Episodes

To understand the people you are leading, you must first understand yourself. Truly becoming curious about who you are and being honest with yourself, will help you embody important traits needed to be a great leader. Today’s guest, Brenda Jimenez, describes the three traits she believes are most important for a nonprofit leader to have. Rob’s guest, Brenda Jimenez, is the CEO of Mentor New York. The mission of Mentor New York is to increase the quality of mentoring relationships and close the ...

How can AI help your nonprofit? Today’s guests are going to continue a conversation I had a few months back with Justin Spelhaug of Microsoft. The topic is AI, and more specifically the good use of AI to benefit your nonprofit. So how can AI be used for good to help you and your organization? Rob’s guests are going to talk about just a few of the ways they are seeking to do just that. On the show are Anne Nies and Sam Caplan from Submittable, which is a software company that is helping thousands...

Julia Devine According to the 2024 Social Impact Staff Retention Report, three out of every four nonprofit employees are looking for a new job. More than half of those people are unsure they will continue working in the nonprofit sector. Rob’s guest, Julia Devine, shares what nonprofit leaders can do to alleviate this retention issue. Julia is the Co-founder of Relatable Nonprofit. The team at Relatable Nonprofit is committed to empowering purpose-driven professionals to become nonprofit consul...

Tomi Hiers To affect significant change in the community, a nonprofit leader must be willing to collaborate and engage with the community they serve. Today’s guest, Tomi Hiers, believes we can make a meaningful impact in our communities through collective action and data-driven solutions. Rob’s guest, Tomi Hiers, is the Vice President of the Center for Civic Sites and Community Change at the Annie E Casey Foundation. The Annie E Casey Foundation is a private national philanthropy that creates b...

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 and is one of the strongest nonprofit brands in the United States. Many nonprofit leaders can learn valuable lessons from this impactful organization that has changed lives all over the world. Rob’s guest, Jonathan Reckford, shares some of his insights on a variety of topics that affect nonprofit organizations. Jonathan is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing or...

Adrien Lewis To affect big change in the world, a nonprofit leader must be willing to take risks and must be willing to fail along the way. To put it simply, it takes courage. Today’s guest, Adrien Lewis, explains what is required to be a courageous leader. Rob’s guest, Adrien Lewis, is the founder and President of CarePortal. CarePortal is a technology platform that drives action for local kids and families in crisis all over the US. They do this by connecting people who need help with people ...

David Dye Conflict happens in the workplace, whether we like to admit it or not. According to a recent survey, 70% of people worldwide report experiencing the same or worsening levels of conflict in the past few years. Today’s guest, David Dye, describes the factors contributing to increasing levels of workplace conflict and how to manage it effectively. David is an author, podcaster, and nonprofit consultant. He also co-authored the new book, Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflic...

Erik Hanberg We often discuss topics related to fundraising, branding, and culture. While these are all important areas of discussion, there is another critical topic we must focus on as nonprofit leaders. This topic is board governance. Today’s guest, Erik Hanberg, shares how nonprofits can effectively approach board recruitment and development. Rob’s guest, Erik Hanberg, is a consultant who works with nonprofits in board governance and fundraising. He is also the author of various books, one ...

Alex Budak, professor at University of California, Berkeley and author of “Becoming a Changemaker.” Are you a leader at a nonprofit who wants to bring about change, but you don’t think your idea will be welcomed by the rest of the team? Are you struggling to get everyone on board with this new mission and feel your efforts are futile? Today’s guest, Alex Budak, explains that you don’t need everyone on board before bringing change and how you can become a more effective change maker. Rob’s guest...

Anum Qadir It’s no secret we appreciate hearing insights from The Bridgespan Group on the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. We invite two more voices from their organization to speak on relevant topics in the nonprofit space. Today’s guests, Anum Qadir and Christian Celeste Tate, discuss current trends in giving, how to improve retention and leading with intention. Christian Celeste Tate Anum and Christian are managers at The Bridgespan Group. The Bridgespan Group is a global nonprofit that strives...

Colleen Kelly Many of those working in nonprofits, often started in the nonprofit space. This doesn’t mean of course that someone in the for-profit sector cannot transition over. In fact, it is becoming more common. Today’s guest, Colleen Kelly, did just that, switching to the nonprofit sector after working for 30 years in the for-profit world doing marketing and advertising. Rob’s guest, Colleen Kelly, is the CEO of the US branch of Concern Worldwide, Ireland’s largest humanitarian organizatio...

Joe Davis When you hear the term “generous leader” you may automatically think of financial generosity. Being a generous leader means more than that. Today’s guest, Joe Davis, explains that a generous leader is someone who shows vulnerability, supports inclusion and seeks to understand individuals at a deeper level. Rob’s guest, Joe Davis, is the Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group. He is also BCG’s Chair for CIE (Center for Inclusion and Equity.) Joe is also the aut...

