Nonprofit Jenni Show

Nonprofit storytelling is hard… And it gets even harder when unexpected crises come up in the world, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and heartbreaking cases of racial injustice. This week, we’re getting advice from some storytelling experts so you can keep inspiring your donors, volunteers, and other supporters in the midst of crisis. We also talk about Jenni’s new Awareness Kits to help your nonprofit educate the community about COVID-19 and Racial Injustice. Get a free version of each kit at nonprofitjenni.com/coursesandmore Our first guest is Dan Reed, CEO of SEED Fundraisers. He offers tips for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers to keep soliciting donations, especially if you feel like it’s inappropriate for you to do so right now. For example, you may feel like it’s insensitive to ask for donations if your nonprofit isn’t directly contributing toward COVID-19 relief or advocacy efforts against police brutality. Dan mentions one of SEED Fundraisers’ most relevant resources right now: the “Scaling Through Cri

COVID-19 has caused budgets to shrink, not just for nonprofits, but for corporations too. Fortunately, there are still plenty of opportunities to partner with businesses and executives to get pro bono support for your organization! This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, we’re talking about best practices for navigating relationships as your nonprofit collaborates with corporations. Before we dig into tips for pro bono relationships, Jenni shares info about her new COVID-19 Awareness Kits which can help your nonprofit protect seniors, people living in long-term care facilities, and people with underlying health conditions that make them especially vulnerable to the virus. Go to nonprofitjenni.com/coursesandmore to find the free and full versions of this kit, which both include four tools to help you spread awareness about how to stop transmission of COVID-19. First, Danielle Holly (CEO of Common Impact) talks about how her nonprofit organization helps connect charitable corporations with small nonprofits in ne

Recent events involving police violence, riots, and COVID-19 have forced nonprofit leaders to reevaluate their mission, programs, and operational structures, so this is the perfect time to refamiliarize yourself with the concept of advocacy. “Advocacy” is one of those words which has a bunch of different meanings, especially depending on the person you ask. This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, Jenni invites nonprofit advocacy expert Meredith Benton from the Healing Trust to explain the legal definition of advocacy and which nonprofits should engage in advocacy efforts. We also hear from Nicole Lynch, a nonprofit professional who coordinates the advocacy efforts of the Saint Louis-based nonprofit Voyce. As you listen to this week’s episode, you’ll hear Meredith Benton recommend several amazing advocacy resources for nonprofits. Here they are:--FSG webinar “Six Conditions of Systems Change”: https://www.fsg.org/publications/water_of_systems_change --SSIR article “Stop Raising Awareness Already”: https://ssir.

“Safer at Home” ordinances and social distancing guidelines have caused an increase in people searching online for ways to support the causes they care about most, so it’s super important for your nonprofit to show up in Google results. This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, we talk about two ways to ensure new supporters can find you: the Google Ad Grant and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). After talking about SEO on the podcast last week, Jenni wanted to address some questions about the differences between the Google Ad Grant and SEO. She invites Grant Hensel, Founder and CEO of Nonprofit Megaphone, to answer common questions about how the Google Ad Grant works for nonprofits, including: --How can nonprofits use the Google Ad Grant to get donations, volunteers, and other types of support?--What components does a nonprofit website need before it makes sense to get the Google Ad Grant?--Does the Google Ad Grant impact your SEO, or vice versa? Jenni also gives a personal life update that impacts her work. Non

In this time of social distancing and Stay at Home / Safer at Home protocol, it’s more important than ever to ensure that people are able to find your nonprofit online when they’re searching for ways to support the causes they care about...because let’s face it: Everyone is on their devices all hours of the day now! It’s time to improve your nonprofit’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so your donation needs, volunteer opportunities, and program offerings are easy to find. Jenni recently released a Nonprofit SEO Mini-Course on her website at nonprofitjenni.com/coursesandmore In this episode, Jenni’s sister joins us again to break down 9 tips from the mini-course to help improve your nonprofit’s website and SEO. Download the full mini-course on the Nonprofit Jenni website to learn how to fill in your SEO gaps, and for Jenni’s full checklist of nonprofit website essentials. Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the area

