Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 169| Practical strategies for one-person nonprofit leadership

Transcript

Ep 169| Practical strategies for one-person nonprofit leadership · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: I had to admit to myself and to others that I can't do it all.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: But when you care deeply and you're the only full-time staff, it's so tempting to try.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: But what I've learned is that just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think I realized that this is not sustainable when I started dreading the work that I usually love.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBox.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Jenna Lynch, Education and Community Engagement Manager here at DonorBox.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: 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.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: In last week's episode, we talked about getting unstuck and making sure we're moving forward with purpose.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: But as I reflected on it, I realized there's a group that I didn't focus on enough.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: Those of you who are truly juggling it all.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: If you are a solo executive director wearing all the hats, juggling fundraising, communications, board reports, writing the checks, and handling everything yourself, this episode is for you.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_02: Today I'm excited to welcome back Kara Augsburger, Executive Director at Grace Care Center Foundation.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: Grace Care Center is doing incredible work by providing more than just food.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: They focus on sustainable change through programs like Their Choice Food Pantry, Mobile Pantry, and a variety of support services that empower individuals and families to overcome barriers and thrive.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: Kara's experience leading a nonprofit without a full team is something I think many of you can relate to.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_02: And she's here to share how she navigates managing growth, making decisions, and staying focused on the mission, all while managing the day-to-day tasks of being a solo ED.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: Kara, welcome back to the show.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Jenna.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: It is so nice to be back.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: I think some of you know that I stepped away from the podcast a bit and from my role as fundraising coach at Donorbox because an organization I care deeply about hit a very pivotal moment.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: And so I said yes and I stepped into lead.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: And then also personally, it's been a big year.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: I lost my dad this year.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I've had to navigate a new normal with my family, learn how to grieve while leading.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: But also two of my kids had graduations.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we've had a lot to celebrate too.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And doing all of this while pouring into building something that matters for our community through nonprofit leadership and fundraising, you know, wearing all the hats, it's not a metaphor.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: It is my actual weeks every single week.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Kara, I know you've had a really big year stepping into a leadership role and handling everything as a solo ED.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: So what's one of the biggest mindset shifts that you've had to make in this big year of change and stepping into the role that you're in now?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: Hands down.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I had to admit to myself and to others that I can't do it all.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it sounds so obvious, right?
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: But when you care deeply and you're the only full-time staff, it's so tempting to try.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's like if I don't do it all, who will?
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: I imagine that's something that's in the back of your head.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, exactly.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: It is you nailed it, yeah.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but what I've learned is that just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so at the prompting of my board chair, I started asking myself some really tough questions.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: And it's the same questions you missed you mentioned in the last episode of the nonprofit podcast, but what's actually draining me?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: I had to think about that one.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: I had to think, where am I spending my time that I'm just checking a box and maybe not making that forward progress that I'd hoped to?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: And then had to think about each task and say, is this moving the mission, or is it just busy work?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: Is it just keeping me busy?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that that's huge.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: So practically speaking, how did you make space to think that through while still keeping things running?
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: So honestly, I blocked it out um like physically on my calendar.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: I started protecting time every week, not just to do the work, but to think about it too.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: If I don't do that, it doesn't get done.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then it they're intrusive thoughts that they're I'm thinking about it while I am with my family or doing other things.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, it it's hard to do, but but without that space, I was just really reacting every day, all day long.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: And that's something that you've taught me, right?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh to be strategic, to think uh and not react and not to just put out fires.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Even if it's just a little bit of time in the afternoon, um, I treat it like I would a donor meeting or a lunch with a friend.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: So no distractions, no multitasking.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: I have to ask myself what deserves my attention this week.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have to cut or pause whatever doesn't make the cut because you can't do it all.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: What's that hard choosing to let go of stuff?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: So hard.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: So hard.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: At first I felt like I was dropping the ball, and I still feel that way sometimes.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: But what I realized is that doing fewer things well is a way better use of my time than just doing everything at 60%.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: My donors deserve more, my board deserves more, my family deserves more.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: And that's kind of where I was operating.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's one of the hardest things for a lot of folks to accept, especially when you're passionate about every single part of your work.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: You want to be able to do it all, but that isn't realistic all the time.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think sometimes the bravest thing we can do as leaders is say, this can wait.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm learning that it's not failure to do that, that it's strategy.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I still have to remind myself of that though.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I have to reframe myself to just being intentional.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: And and talking about that, I want to talk about pace too, right?
