Nonprofits love to talk about growth. New markets, new programs, new grants, new everything. But our guest, Aila Malik, founder of Venture Leadership Collective, flips the script and asks the question most boards and executives skip: Have you actually earned the right to scale up?

Coming out of Silicon Valley’s “grow or die” mindset, Aila warns that scaling is not a badge of honor—it’s a high-risk move that can quietly hollow out your organization if your foundation is shaky. She walks through three blunt prerequisites before you chase expansion:

· Do you know the true cost of your model—including “motivational paychecks,” underpriced talent, and the invisible cost of managing volunteers?

· Do you know what success at steady state really looks like—revenue mix, roles, talent, outcomes?

· Do you know when to call it before your signature program starts bleeding to death?

From there, Aila digs into the three C’s that separate organizations that scale with intention from those that spin out: competency (or courage), clarity, and culture. Self-aware leaders who can say “I don’t know,” data-literate teams that treat impact as their “money metric,” and cultures built on trust and transparency all become non-negotiables.

As Aila puts it, “We don’t have a profit metric we’re trying to increase. We’re trying to increase the outcomes and the impact in the community.” That one line resets the whole conversation. Growth is no longer about bragging rights—it’s about whether your systems, people, and culture are strong enough to carry more weight without breaking.

If you’re tired of board pressure, whiplash after big grants, and reactive leadership, this episode is your wake-up call: scale is earned, not assumed.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #ScaleWithIntention

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Interim leadership is no longer just a stopgap in the executive director’s seat—it’s becoming a strategic engine for sustainable fundraising. Joan Brown, Chief Operating Officer at Interim Executives Academy, and David M. Nicole, CFRE, founder of Headwinds Consulting, share why interim development leadership may be one of the most underused tools in the nonprofit sector.

Together, Joan and David contrast short-term revenue fantasies with the realistic, process-based nature of fundraising. They call out unrealistic expectations—boards and CEOs who imagine the interim will arrive with a magic button and instant major gifts—and instead emphasize assessments, strategy teams, and shared ownership across staff, board, and executive leadership.

Joan opens by reframing the “interim world” as an intentional, structured response to leadership transitions, not just a temporary patch. Interims, she explains, aren’t there to keep a chair warm; they’re there to guide organizations through CEO, COO, and chief development officer transitions with clarity, planning, and structure. With turnover rising and leadership expectations evolving, the data point is clear: every leader leaves, so organizations need a plan that goes beyond wishful thinking.

David brings numbers and nuance from his six interim roles—split between CEO/executive director and development director positions. He describes a model where interim development directors are explicitly hired with clear objectives, defined timelines (often 12–18 months), and a mandate to build systems, not personal empires. His philosophy is summed up in a powerful line:

“My success is not necessarily what I accomplish while I'm there. My success is measured by what the organization accomplishes after I leave.”

The conversation also explores how donors and funders respond when organizations are transparent about using interim leaders. Surprisingly, many donors appreciate the foresight, especially when the message shifts from “we’re in crisis” to “we’re investing in long-term stability.” Community funders are beginning to require succession plans and even encourage interim solutions as a sign of sound governance.

You’ll agree, interim development leadership looks less like a temporary fix and more like a strategic on-ramp to sustainable fundraising, stronger boards, and healthier organizations!!

#TheNonprofitShow #InterimLeadership #NonprofitFundraising

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What happens when a kid who scribbles “play soccer at Ohio State” in kindergarten actually does it—and then decides his story shouldn’t be the exception? That question sits at the center of this episode with Channing Chasten, professional athlete and founder of The One Percent Kid Foundation.

From the start, Channing describes a childhood shaped by two steady forces: the soccer pitch and a mother who refused to let academics trail behind. Homework came first, the ball came second. Years later, that same mix of discipline and imagination is now driving a nonprofit built on three pillars: soccer, literacy, and mindset.

Channing explains why he believes in the power of tiny, consistent gains instead of giant leaps. As he puts it, “If you break it down into a small step, you realize starting is the easy part.” That simple idea—1% better every day—guides everything from his youth programs to his fundraising strategy.

