Send us Fan Mail

AI in nonprofit fundraising strategy is transforming how organizations operate—but using it incorrectly can damage donor relationships and trust. In this conversation, Katie Gaston of Bloomerang opens the box with practical guidance on how to use AI effectively while avoiding the most common pitfalls.

Nonprofit professionals are increasingly turning to AI tools for donor research, reporting, and communications. The opportunity is clear: faster workflows, better insights, and increased capacity. But as Katie explains, AI is not a replacement for human judgment—it’s a tool to enhance it. “AI should be a supportive arm… but it should never replace your judgment as a fundraiser.”

From donor asks to personalized stewardship, the human connection remains at the core of successful fundraising. AI can prepare you for meetings, surface insights, and even recommend strategies—but it cannot replicate the emotional intelligence required in critical moments.

This episode also addresses key operational risks. Sending AI-generated content without review, relying too heavily on automated insights, and failing to maintain clean data can all create serious challenges. As Katie reminds us, “The quality of your data is what AI will know—garbage in, garbage out.”

You’ll also learn how AI can dramatically improve efficiency—reducing hours of reporting work to minutes—while freeing your team to focus on relationship-building and strategic thinking.

The takeaway? AI isn’t replacing fundraising—it’s redefining how effective fundraisers work.

00:00:00 Introduction to AI in Fundraising
00:03:10 Meet Penny: AI Fundraising Assistant
00:06:00 Why AI Should NOT Make Donor Asks
00:09:00 Reviewing AI Output to Avoid Risk
00:11:30 AI vs. Human Donor Knowledge
00:14:30 Data Quality and CRM Accuracy
00:17:30 Protecting Your Nonprofit Voice
00:22:00 Personalization vs. Automation in Donor Care
00:25:45 Using AI to Save Time and Increase Capacity
00:27:00 How Fast Should Nonprofits Adopt AI?
00:30:00 Final Thoughts on AI Strategy

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitEfficiency #FundraisingStrategy

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

Nonprofit hiring strategy step by step is no longer optional—it’s essential in today’s complex labor market. Katie Warnock, Founder & CEO of Staffing Boutique, shares a practical roadmap to help nonprofit leaders hire smarter, faster, and with better long-term results.

If your NPO is struggling to fill roles, experiencing candidate drop-off, or losing momentum late in the hiring process, this conversation reveals why—and what to do differently.

Katie begins with a foundational truth: hiring success starts before you ever post a job. “It’s kind of like a mishmash of responsibilities… and when hiring, that’s not a good skill set to be efficient.” Clear role definition, department alignment, and realistic expectations are critical to attracting the right candidates.

From there, she walks through how to build a compelling job description, evaluate the psychology of fit, and structure a hiring process that actually moves candidates forward. With hiring cycles now averaging months, nonprofits must eliminate friction—from unclear expectations to inconsistent interview processes.

You’ll also learn why broad job postings fall short. As Katie puts it, “It’s not just putting a general ad on LinkedIn and then… post and pray.” Instead, targeted platforms and sector-specific outreach are key to finding aligned talent.

Finally, the episode addresses one of the most overlooked areas: making the offer. From salary transparency to verbal alignment and negotiation timing, Katie outlines how to close candidates without losing them at the finish line.

For nonprofit leaders, hiring is not just an HR function—it’s a mission-critical business process. The stronger your hiring strategy, the stronger your impact!

00:00:00 Why Nonprofit Hiring Feels Broken
00:02:00 Defining Roles Before You Hire
00:04:00 Writing Job Descriptions That Attract Talent
00:06:00 Psychology of Fit in Nonprofit Roles
00:10:00 Where to Post Jobs (And Where Not To)
00:12:00 Building a Structured Hiring Process
00:15:00 Why Hiring Takes Months Right Now
00:17:30 Scheduling with Boards and Leadership
00:19:30 Structuring Effective Interviews with AI
00:22:00 Reference Checks vs Background Checks
00:27:00 Making the Offer Without Losing Candidates
00:29:30 Final Hiring Strategy Takeaways

#TheNonprofitShow #Nonprofithr #NonprofitHiring

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

Nonprofit leadership learning culture is no longer a “nice to have”—it is becoming a business necessity for organizations trying to stay functional, aligned, and mission-ready. This episode is about how nonprofit leaders can move beyond one-time training and build a learning culture that improves decision-making, team alignment, board performance, and organizational resilience.

