In a world defined by uncertainty-funding cuts, global instability, and constant change-what if doubt isn’t something to overcome, but something to lead with?

In this episode, I sit down with Marc A. Pitman, founder of Concord Leadership Group and a leading voice in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and executive coaching.

With more than two decades of experience coaching CEOs and training over 25,000 leaders across the globe, Marc brings a deeply practical and refreshingly human approach to leadership. He is also the author of Ask Without Fear! and his latest book, The Surprising Gift of Doubt.

At a time when nonprofit leaders are facing unprecedented challenges such as shrinking funding streams, rising demand for services, team burnout, and global instability, Marc offers a powerful reframe: doubt is not a liability. It’s a leadership advantage.

In this conversation, we explore how leaders can navigate ambiguity without losing clarity, make thoughtful decisions without perfect information, and foster trust even when the future feels uncertain. Marc shares practical frameworks, coaching insights, and real-world examples to help nonprofit professionals turn uncertainty into a source of strength rather than stress.

Whether you're leading an organization, managing a team, or responsible for fundraising in a volatile environment, this episode will challenge how you think about confidence, control, and what it truly means to lead.

💼 About Marc Pitman

Marc is the founder of Concord Leadership Group and has served as its CEO for 20 years. In that time, he has presented trainings and keynotes to over 27,000 participants in North America, Europe, Mexico, and New Zealand; coached more than 130 CEOs, C-suite executives, directors, and owners — through the dot-com bust, the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic; and in the last few years has certified an additional 45 Quadrant 3 Leadership Coaches, who have gone on to coach and train more than 45,290 leaders in corporations, government, associations, and nonprofits. Marc holds his masters in organizational leadership from Regent University.

He is a Certified Franklin Covey Coach, a Certified Speaking Professional of the National Speakers Association, and past-president of the South Carolina chapter of the International Coaching Federation. He has appeared in or been recognized by media outlets and publications including NBC, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Success magazine, Real Simple, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Marc is the author of Ask Without Fear!®, which has been translated into Dutch, Polish, Spanish, and Mandarin. His latest book is The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be. Marc speaks nationally and internationally on leadership, influence, storytelling, and fundraising and is the voice behind FRC, one of the longest-running blogs in the nonprofit sector (est. 2003). He is executive director of The Nonprofit Academy; an advisory board member of innovative fundraising platform Pennybridge in Orebro, Sweden; and a former advisory panel member of the Rogare Think Tank at Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom.

He is married to his best friend and is the father of three amazing kids, who, if he’s belting ’80s tunes, will deny they know him.

🔗 Resources and Links

https://concordleadershipgroup.com/ 

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

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This is an episode detailing some of the highlights from my recent session at the AFP international conference in San Diego - Josh Hirsch and I delivered a standing room only session on Mastering Short-Form Video, and it was so fun to be back at ICON and standing in front of nonprofits curious about video content and wanting to learn and connect. I’ll have more interviews and audio content from the conference in the coming weeks. 

Description: Short-form video is no longer a nice-to-have in nonprofit communications. It is, increasingly, a must-have.

Instagram Reels. YouTube Shorts. TikTok videos. Facebook short clips. These rapidly consumable vertical videos have changed how people engage with content online, including our donors.  

Across platforms, audiences are watching video content more than ever, and they are responding to it. Short-form video has the potential to do what long emails and even static graphics cannot: build trust quickly, show impact visually, and inspire actions right where supporters are scrolling.

But despite the opportunity, many fundraisers feel daunted.

“We don’t have time for video.”
 “We don’t have a videographer.”
 “I’m not creative enough.”

These are familiar refrains. But they miss the mark.

Short-form video isn’t about production value. It’s about clarity of story, consistency of message, and authentic human connection. You don’t need Hollywood-level equipment. You need heart and you need a unique perspective (which you have, from your hands-on work in the trenches). Let’s start with understanding why short-form video works for fundraising.

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This is the recording of a webinar that I recently did, called From Scroll to Support: 10 Ways to Drive More Donors to Your Online Giving Page.