We follow his journey through literacy camps where reading comes before drills, turning books into the ticket to soccer practice. He shares what he’s learning about plummeting reading scores, the heartbreaking link between third-grade literacy and incarceration, and why his team expanded from early grades to high schoolers who have already fallen behind.

The story widens as he walks through how he built a board full of nonprofit veterans and soccer leaders, deliberately choosing people who know both the sport and the sector. Their mentoring shapes his ambitions: building a national model starting in Arizona, creating mindset workshops in schools, and eventually launching a scholarship fund for under-resourced students who come through the program.

Along the way, we glimpse the grind behind the dream: chasing grants, securing a city award from Chandler, collecting impact data, filming quality videos so donors can actually see the work, and constantly revisiting big revenue targets in six- and twelve-month windows.

By the end, The One Percent Kid isn’t just a catchy name—it feels like an invitation to kids, donors, and communities to believe that small, steady progress can rewrite a life story.

00:00:00 Welcome introduction to Channing Chasten
00:01:05 What is The One Percent Kid Foundation
00:03:04 Why 1 percent progress matters for big goals
00:04:41 Mission soccer literacy and mindset explained
00:06:34 How reading becomes the ticket to play
00:07:31 Expanding from early grades to high school students
00:10:07 Building a nonprofit board with real sector experience
00:13:20 Learning from mentors and planning for sustainability
00:15:22 Literacy first or soccer first what donors care about
00:16:53 Showing impact through video data and testimonials
00:19:45 Big long term vision for The One Percent Kid
00:24:26 The One Percent Kid book school visits and SEL
00:27:01 Where to find Channing and final mindset message

#TheNonprofitShow #YouthSoccer #LiteracyMatters

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Year-end generosity is a perfect storm for cybercrime—and most nonprofits don’t see the danger until after the damage is done. We talk with Alex Brown, Director of Business Development at Richey May, about why the busiest time of your fundraising year is also one of the most hazardous for your systems, donors, and reputation.

Alex explains how attackers watch for holiday chaos: staff on vacation, rushed year-end gifts, last-minute tax receipts, and overloaded inboxes. “Attackers know you’re not paying as much attention,” he warns, “so you have to be a little extra diligent this time of year.” From fake donation pages to altered bank details, the tactics are increasingly sophisticated—and AI is making fraudulent emails and voice calls nearly impossible to spot by eye or ear alone.

The conversation walks through your “front door” risks, starting with your website and WordPress plugins, then moving into infrastructure scanning tools, outdated software, and weak admin logins. Alex shows why role-based access matters: if every staffer can see and change everything, one compromised account can expose your entire donor database and even your bank relationships.

He also tackles the human side of cybersecurity. Alex explains phishing and vishing in plain language, and why urgency (“this is a one-time exception,” “we need this code right now”) is such a powerful pressure tactic. He urges leaders to replace fear and punishment with ongoing micro-training and a culture where people feel safe admitting, “I clicked something weird.” Silence is exactly what attackers are counting on.

Finally, the episode turns to donor communication. Nonprofits must be crystal clear about how they will and will not contact supporters—what domains they use, which links are legitimate, and what information they will never request by phone, text, or email. Clear expectations protect donors and preserve trust, even if attackers try to impersonate your brand.

This is not a technical luxury; it’s a governance and stewardship issue. If your organization depends on digital generosity, you also depend on digital safety.

00:00:00 Why year end giving is peak cyber risk for nonprofits
00:02:24 From audit firm to cyber team The Ritchie May story
00:06:03 Your website as the front door and WordPress plugin dangers
00:09:21 Infrastructure scanning tools and the cost of skipping updates
00:11:13 Donor data as gold role based access and endpoints explained
00:15:01 AI tools laptops at desks and unsafe workarounds
00:18:51 Phishing vishing and how attackers hijack email and voice
00:25:12 Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility and micro training
00:27:35 Why punishment backfires and reporting mistakes matters
00:29:59 Setting clear donor communication rules to prevent fraud
00:31:33 Final thoughts and Julia’s personal cyber to do list

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitCybersecurity #DonorTrust

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Grant writers and fundraisers share the same mission, but often work in different corners of the building—and sometimes entirely different worlds. In this Fundraisers Friday convo, cohosts Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall peel back the curtain on how these two roles can move from quiet coexistence to true collaboration.

