If your budget feels like a set of handcuffs instead of a helpful tool, this episode is for you. I break down why so many nonprofits get stuck prioritizing the bottom line instead of smart financial decisions—and how to reframe your budget as a living financial plan that helps you invest, adapt, and create more impact as new opportunities emerge.

Episode Highlights

00:27 The Importance of Aligning Strategy and Operations

01:13 Common Budgeting Pitfalls

02:18 Reframing Your Budget as a Financial Plan

03:23 Prioritizing Spending for Maximum Impact

07:39 Adapting to New Opportunities

Resource

The Board Clarity Club

A monthly membership for boards that provides training and live expert support to help your board have total clarity on how to be the best board possible.

Learn More >>

About Your Host

Have you seen Casino Royale? That moment when Vespa slides in elegantly, opposite James, all charming smile, razor-sharp wit and mighty brainpower, and says, "I'm the money"?

Well, your host, Sarah Olivieri has been likened to Vespa by one of her clients – not just because she's charming, beautiful and brainy– but because that bold statement "I'm the money" was, as it turned out, right ON the money.

Sarah helps nonprofits transform their organizations from failing to thriving. And she's very, very good at it.

She's brought nonprofits back from the brink of insolvency. She's averted major cash-flow crises, solved funding droughts, board conflicts and everything in between… and so she has literally become "the money" for many of the organizations she works with.

As the former director of 3 nonprofits and founder of 5 for-profit businesses, she understands, deeply, the challenges and complexities facing organizations and she's created a framework, called The Impact Method®️, which can help you simplify operations, build aligned teams and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out – and Every. Single. One. Of her clients that have implemented her methodologies have achieved the most incredible results.

Sarah is also a #1 international bestselling author, holds a BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Access additional training at www.pivotground.com/funding-secrets or apply for the THRiVE Program for personalized support at www.pivotground.com/application

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

What does it really take to lead a values-driven nonprofit at scale—without losing your mission, your independence, or your sanity? In this episode, I sit down with Elyse Cherry, CEO of BlueHub Capital, to talk about long-term leadership, mission discipline, community-centered finance, and how great leaders keep asking better questions as their organizations grow.

Episode Highlights

02:21 – How global travel shaped Elyse's leadership worldview

07:58 – Staying true to mission and values over decades

14:15 – Navigating financial partnerships without losing independence

19:49 – What systems change really looks like in practice

31:15 – Why nonprofit leaders must "look around the corner."

My guest for this episode is Elyse Cherry.

Elyse Cherry is the CEO of BlueHub Capital, where she has led the organization since 1997. Under her leadership, BlueHub has invested more than $3.2 billion to support affordable housing, health centers, schools, clean energy, foreclosure prevention, and community wealth-building initiatives nationwide. She is also President of Managed Assets at Boston Community Venture Fund, Aura Mortgage Advisors, and NSP Residential.

A former partner at WilmerHale, Elyse is an attorney with deep experience in real estate finance and community development. She is an active civic leader, serving on the boards of Wellesley College, Eastern Bank, and The Boston Foundation, and has been widely recognized for her leadership, including honors from the White House, the Boston Business Journal, and the Financial Times.

Connect with Elyse:

Website: https://bluehubcapital.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluehubcapital

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluehubcapital/

X: https://twitter.com/BlueHubCapital

Sponsored Resource

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit!

Access it here >>

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Delegating tasks keeps you busy. Delegating outcomes changes everything. In this episode, I break down the real difference between assigning work and asking someone to own a result—and why outcome ownership requires agreement, trust, and the right match between people and responsibility. If scaling still feels heavy, this is why.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Introduction: The Managerial Dilemma

00:10 Task Proficiency vs. Leadership Skills

00:21 The Side Benefits

00:24 Common Challenges in Management

00:28 Aspiring Leaders in Organizations

Resource

The Board Clarity Club

A monthly membership for boards that provides training and live expert support to help your board have total clarity on how to be the best board possible.

