309: Are You Really Onboarding for Long-Term Success? (Tiffany Slater)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader. 

Struggling to retain great talent? In episode 306 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, HR expert Tiffany Slater shares practical strategies to transform your onboarding process into a tool for retention and team success. Learn why onboarding begins the moment a new hire says "yes" and how small gestures—like a personalized welcome video or a thoughtful gift—can set the stage for a strong workplace culture. Tiffany shares actionable advice on preparing new employees with the right tools, clear processes, and meaningful first projects to ensure they feel valued and capable from day one. Whether your team operates in-person, virtually, or hybrid, these tips will help you reduce turnover and empower your team to thrive.

ABOUT TIFFANY

Tiffany E. Slater, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP is the Founder & CEO for HR TailorMade - THE human resource solution for small businesses and nonprofits. HR TailorMade partners with nonprofits and small businesses to provide seamless Fractional HR support for their team. Dr. Tiffany has been an HR professional for over 25 years with experience in all aspects of human resources. She also has experience in a variety of sectors, including union and non-union, PK-12 public education, property management, manufacturing, and casino industries, to name a few. The HR TailorMade team handles everything from onboarding & managing employee relations to benefits administration to guiding team leaders through difficult conversations & exit interviews. They are here to help you avoid those common HR mistakes, protect your business, and ensure that you and your employees thrive.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens for the latest on nonprofit leadership

308: 3 Keys to Building a Dynamic Nonprofit Team (Chris Jenkins)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader.

What makes or breaks a nonprofit team? In episode #308 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Chris Jenkins shares how he has built a thriving organization by prioritizing trust, mission alignment, and strategic leadership. Discover why micromanagement is one of the biggest threats to team dynamics and how empowering staff with autonomy leads to stronger results. Learn how to foster a culture of accountability, encourage team-driven decision-making, and create an evaluation process that ensures long-term success. This conversation dives into the importance of hiring people who challenge your perspective, how to balance visionary leadership with structured planning, and why succession planning starts long before a leadership transition.

ABOUT CHRIS

Chris Jenkins is the Founder of Hope Restorations Inc. which he started in February of 2015. Hope Restorations is a non-profit social enterprise striving to help adults recover from addiction and/or incarceration by providing honest, paid, dignified employment. The program uses the daily work environment to build relationships and trust as the foundation to help each individual identify and overcome their own unique barriers to success. The work involves acquiring and renovating deteriorating, eyesore properties in the community to provide affordable housing for low-income families. Chris served in the US Navy and then managed privately owned manufacturing operations before opening his own auto repair shop. In 2004, he began answering a calling into formal ministry. He holds a Bachelor's in Occupational Education from Eastern New Mexico University and has completed the Course of Study for Ordained Ministry in the United Methodist Church at Duke Divinity School. He’s an ASE Certified Master Auto Technician, an NC General Contractor, and a USCG Licensed Captain.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• Watch Chris’s story here!
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek
• Have you gotten Patton’s book

307: How to Overcome 5 Nonprofit Communication Challenges (David Chatham)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader.

Are you pouring your heart into your nonprofit’s mission, yet struggling to get donors, partners, and the community to truly understand and support your work? In episode 307 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, communication expert David Chatham shares how organizations can transform their storytelling by focusing on the “Four C’s” of effective communication: clear, concise, compelling, and consistent messaging. He breaks down the five biggest communication challenges nonprofits face—from weak foundational messaging to the lack of a strategic marketing plan—and offers practical, actionable solutions to overcome them. Learn how to refine your mission statement, engage key stakeholders, and make the most of limited marketing budgets. Plus, discover why investing in strong communications isn’t just about visibility—it’s about strengthening donor engagement and long-term sustainability. If your nonprofit struggles to communicate its impact effectively, this episode will help you sharpen your strategy and amplify your voice.

ABOUT DAVID

David has more than 25 years of marketing communications experience, with the last 10 focused on serving nonprofits through his work as senior client success strategist at Angel Oak Creative. He's grateful for the opportunity to work with organizations who are working each day to make the world a better place. David lives in Raleigh, N.C. with his wife of 20+ years, Lisa, and his mighty 7lb Yorkie, Max.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens for the latest on nonprofit leadership

306: Building Resilient Nonprofits Through Interim Leadership (David Harris)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check out their Interim Management Institute. 

Leadership transitions can be a pivotal moment for any nonprofit, yet many organizations rush to fill the gap without assessing their true needs. In episode #306 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, we explore the critical role of interim executive leadership with David Harris, and how it strengthens nonprofits during times of change. David is a national expert in interim leadership and shares insights on why nonprofits should resist the urge to hire quickly and instead use transition periods to build resilience. Learn how skilled interim leaders address financial stability, talent development, board engagement, and operational adaptability—ensuring the next executive is set up for success.

