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The Nonprofit Show launches its Global Edition with cohosts Julia C. Patrick and Matthew Murray (CEO, Expand PR / Expand Consultancy), taking listeners inside what it really looks like to start and operate a charity/NGO in the United Kingdom—and why global expansion is as much a business decision as it is a mission decision.

Matthew opens with the on-the-ground reality that “every culture has its own nuances… laws and rules,” and that expanding beyond your home country requires leaders to respect local norms, donor behaviors, and governance expectations. The conversation quickly turns practical: Do Brits give? Matthew says yes—substantially—while noting economic pressures have shifted donor patterns. He also explains a key difference for revenue strategy: the UK doesn’t mirror U.S.-style donor tax deductions, but it does offer Gift Aid, where government adds funding to eligible donations. As Matthew describes it, “25 pence for every pound donated,” meaning a £100 gift can become £125 for the charity—an important lever for fundraising planning, messaging, and cash forecasting.

On governance and transparency, the UK’s Charity Commission functions as a dedicated regulator for charities. Matthew emphasizes the public nature of filings and the reputational impact of being late or sloppy with reporting—because funders, partners, and major donors look. In the UK, board members are typically called trustees, are usually unpaid, and cannot be paid for the trustee role itself (though they may be compensated for a separate job). For organizations with global ambitions, Matthew shares a strategic advantage: non-UK residents can serve as trustees in Britain, which can simplify governance when launching a UK-based entity.

The global discussion also contrasts donor culture. Matthew suggests UK donors may give differently than U.S. donors—often less driven by “momentary adrenaline” and more oriented toward longer-term loyalty—reinforcing the value of relationship, credibility, and consistency. Julia adds a caution for international leaders: expansion fails fast when it arrives with a “we’ll fix you” mindset. The Global Edition’s promise is clear: practical global learning that helps nonprofit executives expand responsibly, protect integrity, and build durable support across borders.

#NonprofitBusiness #GlobalPhilanthropy #TheNonprofitShow

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Boards get plenty of attention in the nonprofit sector, but this lively conversation zooms in on the role that can make or break governance performance: the board chair. Alisa Chatinsky, CEO of NPOSuccess.org, talks about what strong chair leadership really looks like—and why so many organizations treat the position like an honorific instead of a job with real operational and strategic responsibilities.

Alisa shares that after decades in nonprofit leadership and nearly 14 years consulting and serving in interim roles, she stepped into board service again and was immediately asked to chair. That experience sparked a practical question: How many chairs are actually set up to succeed? Her conclusion is simple and business-minded: “Because when a board chair is strong, the board is strong and the organization is strong.” She explains that boards often “recruit” chairs by minimizing expectations, which leads to sloppy meeting execution, confused roles, and underused talent.

The conversation becomes a working blueprint for better governance. Alisa outlines what effective chairs do: run meetings with purpose and time discipline, keep the board out of day-to-day management, build consensus, listen well, and handle conflict without letting it hijack the mission. She emphasizes governance infrastructure that supports decision-making: a governance calendar, clear expectations, job descriptions, consent agendas, dashboards, and space for generative discussions that move the organization forward.

A standout lesson is the connection between life cycle stage and board behavior. As organizations mature, the board’s work must mature too—and that can mean changing how meetings operate and what board members are willing (or able) to contribute. Alisa also advocates for board mentoring and orientation that includes real business essentials (budget, program allocations, financial results), so members can represent the organization confidently in the community. As she puts it, “We reinvest our profits in our mission.”

The episode closes with her “Five-Star Board Chair” master class concept, pairing training with coaching and a real board meeting evaluation—designed to build leadership capacity that improves governance, accountability, and long-term organizational strength.

#BoardGovernance #NonprofitLeadership #TheNonprofitShow

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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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What happens when a nonprofit needs to raise eight figures fast… and decides to do it with unicorn horns, a donor “blessing,” and a whole lot of joy?

We are joined by Brenda Goldsmith, Executive Director of the El Rio Foundation, the fundraising arm of El Rio Health, a federally qualified community health center (FQHC) in Tucson. Brenda walks us through the business model realities of community health centers—how they’re designed to keep people out of the hospital, how they serve patients “from birth to death,” and why fundraising looks different when many patients live at or below the federal poverty level.

Then the conversation turns into a masterclass in campaign strategy and community education. El Rio needed to support a 91,000-square-foot integrated health center expansion—part of a $50 million community investment—without federal capital support. The foundation was asked to raise $10 million quickly, despite never having run a major capital effort at that scale.

Instead of leading with heaviness, Brenda and her team built a campaign brand that made giving feel welcoming and social. The “Blessing Project” was born after a simple discovery: “Does anyone know what a herd of unicorns is called?… we Googled that and we found out a herd of unicorns is called a blessing.” From there, the foundation created a clear participation on-ramp: a $1,000 commitment for five years made you an “El Rio unicorn,” complete with a unicorn horn photo moment.

Underneath the fun was serious execution: board and senior leadership made first commitments, the team held 100+ face-to-face meetings in roughly 70 days, offered multi-year giving options, used tours to teach donors what an FQHC really does, and engaged younger ambassadors through the El Rio Vecinos (ages 25–40). The results speak for themselves: a stretch goal raised, a revised goal, and a growing donor community that wanted to be part of something that made their neighbors healthier.

Brenda says it best: “Make it fun, make it joyous—put the fun in fundraising.”

00:00:00 Welcome
00:02:18 El Rio Foundation at 25 years and why tenure matters in development
00:03:30 What a community health center is and how it differs from a hospital
00:06:00 Why FQHC fundraising is different and why tours matter
00:08:22 Board ambassadors and the El Rio Vecinos young professional arm
00:09:30 The Blessing Project begins a major expansion with a fast timeline
00:13:00 Unicorns as a campaign identity and the “blessing” discovery
00:15:35 Leadership and board commit first over $700K in early momentum
00:18:10 100+ face-to-face meetings and why multi-year gifts worked
00:23:10 Unlocking employee giving over $1M committed from staff
00:27:25 Campaign branding icon vocabulary momentum and joy

#TheNonprofitShow #FundraisingStrategy #CapitalCampaigns

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

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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

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