The Groupfinity Podcast

#036 - Today I am speaking with Tracy Clark, the Founder and CEO of Clark & Clark, a nonprofit consulting firm she runs with her husband Robert Clark.  Tracy has been coaching and setting up non profit organizations for over 10 years.  Together, they have set up over 4,000 Nonprofits and received over 10 million dollars in grant funding.

Clark & Clark teaches self-sufficiency and business development.  Their top priority is to see more minorities access the required funds to pursue their purpose.

In this episode, Tracy shares how some nonprofits start a for profit business that sells products and services and then use the funds generated by that business to fund their programs.

Tracy says:

“even though they may have had some successful fundraising campaigns, what they're realizing is they want a little bit more control over the funding that's coming in.”

Be sure to stick around to hear how Tracy started her 1st business at the age of 10.

Check out Clark & Clark at - https://www.clarkandclark.org/ 

The key takeaways from my discussion with Tracy are:

#1 Grant funders want you to demonstrate sustainability;

#2 You can likely operate a business without a storefront;

#3 Nonprofits face a lot competition so make sure you understand why people will want to support yours;

#4 Make sure you do a good job of budgeting.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#035 - Today I am speaking with Chris Hammond.  Chris founded CGC as a full service consulting firm offering nonprofits strategy on communication, marketing, development, and fundraising.  They free up nonprofit boards and staff so they can spend more time on their missions and less on admin stuff.

One of CGC’s superpowers is Peer to Peer Fundraising.  They teach their clients how to leverage their supporters' networks to raise money by committing just 15ish minutes per week to educate their friends and family on this organization they love.

This is A LOT less cost and stress compared to an annual gala and a lot.

As for challenges organizations face, Chris says:

“One of the biggest things we’ve seen our clients facing is change and evolving and innovating.”

Be sure to stick around to hear how one of Chris’ clients turned a $2,500 donor into a $15,000 donor.

Check out CGC at - https://cgcgiving.com/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Shane are:

#1 Use a welcome email series to onboard new supporters;

#2 Dealing with change is one of the biggest challenges for organizations;

#3 Peer to Peer Fundraising is a more formulaic and predictable form of fundraising;

#4 It is as important to have supporters open doors with potential donors as it is to have a super compelling message.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.   

#034 - Today I am speaking with Shane Sams.  Shane has one of the most popular episodes on Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Podcast.  His episode #122 is one of SPI’s most popular.  To put this in perspective, SPI has more than 500 episodes and over one million downloads.  Shane’s episode has more downloads than Tim Ferris and Gary Vaynerchuck combined.

Shane started the flipped lifestyle with his wife Jocelyn.  Their mission is to help 100,000 families flip their life by turning it upside down thru starting, building, and growing an online business.

Although they primarily work with individuals, they also work with nonprofits and I think there is a lot of potential for our small mission driven organizations, especially those that rely on membership dues.  Our organizations can use what Shane teaches to start an online business and use the funds generated from that effort to fund their organization's programs and become less reliant on membership dues.

Shane says that in building a successful membership group….

“You've got to provide value with content. You’ve got to provide value by uniting the community and you’ve got to bring access to the people”.

AND

“People are only going to exchange their proof of work, which is money, for your proof of solution”.

Be sure to stick around to hear how Shane, in his words, “about wrecked my lawnmower”.

Check out Shane at - https://flippedlifestyle.com/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Shane are:

#1 You make money when you sell your knowledge, your wisdom, and you help people solve problems;

#2 The membership model will work, whether you're for profit or non-profit, doesn't matter;

#3 Create content that solves a problem and a place for your people to hang out and connect;

#4 It's simple - you create content, you build an email list, you get people in your membership.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#033 - Today I am speaking with Sandi Fox.  Sandi is a digital strategist guru.  One of her superpowers is helping organizations incorporate text messaging as a communication channel in their fundraising efforts.  We are more likely to read texts vs emails because this is where we communicate with friends and family.  As a result, organizations are increasingly turning to text as a key communication channel.  In addition to fundraising, Sandi has some terrific advice on how organizations can use text messaging effectively as an organizing and general communication tool.

Sandi says….

….“and over 90% have a mobile phone. So it's about meeting people where they are and they're on their mobile phones, right?  So, it's become one of the best direct response tools in our tool set for digital because that means we really actually reach people - they are more likely to respond to our ask.”

Check out Sandi at -
https://www.smartasafox.org/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Cody are:  

#1 90% of people who receive a text message will read it within 90 seconds of receiving it;

#2 Can be used by organizations of any size;

#3 Best practice is 2-3 messages per month; AND

#4 There is a cost - It’s not free like social media so if you add it, be sure you don’t forget about it.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#032 - Today I am speaking with Cody Hays.  Cody is the founder of Marketing Mission.  They provide “affordable marketing to make the world better”.  Cody shares some of his email marketing secrets to help get more of our emails opened and read.  Cody has some great tips and tricks that we can easily implement TODAY!  

When considering what to automate, Cody says….

“How much time will this save you? OR Will this save you from having to do something over and over and over and over again? OR do you just hate doing it? If you answered yes to any of that - automate it, right?  Because your time is better served, focusing on your zone of genius rather than doing something that's going to deplete your energy or waste your time.”

Check out Marketing Mission at -
https://www.marketingmission.org/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Cody are:

#1 Short and clear subject lines help get the reader’s attention;

#2 Using emojis in your subject lines can boost your open rate;

#3 Invest in a good email automation tool; AND

#4 Use your email to establish your expertise instead of just a diary of what is going on with your organization.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#031 - Today I am speaking with Julia Patrick.  Julia is the founder of the American Nonprofit Academy.  Her mission is to bring education, leadership, connectivity and collaboration to the nonprofit community.  She produces and hosts the nation's ONLY daily 30 minute nonprofit broadcast called The Nonprofit Show. She interviews nonprofit leaders from around the country and world.  There are almost 500 episodes in the archive.

Julia shares that funders are looking for financial commitments from your board.

“what percentage of your board is financially invested in your organization?”

“Newsflash, if it's NOT 100%, then you're going to lose some funding. And that doesn't necessarily mean huge amounts of money. It could be a hundred dollars, it could be $10, but that is something that funders across this country are looking at.”

She adds that you can be creative by scholarshiping younger board members who may not be able to meet the financial hurdle.

Check out the American Nonprofit Academy at -
https://americannonprofitacademy.com/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Julia are:  

#1 Be organized.  Have all of your meetings defined and scheduled for at least 12 months out;

#2 Most funders are asking the question what percentage of your board is financially invested in your organization? If it's not a hundred percent, then you're going to lose some funding opportunities;

#3 The same people get asked to to join these boards so you’re probably going to hear a lot of nos before you hear yeses; AND

#4 The pandemic has forced overdue changes in the nonprofit world.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.   

#030 - Today I am speaking with Maura Fitzpatrick.  Maura is a nonprofit consultant, specializing in brand messaging and marketing strategy for nonprofit founders.  Her superpower is helping nonprofits communicate their mission in a way that feels authentic to them and compelling to their donors, service users, and volunteers.

Maura says that one of the keys to effective branding and marketing is developing personas for your target audience - your audience should feel like you’re talking to them.  Maura smartly tells us:

“...if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one”.

Check out Maura’s services on her website -
https://www.maurafitzpatrick.com/#Services

The key takeaways from my discussion with Maura are:

#1 Avoid mission creep - focus on one thing you're doing and do it well before you start expanding;

#2 Who's your target audience like specifically, an actual person or persona - if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one;

#3 Most of your content should not be asking for donations. Most of your content should be establishing authority as the expert in what you're doing; AND

#4 You have to build trust and credibility with your community, and that takes branding and marketing.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#029 - Today I am speaking with Julia Campbell.  Julia is a Speaker, Author, Nonprofit Consultant and self proclaimed Activist.  She started the recycling program in her middle school when she was just in the 6th grade.  She started her business 11 years ago to help more nonprofits figure out the digital age.  Today, she shares her nonprofit social marketing ideas that can be used by both beginners and pros alike.

“...stop thinking of social media as a transactional tool and really start thinking of it as a community building tool. It is not a money spigot you can just turn on. It is not an ATM….

….social media is a value exchange. People give you their time and attention and you give them something of value to them. So to build, start building a social media community, you have to know who is in your community and who do you want to attract to your community”.

Social media is Julia’s super power, but she also offers resources on:
1 Storytelling
2 Fundraising AND
3 Email Marketing

Check out Julia’s resources on her website -
https://jcsocialmarketing.com/?doing_wp_cron=1639531283.3935990333557128906250

The key takeaways from my discussion with Julia are: 
#1 Social media is NOT a transactional tool; it is a community building one;
#2 Social media is a place where you educate your audience and get them excited about what you do;
#3 Your message and content has to be strategically crafted for each channel; AND
#4 The 90-9-1 Rule: 90% of users are lurkers, 9% contribute a little, 1% contribute A LOT!

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode. 

#028 - Today I am speaking with Dr. Beverly Browning. Dr. Bev is the author of 44 grant-related publications, including six editions of Grant Writing For Dummies and Nonprofit Kit For Dummies.  Her online courses are taught to thousands of students annually.  She also has a 16-week virtual Coaching/Mentoring Program.  Dr Bev says….

"You will not get funded if you are not innovative, creative, and unique.”

Dr. Bev offers resources on:

1 Grant Writing and Funding

2 Board of Directors Training

3 Strategic Needs Assessment

4 Professional Development Training

5 Proposal Development and

6 Internal Peer Review

Check out Dr. Bev’s free resources on her website - https://bevbrowning.com/nonprofit-resources/

The key takeaways from my discussion with Dr. Bev are:  

#1 Funders are looking for nonprofit organizations that are filling gaps.
#2 Check in with your local United Way to find potential funders.
#3 The work is 80% research / 20% writing.
#4 Don’t go for funding until you’ve built a relationship with the funder.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.  

#027 - Today I am speaking with Gigi Lawrence. Gigi founded Nonprofit for Newbies,  a consulting and networking community, to help people start new nonprofits.  Gigi is a mompreneur who started off in the financial consulting world, but didn’t feel fulfilled. She knew she wanted to help others, but was unsure how.  After she took a job as a nonprofit financial literacy program director she knew she had found her calling.  Gigi says….

"If your foundation isn't structured correctly and you don't know how to explain your process. You don't know how to explain your programs in a way that others are going to understand and be motivated to move forward with those services or that program and being involved…..

...you have to be able to sell yourself, sell your organization, and in order to sell it, you have to know what you're selling and you have to believe in it.”

Nonprofit for Newbies either advises or refers “newbies” to one of the independent contractors in their network on:

1 Setting up their nonprofit (501(c)3

2 Grant writing

3 Writing their business plan

4 Fundraising

5 Marketing

6 Accounting

7 Board Development, and

8 Mindset

As of this interview, her Facebook Group has over 10k members.

Gigi has a ton of free resources on his website -https://www.nonprofitfornewbies.com/social