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: When you first stepped into the ED role, I know that things were moving really, really fast.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: So, what did that look like for you?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: And how did you manage that?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I came in hot.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: We had urgent goals.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I stepped into the role right at the end of a year-end campaign.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: A few weeks later, we jumped into a rebrand.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: I had to work on mending some fences with some donors and and partners that that we'd had, you know, strained relationships.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: I had operations to clean up and I was running on straight adrenaline.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: And there are some days where, you know, I was building a donor list and trying to figure out who I needed to reach out to next or writing a grant and then onboarding a new board member and writing this week's social media and then trying to figure out how to dwell with it all, you know, during a time of family grieving.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm still dealing with that.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: I'm still trying to do all those things within a calendar day or week and still navigating my dad's passing.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I've had to slow down just a little bit.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's so real.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_02: And bet you a lot of people are nodding their heads.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so at what point did you realize that this pace that you launched into was just not sustainable?
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: Because I'm gonna be honest, I think it might have taken you a little while.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: It did.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: It totally did.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I think I was probably uh dealing with some early onset burnout, but it I think I realized that this is not sustainable anymore when I started dreading the work that I usually love.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: I was reacting to everything, and it really hit me that I'm moving fast, but am I moving in the right direction?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, Jenna, you talked about moving with purpose and not just speed.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where I found myself earlier this year, too, in particular.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: I was still going fast, rocket booster fast, right?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: And everything felt urgent, but I realized that I wasn't moving with strategy and I wasn't protecting my own energy.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: And that's when I knew something had to shift.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: I needed to stop reacting and become more intentional.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: I started having more purposeful conversations and then making decisions based on impact, not just urgency.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: So that small shift helped me get unstuck.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: And you shared that a little bit last week too, but um, that really resonated.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's really real for a lot of us who are sitting in that chair, especially in an office where you might be all alone.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's so important to just sit back and recognize, give yourself the space to do that.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_02: So, what did that shift look like for you exactly?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: So I had to get clear on what mattered most.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I pared it down to a couple of things donor relationships, strategic planning, and then consistent messaging.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: And those are the things that really grow the mission for most organizations, and I knew it was important for my own too.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: And then I also had to practice saying the word no.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: That does not come easy to me.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I've been trying to be intentional about saying no, or at least not right now.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: I was asked recently to help uh judge some essays for an award competition, and I couldn't.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: I just that didn't fall within that mission of donor relationships, strategic planning, and my messaging.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I had to say not right now.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe next year things will look different and I can do some fun things for other groups.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: But if I want to move the needle for my own organization, I have to protect that time and energy.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I will, I'll be very truthful.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: I have not figured that out yet.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: I love responding quickly.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: I love jumping in with new ideas, but I'm learning that being intentional sometimes means slowing down, even if it's uncomfortable.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm a work in progress for sure.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm trying to be more thoughtful about where my energy goes.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and really trying to judge that fine line between motion and momentum.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_01: And at the end, I feel like I owe my supporters, I owe the organization the very best when it comes to momentum and not just motion.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: I love how you identified a few different buckets, right?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: You said donor relationships, strategic planning, and consistent messaging.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I really encourage folks to figure out what those buckets are for you and anything that you were trying to figure out if it's worth your energy, because hot take, not everything is worth your energy.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: It can't be.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: How does it?
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: How does it pour into that bucket?
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: So I really like that framework.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: And did that change how you approached fundraising too?
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, 100%.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: I stopped trying to do a million small things and focused on some bigger, more meaningful conversations.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: So for instance, instead of another generic fundraising appeal, I picked up the phone and called some donors.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, instead of chasing new donors, which is often um exciting and fun to do, I spent time re-engaging with some laps donors with handwritten notes because they've already shown that they care and they have cared over the years.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so they're really worth reaching back out to.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we've seen some good momentum there, kind of recapturing some laps donors, which is good.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_01: So when you slow down, it feels like maybe it's a luxury you can't afford sometimes, but it helps you move with purpose.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: It makes space to go deeper in those relationships.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what donors really respond to.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_02: Donors can really feel when you're being intentional with them, right?