A few weeks ago, we chatted with some nonprofit leaders from Childspring International and Good Tidings Foundation to learn how their organizations have adapted their fundraising and programming in the face of COVID-19. This week, we’re talking to leaders from Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee and Reach Out and Read Colorado to hear even more examples and advice for how nonprofits can continue to thrive in the midst of the pandemic. First, Hayley Levy (Director of Development for Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee) talks about how she planned her very first virtual 5k fundraising event and raised over $6,000 with over 100 runners and walkers. She also describes the planning process for converting her organization’s signature fundraising event into an online live stream event. Then Anne Tengler (Executive Director of Reach Out and Read Colorado) shares how her organization has adapted its programming to continue reaching families who need reading and literacy resources, even if they have limited access to technology. S

As part of our ongoing series about how nonprofits can thrive in the face of COVID-19, we wanted to address questions we’ve received from leaders about how they should fill staff and volunteer time. Many Executive Directors have told us they would like to use this time during “Safer at Home” periods to offer virtual professional development opportunities to staff and volunteers who aren’t able to carry out their normal roles. In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Jenni Show, Jenni highlights a few high-quality professional development activities which can all be completed online from Holly Rustick of Grant Writing & Funding and Jenni’s website. Professional Development activities featured in this episode:--Holly’s courses are available at grantwritingandfunding.com/jenni--Jenni’s courses and coaching opportunities are available at nonprofitjenni.com Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, F

Many nonprofits have had to cancel their upcoming fundraising events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some leaders are trying to figure out how to host virtual events for the first time. In this episode, you’ll hear a real life coaching call between Jenni and the leaders of a nonprofit as they figure out what action steps they’ll need to take to host a successful live streaming event. Jenni covers questions about: --Live streaming platforms--Online fundraising tactics--Peer to peer fundraising, including fundraising kits and training--Online silent auctions--Virtual event sponsorship packages--And more! Jenni offers biweekly coaching calls at a flat rate of $75 each. Each call includes 50 minutes of coaching via video chat and a wrap-up email with a summary of the call and additional recommended resources. Schedule a free initial consultation call with Jenni to learn more. Our guests on this episode include:--Emily Layton, Executive Director of Williamson County CASA--Sydni Dicke, Development Director of Wil

As COVID-19 forces us to engage in self isolation and social distancing, how should your nonprofit adjust its fundraising and program strategies? This week, we’ll learn how two nonprofit organizations are adapting to this weird new world. Childspring International had to cancel its signature fundraising event due to shelter-in-place policies, and decided to host an online silent auction event for the first time to offset this loss. They have also had to pause the components of their program which require international travel due to the risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Good Tidings Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and had to adjust their plans for promoting a donation matching campaign so they could remain sensitive to more urgent community needs. They have also added new program components to their organization to support kids impacted by COVID-19, while still remaining true to their mission. Our guests on this episode include:--Alison Fussell from Childspring Internati

As new loan and grant opportunities pop up through the CARES Act, COVID-19 emergency response funds, and other funding sources, you may feel pressure to research and apply for all of these opportunities for your nonprofit. But do these funding sources actually apply to you? In this special episode of the Nonprofit Jenni Show, we’ll cover the basics of the new CARES Act legislation and best practices for researching and applying to COVID-19 rapid response funds. Our guests on this episode include:--Charles Rodriguez from Adams Keegan, adamskeegan.com--Nicole Sibilski, https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesibilskigpc/ Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, Fundraising, Growth, and Starting Up. Visit nonprofitjenni.com to learn more. All information in the Nonprofit Jenni Show is very general in nature, and may not apply to your specific nonprofit organization. Please direct clarifying questions to No

