthia Ryan, Executive Director of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA), about how strategic planning and smart prioritization can help small nonprofits focus their energy where it matters most.

Cynthia shares how VeDA uses a three-year strategic plan paired with a one-page annual action plan to stay focused on their mission without losing flexibility. We explore her impact-versus-effort framework for deciding which projects deserve attention, how tools like Asana and documented processes create institutional memory, and what it means to lead with clarity when everything feels urgent.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by competing priorities or wondered how to say no to good ideas so you can say yes to the right ones, this conversation is for you.

About the guest

Cynthia Ryan is the Executive Director of the Vestibular Disorders Association, known as VeDA, the leading international nonprofit dedicated to supporting people living with chronic dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders. For a decade and a half, Cynthia has championed patient-centered education, advocacy, and research initiatives that help people feel seen, supported, and empowered in their health journey. Under her leadership, VeDA has expanded its global reach, launched innovative programs like the Life Rebalanced Live virtual conference, strengthened partnerships with clinicians and researchers, and grown a vibrant community of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. With a background in nonprofit management, strategic communication, and community-building, Cynthia brings a deep commitment to elevating the voices of vestibular patients and driving progress in diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. She is passionate about helping people find clarity in a world that won’t stop spinning—and ensuring that no one faces a vestibular disorder alone.

Resources

• Virtual Vestibular Conference: https://vestibular.org/LRL/ 
• The Better Fundraising Company: https://betterfundraising.com/improve-your-fundraising-capacity/
• National Organization for Rare Disorders: https://rarediseases.org/
• Agile Marketing with Lesli Proffitt Nordström of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): https://brooks.digital/health-nonprofit-digital-marketing/agile-marketing/

Contact Cynthia

• [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vestibular-disorders-association
• Twitter: https://x.com/vestibularveda
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vestibulardisorders
• vestibular.org

The night before the Challenger launched, the engineers knew the shuttle was unsafe. They brought the data to management, and management decided to launch anyway. Seventy-three seconds later, seven people died.

If you're a communications or marketing director at a nonprofit, you've been in that room. You see what needs to change on your website and in your comms, and what your audience needs. Leadership makes decisions based on different priorities, and you're left implementing something you know won't work.

This episode is about navigating that dynamic (but not in the way you think). Before you can shift leadership's thinking, you need to recognize how your own perspective has been shaped by internal politics and priorities.

In this solo episode, Spencer shares specific ways to make the shift to user-centered thinking yourself, then help leadership see the gap between their daily reality and what website users actually need.

Resources

• The Most Expensive Opinion in the Room Blog Post: https://brooks.digital/articles/most-expensive-opinion/

Contact Spencer

• Email: [email protected]

Why do smart people at health nonprofits keep spending tens of thousands of dollars on website projects that don't solve the actual problem?

In this episode, Spencer breaks down a pattern he sees repeatedly: organizations making expensive website decisions based on internal assumptions rather than user evidence. The result? Projects that never get buy-in, or worse, projects that DO get approved but build the wrong thing entirely.

You'll learn:

• The three most common failure modes for nonprofit website projects
• Why "we need more templates" and "we need better design" are symptoms, not root causes
• The two critical pieces of information you need before you can know what to build
• A practical approach to getting stakeholder alignment and user evidence (whether you hire someone or do it yourself)
• How to pitch website projects to leadership with evidence instead of opinions

If you're planning a website project, trying to get budget approved, or working with a vendor right now, this episode will give you a framework to make better decisions.

Resources

• Website Strategy Assessment: brooks.digital/website-strategy-assessment

Contact Spencer

• Email: [email protected]

People often think of healthcare in terms of symptoms and services, but behind every clinic visit is a deeper story shaped by food insecurity, housing instability, and more. In this episode, host Spencer Brooks talks with Penny Aronson of the Community Free Clinic in Cabarrus County, NC, about how social determinants of health influence care delivery, challenge traditional marketing narratives, and shape the clinic’s outreach and funding efforts. If you’re a health nonprofit communicator working to make the invisible visible, this conversation will help you frame complex issues in ways your community (and your funders) can understand.

