Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising

I am honored to have Carol Cone on the podcast today. She is a visionary who saw the immense potential in linking business and social issues way back in the early eighties. 
Carol spearheaded the walking movement for the Rockport shoe company, transforming it into a household name and growing the business exponentially. Beyond Rockport, her initiatives have touched and saved millions of lives. Carol has raised over 5 billion for social causes, proving that business can indeed be a powerful force for good. 

In this episode:

• [07:10] How partnerships can position an organization to scale
• [13:54] How nonprofits can set themselves up to partner with corporations and how to track the outcomes from this partnership
• [24:21] Creating a campaign that resonates across different cultures
• [37:12] The role of purpose-driven leadership in today’s business landscape

Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding: Seven Principles to Power Extraordinary Results by Jocelyne S. Daw, Carol Cone, Kristian Darigan Merenda, and Anne Erhard

CONNECT WITH CAROL
LinkedIn: Carol Cone
Instagram: @cc_onpurpose
Website: carolconeonpurpose.com
Podcast: Purpose 360

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

Dr. Lola Gershfeld’s EmC Masterclass helps you boost communication skills to raise more revenue. Trusted by top universities and global organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART for 10% off.

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

Today’s guest is Susan Combs - the founder of the nonprofit organization Pancakes for Roger. Her journey began with a heartfelt tribute to her father, Major General Roger Combs, a Vietnam War veteran who battled throat cancer due to Agent Orange exposure.
From a simple wish for pancakes to a nationwide movement, Susan has turned a personal loss into a mission of giving back to the brave men and women who serve our country. Her innovative approach to fundraising and community engagement has propelled Pancakes for Roger to incredible heights, making a tangible difference in the lives of veterans.
I’m honored that she is sharing her story with us today.

In this episode:

• [02:34] The emotional journey that led Susan to create Pancakes for Rogers
• [07:51] Overcoming the challenges that accompany grief
• [12:25] How to navigate difficult conversations
• [17:21] The differences between starting a nonprofit and a for-profit organization
• [21:12] Using social media to create a sense of community 
• [24:52] Upcoming initiatives for Pancakes for Roger

RESOURCES
Pancakes for Roger: A Mentorship Guide for Slaying Dragons by Susan Combs

CONNECT WITH SUSAN
LinkedIn: Susan L Combs
Instagram: @combsandcompany and @pancakesforroger
Website: pancakesforroger.org

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

Today’s guest is Dr. Rob Harter - a nonprofit executive professional with over 29 years of experience leading and building nonprofit organizations, fundraising, leveraging resources, and managing organizational growth.

He has a lot of advice to share on fundraising trends, what makes a fundraiser successful, and why creating a culture of development at your nonprofit is so important.

Rob's passion and commitment to nonprofit leadership and coaching is truly inspiring and I can’t wait for you to learn more about his experience in leading and building nonprofit organizations.

In this episode:

• [04:03] Key changes in the nonprofit sector over the last 30 years and the key to a successful nonprofit
• [12:53] The challenges nonprofits face in building a human-to-human connection
• [21:24] Strategies to maintain motivation and energy in a team dynamic
• [23:59] Key traits of a successful fundraiser
• [30:27] Getting clear on your nonprofit’s mission 
• [34:13] Advice for aspiring nonprofit leaders wanting to make a significant impact in their organizations and communities

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH ROB
LinkedIn: Dr. Rob Harter
Podcast: nonprofitleadershippodcast.org
Instagram: @robharter
Website: robharter.com

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

Dr. Lola Gershfeld’s EmC Masterclass helps you boost communication skills to raise more revenue. Trusted by top universities and global organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART for 10% off.

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

Welcome back to the Lead with Heart podcast. I am very excited to have Kathy Archer as my guest today. Kathy is a leadership development coach and an expert in women's leadership and personal development.

Kathy has dedicated her career to helping women discover their true leadership potential by mastering their inner guidance system and building the confidence needed to thrive beyond survival mode. She is sharing some of those insights and strategies with us today.

In this episode:

• [06:09] The definition of teaching, mentoring, and coaching.
• [09:06] Using the inner guidance system to access your inner wisdom
• [15:49] Shifting from survival mode to a more empowered leadership stance
• [23:58] Practices for women to build and sustain their confidence
• [32:04] How women can trust their intuition in their decision-making process

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH KATHY
Instagram: @kathydarcher
LinkedIn: Kathy Archer
Website: kathyarcher.com

The Training Library Membership
Mastering Confidence: Discover Your Leadership Potential By Awakening Your Inner Guidance System by Kathy Archer

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

Dr. Lola Gershfeld’s EmC Masterclass helps you boost communication skills to raise more revenue. Trusted by top universities and global organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART for 10% off.

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

I am very excited and honored to have Echo VanderWal as today’s guest on the Lead with Heart podcast. Echo is the founder of The Luke Commission (also known as TLC) and has led TLC to scale compassion in a way many deemed impossible.

TLC’s mission is to provide free, compassionate, and comprehensive healthcare to underserved populations in Eswatini and has transformed the lives of 1000s. Today, TLC serves one-third of the nation, all without any cost to the patients.

Echo is sharing how she has made compassion her guide and followed a human-centered approach to scaling.

In this episode:

• [05:38] How to let compassion guide you and your nonprofit 
• [07:29] A human-centered approach to scaling
• [11:04] Creating a space for people to process pain within your organization
• [18:32] Reimagining your organization in terms of core values and qualities
• [26:53] Navigating conflict in the workplace

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH ECHO
LinkedIn: Echo VanderWal
Email: [email protected]
Website: lukecommission.org

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

I'm very excited to have Megan Whitney on this episode of Lead with Heart. Megan is talking about burnout and sharing some mindfulness strategies we can use to build a supportive and inclusive nonprofit culture.