Learn More >>

About Your Host

Have you seen Casino Royale? That moment when Vespa slides in elegantly, opposite James, all charming smile, razor-sharp wit and mighty brainpower, and says, "I'm the money"?

Well, your host, Sarah Olivieri has been likened to Vespa by one of her clients – not just because she's charming, beautiful and brainy– but because that bold statement "I'm the money" was, as it turned out, right ON the money.

Sarah helps nonprofits transform their organizations from failing to thriving. And she's very, very good at it.

She's brought nonprofits back from the brink of insolvency. She's averted major cash-flow crises, solved funding droughts, board conflicts and everything in between… and so she has literally become "the money" for many of the organizations she works with.

As the former director of 3 nonprofits and founder of 5 for-profit businesses, she understands, deeply, the challenges and complexities facing organizations and she's created a framework, called The Impact Method®️, which can help you simplify operations, build aligned teams and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out – and Every. Single. One. Of her clients that have implemented her methodologies have achieved the most incredible results.

Sarah is also a #1 international bestselling author, holds a BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Access additional training at www.pivotground.com/funding-secrets or apply for the THRiVE Program for personalized support at www.pivotground.com/application

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

What if your podcast became your most effective relationship-building tool? In this episode, I'm joined by Jeremy Weiss, who breaks down how nonprofits can use podcasting to connect with their Dream 200—donors, referral partners, and champions—by leading with generosity and creating real ROI.

Episode Highlights

01:19 Jeremy's background and journey

05:41 The power of podcasting for relationships

11:30 Building relationships through giving

17:12 Asking better, open-ended questions

26:58 Active listening, follow-up, and human connection

35:31 Connecting and engaging meaningfully on LinkedIn

Meet the Guest

My guest for this episode is Dr. Jeremy Weisz

Dr. Jeremy Weisz has been featuring top entrepreneurs with video interviews since 2008. The interviews include founders/CEO's of Pixar, P90X, Atari, Zappier, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, Kettle Chips, RX Bars, Big League Chew, the Orlando Magic, and many more on www.InspiredInsider.com, and he shares the interviews with over 225K social media followers and email subscribers.

He runs Rise25, where they help B2B businesses connect to their 'Dream 200' clients and referral partners, and get ROI, using a podcast. They eliminate 99% of the work and make sure you get ROI. Rise25 is an easy button for you to launch and run your podcast.

Podcasting has been one of the best things I've done both personally and professionally. It's been an amazing tool for connecting with referral partners, strategic partners, clients, and more.

Podcasting is like a "Swiss Army knife" because it is business development, referral marketing, strategic partnerships, lead generation, SEO, content creation, personal & professional development, all in one

Connect with Dr. Jeremy:

www.Rise25.coAbout - Rise 25m/about/

Sponsored Resource

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit!

Access it here >>

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Procrastination isn't a character flaw—it's data. In this training, Sarah Olivieri shares how to turn "I can't make myself do it" into a practical clue about what needs to change: your expectations, the size of the task, or whether it even belongs on your plate. You'll learn a simple mindset shift (Wabi-Sabi procrastination), how the Four Tendencies can explain your patterns, and a few quick ways to redesign work so you actually get it done—without forcing yourself to become a different person.

Episode Highlights

01:13 Today's Topic: Positive Procrastination

01:32 Personal Procrastination Story

03:21 Understanding Procrastination

06:19 The Four Tendencies Framework

08:38 Breaking Down Tasks

10:43 Delegation and Zone of Genius

Resource

The Board Clarity Club

A monthly membership for boards that provides training and live expert support to help your board have total clarity on how to be the best board possible.

Learn More >>

About Your Host

Have you seen Casino Royale? That moment when Vespa slides in elegantly, opposite James, all charming smile, razor-sharp wit and mighty brainpower, and says, "I'm the money"?

