Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions for Canadian and American Nonprofits

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Nonprofits are constantly told to “tell powerful stories” to move donors, but what happens when those stories come at the expense of the people you serve? In this episode, we dive into the messy, important questions behind ethical storytelling: consent, power, and what it really means to honor people’s dignity in your fundraising and communications. Maria and Ceallaigh unpack how photos and personal narratives have historically been used in extractive, colonial ways, and why “we got a signed form” is not enough. 

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Ceallaigh Smart, Executive Director of Print the Love and Haiti Outreach. Ceallaigh shares how Print the Love has given over 17,000 photos in 27 countries without keeping copies and what that kind of values-driven approach can teach any organization about consent, autonomy, and trust. Nonprofit leaders will walk away with practical ideas on how to audit their current storytelling, start real conversations with their communities, and build policies that center dignity. 

Resources and Links 

• Guest: Ceallaigh Smart, Executive Director of Haiti Outreach & Founder of Print the Love. Connect with our guest, Ceallaigh Smart or send your inquiries to [email protected] 

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Ever wondered how to critique the nonprofit sector while leading an organization within it? 

Join Maria Rio for a conversation with Amber Hamilton, President and CEO of the Memphis Music Initiative, who went viral for saying what every nonprofit leader thinks but won't say out loud. 

Amber shares why humor became her weapon of choice; creating satirical videos that called out philanthropy's racist funding practices, absurd application processes, and performative accountability measures. She is simultaneously running a grant-making organization that proves it can all be done differently. She tackles the real price Black women pay for speaking truth to power, why somebody has to be willing to say "the emperor is wearing no clothes," and how telling the truth (even when it's uncomfortable) ultimately works in your favor.

Because if one more data sheet or think piece was going to change philanthropy, it would've happened by now. 

Resources:

• Connect with Amber Hamilton on LinkedIn
• Memphis Music Initiative YouTube Channel- where the viral satirical videos are hosted
• Amber Says The Things - Amber's speaking and coaching website
• Memphis Music Initiative Website

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Ever wondered why your nonprofit's email list is stuck at 400 contacts after decades of work? Join Maria Rio for a conversation with Jess Campbell, founder of Out in the Boons, who shares an uncomfortable truth: your email list is probably shrinking right now, and it's kneecapping your fundraising. Jess shares why email is 9-10 times more effective than social media, creative list-building tactics beyond event sign-ups, and how to shift from boring organizational updates to thought leadership content people actually want to read. She introduces the "loop method" for steady growth, tackles the "won't weekly emails be too much?" fear, and challenges nonprofits to stop staying silent on issues their communities care about.  

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What's the one thing you wish the public understood better about the problem you're solving? 

That gap between what people know and what you wish they knew? That's your narrative change work, and it should be driving every communication decision you make. 

On this week's episode, we break down how small nonprofits can stop reacting to headlines and start shaping the conversation around the issues they care about most. 

Maria sits down with Dimitrios Kalantzis, a nonprofit strategist, communications expert, and former journalist with 10 years of experience covering public affairs. From the "if only people knew" framework to treating your organization as essential reading, this conversation will help you change hearts and minds with confidence and clarity. 

Changing Hearts and Minds- The Highlights: 

1. Your nonprofit should function as its own media organization. With traditional journalism struggling and public affairs reporting declining, nonprofits have an opportunity to fill critical gaps. When supporters sign up for your newsletter, they should feel like you're essential reading on your issue. 
2. The "if only people knew" test reveals your narrative strategy. Every nonprofit leader has thought "if only the public knew [blank]." That gap between what people understand and what you wish they understood? That's your narrative change work. Let it guide your communications strategy. 
3. Lead by showing others how to think about the issue. Don't just react to how criminal justice, education, or homelessness is being discussed. Be the organization that demonstrates how we should be thinking about these problems in 2025 and beyond. 

