Organizational assessments can sound intimidating—like a test, a grade, or a “gotcha.” We sit down with Joan Brown, Chief Operations Officer at Third Sector Company, to reframe assessments as one of the smartest business moves a nonprofit can make—especially during leadership transition.

Joan explains that a strong organizational assessment is not about blame. It’s a systematic look at operations, performance, systems, and culture to answer one question: Are we operating in the best possible way to serve our mission? The real value is that it creates clarity and alignment across the organization—so decisions can be made with facts, not feelings or assumptions.

This conversation is especially timely for boards and leaders navigating an interim period. Joan shares why assessment belongs at the top of the interim playbook: it builds a shared reality of where the organization truly stands. And that shared reality becomes the foundation for priorities, staffing decisions, resource deployment, and even a far more accurate CEO/ED job description—particularly after a long-term “legacy leader” has held an outsized set of responsibilities for years.

You’ll also hear the nuanced difference between transitions when a beloved CEO departs versus when a leader has been let go: in one case, people may defend the past; in the other, emotion can flood the process. Either way, a transparent and participatory assessment helps separate noise from truth and turns tension into forward motion.

Joan says it best: “The main goal of the assessment process is shared reality.” When nonprofits build that shared reality early—using data, participation, and transparency—they gain the power to prioritize confidently, stabilize culture, and position the next leader for success.

If your board is preparing for leadership change, facing recurring “fires,” or simply wants better decisions with limited resources—this episode is your push to start the assessment conversation now.

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2026 is already rewriting the fundraising playbook—and your nonprofit can’t afford to run last year’s plays. In this Fundraisers Friday conversation, Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall lay out the business realities that will separate thriving organizations from the ones that stall out: AI adoption, the Great Wealth Transfer, next-gen talent shifts, and smart technology investment.

First, they make it plain: AI has moved from optional to operational. As Julia says, “AI now is not a nice to have. It is a must have.” But they also challenge leaders to use it with intention—protecting donor privacy, building internal standards, and using AI to improve work rather than replace human judgment and relationship-building.

Next, they turn to the Great Wealth Transfer—an unprecedented movement of generational assets that will reward organizations that build long-term relationships now. Planned giving can’t sit quietly on a webpage anymore. Your team needs a proactive approach, stronger data practices, and a donor experience that earns loyalty over time.

They also address the talent landscape: retiring leadership, the need to develop the next generation of fundraisers, and the reality that donor behavior has shifted. Next-gen donors want fewer commitments with deeper impact, fast and easy giving, visible transparency, and experiences that build trust.

Finally, they land on a theme every executive team should bring into budget season: technology requires true investment—time, talent, and treasure—and the ROI is found in better donor experiences, better systems, and stronger sustainability.

If your 2026 plan doesn’t include AI policies, planned giving momentum, and a tech strategy built for speed and trust—this episode is your wake-up call.

 00:00:00 Welcome back and 2026 fundraising forecast
 00:01:10 The Architecture of Fundraising and why it matters now
 00:02:10 Trend 1 AI is a must have for fundraising
 00:04:55 AI standards donor privacy and internal policy
 00:06:00 Trend 2 The Great Wealth Transfer and what it means
 00:07:15 Planned giving must become proactive
 00:11:45 Trend 3 Retiring leadership and building next gen fundraisers
 00:16:55 Next gen donor behavior what changed and why
 00:20:45 Legacy giving impact over recognition
 00:25:40 Tech adoption requires time talent treasure and ROI 

 #TheNonprofitShow #FundraisingStrategy

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Nonprofit work is purpose-driven, but the business reality is relentless: tight budgets, heavy caseloads, public scrutiny, and a pace that rarely fits inside “normal hours.” In this episode we welcome Rahul K. Maharaj, known as “Mr. Trauma Talks,” for a timely conversation about stress, trauma, and what leaders must do to protect the people who power the mission.

Rahul opens by reframing the myth of the “fresh start.” Many professionals don’t begin January renewed they begin January carrying last year’s exhaustion into a new calendar. That’s not just personal; it’s operational. When burnout becomes normal, performance dips, turnover rises, and the mission takes the hit. Rahul offers an empowering reminder that healthy culture is not a perk it is a productivity strategy. As he puts it, “Your worth is who you are.” That message lands hard in a sector where many teams have been conditioned to endure, absorb, and keep going.