About the guest

Penny Aronson has more than 15 years of experience in community programming and corporate communication leadership. Penny began her career in corporate marketing and communications, supporting corporate branding strategies. She moved to nonprofit work to support education advocacy, building a cottage school and tutoring service, and operating a freelance business for operations, marketing, and communications for small and medium-sized business owners. She developed relationships with community partners and managed extensive volunteer forces. 

Penny’s vast background includes project management, board relations, and organizational strategy development for HR, training, and operations teams. Most recently before joining the Free Clinic, she individually raised 56% of an organization’s operating budget post-COVID with donations and grants, developed three programs with a 51% increase in participation over one year, created volunteer programs with success, and increased Board involvement and training.

Resources

• https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/#TheBook

Contact Penny

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-aronson-9136832/

“AI is the new front door to information, not Google. People are starting their journey with AI tools, and your job as a nonprofit is to show up where those conversations are happening.” - Spencer Brooks

AI isn’t replacing Google yet, but it’s already changing how people search for information online. In this solo episode, Spencer unpacks how tools like AI Overviews and Google’s AI Mode are reshaping search behavior, why trust and visibility still matter, and what nonprofit communicators should be doing to prepare. If you work in health communications or nonprofit digital strategy, this episode will help you understand the future of search and how to stay relevant in it.

Resources

• Navigating the New Normal: Decline in Nonprofit Web Traffic: https://brooks.digital/health-nonprofit-digital-marketing/decline-in-nonprofit-web-traffic/
• AI Search: The Great Platform Shift: https://brooks.digital/articles/ai-search-platform-shift/

Contact Spencer

• Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Health Nonprofit Digital Marketing, Spencer sits down with Dana Snyder, a renowned monthly giving strategist, to explore the transformative power of recurring donations for nonprofits. Discover how monthly giving programs can provide consistent cash flow, foster long-term donor relationships, and empower organizations to achieve their strategic goals. Dana shares insights from her experience, including practical tips for optimizing donation pages and nurturing donor communities. Whether you're a nonprofit leader or a digital marketer, this episode offers valuable strategies to enhance your organization's impact. Tune in to learn how to turn donors into lifelong partners.

About the guest

You can often find Dana Snyder in her favorite sweatshirt and comfy pants reading books with her daughter, or drinking a glass of cabernet to wind down after the week with her husband and labradoodle on the couch bingeing Suits! 

Dana grew up in Sarasota, FL, and graduated from The University of Central Florida in 2010 with a Bachelors in Advertising and Public Relations. Her love for philanthropy started as a college student, working on the exec board for Knight-Thon, our largest student-run philanthropy supporting our local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Ever since, she has traveled coast-to-coast working in the Big Apple and Los Angeles working with American Idol, Movember, Dress for Success, The Television Academy, and many more.

Resources

• Podcast: https://positiveequation.com/podcast/
• Non Profit Pro: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/
• Fortune: Nonprofits: You’ll miss them when they’re gone: https://fortune.com/2025/09/07/nonprofits-youll-miss-them-when-theyre-gone/
• Her book Monthly Giving Mastermind: https://positiveequation.com/book
• The Picnic Project: https://www.picnicproject.org/overview
• Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/#TheBook
• Join her Monthly Giving Slack Community: https://positiveequation.com/monthly-giving

Contact Dana

• Website: https://www.monthlygivingsummit.com/
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danarsnyder/

"If I can’t understand what 90% of these nonprofits are doing when I visit their website, what does that say about the average audience member?" - Spencer Brooks

Confusing messaging is one of the biggest barriers standing between your nonprofit and the audiences you want to reach. In this solo episode, Spencer shares a practical three-part framework (Problem, Solution, Impact) that helps organizations clearly communicate what they do and why it matters. Drawing on examples like the Fistula Foundation, he breaks down why most nonprofits skip over the problem, how to simplify complex solutions without dumbing them down, and the best ways to show impact with both stories and stats.

Spencer also answers the top five questions nonprofit leaders have about applying this framework, from adapting it across different channels to knowing whether your messaging is working. If you’ve ever worried that your website or communications don’t make sense to outsiders, this episode is for you.