Well, your host, Sarah Olivieri has been likened to Vespa by one of her clients – not just because she's charming, beautiful and brainy– but because that bold statement "I'm the money" was, as it turned out, right ON the money.

Sarah helps nonprofits transform their organizations from failing to thriving. And she's very, very good at it.

She's brought nonprofits back from the brink of insolvency. She's averted major cash-flow crises, solved funding droughts, board conflicts and everything in between… and so she has literally become "the money" for many of the organizations she works with.

As the former director of 3 nonprofits and founder of 5 for-profit businesses, she understands, deeply, the challenges and complexities facing organizations and she's created a framework, called The Impact Method®️, which can help you simplify operations, build aligned teams and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out – and Every. Single. One. Of her clients that have implemented her methodologies have achieved the most incredible results.

Sarah is also a #1 international bestselling author, holds a BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Access additional training at www.pivotground.com/funding-secrets or apply for the THRiVE Program for personalized support at www.pivotground.com/application

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

What if nonprofits weren't just backstops for broken systems—but laboratories for building better ones? In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Pierre Berastain, CEO of the Safe Alliance in Austin, Texas, for a powerful conversation about systems change, abundance, and coherence in nonprofit leadership. Drawing from his lived experience, global work, and frontline leadership in domestic and sexual violence services, Pierre shares how nonprofits can move from constant crisis response to designing humane, effective systems that truly help communities thrive.

Episode Highlights

01:16 Meet Dr. Pierre Berastain

05:26 Understanding Systems Change

09:19 Nonprofits as Civic Laboratories

15:06 Fundraising, ROI, and Real Financial Impact

21:39 Flipping the Script: From Scarcity to Abundance

My guest for this episode is Dr. Pierre Berastaín.

Dr. Pierre R. Berastaín is a leader whose life and work sit at the intersection of justice, healing, and systems transformation. Pierre is the CEO of The SAFE Alliance in Austin, Texas—one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive organizations supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, trafficking, and child abuse.

What makes Pierre's leadership so powerful isn't just his résumé, though it's extensive. He has led a global nonprofit, co-founded national centers on domestic violence and systems change, expanded housing systems for survivors in Washington, D.C., and directed Harvard University's efforts to respond to interpersonal harm.

But beneath all of that is a personal story: Pierre immigrated from Peru in 1998 and lived undocumented for 14 years. That experience of living between systems, often unprotected by them, continues to shape his belief that safety, dignity, and belonging must be intentionally built through community, courage, and collective imagination.

Connect with Dr. Pierre:

@safeatx on all platforms.

SAFE's website: https://www.safeaustin.org/

Pierre's personal website: https://pierreberastain.com/

Sponsored Resource

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit!

Access it here >>

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Burnout doesn't usually announce itself—it sneaks in through exhaustion, distraction, and that constant feeling of carrying too much. In this episode, I break down how to spot burnout early, why it hurts your organization (not just you), how boards can unintentionally make it worse, and what actually helps leaders recover—without adding more to your plate.

Episode Highlights

01:16 Recognizing Burnout in Nonprofit Leadership

02:44 The Impact of Burnout on Organizations

03:55 Board's Role in Preventing Burnout

05:44 Strategies to Overcome Burnout

07:13 Self-Care and Community Support

Resource

The Board Clarity Club

A monthly membership for boards that provides training and live expert support to help your board have total clarity on how to be the best board possible.

Learn More >>

About Your Host

Have you seen Casino Royale? That moment when Vespa slides in elegantly, opposite James, all charming smile, razor-sharp wit and mighty brainpower, and says, "I'm the money"?

Well, your host, Sarah Olivieri has been likened to Vespa by one of her clients – not just because she's charming, beautiful and brainy– but because that bold statement "I'm the money" was, as it turned out, right ON the money.

Sarah helps nonprofits transform their organizations from failing to thriving. And she's very, very good at it.

