Nonprofit Ally Podcast

Inspiration can occur most anywhere. For Nicolette Holferty it struck while she was knitting a hat for a friend. But getting over the resistance and self-doubt of pursuing her idea seemed to challenge her around each corner. Note… I said “challenge”, not “stop”. Armed with passion and “The War of Art” – a book she carries with her everywhere – […]

Finding the right software for your nonprofit can be as simple as buying Microsoft Office or as complex as finding a donor management system that integrates with your accounting software. This is where Janna Finch comes in. Janna is a software market research associate at softwareadvice.com. Her job is to measure and track what types of software and features nonprofits […]

Getting your nonprofit to a state of financial sustainability is a goal for all of us. But just how do you get there and is there a “quick” way to do it? Patrick Renn, from The Renn Wealth Management Group, joins us to talk about setting up your nonprofits finances so you can naturally attracted long term donors and investors, […]

Starting a religious based nonprofit can seem confusing. A church is already considered to be tax deductible, even without becoming a 501.c.3. So why would you want to apply for 501.c.3 status? Is there a benefit? (Hint: the answer is YES). And what about ministries and religious based after school programs? Are they tax exempt too? If not, what do […]

Bobby Gill wanted to have an event to raise money for neurofibromatosis (NF). The criteria for the event was 1) it’d have to be fun 2) it’d have to be something he would want to do himself and 3) it would obviously have to raise money. Enter “Cupid’s Undie Run“. A mile long run, held in the winter time and run […]

In just a few years, Giving Tuesday has turn in to a world wide event. In this episode, we talk with Kait Sheridan, from 92y.org and GivingTuesday.org, about how to prepare for and run a successful Giving Tuesday fundraiser. Kait talks about the importance of reaching your audience and shares a variety of useful ways to accomplish this. This includes: […]

What if I were to tell you that what your nonprofit does — doesn’t matter. Now, give me a second to clarify: the point here is that “what” is the wrong place to put your focus when it comes to fundraising writing. Potential donors and supporters aren’t really interested in information about your programs or what you hope to do — they […]

Running a crowdfunding campaign takes a lot of preparation, research and maintenance. But one of the most important parts of running a campaign is getting it off to a good start. Kicking off your crowdfunding campaign means having a lot of ducks in a row (read more at: How to Start a Crowdfunding Campaign). So here is an overview of […]

In this episode I talk with Chad Reid of JotForm.com. You may remember Chad from his three part series he wrote for Nonprofit Ally about using forms to survey your members, creating your donation page and making “apply online” forms. Connecting with your audience can be like hopping on a moving train from an bridge overpass. OK – not the best metaphor […]

If you want to raise more money for your nonprofit, don’t… I repeat don’t… have a bake sale. There are a number a reasons why: Your return on investment (ROI) is very low The people who donate will not be invested in your mission There is very little short term gain and NO long term gain. If you really have […]

Dana Ostomel is an expert on crowdfunding. How do I know this… well because she started and runs her own crowdfunding platform. So who better to get the best tips on crowdfunding from than the source. Her website is at depositagift.com. Dana has a background in market so her insight can help you run a successful fundraising campaign on many […]

Getting found in Google can seem confusing. But there are some basic steps you can take to help you “get ranked” in Google. In this episode I talk with Shae Baxter, an SEO rock star. She walks us through some of the most important parts of setting up a successful search engine optimization plan for our nonprofit websites. You can […]

Getting the word out about your nonprofit organization can be a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of ways to help bring awareness to the community about your program. And the great thing is… most of them are free! Here are some simple ways to spread the word about you nonprofit. Social Media – get […]

In this episode, I talk with Steve Scott who is the author of many books including, “Level Up Your Day: How to Maximize the 6 Essential Areas of Your Daily Routine”, “To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done” and “S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals”. Steve talks […]

As crowdfunding has exploded in popularity, rapidly evolving into a 5.1 billion dollar industry, the diversity of crowdfunding platforms has likewise ballooned. While this is excellent news for hopeful crowdfunders in terms of the choices and options available, it also makes the question of how to choose the right crowdfunding site a rather overwhelming one. By following the tips outlined […]

In this episode I talk with Steve Scheier, author of “Do More Good. Better.” We talk about the impact that proper decision making can (or cannot) have on the health and future of your organization. Part of making a good decision involves: knowing what decisions need to be made, who is making this decision and whether you are involving the […]

For those who have heard the podcast already… the subtitle to this article is: “Why your Mother Never Reads your Newsletter”. (It’s an inside joke. You have to listen to the podcast to get it

When it comes to making a budget for your nonprofit, it can seem like there is little to guide you. This can be especially true for new nonprofits whose budget is more like a best guess than a best estimate. If you are in this position, don’t panic… making a budget is often more art than science. In this podcast, […]

One of the most important things you do with your nonprofit is market your services and/or products. But for many of us this isn’t always easy to do. In this episode I talk with Marlene Oliveira from the NonprofitMarCommunity.com and MoFlow.ca. Marlene is a nonprofit marketing and communication specialist. Marlene talks with us about creating a strategic plan for marketing […]