Actionable Tips for Nonprofits to Changing Hearts and Minds: 

1. Lead with your strategic plan. Before commenting on any external event, ask: Does this align with our strategic plan? Is this serving our mission or confusing it? Your strategic plan should be your compass for every communications decision. 
2. Identify your "if only people knew" moment. What's the one thing you wish the public understood better about your issue? Write it down. That's your narrative change work, now build your communications strategy around closing that gap. 
3. Treat your newsletter like essential journalism. Position your organization as the go-to source on your issue. Share what you're learning, be transparent about challenges, and fill the gaps that traditional media is leaving behind. 
4. Bridge back to your message. When a news event pops off, you don't have to address every question or debate. Stay on message even if it feels repetitive to you, your audience needs to hear it. 
5. Don't engage with bad faith arguments. If someone is asking a question designed to distract or derail the conversation, don't take the bait. You only get pulled into the mud. Redirect to your core message or ignore it entirely. 

About Dimitrios Kalantzis (he/him)

Dimitri is a nonprofit strategist and copywriter who helps small teams raise more money by getting clear on who they are, what they stand for, and how to say it out loud. He served as the first Director of Communications for Life After Hate, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing violent extremism. Before that, he spent years as a journalist and editor.

You can find him at fivefifteenmedia.com.

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There's a reason some fundraising stories feel easier to tell than others. Stories about animals, "grateful" clients, and non-political solutions raise money quickly because they tap into what donors already believe about who deserves help. But what happens when those easy stories erase the complexity and humanity of the people you actually serve? 

On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio sits down with Esther Lee, a fundraising and equity strategist who's part of the inaugural Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council and a leader of the Asian Fundraisers in Canada Collective. 

The Highlights: 

• The "Ideal Victim" Framework: Esther introduces sociologist Nils Christie's concept of who society deems "deserving" of compassion; those seen as weak, vulnerable, respectable, and harmed by a clearly bad offender. Sound familiar? Nonprofits unconsciously replicate these biases every time we sanitize stories to make donors comfortable. 
• The Dog Campaign That Never Was: When Esther and her team of survivors gave extensive input on an intersectional campaign, the contractor delivered a direct mail piece featuring a cartoon dog. The entire appeal hinged on the shelter's pet program, completely erasing the refugee, immigrant, harm-reduction clients they actually served. It would've raised money but she refused to send it. 
• What Gets Left Out When You Lead with Pets: Every time Esther talked about the shelter's pets, donations poured in. But when she talked about systemic poverty, substance use, or the reality of being a newcomer survivor in Toronto's housing crisis? Uneasiness. The pattern revealed who donors saw as "deserving" of help or not. 
• Audit Your Storytelling Practices: Esther challenges listeners to look at who gets featured in newsletters, grant applications, and appeals. Are you sharing the full scope of challenges? Or are you scared to talk about complexity because you're trying to cultivate a donor base that wants simple stories? 
• The Cost Beyond Revenue: If you only measure success by money raised and ignore the trust you're losing with your community, staff, and the people you serve—that's a cost you can never fix. Esther asks: What metrics are you using? And who are you leaving out of your stories? 

Resources and Links: 

• Connect with Esther Lee on LinkedIn or visit Elevate Philanthropy Consulting. You can also read Esther's article here: "You're Not Feeling Imposter Syndrome, You Are an Imposter: Identity and Belonging in Nonprofit Work" 

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What happens when the money your organization needs comes with a muzzle attached? In this bold and necessary conversation, Maria and Caitlin tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in the nonprofit sector: funders using their financial power to silence organizational advocacy and control community narratives. 

On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, co-hosts Maria Rio and Caitlin McBride don't hold back as they share real stories of organizations facing pressure to stay quiet, stay neutral, and stay safe in exchange for funding. From the Ontario Trillium Foundation's anti-advocacy clauses to prolific donors demanding ideological alignment, this episode exposes how censorship happens behind closed doors and what nonprofit leaders can do to protect their mission. 

If you've ever felt pressured to soften your stance, avoid political issues, or accept funding that made you uncomfortable, this conversation will validate your concerns and give you practical strategies to stand your ground. Because serving your community means advocating for your community, even when it costs you. 