Julia opens with gratitude—for long standing sponsors who have never tried to steer the show’s content, and for a sector that now offers far more professional development than when many fundraisers began. She reflects on her own journey from community fundraising to co-authoring The Architecture of Fundraising with Tony, noting how accessible tools and training could have transformed her early efforts. “I could have raised so much more money for my community if I had been educated,” Julia admits, inviting viewers to keep learning alongside them.

Tony adds his perspective from years in executive leadership, where he saw the strain between event heavy fundraising teams and grant writers tucked away in quiet corners—or now, working remotely. He reminds us that grant writing is both demanding and discouraging work, with many applications never funded despite excellent cases. “We have to find ways to continually celebrate the work that’s being done by grant writers, whether the grant is being approved or not,” Tony says, naming the emotional labor behind every proposal.

Together, Julia and Tony explore how shared language, aligned metrics, and thoughtful use of technology can connect these roles. They talk about separate goals for grants, events, and individual giving, all tied together through dashboards, regular communication, and clear expectations. They even walk through ethical ways to use board and community relationships to support grant applications—without crossing any lines.

In the end, this learning session becomes a gratitude filled call to action: respect each lane, build consistent communication, celebrate the wins, and ensure leadership is championing the relationship between grant writers and fundraisers. When those pieces come together, fund development becomes a unified team effort instead of a quiet, siloed grind.

#TheNonprofitShow #FundraisersFriday #NonprofitFundraising

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Tech, data, and generosity are not abstract buzzwords—they’re concrete levers that can stabilize funding, expand impact, and re-energize exhausted fundraisers. Chief Fundraising Officer Kimberly O’Donnell of Bonterra joins us to map out how recurring giving, trust-based philanthropy, and AI-powered tools can move the entire sector from scarcity thinking into a new “generosity generation.”

Kimberly starts by reframing recurring giving as non-negotiable infrastructure, not a nice-to-have tactic. As she puts it, “Recurring giving is essential for nonprofit sustainability. Just no, hard stop there.” Bonterra’s own research shows why: in its Meet the Moment report, 58% of federally funded nonprofits report financial instability this year. In that environment, a predictable base of sustainers—monthly and annual—can keep programs moving even as federal funds, disaster response dollars, and one-time grants fluctuate.

She shares a compelling case study: a Bonterra client that introduced three choices on its donation page—one-time, monthly, and annual. By normalizing both monthly and annual recurring options, that organization grew from zero sustainers to more than 65,000, proving that donors will enthusiastically choose ongoing support when invited clearly and confidently.

Kimberly also dismantles the common boardroom fear that sustainers will cannibalize major gifts. In her view, that’s simply a myth. Monthly donors should be seen as high-value relationship partners whose lifetime contributions, planned gifts, and sponsorship potential can grow over time. The real problem isn’t “small monthly donors”; it’s organizations deciding on behalf of donors when and how they will give.

From there, the conversation widens. Kimberly explains how Bonterra’s vantage point—serving nonprofits, community foundations, CSR programs, and public agencies across the social good ecosystem—reveals sector-wide patterns in real time. Trust-based philanthropy, she notes, hasn’t disappeared; it’s evolving. Funders are becoming more intentional, concentrating resources on core pillars while streamlining reporting and using their networks to introduce nonprofits to new corporate and philanthropic partners.

Achieving that shift, Kimberly argues, will require data, AI, and human connection working together—what Bonterra calls the generosity generation.

AI, in particular, is already reshaping daily fundraising practice. Bonterra has been using agentic AI since 2016–2017, and its new tools are built with a “human in the loop” philosophy so fundraisers can test, refine, and own their messages.

Kimberly’s closing message is both empathetic and urgent: acknowledging nonprofit exhaustion yet pushing leaders to resist retreat: this is not a moment to slow down—it’s a moment to experiment, ask bolder questions, and lean on tools that make the work more sustainable.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFundraising #BonterraTech

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Donor love is measurable, and in this lively discussion, guest Lynne Wester, Principal and Founder of Donor Relations Group, brings the receipts. Drawing on data from her seventh global donor relations survey, conducted every two years since 2013 with more than 1,000 participants, Lynne shows us why retention, not the next big campaign, is where the real money is.