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I think a powerful reframe.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's not about necessarily doing less, it's about doing the right things.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to run faster, just be more focused, right?
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: It it only happens when you stop relying on that adrenaline and then you start building a rhythm, a routine, setting your priorities in front of you.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: I always say it's not working in cycles, you want to work in systems.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: I like that.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: So we we've talked about setting boundaries with your time and moving with more purpose, but uh, let's be real, you're still leading solo.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: I can't figure out a more delicate way to ask this.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm just gonna ask it, how are you not completely drowning?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: Some days I feel like I am drowning.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, I think the biggest shift for me is I stopped trying to do it all alone.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_01: So I started asking who's already in my circle and how can I tap into their strengths.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: I can't really afford another staff member right now, so I have to lean into the expertise of others for sure.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_01: So, what did that actually look like?
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: So here's an example I'm really excited about.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, one of our volunteers has a daughter who's in college and she's studying web design and user experience.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I didn't even know how to build a website or even how a website really worked until I had to rebuild our organizations on week two of the job.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so, no joke, um I reached out to her this summer and I said, Hey, would you be interested in helping us improve our website as part of a summer internship?
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: In exchange, she's getting some real world experience.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: She's getting a great resume builder, and I'm getting a beautiful functional website that has some updates that I simply could not have done on my own.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that was that that's a good example of that.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it was affordable, it was in my budget and out of my wheelhouse.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: This is a total win-win, and it's such a great example of tapping into the talents of the folks around you and just making it a mutually beneficial situation.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I don't think it's for projects all the time either.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we have a volunteer who's really amazing at proofreading.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, she reviews some grant applications, donor letters, and she really helps make me look polished and professional half the time.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we've had some people help stuff envelopes.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: I have um some volunteers who love planning events, nothing glamorous, um, but all those things really just kind of help keep things moving.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: They're giving in a way that feels meaningful to them.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: That's um what about your board?
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: Are they stepping into these kinds of roles too?
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I have an amazing board of directors.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so I've started thinking of them as consultants, not just governance.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: So one of our board members has a background in corporate sponsorships.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so I asked him to coach me through a couple of pitches and improve my sponsor packet.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then another one of my newer board members is a nonprofit legal expert.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: He's helping me identify if we have some missing policies or how to better build a strong infrastructure for our organization, which is great.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: But I just really appreciate having people to talk things through to say, hey, does this make sense?
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: Can you take a look at this?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: It has made me feel less alone.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: And that's something that I've really struggled with.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, sometimes when I wake up in the morning, it's hard to go in knowing you have these big ambitious goals and you're working your tail off by yourself.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: I I talked to some folks at a networking event a few weeks ago, and that's exactly the sentiment that they shared.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_02: So take a look at who's already in your circle and lean on them.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: And you didn't need to hire a team, uh, not everybody can or will.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: You just needed to invite these people in.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: It was um can't I don't want to say it was that easy, but sounds like it was kind of that easy.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, LinkedIn's a great tool for that too.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: You can kind of use it to search and see maybe who is in your geographic region who are, you know, subject matter experts in a certain field and reach out to them, introduce them to your organization and lean into some of their expertise, some of their networks.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but you definitely don't have to do it alone.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that was the shift.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: I stopped thinking that I had to wait for capacity to arrive.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: So waiting for that budget to get bigger.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: And so I started asking, okay, who's already out there?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: Can I borrow some of their brilliance?
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: And when you ask people to help with something meaningful, they really want to show up.
• 16:25
  unknown: Okay.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: As you've been managing all of this and juggling so many responsibilities, I know that you've got some tools or systems that you're relying on.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: Which ones have you found that are the most helpful in keeping everything organized and making sure that nothing falls through the cracks?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: I have leaned hard into some systems that help keep me sane.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so honestly, I just keep it simple.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: My number one tool is donor box.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not just saying that because we're having this conversation.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: I've used it before.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: And now that I'm leading everything, I rely on it daily.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: So those donation forms, the recurring gifts.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: We have so many recurring donors in donor box, which is terrific.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Receipts, I'm using some great personalization tactics on those.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm running donor reports.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's just super easy.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: So we also have the donor box live kiosk mounted right to the wall where our volunteers check in.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we've been able to accept some in-person donations with a tablet and a card reader.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we used it at a recent event.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: It was just super smooth.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: So that's my number one tool for sure.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I love hearing that.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's so great to hear that it's working seamlessly at events too, right?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, what other systems or tools are you leaning on these days?
