Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 168| 3 Questions every nonprofit leader must ask

Transcript

Ep 168| 3 Questions every nonprofit leader must ask · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Has your community's need changed?
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: And has your mission kept up?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because missions aren't really meant to be static.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: I know that might be a hot take, but your values stay consistent, yes.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: But the way you serve, that should evolve.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: If your community is asking for different types of support, like advocacy or policy work instead of just direct service or more inclusive programming, are you listening and are you adjusting?
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: Evolution is not mission drift, it is mission alignment.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBox.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jenna Lynch, Education and Community Engagement Manager here at DonorBox.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: Each week we share practical information, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more, reach further, and drive real results to take your nonprofit to the next level.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Today I want to kick things off with a question.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever had that feeling where you're doing a lot, like truly giving it your all, but you're still wondering, why does it feel like we're stuck?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: That has been a big theme lately in conversations I've had with other nonprofit folks.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: I just went to an awesome networking event a couple of weeks ago, and this is the conversation that we all had.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: And what came up again and again was this tension between hustle and progress.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do we actually move forward, not just keep ourselves busy?
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: So this episode is kind of a reflection.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not here with a step-by-step formula.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: I just want to walk through a few honest questions that might help you clear some space, zoom out a bit, and maybe even get a little re-enerized.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're feeling a little scattered or stuck right now, you are not the only one.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: So take a breath, grab your notes app or a pen, and let's go ahead and think through this together.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's start with that stuck feeling.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't usually show up as a, I don't know what I'm doing.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: It shows up more like you're running from task to task.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Your calendar is full every single day, and your inbox is overflowing.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: And yet you're wondering, is any of this actually moving us forward the way we need it to?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: So here's a place to start.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: What's draining your energy instead of fueling your mission?
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: Seriously, pull up your calendar right now, uh, open up your budget, look at what takes the most time every single week, your the most energy and the most money.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: Now, look at that, right?
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then ask yourself: is that effort still paying off?
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: Let's take the annual gala, for example.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: Some love it, some hate it.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, for you, maybe it used to bring in, let's say,$100,000 and it felt like the highlight of the year for everyone.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: But now, after expenses, maybe it nets closer to just$20,000 or$30,000.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: Your team is exhausted, your board's harder to wrangle every single year, and it still looks like a success on the outside, but on the inside, it's draining, right?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: This is the scenario I've heard over and over again.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: And letting go of something like that, it feels big.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: It feels scary because it's familiar, it's tradition.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: But if it's no longer serving your mission or your supporters or your people, what might you be making room for instead?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying you have to cancel your gala tomorrow if you're feeling this way, but you you could ask these few questions, right?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Could we scale this down into a more manageable stewardship event?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Could we replace it with a peer-to-peer campaign?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Or could we host small group dinners that give donors a deeper sense of connection?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: I love seeing those types of smaller, more intimate events.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, uh, DonorBox makes it really easy to set up peer-to-peer fundraising and equip your supporters with their own campaign pages.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: And this is my favorite, favorite way to shift the weight off of your team while still reaching new supporters and casting a water net.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: You are not letting anyone down by choosing sustainability.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: You are giving your team a little breathing room and you're opening your door for what's next.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Here's another powerful question I heard lately.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: What's something you're doing out of fear, not strategy?
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you're running five different programs, but only two are truly making a big impact that you're excited to report on.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: The others, maybe they're underused, underfunded, and quietly draining capacity, but they've been around forever and you worry that people will be upset if you shut them down.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: So instead of cutting something off abruptly, you could just test a pause.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: Give yourself a quarter, see how it affects your team's focus and your outcomes.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Chances are no one's going to revolt, and the clarity you'll gain for that quarter might be worth far more than the program that you paused.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, this one's maybe a little more philosophical.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Has your community's need changed?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: And has your mission kept up?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: Because missions aren't really meant to be static.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: I know that might be a hot take, but I don't think that they're meant to be static.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: And your values stay consistent, yes, but the way you serve that should evolve.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: If your community is asking for different types of support, like advocacy or policy work instead of just direct service or more inclusive programming, are you listening and are you adjusting?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to launch something massive overnight, but maybe you can host a community feedback session, right?
