Kirsten Stevens is an accomplished philanthropy advisor and nonprofit consultant, focused on bridging the gap between philanthropic support and transformational impact in the social sector. Born in Panama and raised in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico, Kirsten's diverse background has shaped her global perspective on philanthropy and nonprofit excellence

Key Takeaways:

• It’s important to engage new board members effectively from the start to maintain their initial excitement. Do one-on-one meetings with new board members, and try to understand their interests and potential contributions. 
• New board members face a lot of challenges such as feeling intimidated or overwhelmed. Having a buddy system where new board members are paired with experienced members for guidance can help a lot in making sure that new board members feel supported and informed. 
• Create a diverse board membership so that you’ll have the gift of having multiple perspectives by making the board service accessible and appealing to all. Engage the community, educate potential board members, and train and attract diverse board members. 
• Build trust and community among board members through one-on-one meetings and social gatherings. Proximity and authentic conversations have a key role in building strong board relationships. A supportive and connected board can significantly enhance the overall impact and leadership of an organization.

“Before we even have the first board meeting, I love to have a one-on-one with new board members, and we have a real, person-to-person conversation about the things we're focused on.”

“Let me just speak as if I'm on a board currently, I'll just be a we. We do not currently spend enough time assessing our own performance. We don't. We just don't.”

“We have to make programs that offer this type of training. We have to make those more available. Board readiness is offered every year. ” 

“Institute board self-assessments on a regular basis, but let's also include our community efforts. Each of us has a responsibility to get out into the community.”

- Kirsten Stevens

Reach out to Kirsten Stevens at:

Website: www.kannico.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenstevensforglobalgood

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenstevenskannico/

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Stay in motion, build relationships, and connect with people. Honor natural cycles and rhythms in work and life to achieve sustainable productivity. Taking breaks can be part of the process.
• Fix your eyes on what you want instead of what you don’t want. Focus on conditions that help you thrive and create plans for what you want. Shift the focus of your nonprofit from fixing what’s broken to creating what’s right.
• Creating what's right involves systems, structures, and policy changes. It also takes shifting donor expectations from short-term wins to long-term sustainable change. Donors want to invest in compassionate, just communities, and focusing on creating these communities is more impactful.
• Focusing on what we want creates better outcomes in life, work, and relationships. Retrain your brain to focus on positive outcomes. Focusing on positive outcomes can improve team dynamics and personal satisfaction.

“An influential leader and influential fundraiser understands that their job is to create what is right, and to enroll people in a vision of change.”

“What conditions do I work best in? How do I work best? What can I do when I meet resistance from a task?”

“The problem, the effort, the initiative, will not shift until your thinking shifts.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Morgan Gross, CEO & Founder of Fundraising Beyond Borders, is an international fundraising consultant and coach dedicated to empowering nonprofits to achieve their fundraising goals and expand their impact globally. Morgan provides strategic services such as fractional fundraising, custom fundraising plans, and personalized 1:1 fundraising coaching.

Key Takeaways:

• Fundraising for international nonprofits is more challenging due to a lack of donors' understanding, requiring greater storytelling efforts, transparency, and online presence to build trust.
• An online presence builds awareness and interest but requires a physical connection to deepen donor relationships; e.g., inviting donors behind-the-scenes, exclusive tours, and events for engagement. Virtual events and behind-the-scenes experiences strengthen donor relationships and stewardship creatively without in-person visits.
• Building meaningful relationships takes time; start on social media, establish mutual partnerships through conversations, identify supporters' preferred ways of contributing, and leverage connections abroad to expand reach.
• Fractional fundraising service provides experienced fundraisers for part-time to nonprofits by assessing needs, clarifying three main revenue-generating activities, strategizing a 12-month plan, and implementing it.

“We have to be able to slow down our storytelling process and really explain to somebody what a beneficiary is going through, or what a behind-the-scenes looks like, or what every day looks like for your nonprofit.”

“It's really important to know that a supporter doesn't mean necessarily a financial supporter. Support can look like so many different ways. It can be a volunteer, it can be a donor, it can be somebody who comes abroad and supports you. It can be that they're sharing your posts on social media.”

“How can you also in your impact reports, show exactly where that dollar is going because a potential donor is going to be able to see exactly that journey.” 