Get the Nonprofit Social Media Content Planner: https://www.donorperfect.com/whitepapers/generic/the-nonprofit-social-media-content-planner/

Many nonprofits spend time optimizing their donation forms but struggle with a bigger challenge: getting the right people to the form in the first place. In today’s crowded digital environment, supporters rarely arrive at a giving page by accident. Instead, they move through a series of online interactions: social media, email, ads, and other digital touchpoints. In this session, we’ll go through ten practical and effective ways nonprofits can guide supporters from online engagement to making a gift. Participants will learn how to create compelling content, strengthen calls to action, and strategically lead supporters to their online giving forms.

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In this episode, Julia sits down with Cristóbal Durán and Derek Kitts, founders of WinFlip, to explore how AI-driven tools are reshaping the landscape of local political campaigns and what that means for nonprofits and grassroots organizers. While national campaigns often have access to sophisticated data and strategy teams, down-ballot candidates frequently operate without the same resources.

They share how the platform is working to close this gap—helping candidates better understand their districts, calculate realistic paths to victory, and make smarter, data-informed decisions without the need for large consulting teams.

The conversation also examines how nonprofits can apply these same principles to advocacy, fundraising, and community engagement—while maintaining ethical standards and trust.

💡 Key Topics Covered

• The hidden technology gap in local and down-ballot campaigns
• How AI can support (not replace) grassroots organizing
• Understanding and calculating a campaign’s “win number”
• Making campaign strategy accessible to first-time candidates
• Practical applications of AI for nonprofit leaders
• Ethical considerations in AI-driven civic engagement

💼 Cristobal Duran

Cristobal is a public affairs and communications professional focused on strengthening grassroots democracy through technology. With a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Tech and experience supporting over 500 political campaigns, he has worked across communications, compliance, and campaign strategy.

He is the founder of WinFlip, an AI-driven platform designed to help down-ballot candidates understand their districts, calculate realistic paths to victory, and make smarter strategic decisions. His work focuses on democratizing access to campaign strategy, lowering the barriers to running for office, and enabling more people to participate in the democratic process.

Connect with Cristobal on LinkedIn

💼 Derek Kitts

Derek Kitts is a retired Army veteran, entrepreneur, and elected Supervisor in Montgomery County, Virginia. With over 24 years of military service and a decade in campaign operations, he leads Tempus Leadership Solutions and co-founded Project Icarus AI, bringing innovative tools to political campaigns. His work centers on service, accountability, and helping others succeed.

Connect with Derek on LinkedIn

🔗 Resources and Links

• WinFlip Website

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What should nonprofits do when their communities are grieving, fearful, and demanding accountability?

In moments of crisis, nonprofit leaders are often called upon to do more than deliver services. They must communicate with empathy, support their teams, stand alongside their communities, and decide whether, and how, to speak publicly about events that are unfolding in real time.

In this episode of Nonprofit Nation, I’m joined by Jacques Hebert, communications director at the McKnight Foundation. We discuss how nonprofit organizations and foundations can respond when tragedy and tension impact the communities they serve.

The conversation was inspired by a powerful public statement from McKnight Foundation president Tonya Allen following the tragic events in Minneapolis and the ongoing pain and fear felt by many residents across Minnesota. Her message called for dignity, accountability, and safety while acknowledging the deep grief and concern many community members are experiencing.

Jacques shares insights into the role that communications leaders play during moments like this: when the stakes are high, emotions are raw, and communities are looking to trusted institutions for leadership.

We explore how nonprofits can step up for their communities while also caring for their staff, navigating uncertainty, and communicating in ways that are responsible, values-driven, and grounded in empathy.

Moments of crisis test our institutions, our leadership, and our values. This conversation explores how the nonprofit sector can respond with compassion, clarity, and courage.

💼 About Jacques Herbert

Jacques serves on McKnight’s Executive Leadership Team and leads communications for the Foundation. Since joining McKnight in 2022, Jacques has directed the Foundation’s enterprise-wide communications strategies with vision, care, and impact. Under his leadership, the Communications Team has played a vital role in shaping how we share our story, connect with our partners, and amplify the work of those advancing justice, equity, and climate solutions in our communities.

Jacques brings nearly two decades of experience in communications, public relations, public affairs, marketing, and advertising, across the corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. His career has spanned large technology companies, nonprofit media organizations, environmental NGOs, and philanthropic institutions. Prior to joining McKnight, Jacques led communications for Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) global coastal resilience initiative, directing comprehensive communications campaigns that advanced supportive policies at the local, state, and federal levels. He also led communications for Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalition of national and state-based organizations working to address ongoing disaster recovery and build long-term climate resilience for Louisiana’s coastal communities, creating a model in policy, engagement, and communications for many other climate-vulnerable communities to follow. He previously served as communications director for the National Audubon Society as part of the same coalition. Before that, Jacques held positions at Mother Jones magazine, Google, and YouTube, all focused on driving innovation and impact through communications, digital advertising, and storytelling.