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: With the folks that you're serving.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh pilot, you could pilot a partnership that expands your reach, or you could revise how you communicate your impact so it better reflects what people actually need right now.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_01: The point I'm trying to make is here evolution is not mission drift, it is mission alignment.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: All right, let's shift a bit.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you don't feel stuck, maybe you feel like things are really moving, but you do feel like you're running full speed all the time and still not getting ahead.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's where this next question comes in.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: What's the biggest thing you're working on right now?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: And is it clearly tied to your long-term goals?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of orgs I talk to are running mini fundraising pushes every single month.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: And yay, fundraising, I love to see that.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: And technically, that's a lot of work getting done.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: But sometimes when you zoom out, it's hard to see a strategy.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's a lot.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: There's no story, no through line.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's just activity, right?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: What if instead you mapped out four intentional campaigns across the year?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not saying this is one size fits all, but the whole point is to move with purpose, move intentionally.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: You could try something like in Q1, you can do the peer-to-peer fundraising or donor-led storytelling.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: In Q2, you focus on stewardship, report back, and you close that loop.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: In Q3, you dive deeper into story or issue spotlights.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: And in Q4, that's the year-end push we all know.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: And you ground that in urgency and impact.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: This type of quarterly framework gives you room to breathe and plan.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: But more importantly, I think it helps your donors follow the journey and stay invested without being overwhelmed.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Another thing to look at is time.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: Where is your team spending energy on things that aren't really moving the mission?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: Are you manually sending donor receipts and thank yous, piecing together spreadsheets for reports, or following up individually with donors who didn't complete a gift?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: These are all important, yes, but they do not need to eat up your day.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why DonorBox has features that automate tax receipts and thank yous, generate donation reports, and remind you to follow up with donors for key moments.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: And those things that usually take hours, they do not have to with the right platform and systems in place.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: Go ahead and try this.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: If you feel like you're getting bogged down with these things, list out your recurring weekly tasks.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: What are the things that you do regularly, week after week?
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: Highlight anything that could be automated or delegated to a volunteer or someone else.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: Just pick one thing to streamline this week.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: Even if you're freeing up just two hours, that can create space for more strategic or creative work, something that sometimes can be put off because you're bogged down with all these little things.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: And last one here, what's something you could say no to right now?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Or just not right now, right?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: Not no forever, just not right now.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: It could be a shiny new idea, a collaboration that feels like a stretch or a training you feel obligated to offer, but you're just not ready for.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Not now does not mean never.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: It means you're choosing to focus over pressure.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: Protecting your team's capacity is one of the most strategic moves you can make.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: Finally, I want to quickly talk about community.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: This one's huge.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: This is a huge conversation all across the sector.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: We need community now more than ever.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: And if you feel like your nonprofit is carrying all the weight by itself, it is time to build a stronger, more engaged community that helps you carry the load.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Building a stronger community means inviting people to take ownership, share their voices, and become more involved in your mission.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Whether that's bringing someone on board for leadership or co-creating with volunteers, when people feel connected, they become more invested.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: And we all want to see that.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: For a deeper dive into how you can effectively engage and co-create with your community, go ahead and check out episode 167 of the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: That's last week's episode where we break down actionable strategies to make it happen.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I will end this episode with just one more question.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: What's one thing you want to shift this week?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's letting go of a program or event that's just not working anymore, or just setting pause.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's realigning on your fundraising with your mission, or maybe it's simply inviting someone on your team or in your community to step up and take more ownership.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have to be big, just make one move that clears space or creates momentum.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: You've got this.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you for being part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Your work matters, and we are so honored to support it.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be available to everyone.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: From frontline heroes to first-time fundraisers.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Our tools empower you to help others.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is our mission.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: This is DonorBox, helping you help others.