Jeffrey R. Wilcox of Third Sector Company challenges nonprofit leaders to rethink training, leadership development, board education, and organizational learning.

Jeffrey challenges a familiar assumption: that sending one person to a workshop, webinar, or conference automatically creates organizational progress. His message is sharper than that. Learning happens when knowledge changes behavior, improves decisions, and helps people function differently in a changing environment.

As Jeffrey explains, “Learning is something that I know something has occurred to me that has changed the way I look at the world, talk about the world, or function in the world.” That distinction matters for nonprofit CEOs, board members, fundraisers, finance teams, program leaders, and anyone responsible for organizational performance.

The conversation moves into one of the biggest leadership questions facing nonprofits today: how do we keep core functions strong when the way those functions operate has changed so dramatically? Fundraising, finance, governance, technology, staffing, and board leadership still matter—but AI, fractional work, remote teams, digital systems, and generational expectations have changed how the work gets done.

Jeffrey also makes the case for shared learning. Too many organizations develop deep knowledge inside departments while maintaining shallow understanding across the full organization. That creates silos, weakens mission ownership, and slows decision-making. His recommendation: create cross-functional learning experiences, use dashboards to show organizational health, and shift the narrative from “they” to “we.”

“When you’re a leader, the learning process is something you don’t own,” Jeffrey says. “The leader’s role is to facilitate the learning of self and others’ benefit from that.”

For nonprofit professionals, this episode offers a fresh way to think about leadership development, board learning, staff training, and succession readiness. The takeaway is clear: training tells people what to know. Learning helps people discover what to do next.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitTraining

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

A strong donor advocacy strategy for nonprofits can turn everyday supporters into ambassadors, connectors, storytellers, and referral builders. In this Fundraisers Friday episode, Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall explore how nonprofits can move beyond viewing donors only through the lens of dollars — and start building deeper relationships that strengthen fundraising, visibility, and trust.

Tony makes the mindset shift clear: “Your best donor is not necessarily your largest donor.” That one sentence changes the entire conversation. A donor who gives modestly but shares your mission with friends, introduces new supporters, writes a testimonial, hosts a gathering, or speaks with credibility in the community may bring value far beyond the original gift.

Julia and Tony talk through several ways nonprofits can invite donors into advocacy: social media sharing, peer-to-peer fundraising, small parlor events, public testimonials, legislative visits, influencer partnerships, and structured ambassador groups. The opportunity is not only about promotion — it is about relationship-based business development for nonprofit organizations.

This conversation also addresses ownership. Should donor advocacy live with fundraising or marketing? Tony suggests the relationship should remain with development, because fundraisers already own the donor connection. But marketing, PR, and communications should help shape stories, provide messaging, and support campaigns when ambassadors are speaking publicly on behalf of the mission.

Another key takeaway: advocacy will not happen automatically. As Tony says, “The answer is always no if you don’t ask.” Nonprofits need to bring advocacy into donor conversations, define what it can look like, provide tools, and match each donor’s comfort level, influence, and skill set.

The episode also touches on measurement. Advocacy can be tracked through volunteer hours, introductions, referrals, social engagement, testimonials, event hosting, and new donor connections. These activities create real organizational value — and funders, boards, and stakeholders should see that value reported.

For nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, board members, and communications teams, this episode offers a clear reminder: donors are potential champions, ambassadors, and trusted voices who can help expand the mission!

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFundraising #DonorEngagement

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

UK nonprofit fundraising strategy is changing fast as charities face fewer everyday donors, more competition for trust funding, and growing pressure to build stronger major-donor relationships. In this Global Edition of The Nonprofit Show, Dan Lane, Director of Make Good Happen, brings a clear-eyed view of how philanthropy in the United Kingdom is shifting—and what nonprofit leaders everywhere can learn from it.