Jacques serves on the Board of Directors of Esperanza United and helped establish COMNET Minnesota as the state’s first local chapter of The Communications Network.

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What does it really take to build a thriving community in the nonprofit sector?

On this episode, I’m joined by Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott, co-founders of We Are For Good, a global nonprofit community and podcast dedicated to helping nonprofit professionals learn, grow, and lead with purpose. Through their platform, Jon and Becky have helped thousands of fundraisers and nonprofit leaders connect with one another, share ideas, and navigate a rapidly evolving sector.

We explore why community building has become such a critical need for nonprofit professionals, the biggest shifts happening in fundraising and communications today, and why storytelling and narrative power are more important than ever.

Jon and Becky share what they’ve learned from hundreds of conversations with nonprofit leaders, along with practical insights for organizations that want to strengthen their communities, communicate more effectively, and inspire supporters through authentic stories.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, or communicator, this conversation offers thoughtful perspective on how connection and narrative can help move the sector forward.

💼 About Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott

Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott are nonprofit leaders, storytellers, and community builders on a mission to spark an Impact Uprising—helping people do more good, together. They’re the co-founders of We Are For Good, a global ecosystem for nonprofit professionals and social impact leaders that blends storytelling, learning, community, and activation around one simple belief: What starts here, ripples.

They're the hosts of the We Are For Good Podcast, where they have hosted nearly 700 conversations with fundraisers, philanthropists, and some of the most generous humans on the planet—sharing fresh mindsets, practical tools, and real talk for the messy middle of doing good.

Beyond the podcast, they’ve built a global community for nonprofit leaders to connect, collaborate, and grow—online and through quarterly ImpactUp local gatherings around the world. Their free community app brings together 3,500+ changemakers from across the globe and is available in the App Store so the community can go with you wherever you go. They also host the We Are For Good Summit, a high-energy, hope-filled experience designed to help leaders find clarity, momentum, and community for the year ahead. 

🔗 Resources & Links: 

• Website: https://www.weareforgood.com/
• Podcast: We Are For Good Podcast
• Community: The We Are For Good Community

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Only 5% of the population say they would consider fostering. How can tech solutions and community based engagement increase this number? That’s the focus of this episode of Nonprofit Nation, where I talk with Ben Sand, TEDx speaker, nonprofit founder, and CEO of The Contingent. 

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, The Contingent partners with government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses to accelerate impact in foster care, education, and leadership development. Its mission is bold: empower leaders and mobilize communities to solve local problems using the same data-driven strategies that power the world’s most successful companies.

At the heart of The Contingent’s work is the Air Game: A proprietary digital mobilization strategy designed to recruit volunteers and foster parents at scale. In a world where only 5% of people say they would consider fostering, identifying and engaging that audience is both an art and a science.

Through its Every Child Initiative, The Contingent has:

• Engaged over 12,000 individuals exploring foster parenting
• Prepared 7,000+ families to begin the foster care process
• Mobilized more than 31,000 volunteers to support children and families

Ben’s TEDx talk, Harnessing Technology to Transform Foster Care, challenges the sector to ask: if the largest organizations in the world use data to reach the right audience, why aren’t we doing the same for our most pressing social challenges?

This episode is a powerful reminder that while ideas are everywhere, solutions that truly work for those experiencing the problem are priceless.

💼 About Ben Sand

Ben Sand grew up in Spokane, Washington, is the son of a single mother, and one of six siblings. He always roots for the underdog. Ben is CEO of The Contingent (www.thecontingent.org), a national venture nonprofit designed to empower leaders and mobilize community for the common good. Alongside a robust workforce development portfolio, The Contingent runs Every Child, an initiative spreading across the country to mobilize volunteers and foster families to care for kids in crisis. The Contingent has won national awards for the innovative use of data and technology.

🔗 Resources & Links: 

• Ben’s TEDx Talk
• https://thecontingent.org/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-sand-91a48711/ 

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Technology has transformed nearly every sector, but foundations have often lagged behind. What would it look like if grantmaking systems were designed with nonprofits in mind?