The Highlights: 

• The OTF investigation: How political appointments led to anti-advocacy clauses in funding agreements, and how public pressure eventually got them removed 
• Real consequences of saying "yes": Caitlin shares the personal story of turning down a longtime funder whose new agreement would have muzzled not just the organization, but individual staff and board members from speaking out 
• The Band-Aid trap: Why organizations that don’t advocate for systemic change end up keeping communities in cycles of dependency 
• When politicians weaponize nonprofits: Examples of how elected officials use organizations for photo ops and political gain while simultaneously trying to control their messaging 
• The performativity problem: How organizations publicly claim values they privately compromise through the funding agreements they sign 

 Resources and Links: 

• Gabe Oatley's investigation into Ontario Trillium Foundation's anti-advocacy clauses  
• Connect with our cohost, Caitlin McBride 

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What is it like to lead a nonprofit when you’re constantly being told you’re “too much” of one thing and “not enough” of another? On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Sharonne Navas shares what it’s been like to navigate a predominantly white sector as a first-gen American Latina. With experience spanning organizations like Para Los Niños, Ayuda, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and national justice movements, Sharonne names what it means to do deeply political work in a sector that loves to pretend it’s “neutral”. 

Maria sits down with Sharonne — co-founder and Executive Director of the Equity and Education Center in Seattle and a longtime advocate, organizer, and policy leader — to talk about identity, race, and power in nonprofit leadership. Nonprofit leaders will walk away with language to describe what they’re experiencing, validation that they’re not imagining it, and practical ideas to lead in ways that centre community, democracy, and their own humanity. 

The Highlights 

• Living in the “in-between” as a Latina ED – Sharonne reflects on growing up as the first American-born child of Central American immigrants, never feeling quite “Latina enough” or “American enough,” and how that plays out in mostly white nonprofit spaces. 
• Racism and tokenism in fundraising – From being treated as a bilingual “two-for-one” hire to working with wealthy donors, Sharonne names the microaggressions and structural issues that racialized leaders face in development and leadership roles. 
• Why nonprofits are inherently political – Sharonne challenges the idea that nonprofits should be “non-political,” framing our work as resistance in systems where governments have stepped back from their responsibilities to marginalized communities. 
• Democracy, philanthropy, and power – Drawing on her policy and advocacy work, she unpacks the contradictions of billionaire philanthropy. 

Resources and Links 

• Connect with our host, Maria Rio 
• Connect with our guest, Sharonne Navas 

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The nonprofit sector is facing a “polycrisis”. In this candid conversation, we unpack how simultaneous shocks (policy shifts, funder chill, shrinking donor pools) are reshaping civil society and what small nonprofits can do to adapt. We talk about building durable strategies instead of episodic crisis responses, and how to make decisions that protect mission over ego. Just as importantly, we get real about leadership wellbeing: navigating fear, staying in productive tension, and knowing when to step back. You’ll hear concrete ways to hold both urgency and care without burning yourself out or your team. 

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio sits down with consultant and movement leader Rachel D'Souza, founder and principal of Gladiator Consulting and a member of the Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council. Together, they explore how nonprofit leaders can stay grounded, collaborative, and courageous in uncertain times, and what this moment asks of all of us. 

The Highlights: 

• Polycrisis = this is a structural reset, not a blip. Multiple shocks are hitting at once, from government pullbacks to donor-consolidation trends; this reset requires long-term strategy, not perpetual crisis appeals. 
• Leadership in ambiguity: Discomfort isn’t the same as harm; staying in relationship through tension is a core leadership skill right now. 
• Mission over ego: When resources shift, leaders may need to right-size, share services, merge, or even sunset, to preserve gains made. 
• Wellbeing as capacity: The sector isn’t well; leaders need practices that keep them resourced enough to make hard, long-horizon decisions. 
• Values alignment matters: If we claim justice externally, our internal policies and culture must reflect it. 

Actionable Tips for Nonprofits: 

• Create a “durability plan,” not just a crisis plan: Define 12–24 month funding scenarios, decision triggers (e.g., reserves level), and pre-agreed pivots (program pause, shared HR/finance). 
• Normalize productive tension: Add a “discomfort check” to meetings: name what feels hard, distinguish discomfort from harm, and agree on the next experiment. 
• Protect leadership capacity: Set non-negotiables (quiet hours, coverage plans, reflective time). Model boundaries so the team believes you mean it. 
• Align inside practices: Audit internal policies (pay equity, leave, flexibility) to match your external equity commitments. Then share that story with donors. 

