Nonprofit Diaries
The stories that don't make the newsletter.
Episodes
22 episodes
"The advice I stopped giving after I became the executive director...”
Advice feels different when you're the one living through it.That's what JB learned when she transitioned from nonprofit consultant to the executive director seat. She shares the realization she made around best practices for board engag...
“"The awkward wardrobe conversation I wasn’t trained to have...”
🫣 It was an awkward conversation no leader wants to have...Early in Jamie’s career, an unexpected wardrobe issue at a fundraising event meant sharing deeply uncomfortable feedback with an employee. Jamie explains how she appr...
"The firing that made me build better leadership...”
The plan was to spend her career and retire at the nonprofit she loved. But after an unexpected separation, Elizabeth Vahey Smith lost her job, home, community, and sense of direction. 💔She shares how processing that experien...
"The donor experience livestream that didn’t go as planned...”
In fundraising... should you go big or go home?David’s team traveled to Thailand with an expensive satellite to give donors a live window into a community celebration. Then the local internet outperformed the equipment, the...
"The choices I made between mission, marriage and motherhood...”
🛑 "I just had to stop apologizing for who I was and what I was trying to do."As a military spouse, mother of three and nonprofit founder & executive director, Michelle is a case study on feeling pressure to be everything to everyone....
"The unlikely journey from pollution to pineapples...”
Ever get that feeling in your gut that you need to make a change?🌎 Kevin acted on that feeling and the world is better for it. 🌎He explains how a chance meeting in Iowa... led him to Guatemala... where he helped clean 4 MILLION po...
“The grievance that reshaped my approach to leadership…”
Her team said she lacked integrity. That moment changed her outlook and her career.When Kathy's colleagues filed a grievance against her, she said it was like a "knife in the heart." 💔She bravely shares how she slowly lost herse...
"The gun, the shoes and the meaningful mission moment..."
From politely asking a donor to put his gun away... to using shoes as a strategy for securing a large gift... Erik has navigated a myriad of personalities and situations in his storied career.He shares some memorable moments from 5,000+ ...
"The fundraising shift that turned $30K into $130K...”
Ever been SO resistant to an idea, but when you gave it a chance, it changed everything?On the advice of a colleague, Natalie and her fundraising team tried something new... and it QUADRUPLED their results. 🤑Natalie shares the met...
"The shocking advice I got when starting my nonprofit...”
"You should quit. Your idea is dumb."After navigating confusing paperwork, investing thousands of dollars and waiting almost a year to start his nonprofit... this was NOT the advice Steven was expecting to get from his peers in veteran's...
“The stress symptom wake up call…”
The body keeps score, even when the mind doesn't. 😅 And for Kiersten, job stress had a visible effect on her health.She shares the symptom that came out of nowhere, how she healed her nervous system, and the mindset shift she adopted to ...
“The bet I took that changed how we reach donors…”
"I need you to trust me." 🙏Caleb was brought on to help reach younger donors, but leadership wasn't all in on his approach.He explains how he convinced a skeptical board to stick with it for 2 years... until he saw six-figure succ...
“The time a donor kissed me in front of his wife…”
It was an uncomfortable moment that taught Krista a lot about how she wanted to show up as a nonprofit professional. She shares how she reacted in the moment, how it shifted her career, and what she believes people need to do more o...
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"The culture moment that helped me stay in nonprofit work...”
A new job. A sick kiddo. A conversation that would set the stage for culture and care moving forward.In an industry that's seeing so many people leave, Evan shares a moment in time that made him STAY.🫡 Become a Nonprofiteer™, read...
“The pay raise conversation that cost me my car…”
Cindy had a plan to ask for a promotion. What actually happened did NOT follow that plan. She explains the series of events that started with an awkward conversation and ended with a stolen car!🔗 Learn more about the Nonprofit Fractional...
"The boundaries I set to avoid burnout…"
"Nonprofits aren't inherently better than corporate America..." ⬅️ This was the realization Eric DePalma made about work/life balance early on in his career. Eric shares the changes he made to stop the burnout cycle and the green flag moment th...
“The major donor mistake that changed how we ran events…”
Get ready to trauma-bond, because we've all had this moment: your stomach drops, your eyesight gets hazy, and you have NO idea what to do.For Tremayne, it happened on show night in a brand new theatre with a group of major donors who did...
“The stand I took against leadership who tokenized me…”
It was the moment Maria became painfully aware: her identity and lived experiences were just notes on a grant application and a diversity brag on a website. Hear how she believes nonprofit professionals can take immediate action to promote equa...
"The tears that changed how I help people speak their truth..."
What happens when the best of intentions still hurts someone you care for? Frank shares how one woman reshaped his perspective on ethical storytelling... and the new framework he now uses to truly honor other's experiences.Learn about 4...
"The grant experience nightmare..." with Jacob Adams
'Twas the grant with so many strings it might as well been a puppet show. Jacob shares the laundry list of conditions he was required to meet... and how he would revamp the grant reporting process to show REAL impact, not just numbers on a page...
"The craziest question I ever got from a nonprofit executive..." with Meghan Speer
"Surely I'm having a stroke..." is what went through Meghan's mind when she got asked this question during a pitch meeting. Hear how she handled the awkward situation and what she said could help stop bad behavior like this moving forward.<...