In this episode, we speak with Maya Kuppermann, Co-Founder and CEO of Temelio, a modern grants management software platform serving small to mid-sized foundations. Drawing on her experience across nonprofit leadership, family philanthropy, software, and strategic consulting at McKinsey & Company, Maya shares how technology can reduce administrative burdens, improve funder–grantee relationships, and unlock more equitable access to funding.

We explore the intersection of tech and the nonprofit sector, the promise and risks of AI in grantmaking, and why better data systems can lead to more effective philanthropy. Maya also discusses how foundations can rethink their processes to better serve the communities they aim to impact.

💼 About Maya Kuppermann

Maya Kuppermann is the Co-Founder and CEO of Temelio, a modern grants management software company serving the small to mid-sized grantmaking market. Her career spans diverse sectors, including nonprofit leadership, family philanthropy, software, and strategic consulting with McKinsey & Company. Maya has worked with hundreds of funders to implement Temelio's modern grantmaking software and is passionate about the impact of effective technology tools in the nonprofit sector. Maya holds a BA in Human Biology, Education, and Dance from Stanford University. When not leading Temelio, she volunteers with local nonprofits, hosts dinner parties for family and friends in New York, and spends Sundays going on long walks while listening to podcasts (she is a big fan of Ezra Klein, the NYT Daily podcast).

🔗 Resources and Links

Visit Temelio's Website

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Trust is one of the most essential elements of nonprofit work. But in today’s climate of polarization, fear, and institutional skepticism, trust in institutions is decimated, and nonprofit leaders are navigating challenges unlike any we’ve seen before.

In this episode, Erica Pelletreau joins us to discuss the Trust Playbook, a framework for trustbuilding in moments of fracture. We explore the 7 Steps to Trustbuilding, grounded in brain science and communications research, and examine what it means to practice the discipline of trust - early communication, moral seriousness, humility, and a refusal to look away from what people are actually experiencing.

This conversation is not about finding the perfect words. It’s about building steady, values-based communication systems that strengthen trust inside organizations and across communities.

If you’re leading in uncertain times and looking for practical tools to communicate with clarity and care, this episode offers actionable guidance you can use immediately.

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Creating digital content is easier than ever, but turning that content into real-world action is where many nonprofits struggle. With crowded feeds and shrinking attention spans, organizations must find new ways to cut through the noise and truly mobilize their communities.

In today's, I welcome Kiara Williams, founder of Digital Movement Media and Treuse Cinema and co-founder of Warriors in the Garden. Kiara is a movement builder, strategist, and storyteller whose work connects digital storytelling with real-world community impact.

Kiara shares her Digital to Action Framework, a powerful approach designed to help nonprofits move beyond posting online and instead create strategies that inspire participation, organize communities, and drive measurable change.

We also explore Kiara’s unconventional leadership journey—from organizing thousands of people during the 2020 racial justice movements to building purpose-driven ventures focused on storytelling, entrepreneurship, and community impact.

💡 Key Topics

• Why many nonprofit digital campaigns struggle to inspire real action
• The Digital to Action Framework and how it helps turn digital engagement into impact
• Using storytelling and content creation to mobilize communities
• Building trust and authenticity with online audiences
• The difference between engagement metrics and meaningful community action
• How nonprofits with limited resources can build powerful digital movements
• Kiara’s journey from grassroots organizing to movement-driven entrepreneurship
• Practical strategies for turning digital storytelling into community mobilization

💼 About Kiara Williams

Kiara Williams is the Founder of Digital Movement Media and Treuse Cinema, and co-founder of Warriors in the Garden. She is a movement builder, strategist, and storyteller focused on using digital media to drive community engagement and social impact.

At just 20 years old, Kiara helped organize thousands of people during the 2020 racial justice movements in New York City. Today, she continues to bridge digital strategy, storytelling, and organizing to help movements, nonprofits, and communities translate online momentum into real-world action.

Now based in Detroit, Kiara is building purpose-driven ventures while studying environmental science and championing bold, authentic conversations around entrepreneurship, activism, and unconventional leadership paths. Her work has been featured in Vogue UK, NPR, The New York Times, and VICE News.

🔗 Resources & Links

• 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/its-kiara-williams-/

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