Resources and Links: 

• Guest: Rachel D'Souza— Founder & Principal, Gladiator Consulting 
  • Website: gladiatorrds.com  
  • Instagram: @ConsultingGladiator 
  • LinkedIn: Gladiator Consulting / Rachel D'Souza 

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If you’re tired of chasing dead-end applications or hearing “we don’t accept unsolicited proposals,” this episode is for you. We dig into how to build a smarter pipeline by prioritizing funders that welcome new grantees. Then we tackle the myth of “hard-to-fund” programs (arts, advocacy, civic education, etc.) and show you how reframing your work to match donor priorities can unlock dollars without changing your programming. 

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, grant expert DeaRonda Harrison shares practical ways small and mid-sized nonprofits can sharpen their prospecting and reposition “tough” programs, especially in shifting political climates. You’ll learn how to identify real opportunities, speak to funder focus areas, and package your outcomes in ways that resonate. 

The Highlights 

• Prospect where the odds are real: Use research tools to identify funders who funded new grantees last year and build your pipeline around them instead of chasing closed doors. 
• Positioning beats “hard-to-fund”: No program is inherently unfundable; reframe outcomes to align with funder interests. 
• Mindset shift for momentum: Swap “our program is hard to fund” for “we haven’t matched the right funder-message fit, yet.” 
• Save time, increase wins: Stop spending time on “no unsolicited proposals” and redirect to open, new-grantee-friendly funders. 

Actionable Tips for Nonprofits 

• Start your list with “new grantees” filters: Find 20–30 funders who added new organizations last year; prioritize by alignment and deadlines. 
• Write a 1-paragraph positioning brief: For each program, list the community problem, your outcome, and 1–2 crosswalks to current funder priorities (e.g., “street outreach → community building”). 
• Qualify fast: If a funder is closed to unsolicited proposals and has no pathway to connect, park them for later and move on. 
• Collect proof points: Gather quotes, stories, or early indicators (surveys, sign-ups, attendance) that validate your reframed outcomes. 

Resources and Links 

• Connect with our host, Maria Rio 
• Connect with our guest, DeaRonda Harrison 
• DeaRonda’s website  
• Support our show. We are fully self-funded! 
• Watch this episode on YouTube 
• Need help with your fundraising? 

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From Donor-Centric to Community-Centric: Building Equity Into Fundraising 

Most “best practices” put donors and boards at the top of the pyramid - and everyone else (staff, volunteers, service users) at the bottom.  

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio breaks down the shift from donor-centric to community-centric fundraising and why this change is key to building a more equitable nonprofit sector. 

Maria unpacks how covert white supremacy shows up in nonprofit culture, from “tone-policing” to donor hero narratives, and what it looks like to root those habits out in everyday fundraising. She also shares how fundraisers can start bringing donors into these conversations—challenging outdated ideas about overhead, pushing back on problematic donations, and transforming donors into real partners for justice. 

Maria shares the mindset, tools, and examples every fundraiser needs to move from good intentions to meaningful action—without burning out or compromising their values. 

Community-Centric Fundraising in Nonprofits - The Highlights: 

• Why community-centric fundraising is more than a trend; it’s a reimagining of how nonprofits build power and impact. 
• The hidden ways white supremacy culture shows up in fundraising practices (and how to spot them). 
• How to have respectful but firm conversations with donors about overhead, dignity, and equity. 
• Why “no” can be the most ethical and mission-aligned answer to a donation. 
• How to turn donors into true advocates and allies for systemic change. 

🎧 Listen to more episodes for actionable fundraising tips and insights on nonprofit leadership, nonprofit governance, productivity & tools, and donor engagement strategies that work. We're here to eliminate nonprofit burnout and boost your donations! 

Community-Centric Fundraising in Nonprofits – 5 Actionable Tips:  

• Audit your fundraising practices — Identify donor-centric habits that center wealth instead of community. 
• Educate your donors — Share resources like the Community-Centric Fundraising Hub and invite donors to learn alongside your team. 
• Challenge problematic donations — Ask: “Does this gift align with our mission and values?” before saying yes. 
• Talk openly about overhead — Frame it as the cost of doing meaningful, sustainable work—not a burden. 
• Reframe donor relationships — Position them as collaborators in social change, not saviors. 

 Resources and Links 

• Community-Centric Fundraising Hub 
• Vu Le’s Nonprofit AF Blog 
• Connect with Maria Rio on LinkedIn 
• Support The Small Nonprofit Podcast — we’re fully self-funded! Donate here 
• Watch this episode on YouTube 
• Need help with your fundraising? 

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