Shows / The Influential Nonprofit
The Influential Nonprofit
You want your nonprofit to make the biggest impact possible on those you serve and to do that you need a community of support. Each week, join Maryanne Dersch, nonprofit revolutionary, as she interviews nonprofit leaders who are growing their influence to raise more money and do more good. If you want to fundraise with ease, build better relationships with board and staff, or just need a shot of fresh ideas and inspiration, this show is for you.
Episodes
- The Influential Nonprofit
Seven Touches Myth: What if We Got It Wrong?
What if the “seven-touch rule” isn’t a proven formula, but a way to feel more in control of an uncertain process? This episode explores how fundraisers can…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Control, Avoidance or Trust?
When a donor goes quiet, should you follow up—or let go? This episode explores how to tell the difference between trust, control, and avoidance, and how to act…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Sharri McIntyre: Avoiding Burnout
Burnout isn’t a badge of effective leadership—and rest doesn’t have to mean stepping away for weeks. This conversation explores practical ways to delegate…
- The Influential Nonprofit
What Makes Us Say Yes?
Why do people say yes or pull away even when the choice seems logical? Explore how trust, safety, autonomy, and the freedom to say no shape meaningful…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Allison Wyatt: Building Your Personal Board
Running a nonprofit can be lonely, and your board of directors may never think about your growth as a leader. In this episode, Allison Wyatt explains how to…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Stop Looking for New Donors, Activate the Ones You Have
At 60, Maryanne discovered her hair had been naturally wavy all along — she'd just never created the conditions for it to show. In this solo episode, she turns…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Jeanine Becker: Aligning Personal Growth with Strategy
By gathering the right people around a bold vision instead of trying to carry everything alone, nonprofit leaders can completely transform their strategy. In…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Surprising Power of Doing Nothing
Tired of chasing donors and over-following up? Learn how stepping back, releasing control, and trusting the “edge of your agency” can transform your donor…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why Donors Pull Back
Scarcity-driven fundraising tactics-chasing, over-following up, pushing too soon-might be quietly sabotaging your donor relationships. In this episode…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Tony Martignetti: Easy and Accessible Planned Giving
Scared of planned giving because it feels too technical, expensive, or “only for big institutions”? In this episode, you’ll learn how even the smallest…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Power of Not Going it Alone
What if you didn’t have to choose between trusting an expert and trusting yourself? In this solo episode, Maryanne unpacks how to find the right guide to…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Becoming a Regulated Leader
What if your leadership wasn’t defined by urgency and chaos, but by calm, clarity, and presence? In this episode, you’ll learn how to become a regulating…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Can You Trust Yourself?
When do you ignore the red flags your body, brain, and intuition are screaming at you—and what does that cost your leadership? In this episode, learn how to…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why We Struggle To Trust
Learn why your nervous system keeps mistaking uncertainty for danger—and how shifting from hypervigilance to trust can transform your leadership, fundraising…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Living Life Fully Expressed
Discover how to close the gap between who you are on the inside and how you show up on the outside. In this solo episode, you’ll learn a practical, seven-step…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Christine Lester: Creating Sustainable Impact
Discover how a longtime educator-turned-nonprofit leader uses governance, compassion, and community empowerment to build organizations that truly last. In this…
- The Influential Nonprofit
CLASSIC REWIND: Release Resistance and Raise More Money
Key Takeaways: Identify and acknowledge your resistance, such as being overly attached to outcomes or trying to fix others. Understand that fear has a role but…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Benefits of Full Self-Expression
What happens when you stop people-pleasing, raise your standards, and actually live in alignment with your truth? In this episode, you’ll learn what it really…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why Donors Stall — And What Most Nonprofits Miss
Most nonprofits push harder when donors go quiet. In this episode, you’ll learn how to trade pressure for emotional momentum, so stalled donors start moving…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why Every Fundraiser Should Sing Karaoke