- Morgan Gross

Receive fundraising Tips by clicking on this link: https://fundraisingbeyondborders.ck.page/newsletter

Reach out to Morgan Gross at:

Website: www.fundraisingbeyondborders.com

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/peerfectfundraising

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fundraisingbeyondborders/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-domijan/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundraising-beyond-borders/

Podcast Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fundraising-beyond-border

Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fundraising-beyond-borders-podcast/id1762613551

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fundraisingbeyondborders

YouTube: @fundraisingbeyondborders

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Grow your pipeline impact through consistent, value-driven engagement across channels. Follow a social media strategy that moves audiences from awareness to reliable outreach, relationship building, and action.
• Implement a content hourglass system: Create one core story weekly and derive consistent messaging from it for all platforms. Create targeted email campaigns for different audience segments with one clear story/message instead of long, multi-update emails.
• Plan content in a three-week cycle: client story, donor feature, recap, and rerun/recycle content occasionally. Develop one core story weekly, repurpose it into various formats, host it on the website, and distribute it through channels to drive traffic back to the website.
• Tell one awesome story weekly using video, blog posts, and social posts; repurpose major events content for the website, email, and social; segment email lists for targeted communication; move audiences from awareness to action through a consistent content pipeline.

“Email is reliable reach - it's the most reliable, most consistent method of getting your message out.”

“Ask yourself this question: Is the story I'm telling something that I want people to know or something people want to actually know?”

“Tell one awesome story a week. You can tell an entertaining story or an educator story. You have expertise that you can share with people.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Great messaging attracts donors by being simple, clear, and concise, which requires effort and investment.
• Lack of differentiation, authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability prevents organizations from effectively connecting with their target audiences through marketing and messaging.
• Be bold, fearless, and fun. Ground your messaging in values alignment and authenticity to attract like-minded donors. Personal brand is vital, and organizations should define their own values, beliefs, and what they want to deliver consistently.
• Effective nonprofit messaging focuses on the cure, not the process, highlighting the difference made in the world, not programs or services, to attract aligned supporters while standing firm in values.

“The riches are in the niches. The more specific we can be about who we want to attract, the more likely we are to attract them.”

“Every relationship is built on an emotional connection. People get attracted to your organization because there's something in them that's connecting to you.”

“Your job is not to tell people how they can be of value to you. Your job is to be a value to them.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace spontaneity and be open to new adventures, rather than clinging to preconceived expectations. Releasing expectations and attachments is key to achieving desired outcomes and living a fulfilling life.
• Remain open and adaptive to unexpected opportunities, as rigidity hinders success by preventing experimentation and limiting responsiveness. Releasing outcomes enables relationship-building, confident asking, long-term vision, and respect for others' autonomy, leading to sustainable relationships.
• Managing anything requires risk-taking, releasing attachment to specific outcomes, and embracing uncertainty to allow innovation, breakthroughs, and new opportunities. Communicate vision, not rigid expectations, and balance planning and improvisation.
• Evaluate options objectively by releasing desired outcomes, allowing decisions based on available information rather than being overly fixated on specific results. Seize unexpected wins and be open to possibility, even if initially unsettling.

“The more expectations you have, the more opportunity you have for disappointment, frustration, and resentment. The key to successful life experiences is releasing the outcome.”

“Releasing the outcome allows us to focus not on the short-term wins, but on the long-term vision that we have in relationship with this donor or board member or prospect or community partner - fundraising is the long game.”

“When I'm not overly attached to an outcome, I'm more willing to try new ideas and initiatives, even if there's uncertainty, even if I'm not sure of the outcome. This can lead to breakthroughs, new opportunities, and that wouldn't arise if we were cautious.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Influential fundraisers build trust, respect, and admiration by providing value, listening, and allowing empowered decision-making aligned with donors' sovereignty.
• Building relationships and finding authentic win-win solutions is more influential than manipulation or pushing self-interest. Influential leaders create supportive communities to drive collaborative change while balancing specific plans and adaptability, fostering long-term donor loyalty.
• Adopt an abundance mindset and view the donor-fundraiser relationship as equal partners contributing different assets towards a common goal. Embrace rejection instead of fearing it, use micro-commitments to condition acceptance, and allow people to say no from the beginning.
• Shift focus from words to energy, showing up calmly and confidently, and from convincing to questioning and allowing conversation flow. Inspire people with a bold, transformative vision for the future, not just short-term fixes.

“The less likely you want something, the more likely you are to get it. [Likewise], the more decision-making power you give to someone, the more likely they're going to do what you want.”