She's brought nonprofits back from the brink of insolvency. She's averted major cash-flow crises, solved funding droughts, board conflicts and everything in between… and so she has literally become "the money" for many of the organizations she works with.

As the former director of 3 nonprofits and founder of 5 for-profit businesses, she understands, deeply, the challenges and complexities facing organizations and she's created a framework, called The Impact Method®️, which can help you simplify operations, build aligned teams and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out – and Every. Single. One. Of her clients that have implemented her methodologies have achieved the most incredible results.

Sarah is also a #1 international bestselling author, holds a BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Access additional training at www.pivotground.com/funding-secrets or apply for the THRiVE Program for personalized support at www.pivotground.com/application

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Burnout doesn't usually come from caring too much. It comes from carrying too much for too long. In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Melanie Gray to talk about trauma-informed leadership, nervous system overload, and how nonprofit leaders can respond to stress with clarity instead of reactivity. We unpack how to spot burnout early, set real boundaries, and build cultures of care that support both your people and your mission without pretending yoga fixes everything.

Episode Highlights

02:28 Dr. Gray's background and personal story

05:07 What trauma-informed care really means

08:54 Stress and burnout in nonprofit leadership

10:43 Setting boundaries and managing capacity

20:49 Building a trauma-informed nonprofit culture

Meet the Guest

My guest for this episode is Dr. Melanie Gray

Dr. Melanie Gray is a PhD-prepared nurse, educator, and trauma-informed leadership consultant with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and higher education. She specializes in helping mission-driven leaders prevent burnout, lead with emotional integrity, and create cultures of care that sustain both people and purpose.

Grounded in neuroscience, trauma-informed care, and systems thinking, Dr. Gray translates complex research on stress, the nervous system, and emotional labor into practical tools nonprofit leaders can use in real time. Her work bridges theory and practice—offering evidence-informed strategies that honor human limits while advancing organizational impact.

Drawing on her background in nursing leadership, curriculum design, and frontline experience in high-acuity environments, she equips leaders to recognize signs of nervous-system overload—in themselves and their teams—and to respond with clarity rather than reactivity. Her approach emphasizes that sustainable leadership begins with psychological safety, nervous-system regulation, and realistic boundaries at every level of the organization.

Through keynotes, workshops, and coaching, Dr. Gray teaches that caring for the caregivers is not a luxury—it is a strategic imperative for retention, innovation, and long-term mission success.

During the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Dr. Gray will share actionable insights on:

Leading on Fumes: Recognizing early warning signs of burnout and practical first steps to reverse the trend.

Cultures of Care: How to embed trauma-informed principles into communication, supervision, and organizational norms.

Regulated Leadership: Simple, science-backed regulation tools that help leaders hold space for others without sacrificing their own well-being.

Connect with Dr. Melanie:

https://www.facebook.com/melanie.gray.550422

https://www.instagram.com/drmelaniewellnesscoach/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577286124894

https://x.com/MelanietheRN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmelaniegray/

www.DrMelanieGrayTheConfidenceCoach.com

Sponsored Resource

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit!

Access it here >>

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

What happens when lived experience, science, and nonprofit leadership collide? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Eugene Manley, Jr. to discuss health equity, cancer care gaps, and what it truly takes to design programs that serve communities that have been overlooked for far too long. We explore how focus, intentionality, and listening to the people most impacted can turn complex equity challenges into meaningful, measurable action.

Episode Highlights

02:32 Dr. Manley's Personal Journey and Inspiration

04:01 Challenges in the Hospital System

05:24 Launching the STEM and Cancer Equity Foundation

06:18 Addressing Health Disparities and Patient Advocacy

10:11 The Importance of Early Exposure to STEM

11:01 Navigating Academia and Nonprofit Work

11:57 The Lung Cancer Health Equity Summit

16:03 Fiscal Sponsorship for Nonprofits

19:46 Defining and Addressing Health Equity

22:03 Challenges in Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

My guest for this episode is Dr. Eugene Manley, Jr., PhD, MS.

