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Summer is coming to a close.  Kids are back in school.  Football season is here.

And NOW is the time to start the sprint to Year End Fundraising. 

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss why year end fundraising needs to start now.  Nathan shares 4 action steps that Executive Director should initiate in September, to lay the foundation for a successful End of the Year Fundraising Campaign.

Here is Amy Einstein's interview with Seth Godin about Storytelling in Nonprofits to which Nathan refers in the podcast.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Over the past few weeks, we have had conversations with individuals who have recently taken on the role as a new nonprofit Executive Director. The questions always comes up…

"Now what do I do? "

"Where do I start?"

"What should the first few days/weeks look like? "

"How do I figure out what my priorities should be?"

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan recommend 5 actions that new Executive Directors should take.  And they share the secret..that these are things that an Executive Director should keep on doing throughout their tenure.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

For many nonprofits, the end of summer is often when organizations start to feel the cash crunch.  The binges connected to the big end of the year revenue flow has subsided and the there are a few more month months still the end of the year fundraising starts to ramp up.  And that's when knowing and understanding cash flow is so important.

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan define what is cash flow and why it is important.  They also explore how cash flow is different than the organization's budget, and then provide some simple ways to understand and manage cash flow.  Nathan finishes the podcast with four key takeaways.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

This may come as a shock, but Executive Directors and Nonprofit Leaders are Human.  So what happens in our family, our communities, and in the world can impact how we think and feel.  And can have an impact on how we lead.

On today's episode, Nathan explores the concept of mindset and how it impacts our leadership.  He presents 3 mindsets that can help us be better leaders in the situation we find ourselves.

To take Nathan up on his offer, contact him at [email protected].


The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

It's in the name of our podcast.   One of the most important factors in whether a nonprofit is effective and impactful is leadership. And it’s true whether we are talking about a small one person organization or a large multimillion dollar global organization.

Leadership is a key factor.

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan explore the kind of leadership others will want to follow.  There are leaderships skills that can be practiced and learned but there is also a need to develop a Leadership Identity.  Four leadership characteristics are discussed and actions steps are presented to begin to grow in your Leadership Identity.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Program Evaluation is one of those things that must be done in order to maximize the vision and mission of your organization.  It is also one of those things that is very easy NOT to do.  Often it is because nonprofit leaders don't know where to start.

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan discuss four simple steps that will have you evaluating like a pro.  They also note some of the benefits that come will following through with program evaluation.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

As an Executive Director, we know we have people who we are responsible for.  But who are those we are responsible to?

On this episode Nathan goes solo, exploring the three groups of people for whom the Executive Director is responsible to...and why it matters.   These groups are:

• The end user and beneficiary of the organization's work and services.
• The organization's staff and volunteers.
• The organization's donors.

Tim and Nathan would love to hear from you.  Share a challenge you are facing in your organization or suggest a topic for the podcast.  Go to www.nonprofitleader.online and select "Contact".  Leave your message there.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

As a nonprofit leader, it is not unusual to find oneself working outside of a typical office setting.  The challenge is to stay productive when working in those situations.

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan share from their experience working remotely in many different locations.  They share mindsets, tools, and practical ideas that can contribute to productivity when "on the road".

Tim and Nathan would love to hear from you.  Share a challenge you are facing in your organization or suggest a topic for the podcast.  Go to www.nonprofitleader.online and select "Contact".  Leave your message there.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

If you had access to a crystal ball that could give you a picture of what lies ahead, would you look?

In today's episode, Tim and Nathan look backwards to help nonprofits look forward.  Focusing on 4 common reasons nonprofits fail, practical ideas are shared on how to approach these areas that can help alleviate failure.  

The reasons addressed are:

• Optimism without a Plan
• Poor Organizational Development
• Refusing to Innovate
• Mission Creep

Tim and Nathan would love to hear from you.  Share a challenge you are facing in your organization or suggest a topic for the podcast.  Go to www.nonprofitleader.online and select "Contact".  Leave your message there.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.

Send us a text

Would you consider yourself a transparent leader?  Do you tend to overshare or undershare?  And when is sharing considered too much or too little?

On today's episode, Tim and Nathan dive into the topic of leading with transparency.  From defining transparency  and then working through a situation that requires communication to the Board, staff and donors, thoughts about striving for a continuum of communication  is discussed.   

Tim and Nathan would love to hear from you.  Share a challenge you are facing in your organization or suggest a topic for the podcast.  Go to www.nonprofitleader.online and select "Contact".  Leave your message there.

The Hosts of  The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and can be contacted at [email protected].

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH) and can be contacted at [email protected].

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not represent those of their respective organizations.

Support the show

The Hosts of The Practice of NonProfit Leadership:

Tim Barnes serves as the Executive Vice President of International Association for Refugees (IAFR)

Nathan Ruby serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

They can be reached at [email protected]

All opinions and views expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their respective organizations.