“Rejection is protection and as. And, yes, a holding space that rejection hurts and it sucks and it's disappointing also. It's part of the game, and you can get yes or you can get no and it's part of the game.”

“Rejection is protection - it hurts and it sucks and it's disappointing, and that is something we learn to live with. When we fear no, we're not hearing people say no, and when we don't give people the ability to say no from the beginning, they're going to give us a fake yes.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Shift from building organizations to mobilizing communities for long-term, sustainable change. Mobilize resources beyond just fundraising, involving community participation and in-kind gifts.
• Dare to dream big and commit to audacious visions, like ending hunger or eliminating the need for certain organizations. 
• Focus on creating positive goals, like everyone having a home and kids being loved, supported, and safe, rather than just "ending homelessness" or "keeping kids off the streets."
• Support communities and follow their lead. Mobilize resources towards creating long-term solutions and audacious goals, instead of temporarily alleviating symptoms and perpetuating ongoing problems.

“We forget the fire because we feel like we have to compromise ourselves or a bold vision in order to get people to invest.”

“We have all the resources we need to solve a problem. It's just a matter of mobilizing them. we have everything if we're willing to step out and make that commitment and to stay in it”

“As long as we're collectively encouraging people to focus on what's broken, things will continue to be broken. But if we're collectively enrolling them in a vision of what we're going to build, that's creating what's right, what's just, what's fair, what's equitable, what's inclusive, what's peaceful.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Erin McAleer is the President and CEO of Project Bread, Massachusetts’ only statewide food security organization, connecting people and communities to reliable sources of food. McAleer uses her background in health and human services and public policy to address food insecurity in Massachusetts through systemic and scalable strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• Lived experience is critical in solving food insecurity issues and policies need to be driven by those most impacted, shifting away from the traditional top-down approach. Don’t prioritize immediate payoffs, consider long-term systemic solutions, and strive to execute on both fronts.
• Establish a council of experts full of people with lived experience of the need that your organization aims to address. Solutions must be guided by the community that the organization serves with a process or system that ensures inclusivity and collective involvement.
• Shift your focus to the people that you serve. Use storytelling to raise awareness, promote donor engagement, and educate your audience about how they could serve. Eliminate the cost and stigma barriers against access to needed resources for the community you serve.
• Leverage your skills, experiences, and expertise to make a difference. Seek a meaningful life by striving towards your higher calling. Look into the pain points that you’ve experienced in your life and find a way to serve that need in the world for others.

“Lived experience is the most expertise that you can provide to solve this problem.”

“Solutions always come from the community.” 

“The disconnect between donors and reality is that bridge that we are trying to make through storytelling.” 

- Erin McAleer

Reach out to Erin McAleer at:

Website: www.projectbread.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-mcaleer-22b21012/

Project Bread LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-bread/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectbread/

Twitter: www.x.com/projectbread

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

Key Takeaways:

• Praise and criticism are two sides of the same coin. A lot of leaders fall into the trap of overdependence on praise and the fear of criticism. Taking a stand and making changes will inevitably upset some people, but it is a necessary part of the process. Stay true to the vision, even when faced with criticism. 
• Instincts are triggered by stored trauma and are primarily focused on moving away from pain and towards pleasure. Allow instinctive reactions to pass and then move to the intellectual response, gathering facts and understanding the situation. Don’t let instincts rule when managing crises. 
• The role of intellect in crisis management is to gather facts. For example, it can help you understand and weigh out the pros and cons of a situation. Don’t let instincts dominate, move to a place of intellect and gather the necessary information. Understand situations and make a decision informed by facts. 
• Don’t overlook intuition when making decisions, it’s crucial in making big changes and taking fruitful risks. intuition comes from a place of deep knowing and is often accessed in quiet moments or during brainstorming. Practice intuition regularly to access it during crises, as it can provide valuable insights and guidance.

“Criticism is the price of doing business.”

“As a leader, remember that you set the emotional temperature.”

“When you are in crisis mode, it can be hard to access that intuition, which is why doing a daily practice of tapping into your knowing self, tapping into that higher self part of you is so important so you can readily access it or understand it, even in a difficult situation.” 

- Maryanne Dersch

Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence

1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders

Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward.
 

2. Team Coaching + Training

I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together.
 

3. Board Retreats + Trainings

Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results.

Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com

Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect

Book Maryanne to speak at your conference:

https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker