Mission: Impact podcast & blog
Build a better world without becoming a martyr to your nonprofit cause
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In episode 93 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Pooya Pourak discuss the importance of transparent, impact-centric fundraising, the use of technology for efficiency, and the necessity of fair compensation for nonprofit employees. They delve into the nuances of donor engagement, exploring how to shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance and collaboration. They also discuss the potential of AI in the sector, while maintaining the human element that is essential to nonprofit work. Episode Highlights: 09:40 - Donor Engagement and Trust: Pooya presents statistics on donor engagement and trust, highlighting the disconnect between nonprofits and donors, and the strategies to improve transparency and communication. 12:00 Language and Fundraising: The conversation shifts to the language used in fundraising and how it affects donor relationships. They discuss the importance of genuine, mission-aligned connections over transactional interactions. 14:00 Shifting Status Quo Assumptions: Carol and Pooya discuss how nonprofits can break free from counterproductive practices and adopt strategies that promote long-term sustainability and diversified fundraising sources. 16:30 Nonprofit Ecosystem Complexity: Pooya reflects on the complexity of the nonprofit ecosystem, including the roles of various stakeholders, from other nonprofits to donors, foundations, and policy. 22:00 Testing Hypotheses in Fundraising: Pooya details the testing of two hypotheses aimed at increasing generosity and online giving, including the influence of unrestricted donations and the effectiveness of matching gifts. 31:00 The Future of the Nonprofit Sector: Looking ahead, Pooya anticipates the growing role of AI in the sector and emphasizes the need to balance technological advances with maintaining the sector's human-centered approach. 34:00 Fair Compensation The interview concludes with Pooya advocating for fair compensation in the nonprofit sector and encouraging a shift from competition to collaboration to enhance collective impact. Guest Bio:
Pooya Pourak Pooya is co-founder and CEO of MatchNice, a social impact tech startup on a mission to connect the nonprofit ecosystem and maximize social impact. His team is working on a new kind of impact-centric fundraising platform to increase transparency, engagement and accountability in digital fundraising. Pooya brings 15+ years of experience leading digital transformation across business, government, and now the nonprofit sector. He is the Host and Producer of The Nonprofit Lab, a podcast dedicated to the journey of discovery in the nonprofit sector with an aim to uncover and shake up the status quo. Pooya runs his own consulting practice where he helps our government listen to the needs of diverse stakeholders and put their feedback into action to inform large-scale systems delivery. Pooya holds a Bachelor of Science from Georgia Institute of Technology in Industrial & Systems Engineering and is also a certified yoga instructor. Important Links and Resources: https://www.matchnice.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooyapourak/ Charity Vest https://www.charityvest.org/ Google for Nonprofits https://www.google.com/nonprofits/ Click "Read More" to view a transcript of the interview. In episode 92 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Patton McDowell explore the multi-generational nonprofit workforce, discussing the unique hurdles and opportunities that come with each stage of a non-profit career—from emerging leaders grappling with gaining practical experience to mid-career professionals encountering a plateau, and up to executive directors feeling isolated at the top. They underscore the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and the benefits of strategic personal planning. Show highlights: Generational Workforce Challenges - [00:07:00] Discussion on the challenges faced by different generations in the nonprofit sector. Opportunity and Experience for Emerging Leaders - [00:08:05] Patton talks about the emerging leader generation facing the issue of opportunity and joy market entry difficulties Mid-Career Plateau - [00:19:25] Patton introduces the idea of a "mid-career plateau" and how to overcome it. Non-Traditional Career Paths - [00:22:00] Carol discusses lateral moves and specialization as alternatives to traditional progression. Executive Leadership Loneliness - [00:24:22] Patton discusses the isolation felt by those in executive leadership roles. Co-Executive Director Model - [00:29:00] Carol asks Patton about shared leadership roles and his views on them. Predictable Turnover - [00:33:00] Carol reflects on predictable turnover and proactive recruitment approaches. Organizational Exchanges - [00:39:10] Patton and Carol discuss the benefits of organizational exchanges and site visits. Personal Retreat for Leaders - [00:42:20] Patton recommends nonprofit leaders take personal retreats for strategic planning and Carol speaks on her own practice of personal strategic planning. Guest Bio:
Patton is the Founder of PMA Nonprofit Leadership, a coaching and consulting firm specializing in leadership development, fundraising, and strategic planning for nonprofits. He led fundraising efforts at two universities after starting his career at Special Olympics International. He's a Master Trainer for AFP Global, hosts the podcast Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, and authored a best-selling book of the same name. He holds a bachelor's degree from UNC Chapel Hill, an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte, and a Doctorate from the University of Southern California. Patton currently serves as an Executive in Residence at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University. Important Links and Resources: Patton McDowell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattonmcdowell/ PMA Nonprofit https://www.pmanonprofit.com/ Charlie Gilkey - https://www.productiveflourishing.com/ Click "Read More" for a transcript of the interview. In episode 90 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton goes solo and talks about:
Strategic planning:
Kick Off
Keeping the Plan Fresh
Important Links and Resources: Common Mistakes Organizations Make in Strategic planning: https://www.gracesocialsector.com/store/p13/strategic_plan_mistakes.html Be in touch ✉️ Subscribe to Carol’s newsletter at Grace Social Sector Consulting 💻 Give us feedback on the show 🌟 Like what you heard? Please help share the podcast by leaving a rating & review. 😀 Connect with Carol Hamilton ➡️ LinkedIn Identifying the skills your team needs to bring your strategic plan to life with Heather Burright10/30/2023