Dr. Eugene Manley, Jr., PhD, MS, is a biomedical scientist-turned-social impact leader and the Founder & CEO of the STEMM & Cancer Health Equity (SCHEQ) Foundation. He brings 20+ years across engineering, molecular and cell biology, nonprofit strategy, and workforce development, with prior leadership at leading cancer organizations. He had worked in development at the AACR, grant system administration at LCRF, and directed national STEM and workforce initiatives and health equity initiatives at LUNGevity Foundation.

Through SCHEQ, he advances STEMM workforce diversity and patient-centered solutions across the cancer care continuum, producing health-literacy resources, convening cross-sector stakeholders, and leading the Lung Cancer Interventions Summit to drive practical, equity-focused outcomes for underserved communities. He serves on local, national, and international advisory boards advocating for Medicaid, rural, and historically marginalized patients. Dr. Manley serves on the Stony Brook Cancer Community Advisory Council, PCORI advisory panels focused on healthcare delivery and comparative clinical effectiveness, and has co-authored a perspective work with the American Cancer Society's National Lung Cancer Roundtable on compassion and stigma in lung cancer care. His lived experience, research background, outreach, and policy engagement inform a pragmatic approach to closing gaps in screening, biomarker testing, trial access, and survivorship.

Connect with Dr. Eugene:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenemanleyjrphd

https://www.linkedin.com/company/stemmcheq

https://www.facebook.com/stemmcheq

https://www.instagram.com/stemmcheq

https://www.instagram.com/manleyeugene

Sponsored Resource

Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit!

Access it here >>

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

Struggling to find great board members—and feeling stuck with the same advice that isn't working? Today's conversation is all about why board recruitment feels so hard (hint: it's not you) and what actually makes board service appealing to the right people. We'll reset what "skilled" really means, talk about the expectations that quietly scare good candidates away, and walk through practical ways to attract thoughtful, committed board members who can provide strong oversight without creating more work or drama.

Episode Highlights

01:16 Struggling to Find Great Board Members?

02:03 Common Misconceptions About Board Members

03:50 Qualities of a Great Board Member

05:15 Making the Board Role More Attractive

06:49 Finding Potential Board Members

09:53 Effective Outreach Strategies

11:17 Building a Collaborative Board Culture

Resource

The Board Clarity Club

A monthly membership for boards that provides training and live expert support to help your board have total clarity on how to be the best board possible.

Learn More >>

About Your Host

Have you seen Casino Royale? That moment when Vespa slides in elegantly, opposite James, all charming smile, razor-sharp wit and mighty brainpower, and says, "I'm the money"?

Well, your host, Sarah Olivieri has been likened to Vespa by one of her clients – not just because she's charming, beautiful and brainy– but because that bold statement "I'm the money" was, as it turned out, right ON the money.

Sarah helps nonprofits transform their organizations from failing to thriving. And she's very, very good at it.

She's brought nonprofits back from the brink of insolvency. She's averted major cash-flow crises, solved funding droughts, board conflicts and everything in between… and so she has literally become "the money" for many of the organizations she works with.

As the former director of 3 nonprofits and founder of 5 for-profit businesses, she understands, deeply, the challenges and complexities facing organizations and she's created a framework, called The Impact Method®️, which can help you simplify operations, build aligned teams and make a bigger impact without getting overwhelmed or burning out – and Every. Single. One. Of her clients that have implemented her methodologies have achieved the most incredible results.

Sarah is also a #1 international bestselling author, holds a BA from the University of Chicago with a focus on globalization and its effect on marginalized cultures, and a master's degree in Humanistic and Multicultural Education from SUNY New Paltz.

Access additional training at www.pivotground.com/funding-secrets or apply for the THRiVE Program for personalized support at www.pivotground.com/application

Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.