The discussion also moves into Rahul’s children’s book Mellie and the Pandemic, a “labor of love” designed to help kids name emotions and start honest conversations early. Rahul explains how the story becomes a simple bridge between children, families, and schools, giving language to feelings that otherwise turn into frustration, isolation, or silence. Connecting this to the nonprofit sector’s front-line reality: we often serve people shaped by trauma, yet we rarely address the emotional load carried by our own staff.

From social media’s role in amplifying stress to the way workplace disrespect and discrimination compound pressure, Rahul makes a clear case: mental health support belongs inside organizational strategy. He even proposes a practical model organizations can adopt placing a trusted counseling professional within the workplace to provide consistent, confidential support.

This episode is a leadership call to action: build systems that help teams stay well, so they can do well and keep the mission strong.

#NonprofitLeadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #TheNonprofitShow

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What if the biggest thing holding your nonprofit back isn’t budget, bandwidth, or the board… but the size of the goal itself?

In this energizing conversation, Julia C. Patrick turns the spotlight inward for a rare public coaching session with Keith Ellis, “The Impossible Success Coach.” Together they tackle a leadership problem every nonprofit executive and development team knows too well: the endless list of “important” goals that leaves you busy, stressed, and still frustrated come October.

Keith’s premise is bold: stop aiming for incremental wins and start committing to the goal you genuinely believe you can’t reach — the one you keep dismissing because it feels out of reach. Why? Because “normal” goals create too many options. If your organization wants to raise 20% more this year, you can name 1,000 tactics… and you’ll spend the year guessing which ones matter most. But when you pursue a truly audacious target, the noise fades fast. Suddenly, there are only one or two moves that can realistically change the outcome — and your operational strategy gets clean, focused, and decisive.

The conversation also goes straight at board dynamics. Julia asks the question every nonprofit leader has whispered after a board meeting: how do you keep governance from chasing shiny objects? Keith reframes it as leadership sales: connect the vision to what board members already want, then “herd the cats” toward one clear, motivating aim that’s bigger than everyone’s comfort zone.

Most powerful: the episode redefines success as more than results. Keith argues the real payoff is who you become while building the capacity to achieve the goal — and that’s exactly how nonprofits scale beyond last year’s limits.

“If you set an impossible goal, it’s actually easier to achieve than a normal goal.” — Keith Ellis

 00:00:00 Welcome and transformational goals
 00:01:26 Why Keith Ellis uses the word impossible
 00:02:09 Wishes come true and you are your own genie
 00:04:07 Why aiming bigger can make progress simpler
 00:06:11 How to choose one goal instead of 100
 00:09:04 Fundraising example 20% vs 200% vs 500%
 00:12:40 Tracking goals and building motivation
 00:16:40 Keeping boards focused and aligned
 00:19:27 Preventing board disengagement when work gets hard
 00:23:27 The real payoff becoming more capable
 00:28:38 Homework question to find your audacious goal 

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We welcome Katie Warnock, CEO and Founder of Staffing Boutique, for a “New Year Trend Forecasting” conversation—focused squarely on what nonprofit leaders must do to operate smarter, steadier, and more sustainably.

Katie opens with a morale boost that’s grounded in real numbers: philanthropy is getting culturally “cool,” even as many executive directors and development leaders report that fundraising has felt exhausting and uphill. She points to GivingTuesday results and rising volunteer participation as signals that generosity isn’t disappearing—it’s changing shape. When donors can’t always give more dollars, many still show up with time and energy. And for organizations, that means the business of fundraising still comes down to relationship strength and trust built over time. As Katie puts it, “relationships matter so much… who are they giving to… all the fundraisers that they’ve stayed connected with through the years.”

From there, the conversation turns practical: AI is no longer a novelty—it’s becoming a daily operating strategy. Katie shares how nonprofits can start small and immediately reduce drag in workflows: faster acknowledgements, cleaner data entry, and smarter automations inside fundraising systems. She also describes tools that tame inbox overload and speed scheduling—freeing leaders to spend more time on high-value work that only humans can do.

Then the discussion gets candid about operating in a heated political environment. Katie suggests nonprofits create scenario-based plans that anticipate policy shifts, funding constraints, and communication traps—so boards and leaders aren’t improvising under pressure. Finally, she names what many are privately feeling: cultural fatigue. Burnout at the top is real, and retention can’t rely on salary alone. Katie offers a menu of “value-add” investments—from professional development to flexible schedules—supported by listening systems in HR and a dedicated budget line.

It’s a trend episode with a strong business bottom line: sustainable mission delivery depends on smarter systems, healthier leaders, and talent practices that actually match today’s workforce realities.

