Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast

This is Mental Health Week. So in this week’s episode, I’m talking about one of the most important and transformative lessons about leadership and mental health that I ever learned, and how it came from listening to one of - if not the - shortest songs on the Hamilton soundtrack. 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Gratefu!!I”  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast 
Check us out on YouTube! 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

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In this week’s episode, I’m talking about 3 courageous infrastructure shifts to make if you want to set yourself up for sustainable impact in 2023.

 I say “courageous” because these small changes can require real bravery when put into practice. They can require investing in a vision - and leaning into practices - that are completely new and different from your current reality. But I make the argument that they’re incredibly powerful, and can - will! - change the course of the direction of your organization.

In this episode, you will learn: 

• Three acts of “bravery” that can deeply impact your organization 
• How to step boldly into an uncertain future, and straddle the line between what is and what’s possible 
• The importance of having real capacity to fuel your mission 
• The relationship between creativity and stillness 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Gratefu!!I”  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Links Mentioned

> Focus on Growth Training bundle: richiebabbage.com/focusongrowthbundle

 > Next Level Nonprofit: richiebabbage.com/nextlevelnonprofit

> Architecture of Impact Toolkit: richiebabbage.com/architectureofimpacttoolkit

Previous Episodes Mentioned

• Understanding & Practicing Liberatory Governance, with Natalie Bamdad and Ananda Valenzuela
•  How To Get Your Time Back: 3 Lists To More Leverage
• Strategy Quick Hit: How To Hire To Fuel Growth 
• How To Find Untapped Organizational Capacity Hidden In Plain Sight 

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast 

Check us out on YouTube! 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

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• YouTube

In this week’s episode, I’m walking through a simple yet powerful activity that’s designed to create clarity about where and how to get more time in your leadership. I’ll walk through each step, but pay close attention to the last one - that’s where the greatest leverage is hidden.  We talk about why and how to remove yourself as a bottleneck in your organization, and how to begin to see where you can find lost hours.  This is a valuable exercise that has saved me HOURS of time, and helped me refocus on the right direction for growth. I can’t recommend it enough!

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The high leverage activities to be focused on 
• How to map out your time in a way that gives you insight into hiring, board development, and bottlenecks 
• The power of letting go of the things that are not in your zone of genius 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Gratefu!!I”  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Links Mentioned

Virtual Freedom, by Chris Ducker

Previous Episodes: 

Strategy Quick Hit: How To Hire To Fuel Growth 

How To Find Untapped Organizational Capacity Hidden In Plain Sight 

Architecture of Impact Toolkit: richiebabbage.com/architectureofimpacttoolkit

Next Level Nonprofit: richiebabbage.com/nextlevelnonprofit

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast
Check us out on YouTube! 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

In this week’s episode, I’m talking about an important - and top-of-mind - question for so many people:  The what, why, and how of Liberatory Governance.  I got to have a thoroughly enjoyable and meaty conversation with Natalie Bamdad and Ananda Valenzuela, of Change Elemental, an organization that partners across sectors to disrupt and transform systems of inequity and create powerful vehicles for justice.  

At Change Elemental, Natalie supports racial equity transformation processes, governance and decision-making structures, practices, and strategy-setting to build a world where power and resources are shared in just ways. She has written about shared leadership, experimentation in governance and decision-making, and the relationship between systems change and racial equity. 

Ananda is the Co-Chair of Change Elemental’s Governance Team.  They are an independent consultant engaged in professional interim executive director work and organizational development facilitation, with a particular focus on equitable self-management and liberatory practices.  

In this episode, we talk about: 

• How to think about the true meaning of governance
• How to apply liberatory governance practices to YOUR organization
• The actual process that Change Elemental used to experiment with and craft build their governance team 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Gratefu!!I”  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Links Mentioned

Previous Episode: How to think about and practice liberatory leadership, with Trish Tchume and Erika Stallings

The Architecture of Impact Toolkit: richiebabbage.com/architectureofimpacttoolkit

Change Elemental: https://changeelemental.org/

Ananda Valenzuela: https://anandavalenzuela.org/about/

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast 

Check us out on YouTube! 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

In this week’s episode, I talk about one of the deep underlying beliefs (or hopes) that lies at the core of so many of the staffing challenges and frustrations leaders find themselves navigating. I offer a concrete framework leaders can apply to get to the heart of what’s really going on with their staff, and to begin to craft solutions that will last. 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The role that management should play in your overall approach to leadership 
• The six questions to ask yourself to truly understand your staffing challenges
• A framework for assessing and responding to staffing frustrations as they arise 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Gratefu!!I”  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Links Mentioned

Previous Episode: The Powerful Myth That Could Be Stalling Your Growth

Architecture of Impact Toolkit: richiebabbage.com/architectureofimpacttoolkit

HR Policy & Document Bundle: richiebabbage.com/hrbundle

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast
Check us out on YouTube! 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

There is a common and pervasive myth about what fuels the sustainable, non-overwhelming expansion of impact and budget. So many of our decisions and priorities and actions as we grow are driven by this myth: That the key to growing to $1M+ is simply more and better fundraising. In this episode, I work to dispel this pernicious myth by showing that once you hit the mid-six figures, growing your organization in a way that doesn’t lead to implosion and burnout is not just about raising more money. 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The three elements of a healthy and sustainable nonprofit, 
• What it looks like to be intentional about those 3 critical elements, and  
• How these elements work together to drive and sustain growth without overwhelm. 

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

“This podcast is heaven-sent. Grateful!!”  
"Brilliant podcast! Rich & valuable content!" 
⬆️ ⬆️ If these resonate with you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — build and lead an organization that brings them joy.  Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to share the podcast with friends! You can share this link: richiebabbage.com/nonprofitmastermindpodcast 

Other Episodes Mentioned:

• How To Get Your Finance House In Order, with Germeen Guillaume
• Where To Find Hidden Untapped Organizational Capacity  

Other Ways To Enjoy This Podcast 

• YouTube: Check us out on YouTube! 
• Download the Architecture of Impact Toolkit for actionable worksheets based on the podcast at: richiebabbage.com/architectureofimpact

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
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• YouTube

This week I’m sharing a wonderful conversation with Lana Kleinman, the ED of Charleston Legal Access. I have a special place in my heart for this conversation because Lana and I got to bond a bit over the mission of her organization - expanding access to legal advocacy and justice to those who can't afford it. They are a nonprofit law firm and, as Lana describes, their unique and powerful focus is on people who don’t qualify for legal aid or legal services, but who can’t afford access to a private attorney. 

Lana and I talk big picture about what it really means o run an organization that operationalizes access to justice, and more personally, about her experience stepping into the ED role in a new city, and navigating COVID. 

This conversation bridges the personal and practical, and I hope you enjoy!

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

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This week I’m sharing a wonderful conversation with Josie Whittlesey, founder, and leader of Drama Club. Drama Club is one of those truly transformational organizations that when you learn what they do, and the real and lasting changes they bring about in the lives of young people, you feel inspired in the true sense of the word. 

Drama Club goes deep into the worlds and lives of young people in the NYC prison industrial complex. And uses drama and personal storytelling to unlock and nurture a connection to some bigger vision of what is possible for them and for their lives. 

Josie and I talk about her founding story, being compelled to do the work that she does, and the powerful impact that committing to the vision of an organization, and following through on that vision, can have on the people and communities we work with and serve. 

I hope you enjoy the conversation.    

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
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• YouTube

This week, I’m doing a quick strategy hit about something that is the underpinning of your growth - organizational playbooks.

I want to make the case for taking the time to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) and an organizational playbook.  As you grow, it’s important to begin to document what is working so that you can repeat the good and let go of the bad. In this episode, I walk through the what, the why, and the how of SOPs and organizational playbooks so that you can take action in your own organization. 

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

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Today I’m showcasing the True Star Foundation, based in Chicago. It’s the brain child of an incredible duo - DeAnna Sherman and Na Tae Thompson. True Star Foundation’ brings young people deep into the world and business of media production, using media as a platform for giving young people a creative outlet, a belief that their voice matters, and a professional toolbox that can be leveraged their entire lives. Teens not only produce actual high-quality media, including two magazines, a tv show, blog and radio show, as well as media for businesses and corporations, they also they advise and execute business strategy, conduct market research, develop marketing campaigns, and are the ultimate decision makers of the brand and direction of the organization itself. 

In our conversation, we talk about how these two ladies came together quite by accident and cofounded TrueStar close to 2 decades ago. We talk about the lessons they’ve learned from founding and building an organization from the ground up, and how they continue to innovate and remain responsive to the changing media sector, and the evolving needs of young people over decades. 

It's a great conversation!

Want to work together?

Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  

Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   

Connect with me!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube