The Nonprofit Podcast
The Nonprofit Podcast is your weekly dose of real-talk fundraising, designed for the doers, dreamers, and difference-makers powering today’s nonprofit world.
Hosted by Jena Lynch, Donorbox’s Education & Community Engagement Manager, and fundraising strategist Britt Stockert, CFRE, each episode delivers clear, practical insights you can act on right away, no fluff, no filler.
You’ll also hear from Cara Augspurger, Ed.M., CFRE, ED of Grace Care Center Foundation, sharing field updates and frontline perspectives.
Whether you’re building something new or leveling up your impact, we bring you bold ideas, honest conversations, and tools to help you fundraise smarter and lead with confidence.
Information. Inspiration. Implementation. Impact.
That’s the energy we bring…every week.
Let’s get to work.
The Nonprofit Podcast
Ep 207| 5 Steps to building a nonprofit strategy that actually works
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The plan is just paper. The value is in using it.
When your nonprofit is growing but still feels directionless, that's not a passion problem…it's a planning problem.
Strategic planning isn't about doing more, it's about finally knowing what matters. When you're clear on who you serve, honest about what it costs, and aware of how it's funded, everything else - including your fundraising - gets easier from there.
Cara Augspurger, CFRE, spent six months working through exactly that, and in this episode, she shares five practical steps to move your stratgic plan from constant reaction to clear, sustainable direction.
What you'll learn:
- Why growth and busyness can mask a real lack of direction, and how to tell the difference
- The single clarity question every nonprofit needs to answer before anything else
- Why "what are we not going to do this year?" might be the most strategic question you ask
- How to do an honest funding reality check, and what to do when the numbers don't line up
- What a "good year" actually looks like in concrete, actionable numbers, not just a gut feel
- Why stability - not scale - is often the most important milestone for early-stage nonprofits
About Cara Augspurger
Cara Augspurger, CFRE, is the Executive Director of Grace Care Center Foundation and co-host of The Nonprofit Podcast. With deep experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, Cara brings a practical, grounded perspective to the challenges facing small and growing organizations, from strategic planning and resource development to building sustainable, community-centered missions.
Chapters:
00:00 - Why Nonprofits Need Strategic Planning
02:14 - Step 1 - Get Clear on Your Mission
04:33 - Step 2 - Define Vision and Messaging
05:44 - Step 3 - Do Less With Purpose
07:39 - Step 4 - Funding Reality Check
09:18 - Step 5 - Set Clear Goals and Targets
11:37 - Build Stability and Long-Term Growth
If this episode helped you think more clearly about where your organization is headed, share it with a colleague who's feeling the pull in too many directions.
About Donorbox:
Donorbox is a trusted online and on-location fundraising platform that helps nonprofits raise more. With easy-to-use donation forms, powerful donor management tools, and features designed to grow recurring giving, we have helped 100,000-plus organizations process more than $ 3 billion in donations worldwide.
Find out what Donorbox can do for you!
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this series is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Please consult with a professional advisor for specific guidance.
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