In episode 84 of Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Heather Burright discuss: how strategic planning, implementation and staff and volunteer skills development all fit together. We delve into the critical aspects of strategic planning and its effective implementation. I highlight the importance of aligning the implementation plan with the organization's regular processes and cycles, emphasizing the need for a shorter time frame for implementation, typically six months to a year. I also talk about the significance of continuous evaluation, tracking progress, and making necessary adjustments to ensure the successful execution of the plan. The conversation underscores the pivotal role of understanding and addressing the skills gap within the organization. Heather discusses how to identify the skill gaps that will undermine the success of your strategic plan and then the essential elements of creating a training program, focusing on relevance, meaningfulness, and a touch of fun to engage employees effectively. She emphasizes the importance of custom competency models and the value of building cross-functional relationships and trust within the organization to facilitate successful change management. Episode outline:
(00:07:07) Strategies for Successful Strategic Planning Implementation Planning (00:11:09) Integrating implementation into your regular practices (00:12:36) Why training is a key piece to strategic plan implementation (00:16:11) Maximizing Impact Through Whole Organization Involvement (00:24:29) Listening to People: Key to Change Management Guest Bio: Leveraging 15 years of experience, Heather Burright, founder and CEO of Skill Masters Market, specializes in creating dynamic, people-centric solutions that drive business goals. With her comes expertise in strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion; instructional design; and change management. She’s dedicated to identifying core competencies that are needed to see real results and to creating the learning strategies and solutions needed to develop those competencies. Important Links and Resources: Heather Burright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-burright/ Skills Masters Market: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/ Learning for Good podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-for-good-podcast-learning-and-development/id1621971310 Standards for Excellence Institute: https://standardsforexcellence.org/ In episode 82 of Mission: Impact, Danielle Marshall and Carol Hamilton have another ‘learning out loud’ conversation where we delve into the evolving landscape of nonprofit work, focusing on key themes: 🔥 Burnout and Beyond: We kickstart the discussion by addressing the prevalent issue of burnout, which has long haunted the sector. Discover how it has been exacerbated by recent events and how individuals and organizations are tackling it head-on. 🌟 Redefining Success: We dive deep into the changing definitions of success. It's no longer just about productivity and traditional measures. Learn how individuals are crafting new narratives and aligning their actions with their values. 💡 Deepening Impact: Explore the shift from relentless scaling to strategic deepening. We uncover innovative approaches to maximize impact, even with limited resources. 💼 Resource Reallocation: Get insights into how nonprofits are rethinking resource allocation. It's not just about budgets but also about investing time, human resources, and energy more intentionally. 🎯 Mission Focus: Discover the power of niche specialization. What are you doing to hone your focus to prevent mission drift and build confidence in your abilities? Do you have time built into your day or week for intentional and quiet reflection and strategic thinking? 🤝 Collaboration and Partnerships: We explore the art of collaboration and how nonprofits are building meaningful partnerships, passing tasks, and referrals, all while fostering trust and growth. 🌈 Well-Being and Productivity: Learn about the importance of individual and team well-being. How are you incorporating joy and playfulness into your life – inside and outside of work? Timestamped Outline:
(00:03:47) Reevaluating values and redefining success during the pandemic (00:07:37) Fostering Internal Cohesion for Organizational Success (00:10:09) Redefining success through thoughtful resource allocation (00:14:19) Narrowing focus for increased impact and success (00:22:33) Creative thought organization with mind mapping (00:36:59) Redefining emergencies and prioritizing strategic thinking Guest Bio: Danielle is an inclusive leader focused on strengthening collaboration among teams, leaders, and stakeholders to foster problem-solving, create solutions, and improve culture. She finds her inspiration in leading systemic change work that promotes equity and inclusion. Danielle founded Culture Principles in response to a persistent need to operationalize Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion metrics, centering REDI goals and creating accountability systems. She supports clients through her Mapping Equity Framework focused on Unearthing Knowledge, Elevating Strategy, and Transforming Sustainability. She centers her work around organizational assessment, racial equity learning intensives, and the development of racial equity action plans. Understanding that each organization arrives at this work from different perspectives, she utilizes assessment in building a customized strategy for each unique partner. Previously Danielle served as a non-profit leader for 20+ years and today works on strategy development that enables nonprofits to achieve equitable mission-driven results. Danielle holds a Master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech University and draws on her background as an I/O psychologist in applying a racial equity lens to organizational policies, practices, and programs. She is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)/ Executive Coach (ACC). During her playtime, you can find Danielle traveling, knitting, and kayaking in all 50 states. Episode Links:
● https://www.linkedin.com/in/danimarshall/ Click "Read More" for Transcript |
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Grace Social Sector Consulting, LLC, owns the copyright in and to all content in, including transcripts and audio of the Mission: Impact podcast and all content on this website, with all rights reserved, including right of publicity.
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