Nonprofit CEO SPARK
Lead with confidence and build an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.
Hosted by nonprofit founder and former executive director Marcia Beckner, the Nonprofit CEO SPARK podcast delivers your weekly dose of clarity, confidence, and practical leadership wisdom for social impact leaders.
Each episode dives into real-world strategies to help you achieve your biggest dreams and professional goals without burning out along the way. From setting healthy boundaries to creating empowered, thriving workplace cultures, you’ll find the tools, stories, and inspiration you need to lead boldly and sustainably.
Episodes
41 episodes
40: The Leadership Behaviors That Shape Your Culture (with ED Rachel Hutchens)
Culture doesn't happen by accident. It's built one leadership decision at a time.Many nonprofit leaders accept high turnover, burnout, and 60-hour workweeks as part of the job. But Rachel Hutchens believes there's a be...
39: Why Donors Stay: The Real Secret to Sustainable Growth (with Neon One)
What if recurring donors aren't the result of better fundraising...but stronger relationships?Many nonprofit leaders focus on acquiring the next donor. But the organizations with the strongest recurring giving programs...
38: How to Finally Trust Yourself as Leader (with Tessa Bridge)
What if the thing making you a "good leader" is actually burning you out?Many nonprofit CEOs wear perfectionism like a badge of honor. But what if it's really fear disguised as commitment?In this thought-provokin...
37: Leading Through the Messy Middle (with CEO Annie Bacci)
Most leadership stories begin with a crisis and end with a comeback.But what about everything in between?In this episode, we're talking about the messy middle, that season where funding is uncertain, difficult decisions hav...
36: Are You Leading... or Managing? (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
As nonprofit leaders, many of us assume we need to excel at everything.Vision. Strategy. Fundraising. Culture. Operations. Communication. Systems. Execution.But what if one of the biggest reasons leaders feel overwhelmed isn't bec...
35: Simple Changes That Improve Team Culture Fast (with Dr. Patton McDowell)
In this episode of Nonprofit CEO SPARK, Marcia Beckner talks with Dr. Patton McDowell about one of the biggest challenges nonprofit leaders face today: how to lead with confidence when everyone has an opinion, meetings take over the calendar, a...
34: Leading with Confidence in an Uncertain World: AFP ICON Conference 2026 Leadership & Fundraising Trends
What does it take to lead with confidence when the world feels increasingly uncertain?In this episode of Nonprofit CEO SPARK, Marcia Beckner shares key insights from the 2026 AFP ICON Conference in San Diego, where she attended as press ...
33: The Secrets to 94% Staff Retention During Nonprofit Growth (with CEO Lorii Rabinowitz)
In this episode of Nonprofit CEO SPARK, Marcia Beckner sits down with a true industry culture leader, Lorii Rabinowitz, to discuss how nonprofit CEOs can successfully navigate growth without sacrificing team well-being, culture, or mission alig...
32: When Staff Push Back: 3 Practical Ways to Align Your Team
Leading with Confidence Series #4 of 12It starts to feel like every decision needs everyone’s input…And instead of moving forward, your team slows down, circles the same conversations, or quietly stalls when there’s disagreement.<...
31: When Your Board Disagrees With You: What Nonprofit CEOs Need to Do Next
Leading with Confidence Series #3 of 12You walk into a board meeting with a major strategic recommendation that could change the future of your organization…only to be met with hesitation, questions, or direct push-back.And sudden...
30: From Nice to Confident: How Executive Directors Take Back Authority
Leading with Confidence Series #2What happens when your desire to be a kind, supportive leader starts costing your team more than it helps?In this episode, we unpack a pattern many executive directors quietly fall into…holding ont...
29: 5 C's to Leading Your Nonprofit with Confidence
Leading with Confidence Series #1 of 12Welcome to the Leading with Confidence series where we will dive into the various challenges and opportunities to lead your team with more conviction and clarity. We will talk about executive presen...
28: Culture by Default or Design: How Colorado College Hit $20M Ahead of Schedule
Proof beats promises every time. Here it is.Colorado College's Advancement team was coming out of a pandemic, shrinking staff, leadership transitions, and a culture that had quietly drifted from healthy to unstable. Sound familiar? They ...
27: The Five Conditions Every Nonprofit Team Needs to Actually Thrive
You didn't become a nonprofit leader to spend your days managing conflict, navigating HR investigations, and losing sleep over staff dynamics. But here you are.If the culture inside your organization feels like it's running you instead o...
26: I Was a Nonprofit CEO With No Roadmap. Here Is What I Built Instead
What if the thing that broke you became the thing that built everything else?Before Marcia Beckner was a nonprofit culture strategist, she was a nonprofit CEO navigating cancer, divorce, and the crushing weight of leadership with no road...
25: Don’t Miss This: What Nonprofit CEOs Need Before AFP ICON 2026
This is a timely conversation for nonprofit CEOs and executive directors who are thinking about how to strengthen fundraising, lead with more confidence, and position their organizations for sustainable growth.In this episode, Marcia sit...
24: When Executive Directors Hit a Breaking Point - It's Not You, It's the System
When leadership starts to feel unstable, many executive directors quietly wonder if they’re the problem. In this episode, we unpack why that thought shows up—and why it’s often not true. Through Mary’s story, you’ll hear what happens when a lea...
23: What Strong Boards Do Differently to Drive Results (with CEO Melanie Ulle)
What if the biggest lever for your organization’s growth isn’t your next fundraising strategy, hire, or strategic plan, but your board?In this episode, Marcia sits down with philanthropy expert Melanie Ulle to unpack what most nonprofit ...
22: Nonprofit Social Media and AI: How to Engage Real Humans (with Julia Campbell)
If you’ve ever felt like your nonprofit organization is posting consistently, but still not seeing meaningful engagement, it may not be a content problem.In this episode, I sit down with digital marketing expert and Nonprofit Nation ...
21: Grant Writer or Freelancer? A Guide for Executive Directors
In this episode, Marcia Beckner sits down with grant writing expert, author, and Grant Writing & Funding podcast host Holly Rustick for a candid conversation about what nonprofit leaders need to know before hiring fundraising support.
20: Are You Leaving Major Gifts on the Table?
If fundraising feels unpredictable, overwhelming, or too dependent on luck, this episode is for you. Marcia talks with major gifts expert and former Executive Director Rhea Wong about how nonprofit leaders can stop relying on vague ...
19: (Part 2 of 2) What Nonprofit CEOs and EDs Are Thinking, But Rarely Say Out Loud
In Part 2 of this candid two-part series, we take burnout head-on, not as a personal failure, but as a predictable outcome of leading inside systems that haven’t kept pace with growth.After interviewing nonprofit CEOs and Executive Direc...
18: What Nonprofit CEOs and EDs Are Thinking, But Rarely Say Out Loud (Part 1 of 2)
In this first episode of a two-part series, we name what many nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors are carrying privately.After personally interviewing leaders across missions, budgets, and growth stages, one pattern became clear: the ...
17: Leading Gen Z Without Losing Your Confidence
Many nonprofit leaders struggle to navigate the new workforce, where five generations are working side by side. In this episode, Marcia Beckner shares practical strategies for engaging Gen Z, setting clear expectations, and building a ...
16: 85% Retention Rule: Building an A-Team Culture that Thrives (with CEO Kelly Dunkin)
In this episode of Nonprofit CEO Spark, Marcia Beckner welcomes Kelly Dunkin, President and CEO of the Colorado Gives Foundation. Kelly leads a team of nearly 30 people and drives record-breaking fundraising outcomes, even through chal...