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: My second lifesaver is uh Google Calendar.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so I block time every week for different areas of work.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, deep work, like setting up phone calls to, you know, set up meetings, donor follow-ups, writing grants, doing grant research, doing research on potential supporters on LinkedIn, whatever it is.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then for me, that is super helpful because my brain is already juggling five other things.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that when that calendar reminder comes up, I can go a little deeper on each of those things.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, live and breathe by our Google Calendar.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: Google tasks too.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_02: I love a Google.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's a good one.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: You've built a smart little toolkit here.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I also use Canva for graphics and I use my Google Drive a lot for file storage and I share that back and forth with my board members.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's where I keep my templates and copies of grant applications.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: I I do use Chat GPT.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of like my secret weapon.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: It helps me clean up board meeting minutes or it helps me get unstuck when my brain's just fried.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I keep each of those tabs um anchored to my bookmarks folder.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So my Canva, my Google Drive, et cetera.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's not fancy, but it works.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'll also mention that if I'm doing something more than once, like a donor acknowledgement, I'll template it and store it in that Google Drive.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then another hack I have is that if it takes more than 30 minutes, if a if a task I'm working on takes a little long and it's not mission critical, I have to ask myself, can I skip this or simplify it?
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: Because there's just not enough time in a week.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's a really good tip to templatize things.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: I I think that is such a great approach and something that everybody should do.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_02: And it's all about smarter, not harder.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's all about finding what works for you.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it sounds like you've really got that down path.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: Before we wrap up, I want to ask you something that I think a lot of our listeners are probably asking themselves too with everything that you've shared.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: Feeling stretched thin sometimes, rebuilding from the ground up, is the work still worth it?
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know what?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: I I'm still tired most days.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: There are moments where I feel completely maxed out, but I also feel really proud.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I know that I'm in this role for a reason.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've really rebuilt momentum.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_01: We've strengthened donor relationships this year, and we've created a foundation that's ready to grow.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm really proud of that.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think most importantly, I've learned that I don't have to wait for perfect to make progress.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's really overwhelming when you're in the thick of it sometimes.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: But something I'm learning, and I'm still not really great at it, is to just stop and actually look back at how far we've come.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_01: So even if it's messy, even if it's not where I want to be yet, there's progress worth noticing.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so I do want to share this.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you're a nonprofit leader wearing all the hats, I see you.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: You're not alone, you're not behind, you're not failing, you're just human and you're doing a great job.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for that message.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_02: I think that is so powerful.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think so many of our listeners can relate to those moments, feeling overwhelmed, but knowing that it's all part of something bigger.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: And it's about recognizing that progress, allowing yourself to take a step back and look at that progress, even when it's messy and remember that every single step counts.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you for sharing that perspective.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: So uh if you're feeling inspired by what Kara has shared today, here's something that you can try this week.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: Block time out for what really matters.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: Not to plan, not to react, to just think and figure out what matters.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: Give yourself permission to slow the pace a little bit and ask for some help from somebody already in your corner because showing up with intention, that is leadership.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: And Kara, I'm so thrilled to say this isn't just a one-time episode.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: You are officially joining us on the nonprofit podcast here on the regular.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: I wish I had a kazoo or something.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: That is right.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: I am so excited to be back in this space.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'll be sharing some boots on the ground leadership and fundraising stories, and most of all, connecting with all of you doing this meaningful work.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's always so refreshing to hear your perspective.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: It was my pleasure, Jenna.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: And for all of you listening, I hope today's conversation has given you some new ideas to bring into your own work.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for being a part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_02: Your work matters, and we are honored to support it.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoyed this episode, share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be available to everyone, from frontline heroes to first time fundraisers.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Our tools empower you to help others.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is our mission.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: This is Donorbox, helping you help others.