Megan is a seasoned fundraising consultant and mindfulness coach with 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She understands the unique pressures of nonprofit work firsthand, having burned out a decade ago. Since then, she's dedicated her career to helping change-makers navigate the stress and exhaustion that can come with this work.

Megan is truly doing wonderful work in the world and I can’t wait to share it with you in this episode.

In this episode:

• [02:52] Megan’s experience with burnout
• [08:01] The early warning signs of burnout and the difference between burnout and stress
• [19:09] Mindfulness strategies for building a supportive and inclusive nonprofit culture
• [35:26] Megan’s mindfulness community and the different practices she offers
• [38:30] Creating mindful micro-moments

RESOURCES
Megan’s Nonprofit Burnout Prevention Kit

CONNECT WITH MEGAN
LinkedIn: Megan Whitney
Instagram: @bemindfulwithmeg
Website: meganwhitneycoaching.com

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

Dr. Lola Gershfeld’s EmC Masterclass helps you boost communication skills to raise more revenue. Trusted by top universities and global organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART for 10% off.

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

When I learned about today’s guest as a working mom, business owner, and CEO of the Nonprofit Science Institute, I couldn’t wait to have her on the podcast.

Sheela Mahajan helps nonprofits go from intangible and ambiguous goals to quantifiable, measured impact. She is leading the effort in bringing scientific thinking to the nonprofit field.

Sheela is sharing her Signals Framework with us, a process to help nonprofits make informed decisions, and explaining how scientific thinking can help your nonprofit.

In this episode:

• [05:58] Practical strategies for science based decision making
• [11:11] A case study of scientific thinking leading to significant measurable outcomes
• [18:52] Developing effective implementation plans grounded in evidence
• [24:36] Coaching clients on scientific data-driven decision making
• [28:31] Prioritizing buy-in and belonging with the Signals Framework

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH SHEELA
LinkedIn: Sheela Mahajan
Website: nonprofit-science.com

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

On today’s episode of Lead with Heart, I am excited to have Jane Pfeiffer as my guest. Jane is the founder and president of Fieldtrip - a cause-driven agency that amplifies nonprofits and the impact they make.

Jane and her team recently surveyed 400 participants to explore people's thoughts and feelings about supporting nonprofits. She is sharing the fascinating insights from that survey with us and discussing how nonprofits can better connect with and engage their supporters.

This conversation gets juicy, so you’re not going to want to miss it!

In this episode:

• [04:14] The challenges nonprofits face in engaging multi-generations of giving
• [09:44] The primary motivations that drive individuals to support nonprofits
• [12:05] The three different donor attitudes and how to engage them
• [23:26] Improving nonprofit communication strategies
• [27:10] Building and maintaining nonprofit supporters

RESOURCES

Find the study here.

CONNECT WITH JANE
LinkedIn: Jane Pfeiffer
Instagram: @wearefieldtrip
Website: wearefieldtrip.com
Email: [email protected]

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

In today’s episode of Lead with Heart, I am very excited to have Howard Levy as my guest. Howard is the president of the Red Rooster Group and helps organizations engage their audiences, wake up their brands, and create systemic change.

How does he do this? Through behavioral science principles, sophisticated messaging strategies, and data-driven campaigns.

Today, Howard is sharing how you can incorporate behavioral science into your fundraising strategies to create more effective campaigns.

In this episode:

• [02:51] Nonprofit marketing and brand strategy pain points
• [08:01] Behavioral science trends that encourage people to give
• [15:59] The Actionology Method: Incorporating behavioral science into fundraising strategies
• [24:49] The technology used for fundraising strategies
• [29:37] The power of stories in fundraising

RESOURCES
Red Rooster Group Actionology Card Deck

CONNECT WITH HOWARD
LinkedIn: Howard Adam Levy
Website: redroostergroup.com

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms

On this episode of the Lead with Heart podcast, I am beyond excited to have Jenny Mitchell as my guest. Jenny is the chief visionary officer and founder of Chavender where she works closely with not-for-profit leaders to change the world one mission at a time.
Jenny recently released her book, Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, & Lead, and she is sharing some insights from it with us today. This episode is full of practical advice for women in leadership roles.

In this episode:

• [04:14] The value of an executive coach
• [08:45] Listening to the signs from your body and leading with authenticity
• [13:18] Self-reflection questions for female leaders
• [17:51] Prioritizing self-worth in leadership roles
• [28:31] Reclaiming the word ambition while still maintaining compassion as a female leader

RESOURCES
Embracing Ambition: Empowering Women to Step Out, Be Seen, & Lead by Jenny Mitchell

CONNECT WITH JENNY
LinkedIn: Jenny Mitchell
Instagram: @jennychavender
Website: chavender.com

Send Haley a suggestion or request via text HERE!

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies for nonprofit leaders to create real impact.

Trusted by 80,000+ organizations in 90+ countries, Donorbox offers easy fundraising tools to help you raise more. From fast donation forms to crowdfunding, events, and Donorbox Live™ Kiosk, grow your impact with donorbox.org

Dr. Lola Gershfeld’s EmC Masterclass helps you boost communication skills to raise more revenue. Trusted by top universities and global organizations. Use code LEADWITHHEART for 10% off.

CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a CFRE, Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. Founder of The Savvy Fundraiser, she brings experience in human services, homelessness, and youth nonprofits. She specializes in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, empowering nonprofit leaders to build thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
YouTube: thesavvyfundraiser
Produced by Ideablossoms