Nonprofit Spark Renee Mcgivern

This week, I speak with my favorite fundraiser about donor attrition – that is, the rate at which donors stop giving – and how to keep donors connected and giving to you. My guest is Jerold Panas, the CEO of Jerold Panas, Linzy and Partners, one of the world’s most esteemed firms in the field […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Jerold Panas on donor attrition and retention – 03/18/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

On this week’s show, we explore all the ways bicycles and volunteers go together and it’s a great starting point for thinking about volunteer initiatives you might create to start your organization or new program. My guest is Tristan Dahn of the Philadelphia-based Energize, Inc., my favorite resource for leaders of volunteers. Tristan describes how […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Creative volunteering with bicycles – 03/11/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

This week, we focus on rebranding and how to go about it. It’s one of those projects that sounds like a great idea but means a lot of different things to board members, staff and communication professionals. It goes way beyond a new logo and is time-consuming, so you really need to know what you’re […] The post Nonprofit Spark – DC Ad Club’s five-step rebranding process – 03/04/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

25 The post Nonprofit Spark – Harnessing board energy and enthusiasm to cause non-profit growth – 02/25/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It’s easy to say “yes” to serving on the board of an organization you’re passionate about. It’s often difficult, though, to bring that energy and enthusiasm to the nonprofit’s financial policies or legal requirements. I would bet that at least half of board members in the U.S. don’t understand what they’ve really agreed to when […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Easy listening about your nonprofit board’s “Duty of Care.” – 02/18/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

The week we explore nonprofit startup best practices and frankly, the ideas work for new programs of existing nonprofits as well. My guest is Robert G. Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy in Washington, D.C. The Center was highlighted in The Chronicle of Philanthropy in December as one of five “nonprofit […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Nonprofit startup best practices at Center for Disaster Philanthropy – 02/11/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

On this week’s show my guest and I talk about social media and how his organization uses it to serve members. I have been waiting to focus on this topic until these different tools became more solid and defined, and smaller, local nonprofits were using them well. My guest this week is Chris Oien of […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Making social media work for your nonprofit – 02/04/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

I just heard about a nonprofit that spent much more than it needed to on hardware and software the staff doesn’t need or have time to learn. The organization’s decision-makers became enamored by the technology and did not spend their money well. It’s a common problem. My guest this week is Allen Gunn, executive director […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Preparing for nonprofit technology purchases – 01/28/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

I’m pleased to have Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions back on the show this week. She is a charity auction educator and onstage auctioneer who has worked with nonprofits on more than 300 events. She also is a certified meeting planner. She’s one of my regulars because Sherry offers tips and tricks that can […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Five Steps to a Great Fundraising Auction – 01/21/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

In late December, I replayed a 2012 interview with Aaron Rome about writing a statement of need for a grant proposal. It is really helpful if need to understand the kind of data and stories that you must compile to make a persuasive case for support. This week, Aaron and I take this conversation further […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Creating pilot programs to jumpstart new nonprofits or new services – 01/14/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Welcome to Nonprofit Spark, a show for leaders and board members of new and emerging non-profits. And happy 2013, the best year of our lives! This week’s show offers great tips about working with local media. It is so great when nonprofit stories are told in the newspaper or on the radio or television because […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Media relations tips for nonprofit leaders – 01/07/13 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

This week, I’ve combined two great shows to help you think through grant writing and approaching foundations and corporations for grants. Are you even ready to write a grant proposal? Not without a statement of need that compels the grantmaker to pay attention to why your organization matters in the community you serve. You must […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Best of Nonprofit Spark 2012: Writing a statement of need and understanding the funder’s point of view appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

I’m repeating a terrific show this week for all of you who have just begun a nonprofit or are considering starting one. I recently met with a young man who has embarked on this great adventure and I was reminded of why I do this show: So new leaders and board members can make a […] The post Nonprofit Spark – How newer nonprofits succeed (replay) – 12/24/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

This week’s show is my gift to you for the holidays. Yes, you’ll learn about shooting great pictures, but mostly, I just want you to enjoy looking at wonderful photos of some very special animals who are cared for at Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit that rescues and cares for animals at two sanctuaries in California […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Powerful photographic storytelling II – 12/17/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Nonprofit succession planning is one of those best practices that boards are not encouraged to work on. In fact, barely more than 30% of U.S. nonprofits have a plan they can go to during a big time of organizational change. But a thoughtful succession plan is absolutely necessary because a lot of executive directors will […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Thoughtful non-profit succession planning – 12/10/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

There are two guests on this week’s show talking about non-profit funding. The first guest talks about the recent Blackbaud report, State of the Nonprofit Industry. It describes what nonprofits in three countries are doing to attract new donors and retain current donors. My second guest is a finance wizard and she gives us an […] The post Nonprofit Spark – 2012 nonprofit sector report and ending foundation proposal budgets – 12/03/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

We’re back to talking about non-profit websites on this week’s show and something called “content strategy.” Getting a new or redesigned website up and running can be frustrating and time consuming and I’ve learned the hard way it’s because we weren’t using a content strategy. So what is it? It’s a process you can use […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Making a nonprofit web site redesign easier with content strategy – 11/26/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

It is the week of Thanksgiving, that all-American holiday that recalls pilgrims, Native Americans, pumpkins and family traditions. In the spirit of gratitude, I’m taking a break and repeating a great show about special events, which raise needed dollars but often at a high price. The staff, board and volunteers are burned out afterward and […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Avoiding the Special Events Bug – repeat 11/19/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

On this week’s show, my guest and I focus on pro bono services that can make a huge difference for non-profit marketing, human resources, technology and other areas that it can be hard to raise money for. Many nonprofits have had mixed experiences with pro bono professionals, though, and are skeptical about seeking them out. […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Tapping into the power of pro bono services for non-profits – 11/12/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

The interview I did a couple weeks ago with the executive director and board president of award-winning Cape Fear Literacy Council reminded me of the need to do a show about board learning again. The most common trait of the successful organizations I’ve interviewed is that the staff and board are always learning: they evaluate […] The post Nonprofit Spark – Choosing a board self-assessment tool – 11/05/12 appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.