Nonprofit Jenni Show

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

When Jon Royal told me, “I’m not interested in equality because equality isn’t good enough,” I knew I needed to put together a podcast about this. Why shouldn’t nonprofits strive toward equality? And if equality isn’t good enough, what is? This week, we’re discussing the difference between equal opportunities and equitable outcomes, why nonprofits should prioritize equity, and some practical steps for getting started. Our guests this episode are: --Jon Royal, who works as a theatre director and a social sector thought leader --Chandra Williams, the CEO of Center for Student Achievement Solutions 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. --DipJar, Jenni’s favorite alternative to cash donation boxes. Empower your donors to make credit card donations with DipJa

Have you ever heard a program described as “For Women, By Women” or “For Veterans, By Veterans” or “For (a group of people), By (a group of people)”? Nonprofit leaders Usually recognize the need to empower various adult populations to support themselves instead of simply prescribing solutions, but it’s easy to forget that youth can also be empowered to creatively solve problems and manage programs. In this episode, we’ll talk with nonprofit leaders who help youth unlock their potential to create meaningful change, and help adults get out of the way! Our guests this episode are:--Claire Arnold from United Way of Greater Atlanta--Jackie Hansom from the Nashville nonprofit community 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.--DipJar, Jenni’s favorite alternative

Many nonprofit leaders believe when they need more money for their organization, the obvious solution is to start applying for grants. But is that actually the best option for your organization right now? Today we’re exploring what your nonprofit needs have in place before applying for grants. We also talk about: --How to decide whether you should write grants yourself, find a volunteer to learn grant writing, or hire a contracted grant writer--Which types of grants you should apply for--What to expect after you’ve submitted a grant application--How to build relationships with grantors Our guests this episode are:--Carter Abel from Gigi’s Playhouse --Holly Rustick from the Grant Writing and Funding podcast 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.--DipJar, Je

Sometimes your first idea for serving a mission may not be the best idea! For example, I talk to a lot of aspiring nonprofit leaders who want to help homeless animals, and their first instinct is usually to open a shelter… But most communities already have several shelters in place. In this episode, we meet two social sector leaders who are filling other needs of homeless animals in creative ways. Our guests this episode are:--Lisa Stetar from Crossroads Campus, a nonprofit organization connecting humans and animals through humane education, job training, pet adoptions, and affordable housing. Crossroads Campus partners with the Metro Nashville Animal Shelter to help find homes for dogs and cats.--Maegan Phan from Mewsic Kitty Cafe, a cat cafe serving coffee and sweet treats alongside adoptable cats. Mewsic Kitty Cafe partners with Nashville Cat Rescue to help find homes for cats. Our sponsors this episode are:--Little Green Light, Jenni’s favorite donor management system. Check out their free resource librar

Prepare your nonprofit for a more effective, mission-driven New Year in 2020 with Nonprofit Jenni’s top fifteen favorite free and affordable nonprofit resources...and also learn which one free resource to AVOID! Podcast host Jenni Hargrove talks about the fifteen free and affordable resources she’s constantly recommending to her nonprofit clients. You’ve probably heard of some of these resources before, like Canva and Google Docs, but Jenni wants to make sure you’re getting the most out of these great tools with some features you may have overlooked or forgotten about. At the end of the episode, Jenni talks about one free resource which may not be as amazing as you think it is... 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.--GLS Insurance, who wants to meet or b

When Jenni starts to speak about Giving Tuesday, she gets lots of eye rolls from nonprofit leaders who feel like Giving Tuesday is a waste of time for their organizations. In this episode, Jenni breaks down the four most common objections she hears from nonprofit leaders about why they don’t like to participate in this twenty-four hour giving day. She also interviews Sarah Barr, the Executive Director of the Marysville Uptown Theatre Organization, who is in the midst of planning and executing a Capital Campaign, Giving Tuesday Campaign, and Year End Appeal all at the same time. Our guest this episode is:--Sarah Barr from the Marysville Uptown Theatre Organization and the historic Avalon Theatre 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, Jen