Her core message is blunt and refreshing: we obsess over the ask even though it represents a tiny slice of our contact with supporters. As Lynne puts it, “Retention is the secret sauce of fundraising.” Most organizations still pour staff time and budget into events and tactics with weak ROI, while reporting that they are only able to share impact with less than 20 percent of their donors. That gap is not just operational; it is a revenue problem.

The survey findings expose a pattern. Many donor relations teams sit under a mountain of tasks but lack a strategic plan, making them vulnerable to “seagulling” requests that fly in, drop work, and disappear. At the same time, donor relations professionals tend to stay in their roles four to nine years, while frontline fundraisers churn in about 16 months. The people who understand donor experience best often have the quietest internal voice, and Lynne’s work is about giving them data to change that.

She shares how longitudinal data helped the sector mostly abandon donor honor rolls: today, over 80 percent of nonprofits no longer produce donor lists that were costly and not meaningful. The survey is now pushing similar change around giving societies, the split between receipts and acknowledgements, and the use of AI. Lynne is candidly concerned that many organizations use AI tools without organizational policies, even as donor databases at major institutions have been compromised. For her, donor confidentiality and the Donor Bill of Rights demand guardrails before automation.

Perhaps the most poignant remark is Lynne’s insistence that gratitude and listening are not “extras” but performance drivers. Retaining a donor is five to seven times less expensive than acquiring a new one, and organizations that cared for donors as human beings during crises like the 2008 downturn and COVID raised twice as much as those that just kept asking. She argues that if a donor is not “worth a stamp,” the organization does not deserve the gift.

Lynne leaves viewers with a challenge wrapped in encouragement: use data to question tradition, ask donors for their opinions, and treat stewardship as strategic fund management, not a courtesy. When you align technology, policies, and human connection around gratitude and impact, you are not just being nice—you are building a durable, scalable fundraising engine.

#TheNonprofitShow #DonorRelations #FundraisingData

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Who actually owns data protection in a nonprofit? In this fast-paced conversation, host Julia C. Patrick sits down with Taysha Adams, Manager Technology Support at JMT Consulting, and Josh Fricovsky, Engineering Director at Cortavo, to tackle the uncomfortable truth: cybersecurity is no longer “someone else’s job.”

Taysha starts with a reality check: most vulnerabilities don’t begin in a server room. They start with everyday behavior. From checking work email on public Wi-Fi to logging in on a friend’s device, casual habits open doors to attackers. As she explains, “Everybody’s responsible for data security and protection… most vulnerabilities do come in from the end users.” JMT has spent more than a year realigning internal processes, tightening device controls, and partnering with Cortavo so their own team—and their clients—are better shielded.

Josh builds on that by showing how fast the threat landscape is evolving. Cortavo’s job as a managed service provider is to sit on the “bleeding edge”: endpoint protection, email security, MFA, VPNs, and now mobile device management for a workforce that increasingly works on the move. He notes that “the cost of inaction is going to be 10 to 100 times more than” the investment in proactive security. It’s not just about tools; it’s about culture, education, and leadership setting the tone.

The conversation then moves to the devices we use every day. Laptops, tablets, and phones are cheaper and more plentiful than ever, but every extra device is another front door. The guests stress that nonprofits need clear policies for using personal phones for work, along with mobile device management to protect company data without “controlling” the phone itself.

AI takes the discussion to another level. Both guests are enthusiastic users, but they warn that unregulated use is dangerous. Taysha urges organizations to set guardrails and favor licensed or enterprise tools so prompts, donor details, and templates aren’t quietly training public models. Josh goes further, recommending offline or private LLMs for sensitive data and pointing out that attackers are already using AI for sophisticated social engineering, including voice cloning and real-time credential theft.

Finally, the trio frames cybersecurity as a governance and financial issue, not just an IT problem. Data loss can mean lost clients, destroyed reputation, and even the end of an organization. Partnering with firms like JMT and Cortavo, building internal awareness, and treating security like an essential protection policy—not a luxury—are presented as non-negotiable steps for modern nonprofits.

This episode is a must-watch for executives, boards, and staff who touch data in any way—which is everyone.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitCybersecurity #DataProtection

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