Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Welcome to Small Nonprofit, the podcast designed for leaders, fundraisers, and advocates in the nonprofit sector who want to create real change. We provide small nonprofit organizations with strategies to enhance their fundraising campaigns, improve nonprofit governance, and implement ethical fundraising practices that resonate with today’s values-driven donors.
Hosted by an experienced nonprofit consultant, Maria Rio, this show delves into the unique challenges of nonprofit fundraising and community-centric fundraising, providing tools for donor engagement and major gifts fundraising.
👤 Who Should Listen?
This podcast is perfect for anyone involved in a small nonprofit seeking practical advice on fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, and board accountability. Whether you're looking for innovative fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations or trying to create an impact measurement framework that demonstrates your organization’s value, Small Nonprofit is here to guide you.
🎤 Core Topics We Cover
Community-Centric Fundraising: Learn how ethical fundraising practices can strengthen donor relationships, enhance donor engagement, and align your organization with values-based major giving principles. We’ll help you shift from a donor-centric model to one that prioritizes the community.
Systemic Change and Governance: From participatory budgeting to nonprofit board of directors best practices, we explore how to navigate the nonprofit industrial complex and embrace structures that foster diversity in nonprofit leadership and board accountability.
Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Tackle topics such as nonprofit burnout prevention and learn how to cultivate a healthy, anti-oppressive work culture that supports your team’s well-being.
Nonprofit Storytelling: Understand how to measure your nonprofit’s effectiveness through nonprofit impact measurement strategies and leverage nonprofit storytelling to create compelling narratives that attract donors.
📣 Engaging Conversations and Real-World Advice
In each episode, we bring you insights from experts in fundraising consulting, nonprofit grant writing, and capital campaign strategies. From interviews with fractional fundraisers and major gift officers to deep dives on fundraising tips and innovative fundraising ideas, we offer actionable advice that you can implement immediately to strengthen your organization’s impact.
💰 Learn How to Build a Sustainable Nonprofit
Every nonprofit leader faces the challenge of achieving financial sustainability. Our episodes address critical fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, providing insights on volunteer management, capacity building, and nonprofit marketing strategy. Gain access to tools that help you execute successful fundraising campaigns and build a foundation for long-term growth.
🤝 Join the Movement for Systemic Change
At The Small Nonprofit, we’re committed to transforming the nonprofit sector from the ground up. Our focus on systemic change and community-centric fundraising aligns with our mission to support nonprofits in creating equitable, sustainable communities. By addressing topics like values-based decision making and nonprofit transparency, we’re working to build a more ethical, inclusive sector.
❤️ Stay Connected
Subscribe to Small Nonprofit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform. Don’t miss an episode as we explore everything from fundraising tips to nonprofit social media strategy, and learn how you can become a stronger advocate for your organization’s mission.
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Realistic fundraising goals: Budgeting for Nonprofits with Maria and Caitlin
Too many small nonprofits build their budgets on optimism alone, dreaming big without the strategy or infrastructure to back it up. This episode is all about why that’s a problem, and how to stop the cycle of setting fundraising goals that hurt more than they help.
In this episode of The Small Nonprofit, Maria Rio and co-host Caitlin McBride get real about what it means to set realistic, strategic fundraising goals, and what happens when you don’t. From pressure-filled board expectations to outlier-year budgeting mistakes, they unpack the ripple effects of extremely optimistic thinking and offer grounded ways to move forward.
Want to avoid budget burnout and build goals that actually serve your mission? This episode is your guide. Listen now and share it with your board.
Realistic Fundraising Goals – The Highlights
1. Unrealistic fundraising goals hurt everyone.
When goals are set without evidence or planning, it’s frustrating and it’s harmful. Fundraisers feel like they're being set up to fail, and the community loses access to reliable services.
2. Outlier years aren’t a the baseline.
Got a huge planned gift or a surge of support during a major global event? Great. But don’t build your next budget assuming that lightning will strike twice.
3. The board can’t just wish money into existence.
When leadership insists on big numbers without offering support or resources, they undermine the very people doing the work. Fundraising isn’t magical, it’s methodical.
4. Growth means more than dollars.
A 40% increase in revenue equals a 40% increase in workload. If you’re not adding capacity, you’re adding stress.
5. You need to track leading indicators.
Revenue is a lagging indicator. Things like donor meetings, emails sent, and stewardship actions are what create that revenue. Track what’s in your control.
3 Actionable Tips for Setting Realistic Fundraising Goals:
1. Use real data, not wishful thinking.
Look at historical trends, capacity, and the types of revenue you’ve secured. Don’t budget based on what you want to happen, budget based on what’s likely.
2. Break down your revenue streams.
Separate out grants, major gifts, recurring donors, etc. Goals should be specific to each stream, not one vague number slapped across the board.
3. Consider organizational context.
If your staff just turned over, your website crashed last Giving Tuesday, or inflation is affecting your donors, factor that in. Not every year is a growth year.
- Resources and Links
- Connect with our host, Maria Rio
- Connect with our cohost, Caitlin McBride
- Support our show. We are fully self-funded!
- Watch this episode on YouTube
- Need help with your fundraising?
- Liked this episode? Have an idea? Send us a text HERE :)