ABOUT DAVID

David is the Managing Director of Interim Executive Solutions, and has extensive experience working with for-profit and nonprofit organizations to develop and implement strategies to improve operations, marketing, board governance, and leadership team effectiveness. He served as co-chair of Community Action Partners where he provided strategic planning, marketing and other services to Boston area nonprofits. In that capacity, David has led projects with nine different organizations. Most recently, he served as the interim Executive Director of the Springfield Empowerment Zone in western Massachusetts and the Landing School in Maine. David spent five years as Deputy Director of Teachers21, a professional development service provider, and provided coaching and consulting services to school and district leaders on business strategy and organization. David is currently Clerk of YouthBuild Boston. David holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MAT from Simmons College and a Sc.B. in Biochemistry from Brown University.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Want to be an Interim Executive? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questions by James Ryan
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens for the latest on nonprofit leadership

305: 5 Steps for Balancing Leadership with Personal Wellness (Latoya Robinson)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader.

Are you constantly giving everything to your mission but feeling like there’s nothing left for yourself? In episode 305 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Latoya Robinson shares why prioritizing wellness is essential for sustaining long-term impact and preventing burnout. Drawing on her leadership journey, she introduces five practical steps to help nonprofit executives balance their professional responsibilities while maintaining personal well-being. She discusses leading with empathy and self-compassion, building supportive relationships, setting boundaries, aligning leadership with purpose, and staying organized without overwhelming. Latoya also shares her personal strategies for maintaining balance, including morning routines, intentional goal-setting, and prioritizing time for reflection.

ABOUT LATOYA

Latoya Robinson is a Nonprofit Growth Architect dedicated to transforming service-based and community-focused organizations. She helps nonprofits, foundations, and corporations align their missions with sustainable strategies that drive measurable impact and long-term financial stability. As the founder of LUR Growth, Latoya provides innovative donor engagement and strategic growth services, leveraging her LUR 3D Strategy™—Data-Driven Direction, Donor Devotion Dynamics, and Dynamic Impact Orchestration—to foster capacity building, donor loyalty, and organizational growth. Since 2016, Latoya has served as Executive Director of Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods (NBN), where her leadership has expanded the budget from $310K to $1.2M. She previously co-founded SAVED Health and launched the SAVED4HOPE Therapeutic Summer Camp, growing both into multi-county initiatives. 

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens

304: Balancing the Head and the Heart as a Nonprofit Leader (Eric Newman)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader. 

How do you sustain the passion that fuels your nonprofit mission while ensuring long-term financial and operational success? In episode 304 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, you’ll hear from Eric Newman, a nonprofit leader who turned personal adversity into a powerful movement, scaling an organization from a grassroots fundraiser to a national force for pediatric cancer support. Learn how he navigated the critical balance between mission-driven passion and business-minded strategy, built a sustainable fundraising model, and leveraged corporate partnerships for impact. He shares hard-earned lessons on overcoming early financial struggles, the importance of adaptability, and why "marrying the mission, not the model" is key to longevity. 

ABOUT ERIC

Eric Newman is a passionate entrepreneur, speaker and visionary leader. A childhood cancer survivor, he founded Roc Solid Foundation in 2009, a nonprofit that builds hope for kids fighting the same battle throughout the U.S. Roc Solid partners with over 100 children’s hospitals to gift Ready Bags to families just after diagnosis, and they’ve provided thousands of play sets for children throughout the country who need a safe place to play and a reason to smile. As a best-selling author and guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Eric’s story continues to inspire people who are looking for ways to turn their pain from past experiences into their life’s passion.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• The Carpenter: A Story About the Greatest Success Strategies of All by John Gordon
• 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector –

303: Advocacy That Matters: Taking Your Nonprofit to the Next Level (Sam Daley-Harris)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader.

Are you leveraging advocacy to amplify your nonprofit’s impact? In episode 303 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Sam Daley-Harris, author of Reclaiming Our Democracy, shares transformative insights on moving beyond transactional actions to engage in transformational advocacy. Sam emphasizes the power of asking big questions, building meaningful relationships with elected officials, and training teams to embrace grassroots victories. Discover practical strategies to engage your board, staff, and volunteers in impactful advocacy, even if your organization is just starting out. This conversation challenges nonprofit leaders to think bigger, connect deeper, and embrace their potential to create systemic change.

ABOUT SAM

Sam Daley-Harris founded the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS in 1980, co-founded the Microcredit Summit Campaign in 1995, and founded Civic Courage in 2012. The 2024 edition of his book Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy was named an editor’s pick by Publisher’s Weekly BookLife.  Kirkus Reviews wrote: "Overall, [the author's] analysis of effective action is as persuasive as it is accessible, and his call to democratic participation is inspiring. A handbook for aspiring activists that readers will find to be both inspiring and practical."  Daley-Harris has been interviewed on NPR’s Here and Now and 1A and on PBS’s Laura Flanders and Friends.  Ashoka founder Bill Drayton said, “Sam Daley-Harris is one of the certified great social entrepreneurs of the last decades.”