Discover how karaoke becomes a surprising laboratory for courage, authenticity, and leadership. In this episode, you’ll learn eight powerful lessons from the…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Amy Fass: Building and Scaling Your Nonprofit
Learn what it really takes to scale a focused nonprofit, build long-term corporate partnerships, and play the long game in fundraising without losing sight of…
- The Influential Nonprofit
CLASSIC REWIND: Quantum Physics for Fundraising
Key Takeaways: Energy shapes everything. Energy is the foundation of all outcomes—your energy affects your thoughts, words, and ultimately, your results. You…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Cherry Yang: Automation for Bigger Impact
When your nonprofit outgrows spreadsheets and sticky notes, your impact can stall. In this episode, discover how smart, accessible data systems can free your…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Elise Woodworth: Getting The Best From Your Board
Struggling with a passive or confused board? In this episode, you’ll learn how to transform tension into clarity, turn board members into passionate advocates…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Extinction Burst: What’s Really Happening When Donors or Teams Test You
When you finally set a boundary, and everything seems to explode, it doesn’t mean you did it wrong; it may mean it’s finally working. In this episode, you’ll…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why Trust, Not Pressure, Grows Relationships
In this episode, discover why impatiently “watching” your donors actually blocks generosity—and how to shift into “watering” relationships with trust…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Dave LeVan: Surviving a Merger
Dave LeVan is President and CEO of Water for Good. They transform lives by providing access to reliable water, sanitation, and hygiene in needy communities. He…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Donor Flow Problem No One Talks About
Key Takeaways: The Donor Flow Framework moves donors through four stages: Aware, Interest, Connect, and Act. Awareness and interest are often handled well, but…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Sally Mildren: The Art and Science of Connection
Sally is the founder and CEO of Commonwell Marketing, a heart-centered marketing and leadership firm that helps nonprofits and rural health organizations stand…
- The Influential Nonprofit
JD Bauman: Is Your Nonprofit Making Maximum Impact?
JD Bauman is the executive director of Christians for Impact and co-author of a new book on effective altruism, All the Lives. You can change how you turn good…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Naomi Hattaway: Navigating Workplace Transitions
Naomi Hattaway is the founder of Leaving Well, a practice devoted to helping organizations treat leadership transitions not as crises or cleanups—but as acts…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Myths I've Stopped Believing and You Should Too
Key Takeaways: Fundraising rooted in pressure and extraction erodes trust over time. Sustainable support grows from community, shared values, and genuine…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Heidi Kerr: Strategic Marketing
Heidi is a nonprofit communicator passionate about helping civic tech, human services, and food access organizations tell clear, human-centered stories. She…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Perry Radford: Beyond Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Misaligned Nonprofit Values
As a fundraising consultant and coach, Perry helps nonprofits develop strategies, systems, and relationships to improve their fundraising yield. She believes…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why Follow-Ups Don't Work
Key Takeaways: Chasing a yes often comes from anxiety, not intention, and people can feel that pressure immediately. When you stop needing a specific outcome…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Why You Need To Embrace Your Inner Coach
Key Takeaways: Lasting fundraising growth does not come from better tactics alone but from changing the internal narratives that drive behavior. Coaching…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Hear Yes Faster by Meeting Donors Where They Are
Key Takeaways: Fundraising nos and prolonged indecision often reflect emotional readiness, not the quality of the ask. Letting go of over-attachment to a yes…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Five Love Languages of Fundraising
Key Takeaways: Centering fundraising on genuine care, honesty, and alignment creates trust and long-term support rather than transactional gains. Actions from…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Supercharge Your Year With 90 Day MOST Plan
Key Takeaways: 90 days is long enough to get something done, but short enough that there’s some urgency to it. The 90-day MOST stands for Mission, Objective…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Smarter Goals, Bigger Wins