Do you have a local 24-hour Day of Giving coming up this spring, like The Big Payback in Middle Tennessee? This episode is Part 4 of our 4-week series about local giving days, and this week we’re talking about winning strategies for The Big Payback (and other local giving days). Hear advice from executive directors, development directors, and other nonprofit leaders from organizations like:--The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee--Marriage Dynamics Institute--Fashion is for Every Body--Williamson College--Compassionate Hands--Global Education Center--New Beginnings Center--Poverty and the Arts--Second Harvest Food Bak of Middle Tennessee--Love and Purrs Sanctuary--The Christian Counseling Center of Cumberland County Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, Fundraising, Growth, and Starting Up. Visit nonprofitjenni.com to learn more. All information in the Nonprofit Jenni Show is very general

Do you have a local 24-hour Day of Giving coming up this spring, like The Big Payback in Middle Tennessee? This episode is Part 3 of our 4-week series about local giving days, and Jenni is outlining some of the biggest reasons that nonprofit leaders in her community are dreading The Big Payback: The same nonprofit always seems to “win” the day every year, so it feels really hard to make an impact. Nonprofits don’t get to keep 100% of the funds they raise during the Giving Day. Some nonprofits have just hosted (or are about to host) their spring fundraising event too close to the Day of Giving. Some nonprofit leaders feel disappointed by the results of last year’s Giving Day. Listen for Jenni’s advice if you’re feeling discouraged for some of the same reasons! Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, Fundraising, Growth, and Starting Up. Visit nonprofitjenni.com to learn more. All information in

Communities all over the country host 24 hour “Giving Days” for their city, county, region, or state, and many of these are coming up this spring! In this throwback episode, you’ll hear from nonprofit leaders who have hosted successful fundraising campaigns during Middle Tennessee’s Day of Giving, The Big Payback. Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, Fundraising, Growth, and Starting Up. Visit nonprofitjenni.com to learn more. All information in the Nonprofit Jenni Show is very general in nature, and may not apply to your specific nonprofit organization. Please direct clarifying questions to Nonprofit Jenni by visiting nonprofitjenni.com. Produced by Wayfare Recording Co. Music by Emily Summers. ©2020 Nonprofit Jenni. All Rights Reserved.

Communities all over the country host 24 hour “Giving Days” for their city, county, region, or state, and many of these are coming up this spring! In this throwback episode, you’ll hear from nonprofit leaders who have hosted successful fundraising campaigns during Middle Tennessee’s Day of Giving, The Big Payback. Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in the areas of Marketing, Fundraising, Growth, and Starting Up. Visit nonprofitjenni.com to learn more. All information in the Nonprofit Jenni Show is very general in nature, and may not apply to your specific nonprofit organization. Please direct clarifying questions to Nonprofit Jenni by visiting nonprofitjenni.com. Produced by Wayfare Recording Co. Music by Emily Summers. ©2020 Nonprofit Jenni. All Rights Reserved.

We talk a lot about collaboration on this podcast because no one person (or one nonprofit) can change the world alone. If you’re serious about fulfilling your nonprofit’s mission, it’s vital to build cooperative and collaborative partnerships with others. This week, we take a look at an example of internal collaboration (how to collaborate with others within a nonprofit’s program) and one of external collaboration (how a nonprofit collaborates with other organizations). Our guests this episode are:--Greg O’Loughlin, a teacher and Executive Director of Educators Cooperative--Ashley Taylor, the Chicago chapter leader of Bullets 4 Life Our sponsors this episode are:--Little Green Light, Jenni’s favorite donor management system. Check out their free resource library full of ebooks about fundraising at www.littlegreenlight.com/jenni and use the discount code JENNI to receive $150 off your first year of donor management services.--Wayfare Recording, Jenni’s podcast production company. Wayfare would love to help you