Dan joins Julia C. Patrick and Matthew Murray for a business-focused conversation about the fundraising squeeze across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While donor generosity remains alive, the giving landscape is changing. Dan shares that 49% of people who do not give to charity now say they cannot afford it, creating pressure on regular giving programs and pushing more charities toward trusts, foundations, and high-net-worth donors.

That shift creates major operational questions for nonprofit leaders. How do you define a major donor? How do you build trust when donors are being asked constantly? How much recognition is appropriate? And when does donor influence become a governance risk?

Dan offers a powerful reminder: “If you can’t explain what your charity does simply and quickly to somebody and they don’t get it… you’re going to be at a disadvantage.” For nonprofit executives, fundraisers, and board members, that is not just a communications issue—it is a business strategy issue.

The episode also explores high-net-worth giving, donor stewardship, and the role of CEOs and founders in major-gift conversations. Dan notes, “There are doors that only CEOs or founders can open,” while also recognizing that strong development teams are essential for follow-up, relationship management, and long-term donor confidence.

This conversation is especially useful for nonprofit professionals thinking about fundraising strategy, charity leadership, major donor development, and how global philanthropy trends may influence local fundraising decisions. Whether your organization is large, small, faith-based, community-centered, or internationally focused, this discussion offers useful perspective on clarity, trust, stewardship, and mission protection.

Learn how changing donor behavior in the UK can sharpen your own nonprofit fundraising strategy!

00:00:00 Welcome to The Nonprofit Show Global Edition
00:03:23 Dan Lane and the Work of Make Good Happen
00:05:13 Understanding the UK Fundraising Squeeze
00:07:23 Why Everyday Giving Is Changing
00:08:20 More Competition for Trusts and Foundations
00:09:23 Younger Donors, Generosity, and Limited Resources
00:13:48 High-Net-Worth Giving and Strategy
00:14:33 Why Mission Clarity Drives Donor Confidence
00:16:27 Recognition, Naming Rights, and Donor Motivation
00:19:02 When Donor Power Creates Governance Risk
00:21:49 Why Major Gifts Still Depend on Relationships
00:26:24 The CEO’s Role in Major Donor Fundraising

#TheNonprofitShow #Ngos #UK

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

Nonprofit financial management strategy is not just about reports, budgets, or compliance — it’s about giving leaders the right information at the right time to protect mission decisions. Ryan Alexander, Founder of RA Partners and author of ‘Protect Your Mission’, explains why many nonprofit financial challenges are structural, not simply the result of poor discipline.

For nonprofit executives, board members, finance leaders, and department heads, this conversation offers a look at how finance can become a service function that helps the entire organization make stronger decisions. Ryan makes the case that nonprofits do not need more reports just for the sake of reporting. They need useful financial information, delivered in time to shape program decisions, staffing choices, growth plans, and cash flow strategy.

As Ryan says, “The finance team needs to be providing the right information to the right people at the right time.” That shift changes the role of finance from a back-office function into a mission-protection system.

The dialog also explores why budget transparency matters. When department leaders understand their budgets, they become better stewards of resources and stronger partners in organizational accountability. Ryan also explains the danger of confusing hoped-for revenue with committed revenue, especially when grants, donor commitments, and philanthropic funding can shift or delay.

Viewers will learn why forward-looking cash flow planning, reserves, internal controls, and even standby lines of credit can help nonprofits avoid preventable financial stress. The conversation also addresses growth — and why expanding programs without the right finance staffing, systems, controls, and technology can place the organization at risk.

Ryan also offers a grounded perspective on AI in nonprofit finance: “AI is not going to fix underlying issues that exist in terms of structural problems.” Instead, AI should be treated as an accelerant. It can speed up good workflows, but it can also make weak systems fail faster.

For any nonprofit asking how to grow responsibly, manage cash more wisely, or build a finance function that truly supports the business of mission, this episode delivers guidance worth acting on.