Key Takeaways: Reframe goals as guides, not judgments. Traditional output-focused goals can create pressure and burnout; goals should inform your direction…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Boundaries & Agreements — How to Ask for What You Actually Want in the New Year
Key Takeaways: Sustainable change begins by raising standards, not just managing expectations. Standards define the floor you will no longer fall below, while…
- The Influential Nonprofit
From Stress to Strength: Your Leadership Energy Reset for 2026
Key Takeaways: Many nonprofit leaders enter the new year already depleted from the holiday rush. Emotional residue from 2025 lingers in the body and shapes…
- The Influential Nonprofit
CLASSIC REWIND: Why Nonprofit Leaders Need Influence
Key Takeaways: Influence is the art of getting people you have no authority over to do what you want them to do, not just because they have to do it, but…
- The Influential Nonprofit
CLASSIC REWIND: No More Drama
Key Takeaways: Understanding how thoughts and feelings contribute to decision-making is key to influential leadership. Influential leadership creates…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Tourist And Townies: Understanding The Donor Continuum
Key Takeaways: Supporters engage for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, each bringing unique value. Instead of expecting long-term loyalty from everyone…
- The Influential Nonprofit
What If They Say No: Navigating Rejection
Key Takeaways: Goals are meant to guide, not judge. When they serve as a compass instead of a scorecard, they inspire growth and unity instead of strain or…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Goal Trap: When Ambition Creates Tension Instead of Motivation
Key Takeaways: Goals are meant to guide, not judge. When they serve as a compass instead of a scorecard, they inspire growth and unity instead of strain or…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Curiosity To Commitment: How To Move Donors To Action
Key Takeaways: True commitment begins with finding like-minded people, not convincing others to care. Instead of pitching or pushing, nonprofits should focus…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Javan Van Gronigen: Future-Proof Your Nonprofit with Integrated Marketing
Javan Van Gronigen is the Co-Founder of Donately, a leading fundraising platform that has processed over $180M in donations for 1,400+ nonprofits. With 15+…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Leader’s Reset: Redefining Success for the Season You’re In
Key Takeaways: True leadership success is measured by alignment with your values and season of life. It is not about busyness but about making intentional…
- The Influential Nonprofit
David Blyer: Donor acquisition, retention and engagement
David Blyer is the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Arreva, a leading provider of fundraising and donor relationship management software for nonprofits. With…
- The Influential Nonprofit
The Gift of Pause: Lessons in Release, Surrender and Balance
Key Takeaways: True leadership often means loosening your grip. You cannot force outcomes, timelines, or people, but you can release and lead with trust…
- The Influential Nonprofit
John Lepp: Building Meaningful Donor Relationships
A Canadian direct response strategist, designer, and author with over 25 years of experience. He champions donor-centered approaches that prioritize…
- The Influential Nonprofit
CLASSIC REWIND: Creating a Seamless Donor Experience
Key Takeaways: Go through a seamless process with the donor; don’t go from unaware to action. Create a replicable, consistent donor experience through these…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Matt Nash: Strategic Action Steps to Policy Shifts
Matt Nash is the executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund, leading the organization’s mission to unleash generosity by connecting people to causes they…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Jen Recla: Stop Burnout Before it Starts
Jen Recla is a leadership coach, facilitator, and adventure-seeker who helps leaders navigate their workload, build team trust, and lead with clarity, even…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Moving Others Toward Solutions
Key Takeaways: Effective change management begins with acknowledging and inventorying concerns rather than dismissing them. Benefits should be clearly…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Making Change in the Nonprofit Space
Key Takeaways: Change unfolds in stages, and readiness cannot be forced. Recognizing that change follows a psychological process helps set realistic…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Nicole Stewart: Leading With Purpose
Nicole Stewart is the Executive Director of Boston CASA, a nonprofit that trains and supports community volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special…
- The Influential Nonprofit
Leading with confidence in a scary world
Key Takeaways: Fear Has a Role. It’s not something to eliminate but to understand. It can guide rather than block you when approached with awareness…