The Nonprofit Experts

Starting as a new Executive Director of an organization is nerve-wracking – especially if you're new to the role! New EDs may be wondering: What decisions need to be prioritized? How will I interact with the board? How can I optimize my relationship with the staff? In this episode, you will hear from Kristina Schmidgall, LMSW, the Executive Director of the Lansing Area Aids Network. Kristina shares her journey to the role of an E.D., how she prepared for the job, what she did to make her first two years a success, and how you can adapt her guidance to your career path.

Here are some parts of the interview you don't want to miss:

9:00 - Lansing Area Aids Network's approach to supporting clients holistically

10:00 - The Biggest Misconception around HIV/AIDS

14:50 - The path toward becoming an executive director

20:30 - Learning from staff through 'stay interviews,' and the benefit of sending questions ahead of time

25:50 - The challenges of transitioning into an organization as a new leader, and what makes it easier

30:00 - Tips for the first year of being an ED

Whose voice really matters when you develop a new program? What kind of insight does it take to develop a successful program? On the other hand, is there a first step that really leads toward a program disaster ... and can it be avoided? A game changer for how nonprofits can approach their work with clients is taking a trauma-informed approach, looking holistically at the different and varied experiences of individuals rather than just their symptoms. In the latest episode of The Nonprofit Expert podcast, macro-level social work expert Benita Robinson explains more about this approach. Listen as she and host Mary Gladstone-Highland discuss taking a proactive approach to program design, making sure our programs aren't retraumatizing individuals, while also considering the potential impact of programs on staff. You don't want to miss it!

Here are some highlights you don't want to miss:

9:00 -  What does it mean to take a trauma-informed approach to program design

11:20 - Vicarious staff trauma and burnout

17:30 - How staff capacity affects program success and sustainability

23:00 - Who should have a voice in program design

28:00 - How to begin to implement a trauma-informed approach

30:00 - Applying a trauma-informed approach to fundraising, storytelling, and strategic planning

What do you do when everything around your organization shifts and you must rethink your operations?

This is a topic that Jan Lawerance, the Executive Director of the Reconciling Ministries Network, knows a lot about. 

Listen in while Mary and Jan discuss how you can ride the wave of change, articulate your true north, seek out diverse thought partners, and remain relevant to your communities regardless of any changes that come your way.  

Here is what you will hear in this episode

The second episode of our podcast: ’The Nonprofit Experts’ is live! Listen as Mary Gladstone-Highland talks with Tim Paré, founding artistic director and CEO of Michigan Stage, on Building Community Connections to Fast-Track Sustainable Growth. Hear how this great organization was able to quickly scale, as well as Tim’s secrets for networking and finding partners. You can also read more about Michigan Stage, and buy your tickets for their upcoming event, Broadway in the Burbs, here: www.michiganstage.org

Below are some highlights you don't want to miss!

03:30 Introducing Michigan Stage

11:00 Using a Broadway performer's mindset when approaching community partners

17:20 The Dos and Don'ts of Networking 

19:25 Finding confidence

32:10 Telling your story

Welcome to the Nonprofit Experts podcast! In our pilot episode, you will meet our team, hear how sector leaders (like yourself) define 'expert,' and reflect on your expertise. Additionally, you will hear how you can use this material with your team to uncover the assets hidden within your midst.  Here are some highlights from the show!

00:00 Welcome to the Nonprofit Experts podcast.

05:00 How sector leaders define ‘expert.’

07:35 Harnessing confidence to highlight your expertise.

10:35 The expertise that clients bring to your work.

12:50 Reflecting on your inward and outward-facing relationship to the word ‘expert?’

15:30 What are you an expert in?

19:00 What else can you learn?

23:00 Staking your claim on your expertise.

26:00 Listening to the expertise of your clients.

27:30 Using this material with your team.

You are the expert of your nonprofit organization. You work hard, know your organization inside and out, and seek thought partners to think through challenging moments and exciting new strategies. This show is a chance to have conversations with nonprofit leaders like yourself. 

In each episode, you'll hear from everyday, exceptional leaders of the nonprofit sector as they chat with host Mary Gladstone-Highland, CEO of Spark Group Consulting, about the critical issues that impact nonprofits and how they use their assets to provide creative solutions to complex problems. 

Join our first episode! Leave us a message here answering this question: How do you define 'expert'?