00:00:00 Welcome to The Nonprofit Show
00:02:29 Why Nonprofit Financial Problems May Be Structural
00:04:14 Finance as a Service Function
00:05:26 The Right Reports at the Right Time
00:07:50 Why Budget Transparency Builds Better Decisions
00:09:45 Making Financial Information Easier to Use
00:13:20 Accuracy, Timing, and Decision-Ready Data
00:14:12 Cash Flow Planning and Committed Revenue
00:16:43 Reserves, Lines of Credit, and Risk Protection
00:19:40 Why Growth Can Strain Nonprofit Finance
00:23:22 AI as an Accelerant, Not a Fix
00:26:42 The Future of Nonprofit Finance Teams

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFinance #NonprofitManagement

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

Nonprofit finance technology strategy is entering a new phase—and AI adoption is forcing leaders to rethink how teams operate, learn, and deliver impact.

Broadcast Live from Innovate 2026 in Washington, D.C., Jacqueline Tiso (Founder & CEO, JMT Consulting), Samantha Tiso (VP of Finance, JMT Consulting), and John Tiso (VP of Emerging Markets, JMT Consulting) share what nonprofit leaders are really facing when it comes to technology adoption.

Their dynamic isn’t just personal—it reflects what many nonprofit organizations are navigating right now: different generations, different learning styles, and a shared responsibility to move forward together.

Here’s the reality: nonprofits aren’t resisting innovation—they’re overwhelmed by it. Between daily operational demands and limited resources, the challenge isn’t access to tools—it’s finding the time, capacity, and strategy to use them effectively.

As Jacqueline explains, “Technology is driven by people… people think technology is driving them—but that’s actually not the case.” This shift in mindset is critical. AI isn’t replacing nonprofit professionals—it’s raising the bar for how they work.

Samantha brings it home with a practical warning: “If you don’t take the time to learn, you’re going to get left behind.” For nonprofit leaders, this means building intentional learning time into already full schedules—and treating training as a core operational investment, not a luxury.

And from a leadership standpoint, John Tiso emphasizes a critical skill: patience. As organizations adopt AI and new systems, leaders must create environments where learning curves are expected and supported—not rushed.

The trio also speak to:

Why AI adoption requires time, not just tools

How finance roles are evolving into strategic advisory positions

The importance of patience and personalization in multi-generational teams

Why nonprofit challenges haven’t changed in decades—and how technology can finally help address them

If you’re leading a nonprofit organization, managing finance, or evaluating new technology, this conversation and Innovate 2026 deliver a timely, grounded, and actionable perspective.

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Send us Fan Mail

Nonprofit board engagement strategy isn’t about sending more emails or chasing attendance—it’s about building clarity, structure, and purpose into how your board operates.

Katie Spencer, Founder of Zipline Consulting, breaks down why so many nonprofit boards struggle with disengagement—and what leaders can do to fix it. From unclear roles to outdated board structures, the issues are rarely about commitment—they’re about alignment.

As Katie shares, “If it feels like that meeting could have happened without me, then I am not likely to show up to the next one.” That single insight highlights a major challenge: board members disengage when they don’t see how they add value.

This fast-moving convo explores how nonprofit leaders can:

Align board roles with organizational strategy and growth phases

Recruit board members based on specific skills and needs

Replace passive meetings with active, outcome-driven engagement

Build systems that support accountability and long-term continuity

One of the most critical takeaways? The danger of “rubber stamp” boards. As Katie explains, “Every organization with a rubber stamp board will run up against a leadership continuity problem.” Without an engaged and informed board, transitions become risky and disruptive.

Instead, Katie introduces a practical framework built on four pillars: role clarity, defined work plans, strong systems, and a culture of ownership. These elements transform boards from passive participants into strategic assets.

If you’re leading a nonprofit, serving on a board, or preparing for organizational growth, this episode delivers actionable insights to strengthen governance and drive impact.

00:00:00 Introduction to Board Development Challenges
00:04:14 Why Board Apathy Happens
00:05:14 The Real Cost of Disengaged Boards
00:07:11 Creating Safe Space for Board Contribution
00:09:10 Matching Board Structure to Organizational Phase
00:12:09 Who Owns Board Strategy?
00:14:28 The Risk of Rubber Stamp Boards
00:18:48 Recruiting the Right Board Members
00:22:07 The Four Pillars of Board Effectiveness
00:27:00 Building Accountability and Ownership

#NonprofitLeadership #BoardDevelopment #TheNonprofitShow

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show