Welcome to our podcast mini series about Artober Nashville! Even if you don’t live in Tennessee or have arts programs at your nonprofit organization, we hope this mini series will provide new insight about how the arts can strengthen the nonprofit sector, and even your specific mission!   In Part 2, we explore four arts programs in Middle Tennessee demonstrating how the arts are relevant to everyone everywhere. Whether we’re talking about STEAM education, inclusive activities for people with disabilities, promoting fearlessness and ingenuity, or even improving your professional conduct at work, the arts are present and needed. Our guests include: Dale McCreedy & Katie Woodward from the Discovery Center, who explain why the A for Arts was added to STEM education. Every month, the Discovery Center hosts SPARK programs (STEAM Play Achieves Real Knowledge) for kids, and they sponsor Tennessee’s annual STEAM Festival in Artober. Learn more at explorethedc.org and tnsteam.org Lauren Beasley from MOVE Inclusive

Welcome to our podcast mini series about Artober Nashville! Even if you don’t live in Tennessee or have arts programs at your nonprofit organization, we hope this mini series will provide new insight about how the arts can strengthen the nonprofit sector, and even your specific mission! In Part 1, we explore four arts programs in Middle Tennessee promoting equity for underrepresented populations, including those with disabilities, those impacted by homelessness, minorities (including women, LGBTQ identifying individuals, and people of color), and those with mental illness, and those recovering from addiction. Our guests include: Lori Kissinger from Borderless Arts, an organization using the arts to help prepare people with disabilities for their careers, including one man who was able to perform with Josh Turner at the iconic Grand Ole Opry! Borderless Arts is celebrating the 100th anniversary of RCA at the Country Music Association (CMA) on October 17 with a free musical performance and hosting a free Hallo

It’s easy to overthink the process of copywriting and feel a lot of pressure to write the perfect appeal, but copywriting is like any other skill which just takes patience and practice. In the last episode of Season 4, we chat with a seasoned copywriter who faces the challenging task of writing uplifting stories for a nonprofit hospice care facility, and a data expert who help nonprofits communicate hard facts and figures without detracting from the passion and heart behind their message. Plus, Jenni answers an anonymous question from a nonprofit executive director who feels like he should post on social media and send email newsletters less frequently because his unfollow and unsubscribe rates keep increasing. Jenni reveals how his copy and his audience targeting may be the problem. Our guests this episode include:--Liz Haas from Alive Hospice--Drew Reynolds from Common Good Data Nonprofit Jenni provides consulting services and coaching calls for nonprofits and social impact organizations seeking guidance in

If you work for a nonprofit which has offices all over the country or world, you may have noticed some tension between the headquarters and its affiliate offices, or even between affiliate offices themselves when “turf wars” arise. This week’s episode addresses the natural tension between such offices to compare the positive and negative aspects of working for a far-reaching charity organization. You’ll hear all the perspectives: What it’s like to work for headquarters, for an affiliate, in a relatively small city, and overseas where cultural norms are completely different. Our guests also provide advice on how you can work within the system to improve relations among your staff and between offices. Our guests this episode are both anonymous to allow for complete honesty in their interviews! 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

“Grassroots marketing” refers to any type of free or inexpensive marketing tactic. So many nonprofit professionals have become obsessed with learning about the newest SEO algorithms and digital marketing tools that it may be helpful to be reminded that some situations really require face-to-face relationships. In this episode, get inspired by examples of nonprofit grassroots marketing campaigns which have been successful in attracting new clients, donors, and volunteers. Here are just a few of the stories you’ll hear about movements fueled by grassroots marketing: A small community festival in Sandy Springs, Georgia capitalizes on political and social trends The “Wear Red for Women” campaign hosted by the American Heart Association in Atlanta involves competing media outlets and public figures The YWCA in Middle Tennessee discreetly helps women who may be in violent relationships A small nonprofit in West Nashville convinces volunteers to pick up trash outdoors in triple digit temperatures Our guests this e