You need to hire someone quickly who is well-qualified, can get along with the rest of your team, and feels passionately about your mission. The nonprofit hiring process can be extremely stressful or extremely exciting, depending on how well you prepare. This week on the Nonprofit Jenni Show, our guests share their tips for hiring your next great staff member. First we chat with Rhea Wong, a former nonprofit Executive Director and current consultant (plus a fellow podcaster!), who shares her personal experiences with hiring staff at a small nonprofit organization. She also talks about the book “Who: The A Method for Hiring” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street, which helps her clients objectively evaluate job candidates instead of simply hiring the person they feel acts the friendliest during the interview process.   Then we hear from Chan Sheppard, the Executive Director of Preston Taylor Ministries, for another perspective on hiring. Chan works for a faith-based organization, which adds another layer of complica

I would guess that when Nonprofit Jenni Show listeners email me, about half of the emails are asking for my advice about how to start a new nonprofit organization supporting a cause they feel really passionate about. I love that passion--we need more of that spirit in the world! But is starting a nonprofit organization really the most effective way to create meaningful, lasting change in the areas that matter most? In this week’s star-studded podcast episode, two of my favorite nonprofit thought leaders share their advice on what you should consider before you decide to form a new nonprofit organization.   First, Randy Hawthorne (CEO of Nonprofit Hub and podcast host of the Nonprofit Hubcast) shares his perspective on how aspiring philanthropists and do-gooders should decide whether starting a nonprofit is the right way to support their favorite cause. He shares some questions you can ask yourself to figure out whether you would be able to sustain a nonprofit organization in the long term. Then Molly MacCread

Hosting a nonprofit event sounds easy...until you actually do it! There are a million little pieces that have to come together for the big day, and I wanted to talk about all of them. There was so much great information in my interviews this week that I have to break this episode into two parts. In Part Two, we continue chatting with Holly Clark, a seasoned nonprofit events planner and owner of Holly Clark Events. Holly tells me how she plans and coordinates an upscale signature event for a well-established nonprofit (Dancing for Safe Haven) and helped plan a brand new outdoor event for a young organization (FrankTown Festival of Lights). You’ll hear how she uses the support of volunteers in addition to nonprofit staff, how to set expectations for a new fundraising event, how to work with in kind donors and corporate sponsors, how to decide on event add ons (like silent auctions), and so much more. Our sponsors this episode are:--Little Green Light, Jenni’s favorite donor management system. Check out their fr

Hosting a nonprofit event sounds easy...until you actually do it! There are a million little pieces that have to come together for the big day, and I wanted to talk about all of them. There was so much great information in my interviews this week that I have to break this episode into two parts. In Part One, we’ll talk about how you can improve your next fundraising event with donor data and how to welcome newcomers who are attending their first event with you. Our first guest is Timi Paccioretti, the Senior Marketing Manager of Little Green Light. LGL is my favorite donor management platform, and Timi gives advice on how to use your donor management system to improve your events. She shares tips about segmenting your target audience, capturing event attendee information, tracking event outcomes, and more. Next, we chat with Holly Clark, a seasoned nonprofit events planner and owner of Holly Clark Events. Holly walked me through the details of how to plan and coordinate three very different types of nonprofit

When I talk about fundraising with leaders of small and midsize nonprofits, I frequently hear them tell me they want to increase their revenue either through grants or through fundraising events. Unfortunately, many of these nonprofit leaders don’t realize they’ve walked right past the low-hanging fruit, which is Peer to Peer Fundraising (also called P2P Fundraising). Whether you’ve tried P2P fundraising unsuccessfully in the past, you’re completely intimidated by the idea of asking your peers for money, or you just want to sharpen your P2P fundraising skills, you’ll love this week’s podcast episode! First, Jamie Lackey (CEO of Helping Mamas in Atlanta) tells me about the incredibly successful P2P fundraising events her organization’s supporters host while watching The Bachelor/The Bachelorette every week. She talks about how P2P fundraising is the easiest type of fundraising initiative because you can empower your donors and other supporters to run fundraisers for you with almost no staff involvement. She al