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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Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

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Founder syndrome gets tossed around like a diagnosis, but this conversation reframes it as a leadership and governance challenge that shows up in real nonprofit operations: decision rights, communication, accountability, and the organization’s ability to scale beyond one person’s willpower.

Guest Brittan Stockert (Donorbox) opens by rejecting the blame-heavy tone of the phrase and naming the real risk: “Founder syndrome is really when… you treat your nonprofit as if it’s yours personally… as opposed to something that you’re caring for on behalf of the people it’s serving.” From there, she maps how the issue can quietly spread through an organization: communication gaps, staff checking out, hesitation to propose new initiatives because leadership might swoop in, and small delays that snowball into major financial consequences. When reimbursable grants are submitted late, when board decisions stall, when donor communications feel inconsistent, funders and supporters notice. The result isn’t just drama it’s revenue disruption, talent loss, and the evaporation of institutional memory.

Cohost Wendy F. Adams, CFRE (Cultivate for Good) adds a sharp leadership lens: founders often need grit to build, but “grit becomes gridlock” when control replaces stewardship. Together with Julia C. Patrick (American Nonprofit Academy), the discussion turns practical: guardrails that are both procedural and human. A succession plan matters, but so does the emotional transition. Brittan shares what she’s seeing in stronger organizations: executive coaching to normalize the shift, plus simple monthly 20-minute huddles that surface misalignment early—before it becomes boardroom blowups.

The governance takeaway is direct: diversify boards beyond the founder’s inner circle, broaden “diversity” to include lived experience and day-to-day nonprofit understanding, and use term limits and talent assessment to reduce power bottlenecks. Year-end pressure amplifies everything, but the bigger message is timeless: sustainable nonprofits design systems that protect mission, people, and revenue—even when leadership is changing.

00:00:00 Welcome and today’s topic founder syndrome
00:02:45 What Donorbox is and why nonprofits use it
00:04:20 Redefining founder syndrome as behavior and stewardship
00:05:30 Real world signs control patterns and staff impact
00:09:40 The slow feedback cycle communication gaps to revenue loss
00:12:15 Grit becomes gridlock naming the turning point
00:14:45 Guardrails succession plans and executive coaching
00:15:45 Monthly 20 minute huddles to stop problems early
00:18:30 Board governance redesign lived experience and independence
00:26:35 Year end pressure sector stress and fixing systems

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #BoardGovernance

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Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Fundraisers Friday is back, and Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall (Mr. Nonprofit Consultancy) tackle a topic that quietly runs the business side of fundraising: donor tier levels. If you’ve ever stared at your donor list and wondered, “Where do we start, and how do we keep this manageable?” this episode is your playbook.

They begin with the “why.” Tony frames donor tiers as a practical operating system, not a fancy fundraising accessory. Done well, tiers let you personalize messaging and protect your time by matching stewardship to giving level and relationship needs. In other words: less guessing, more intentional workflows. Tony puts it plainly: “The tiers really help you… organize your workflow and your bandwidth.” That’s a business benefit every nonprofit can appreciate, whether you’re running development solo or leading a full team.

Julia reinforces that tiers help organizations stop spinning their wheels. Once you know who’s in which group, you can plan communications, offers, and engagement with purpose instead of defaulting to blank-stare marketing meetings. As she says, “It kind of like helps you steer the ship.” The cohosts also emphasize that tiers are not “grades.” You’re not ranking human worth—you’re segmenting so you can communicate better and build a healthier donor experience.

From there, they move into how to set tiers responsibly: start with your giving data, avoid “one-size-fits-all,” and keep the number of tiers realistic (think three to six for most organizations). They also talk about naming your tiers for easier internal coordination and stronger external marketing—especially when the names align with your mission or community identity.

A standout real-world lesson comes from Julia’s local public radio example: a tiny, smart monthly ask (“just $5 more”) designed to move sustainers up a level. The business takeaway? When tiers are built on data and paired with clear value, you can create predictable pathways for donors to grow with you—without making it feel heavy or salesy.

00:00:00 Welcome to today’s topic donor tiers
00:01:10 Who Julia Patrick and Tony Beall are
00:01:42 The Architecture of Fundraising book and why it helps
00:03:48 Why donor tiers matter personalization and bandwidth
00:06:33 Build tiers from your own giving data
00:07:10 Donor tiers are not donor grades
00:08:37 How many tiers is too many three to six
00:09:16 Donors vs members and tier differences
00:10:16 Monthly sustaining donors as a unique tier

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

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Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show