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• American Shield by Aquilino Gonell and Susan Shapiro
• How Nonprofits Lose Out When Volunteer Advocates Are Asked to Do Little Real Advocacy
• Learn more and connect with Sam here

302: Nonprofit Success Through Donor Relationships (Melissa Le Roy)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates. Check them out for your next career opportunity OR for help finding an interim executive or your next leader. 

Are you ready to take your nonprofit’s fundraising to the next level? This episode dives deep into the art of relationship-driven fundraising and the strategies that sustain long-term nonprofit success. In episode #302 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Melissa Le Roy shares actionable advice for building meaningful donor connections. Learn her "five steps to building a fire" for sustainable fundraising strategies, discover how gratitude and consistent communication can transform donor retention, and explore how AI can streamline segmentation and personalized outreach. Melissa also highlights leadership lessons, emphasizing transparency, integrity, and prioritizing relationship-building to inspire greater engagement. 

ABOUT MELISSA

Melissa Metcalf Le Roy, a graduate in Entrepreneurship, with a minor in business law of Western Carolina University and a graduate in Nonprofit Management of Duke University teaches non-profit management classes throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for Duke University and Western Carolina University. She is a past board member of the North Carolina Center for Non-Profits. For four years she contributed a regular “Non-Profit Leadership” column for the Tryon Daily Bulletin and currently offers her services as a consultant through her own firm, OnFire Nonprofit Consulting. You can also view her TEDx talk “A Love Affair, the Art of Not Asking” on Nonprofit Fundraising.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• Donor Centered Fundraising by Penelope Burke
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens for the latest on nonprofit leadership

301: Unlocking the Power of Sustainable Giving (Dave Raley)

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates, your go-to resource for career opportunities OR for help finding an interim executive or your nonprofit’s next leader. 

Are you struggling to build a reliable, sustainable revenue stream while keeping donors engaged in your mission? The grind is real. In episode #301 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, Dave Raley dives into the essential shifts nonprofit leaders need to embrace, inspired by lessons from the subscription economy. He shares practical strategies for creating engaging donor experiences, building ongoing value propositions, and maximizing the long-term impact of recurring donors. Drawing on two decades of experience and insights from his new book, The Rise of Sustainable Giving, Dave outlines the key elements of a thriving recurring giving program, from understanding your tech stack to cultivating donor relationships that go beyond “set it and forget it.” If your organization wants to deepen donor loyalty and create sustainable revenue streams, this episode is a must-listen.

ABOUT DAVE

Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, an advisory firm that helps organizations create growth through innovation. As a speaker and advisor, he has inspired thousands of nonprofit leaders to grow both personally and organizationally. He’s the author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving: How the Subscription Economy is Transforming Recurring Giving, and What Nonprofits Can Do to Benefit. Dave also writes a weekly innovation and leadership column called The Wave Report, and he’s the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast – a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. 

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• The Rise of Sustainable Giving by Dave Raley
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible
• Don’t miss our weekly Thursday Leadership Lens for the latest on nonprofit leadership

300: 30 Takeaways from 300 Episodes

SUMMARY

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Armstrong McGuire & Associates, your go-to resource for career opportunities OR for help finding an interim executive or your nonprofit’s next leader. 

In this special milestone episode of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, host Patton McDowell highlights key moments, lessons learned, and pivotal conversations from the podcast’s first 300 episodes. 

15 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 

1. First Episode: November 13, 2019
2. First Guest: Penny Hawkins, AVC of Development at UNC Charlotte
3. Most Downloaded Episodes: #130 Manuel Campbell ("How Do You Prepare for Nonprofit Leadership?"), #124 Shana Plott ("How to Make Yourself an Outstanding Candidate for Nonprofit Leadership"), and #165 Bill Connors ("3 Technology Traps All Nonprofit Leaders Must Avoid") 
4. Longest Conversations: #36 with Tina Admans (“Fortune 500 to Nonprofit Founder & CEO”) and #213 with Brian Collier (“Keys to Advancing Your Nonprofit Career”) 
5. Two Guest Hosts: Chris Delisio hosted episode #100, and Ken Fuquay stepped in for episode #148 
6. Most Appearances by a Guest: Andrew Olsen: episodes #145, #196, and #276.
7. Two Trios: Episode #98 featured Charlie Elberson, Diane Gavarkavich, and Whitney Feld. Episode #237 highlighted Josue’ Hernandez, Tiffany Kong, and Mike Walsh
8. Guests have come from 38 of the 50 U.S. states and 14 different countries
9. Furthest Guest: Leif Cocks (#254) joined from Perth, Australia, 11,455 miles away. 
10. Top Listener Region: 85% of downloads come from the U.S., with Canada, the UK and Australia rounding out our international audience.
11. 200 Total Hours of Content
12. 100,000 Cumulative Downloads
13. Top Topics Covered: Leadership, fundraising, strategic planning, board engagement
14. First-Time Challenges: failed to record Lisa Baxter’s first session, but she joined us again for episode #57! 
15. Achieved a #1 ranking in the world of nonprofit leadership podcasts according to FeedSpot