 00:00:00 Welcome and New Year trend forecasting kickoff
 00:01:45 What Staffing Boutique does for nonprofits and education
 00:03:24 Philanthropy is cool and what the data suggests
 00:06:28 Why relationships still win when giving gets tough
 00:07:05 AI as a day-to-day operating strategy for nonprofits
 00:09:00 Inbox overload and AI tools that reduce admin time
 00:11:13 AI agents as the next evolution of alerts and research
 00:12:33 Planning for a heated political environment
 00:18:37 Culture fatigue and leadership burnout in 2026
 00:22:00 Retention through investment beyond salary increases
 00:27:24 Closing thoughts on people, staffing, and execution 

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitHR

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If your nonprofit is staring at a funding gap in 2026: your money problem may actually be a structure problem. Host Julia C. Patrick welcomes Dr. Sharon Elefant of The Nonprofit Plug to talk about why grants and big gifts don’t “save” organizations when the foundation underneath is shaky—things like weak financial controls, unclear governance, founder-centric operations, burnout, and stalled growth.

Dr. Elefant frames it in plain language: when infrastructure is messy, even good funding becomes risky. She shares a real example of a funder walking into a site and asking, “What would you do with $100,000?”—and the leader couldn’t answer beyond “I need a million.” That moment exposes a common challenge: passion without business readiness. As Dr. Elefant puts it, “Funders don’t fund passion. They fund systems… impact… data… proven methodologies.” The practical shift starts with smaller, sharper thinking: her team asks clients, “What would you do with $5,000?” so leaders can articulate spending with purpose and credibility.

The duo then connects the dots to the daily realities nonprofit leaders face—grant reporting, accounting requirements, staffing ramps, and the inevitable pressure of post-award management, reminding viewers that grant dollars aren’t free; they demand operational strength. Together, they push the conversation toward healthier revenue design: Dr. Elefant suggests keeping grants to a manageable slice (she’s comfortable around 25%) and building the remaining 75% through stronger revenue streams like major donors, sponsorships, partnerships, and especially program service revenue. She normalizes earned income with examples nonprofits already recognize—hospitals, daycares, universities—and shows how fees can expand access through sliding scales and subsidized services.

The episode lands on relationships and board performance: cultivate funders like humans, ask them what they want, and bring mindset training to the boardroom with clear expectations, accountability, and the courage to treat board service like real work. Sustainable funding follows sustainable operations!

 00:00:00 Welcome to 2026 and today’s funding reality check
 00:01:32 What The Nonprofit Plug does 
 00:03:18 Why funding problems are structural problems
 00:04:46 The $100,000 question leaders struggle to answer
 00:06:40 The $5,000 question that builds real clarity
 00:09:22 Why grants are episodic and can’t create sustainability
 00:11:38 A realistic grant percentage and smarter revenue balance
 00:12:13 Program service revenue explained and why it’s ethical
 00:14:24 Contracts with schools and government as revenue pathways
 00:18:17 What funders want now trust outcomes survival
 00:20:48 Funder cultivation relationship building that wins
 00:24:36 Getting boards to shift mindset and raise expectations 

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how nonprofits set goals that actually move revenue, relationships, and results. They start with the metric many teams avoid because it can be a rude awakening: donor retention. Tony walks through a simple way to calculate it, then connects the number to what leaders feel every day, time and budget pressure. His reminder lands like a CFO truth bomb: “The data doesn’t lie.” If your team assumes things are fine because a few familiar names show up at events, this episode brings you back to reality and gives you a starting point for a better plan.

From there, the conversation turns to relationship depth. The point is not endless list building. It is quality over quantity, supported by segmentation and donor tiers, and backed by a pipeline you can actually manage. Julia frames it in plain business language: your pipeline is not a vague hope, it is a set of lanes that deserve goals, tracking, and steady motion all year, not a December scramble driven by board pressure and gala season.

They also press into revenue diversification, especially when grant and government dollars can shift quickly. Multiple lanes are not just safer, they keep fundraising work more sustainable for the humans doing it. Then they move to data and tools: a robust CRM, mobile access, timely notes after donor meetings, and capacity building funding that can help pay for the systems and training.

Finally, they tie it all together with culture. A culture of philanthropy means everyone owns the donor experience, including customer service, and teams can celebrate other organizations’ wins without losing confidence.

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Year-end doesn’t “arrive” in nonprofits so much as it ambushes us. And that’s exactly why this conversation with John Tiso, VP of Revenue and Service Delivery at JMT Consulting, and Buu Lình Tran, SVP of Financial Solutions at JMT Consulting, feels like a shot of espresso for your finance, accounting, and operations leadership.