👉 Ready for an outside perspective on your messaging? Book a call with Spencer to explore how to sharpen your communications.

Resources

• Problem, Solution, Impact: The Essential Nonprofit Messaging Framework: https://brooks.digital/articles/nonprofit-messaging-framework-problem-solution-impact/
• Website Messaging with Pam Lowney of Fistula Foundation: https://brooks.digital/health-nonprofit-digital-marketing/website-messaging/
• Fistula Foundation: https://fistulafoundation.org/

Contact Spencer

• Email: [email protected]

Nonprofit leaders know that creating meaningful change in legacy organizations requires both bold vision and deep empathy. In this episode, Spencer is joined by Bess Goggins, President and CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette, to discuss leading transformative change, building a culture of belonging, and the role of communications in advancing equity. This episode is ideal for health nonprofit leaders navigating complex systems, team culture, and digital engagement strategies.

About the guest

Bess Goggins is the President and CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette and the first woman to lead the organization in its 157-year history. She began the role in May 2025, bringing nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership to advance the Y’s mission of community well-being, belonging, and opportunity across the Portland metro and Southwest Washington region.

She previously served as CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, where she led strategic growth and secured a $1.7 million Early Literacy grant from the Oregon Department of Education to expand K–3 tutoring. Bess holds dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Communications and dual master’s degrees in English with concentrations in Technical Writing and Rhetoric. Now based in Portland, she is inspired by the YMCA’s commitment to holistic health, inclusion, and thriving communities.

Resources

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering
• Radical Candor: https://www.radicalcandor.com/
• The Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/
• The Columbian: https://www.columbian.com/
• The Reflector: https://www.thereflector.com/
• The Bee: https://thebeenews.com/
• Portland Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/portland
• Coaching For Leaders Podcast: https://coachingforleaders.com/
• The Art of Manliness Podcast: https://www.artofmanliness.com/podcast/
• Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks: https://matthewdicks.com/Books/storyworthy/
• The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93409.The_Fine_Art_of_Small_Talk

Contact Bess

• Website: https://www.ymcacw.org/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bessgoggins/
• YMCA CW’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ymca-of-columbia-willamette
• Bess’ email: [email protected]

The policy landscape for nonprofits has shifted dramatically in 2025, with new executive orders restricting DEI language in grants and contracts. Many health organizations are asking: should we change how we communicate or stand firm in our current messaging?

In this solo episode, Spencer explores four common responses he’s seen from nonprofits navigating these changes—compliance first, quiet continuers, resistors, and strategic shifters— and unpacks the deeper leadership questions beneath each choice.

He also shares guiding principles to help leaders chart their path forward, including integrity to mission, accountability to community, awareness of organizational risk tolerance, and consistency between words and actions. At its core, this moment is a test of mission integrity and how nonprofits will be remembered in the years ahead.

Contact Spencer

• Email: [email protected]

Many nonprofits feel stuck in a cycle of short-term funding and unpredictable grants. In this episode, Spencer Brooks talks with Stephanie Jacobs of Scale Collaborative about how nonprofits, especially those in the health space, can shift their mindset around money, explore earned revenue strategies, and use storytelling to strengthen financial sustainability. Learn how rethinking your funding model can unlock greater impact and long-term resilience for your organization.

About the guest

Stephanie has a diverse background in the social purpose sector, having served as an Executive Director, and held previous roles in communications and community engagement. Coupled with her experience as a Board Director, she brings valuable insights into the sector’s challenges and opportunities. Stephanie is dedicated to strengthening non-profits, helping to build capacity, and amplify their impact. She is also an advocate for environmental sustainability and local food systems, and previously ran her own business teaching home gardening and resiliency building skills. She’s often found working in her garden, or stocking up at the local farmers market.

Resources

• Thriving Non-Profits Cohort applications are now open for our Fall 2025 cohort. 
• Scale Collaborative Resources: https://scalecollaborative.ca/resources/ 
• Charity Village newsletter: https://resources.charityvillage.com/subscribe/

Contact Stephanie

• Website: https://www.thrivingnonprofits.ca/
• Email: [email protected]