What kind of brand and what kind of culture do you have? Is there a gap between how you see your brand and how your community sees your brand? Rob’s guest, Ted Vaughn, explains why so many nonprofits inadvertently develop a “brand gap” by failing to integrate their culture and brand strategy. He also shares how you can avoid making this mistake. Ted Vaughn, is the co-author of the recent book, Culture Built My Brand, along with Mark Miller. Ted is also a Brand and Culture Strategist at Historic...

Because nonprofit organizations thrive on the dedication of volunteers, we want to ensure we are not only recruiting the right people but also maximizing their impact. Today’s guest, Tyler Manley, shares how nonprofit leaders can improve volunteer recruitment and retention so volunteers become empowered champions of the mission. Rob’s guest, Tyler Manley, is the VP of Growth and Engagement of Catchafire. Catchafire is the largest skills-based volunteer platform in the world. The organization ai...

Hannah Bellamy Every year, approximately two million people worldwide are dying from water-borne diseases. Lack of safe drinking water, while not a new problem, is an issue that can be solved. Today’s guest, Hannah Bellamy, shares how Charity Water allocates 100% of the donations they receive to long-term, sustainable systems that provide clean water to different communities across the world. Rob’s guest, Hannah Bellamy, is the UK Managing Director for Charity Water. Charity Water brings clean ...

Mike Lee When most people think of nonprofits, they think of 501(c)3 organizations. Did you know that there are over thirty different types of nonprofit organizations, including 501(c)8 organizations? Today’s guest, Mike Lee, explains how nonprofit leaders can access extra financial resources for their missions, by becoming a member of a 501(c)8. Rob’s guest, Mike Lee, is the founder of the 501(c)8 Impact Initiative. Their mission is to bring awareness to fraternal benefit societies and the edu...

Gauri Manglik, CEO & Co-founder of Instrumentl Whether grants generate a large portion or a small portion of your budget, it is important to be efficient in your grant prospecting process. Today’s guest, Gauri Manglik, explains how nonprofits can improve their fundraising and grant prospecting. Rob’s guest, Gauri Manglik, is the CEO and Co-founder of Instrumentl. Instrumentl is a platform that brings grant prospecting, tracking and management into one place. The platform uses a personalized pro...

Angela Redding It’s one thing to have a belief or a hypothesis. It’s another thing to have credible numbers available to you as a nonprofit leader looking to make a real difference. Today’s guest, Angela Redding, shares how the power of data can help shape an organization’s story and impact. Rob’s guest, Angela Redding, is the Executive Director of Radiant Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to cultivate a more personal, positive place for faith within modern society. One of the ways Radi...

Donald Summers When we talk about nonprofits struggling with fundraising, typically we focus on solutions that address just the fundraising aspects of that organization. But often times, perhaps most of the time, if a nonprofit is really struggling with fundraising, it’s not just a fundraising challenge, it is an organization-wide challenge. So the solution to solving the issue is much deeper and more systemic than just fixing the fundraising department. Rob’s guest is Donald Summers and he will...

Vilma Consuegra How much should your nonprofit invest in marketing and fundraising before it becomes excessive? This is the question we aim to discuss today. Rob’s guest, Vilma Consuegra, explains how you can find a healthy balance between your marketing budget and your mission. Vilma Consuegra is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Wounded Warrior Project. WWP offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury, illn...

Jason Kruger As nonprofit leaders, we aim to run organizations that thrive, especially in a tough economic climate. In order to thrive, we have to be able to make the right decisions. One area that impacts our ability to make the right decisions is accounting. Rob’s guest is Jason Kruger and he explains that nonprofits who have financial clarity are better able to manage their organizations effectively, and thus make a bigger impact in the world. Jason is the President and Founder at Signature ...

Nonprofits have been dealing with a downward trend when it comes to the donations they receive and the volunteers that join their organizations. For example, contributions from individuals to nonprofits have decreased over thirteen percent, while corporations have given over ten percent less in 2022 compared to the previous year. Additionally, there has been a decline in volunteering for the past 10 years. With that said, there is hope for nonprofits to reverse these trends. Today’s guest, Emily...

Tommy Spaulding As nonprofit leaders, we are not only making an impact in the lives of those we serve, but we have the opportunity to lead others within our organizations. So what does it take to be an effective leader? Rob’s guest is Tommy Spaulding who explains how we can be better at leading our teams, what an effective leader looks like and one key underrated trait we should all develop as leaders. Tommy is a national speaker and trainer on the topic of leadership. He is also the author of ...

Vedika Bhandarkar Safe water. While most of us have access to it, there are millions across the world who do not. There are approximately 700 million people, all over the world, who do not have access to safe water or sanitation. Rob’s guest, Vedika Bhandarkar, describes a unique and effective strategy for getting more clean water to those in need. Vedika is the Chief Operating Officer at Water.org. This global nonprofit organization works to bring safe water and sanitation to the world through...