Host Julia C. Patrick frames the real business challenge: you’re not only closing the books you’re leading humans through a high-pressure stretch where accuracy, speed, and collaboration all collide. Buu Lìnn makes the case that strong leadership is less about pushing harder and more about supporting smarter: assess what your staff truly needs, invest in process improvement, and use technology intentionally to make work easier and outcomes stronger.

John brings the mindset shift that separates “we survived year end” from “we built capacity for next year.” Organizations that resist change until it’s unavoidable end up reacting at the worst possible moment. His blunt truth is the most liberating: “Get ahead of it and you’ll be soaring high.” That applies to financial operations, system adoption, and the way leaders set expectations for learning.

A standout takeaway: training can’t be a one-and-done event. Repetition matters and Buu Lình offers a practical solution: short, reusable “refresh” videos that staff will actually watch, plus an easy onboarding asset when roles change midstream.

Then the conversation turns to the big nonprofit efficiency leak: fundraising and finance teams operating with separate data, separate definitions, and a quiet trust gap. The fix is proactive alignment deciding now what data you’ll need later, naming data owners, and building a unified approach so teams stop competing and start collaborating.

Finally, they zoom out to strategic tech leadership: someone must serve as the connector across departments, guiding decisions so systems and data work together instead of multiplying confusion. Bottom line: year-end leadership is not paperwork it’s performance architecture!!

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitFinance

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Starting a nonprofit is often treated like a simple administrative step: fill out a few forms, wait a bit, and you’re off to the races. But in this episode, Julia C. Patrick and cohost Ellie Hume sit down with Christian LeFer, CEO of Instant Nonprofit, to talk about what it really takes to launch—and sustain—a mission-driven organization with business discipline.

Christian shares how many founders arrive at the nonprofit moment almost accidentally: the garage is full of dog crates, the community is offering in-kind support, and suddenly you need the legal structure to accept gifts, operate credibly, and stay compliant. Yet traditional paths can be slow, expensive, and confusing—often pushing would-be leaders into delays, missteps, or burnout before they’ve built momentum.

Instant Nonprofit positions itself as a modern, founder-friendly alternative: a guided, contextual process that handles formation through IRS approval and then keeps organizations on “autopilot” for ongoing maintenance. The real business takeaway is not just speed—it’s reducing operational friction so leaders can move from idea to execution without losing energy, donors, or board engagement along the way.

A memorable moment comes when Christian explains his “love letter to a bureaucrat” approach—designing filings to make a reviewer’s job easier, which accelerates outcomes and lowers risk. “Money is just a flow of energy… it’s really a river, and my job is to unblock the obstacles in that river,” he says, connecting formation, compliance, and financial management to the same leadership mindset: clarity, structure, and forward motion.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitOperations

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Consistency is not glamorous, but it’s the engine that keeps a nonprofit’s business model running when the calendar flips and the pressure spikes. In this conversation with  Matt Glazer, Founder and CEO of Blue Sky Partners (Austin-based, national reach), we talk about building consistent engagement without burning out your team or betting the whole year on a Q4 miracle.

Matt brings a practical operator’s lens: simplify what repeats, template what you can, and stop trying to cram “97 things” into the final stretch. His philosophy is steady, sustainable progress that makes room for reality—staff illness, unexpected disruptions, and capacity limits—so quality doesn’t collapse under urgency. As Matt puts it, “I’m a big believer in doing a little bit of work a lot of the time.”

From there, the conversation gets sharply useful for fundraising and stakeholder communications. Matt challenges the sector’s fixation on “unicorn donors” and reminds us that the so-called boring work—like building a sustaining donor program—creates real stability. He shares a concrete example from his early nonprofit leadership: by repeatedly communicating the value of monthly giving, his organization grew from zero sustainers to $7,000 per month, proving that small gifts, stacked with intention, can fund real infrastructure.

The discussion also tackles a leadership truth many avoid: in many nonprofits, clients and customers are not the same people. Funders may be the “customer” demanding reporting and outcomes, while beneficiaries deserve asset-based language and authentic voice. To bridge those realities, Matt recommends human-centered design tools—journey maps, empathy maps, and personas—to understand how people experience your organization and where alignment between mission, funding, and community needs can become a win for everyone.

Finally, Matt introduces decision trees as a way to improve donor asks and engagement pathways by learning not only what people choose—but why they didn’t choose the other option. That’s how your nonprofit can turn assumptions into strategy and strategy into revenue!

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #FundraisingStrategy

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