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PODCAST

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions

Further Together: Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations

Welcome to Small Nonprofit, the podcast designed for leaders, fundraisers, and advocates in the nonprofit sector who want to create real change. We provide small nonprofit organizations with strategies to enhance their fundraising campaigns, improve nonprofit governance, and implement ethical fundraising practices that resonate with today’s values-driven donors.Hosted by an experienced nonprofit consultant, Maria Rio, this show delves into the unique challenges of nonprofit fundraising and

business non-profit

All Episodes

21:19

Beyond Survival: How Nonprofit Mergers and...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/04/21

Send us Fan Mail The word "merger" makes a lot of nonprofit leaders flinch — and honestly, that's understandable. When you've poured years of your life into building an organization, considering a structural change can feel like waving the white flag. But here's the reframe: a merger isn't the end of your mission, it might actually be the most powerful way to advance it. In this episode, we dig into what it really looks like when nonprofits explore collaboration, formal partnerships, and merg...

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22:29

The Great Wealth Transfer Is Here — Is Your Nonprofit...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/04/14

Send us Fan Mail Planned giving is one of those things that lives permanently on the "we'll get to it someday" list, and that someday keeps getting pushed back. But the Great Wealth Transfer is already happening, and nonprofits that aren't at least laying the groundwork are going to miss out on one of the biggest funding opportunities of our generation. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria is joined by Tess Conrad, CFRE, a planned giving specialist. We're breaking down...

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26:48

How to Build Culture of Innovation at Your Nonprofit,...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/04/07

Send us Fan Mail We found the cure for your organizations' "we've always done it this way", and we are sharing it with you today. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Andrea Silverstone (CEO of Sagesse) and Carrie McManus (Director of Innovation and Programs at Sagesse). Sagesse is a nonprofit working to disrupt the structures of abuse and eradicate domestic violence. Together, they share what it looks like to lead strategically during lean times, how to...

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24:58

Fractional Executives: Your Secret Weapon?

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/03/31

Send us Fan Mail If you've been hearing the word "fractional" thrown around and nodding along like you totally know what it means, this episode is for you. Fractional work is one of the fastest-growing models in the nonprofit sector, and it's not just for fundraising anymore. From HR to finance to communications, fractional executives are stepping in to give small organizations access to high-level expertise they could never afford full-time. But there are a LOT of myths floating around about...

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21:24

Donor Relations: Overcoming Fundraising Anxiety and...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/03/24

Send us Fan Mail Fundraising fear is real and it's holding a lot of nonprofit leaders back from doing their best work. Whether it's the dread of being seen as pushy, the worry that donors don't want to hear from you, or the nagging feeling that you're just not "polished" enough, these limiting beliefs are more common than you think. The good news? They're also completely workable. This episode unpacks where fundraising fear actually comes from, why it makes total sense that so many EDs feel t...

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23:48

Dignified Storytelling: Stop Treating Clients Like Props

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/03/17

Send us Fan Mail What if the storytelling practices you're using are actually harming the people you're trying to serve? Many nonprofits believe that sharing clients' most traumatic moments is the only way to raise funds, but what's the real cost of this approach? The way we tell stories has consequences far beyond the donation page, like re-traumatizing vulnerable community members, or conditioning donors to expect exploitation, to name a few. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Po...

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32:15

Major Gifts Fundraising: Getting That First Donor...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/03/10

Send a text Getting a first meeting with a prospective donor can feel like one of the biggest hurdles in major gifts fundraising, but it doesn't have to. This episode breaks it all down in a way that's refreshingly practical and zero percent intimidating. You'll learn why warm introductions are worth every awkward board conversation, how to follow up without spiraling into anxiety about being "annoying," and why the best thing you can do in the meeting itself is ask great questions and actual...

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22:04

Earned Revenue AND Increased Impact? Licensing Your...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/03/03

Send a text What if the program you've spent years perfecting could fund your nonprofit and serve exponentially more people... without you burning out trying to do it all yourself? Most executive directors don't realize that the SOPs, worksheets, and workflows living in their heads are actually valuable intellectual property that other nonprofits would pay to access. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Rebecca Britt, founder of Stable Moments, a mentors...

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21:33

Executive Director Burnout: Why Finding Your People...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/02/24

Send a text In this raw and hopeful conversation, you'll hear about the physical and emotional toll of nonprofit leadership and the intentional steps one ED took to not just recover, but to build an entire community dedicated to sector wellness. Laura Istead opens up about recognizing her own burnout, advocating for time off, and discovering the ways that she had normalized her own symptoms of stress. But this isn't just a cautionary tale. It's a blueprint for how nonprofit leaders can break ...

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21:05

The Missing Piece in Fundraising: Getting People to...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/02/17

Send a text What if the biggest challenge facing nonprofits isn't moving donors from $100 to $1,000 gifts, but getting people to make their first charitable donation ever? In this episode, we explore a critical gap in the nonprofit sector: getting people to move from non-donors to donors. While fundraisers are experts at cultivating existing donors, very few organizations are focused on helping people become donors in the first place. We dig into why teaching generosity matters, how to lower ...

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20:09

Nonprofit Leaders Building Community and Finding Joy...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/02/10

Send a text Nonprofit leaders are navigating an exceptionally difficult moment. Political uncertainty, financial uncertainty, the weight of leading through crisis, you name it. It's easy to feel isolated, numb, or like you're carrying it all alone. But the path ahead doesn't have to feel lonely. We're talking about finding your people and creating intentional spaces for joy, connection, and authentic dialogue. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Frank V...

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17:24

Nonprofit Storytelling: Showing Impact When Results...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/02/03

Send us a text Not every nonprofit mission comes with neat, quantifiable results. If your organization works in mental health, activism, research, or addiction recovery, you know that impact isn't always a tidy before-and-after story. But donors still want to understand the difference you're making... So how do you prove your impact when the work is complex, deeply personal, or still unfolding? On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, hosts Maria Rio and Caitlin McBride tackle...

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27:40

Mission Drift vs. Emergency Supports: The SNAP...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/01/27

Send us a text What do you do when a government shutdown threatens to leave 70% of the families you serve without food? For Growing Up Green Charter Schools in Queens, New York, the answer was clear: respond immediately, mobilize resources fast, and support their community without losing sight of their educational mission. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Caitlin McBride sits down with Erin Acosta, Director of Family Engagement and Communications at Growing Up Green Charter Sch...

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22:56

How Latino Fundraisers Are Fighting Back: Systemic...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/01/20

Send us a text Armando hears the same heartbreaking story over and over: talented Latinas been doing their white boss's job for years, training replacement after replacement, but they're never considered for the promotion because they "lack training." Meanwhile, mainstream fundraising conferences and training programs are designed for wealthy organizations, ignoring the small and medium-sized Latino nonprofits that desperately need support. The result? A sector where Latino leaders are system...

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24:02

Nonprofit Advocacy: Playing the Long Game

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/01/13

Send us a text Feeling overwhelmed by current challenges in the nonprofit sector? In this episode, host Maria Rio sits down with Robyn Schwartz, historian-turned-fundraiser and co-founder of Dumbo Octopus Consulting, to explore how understanding historical patterns can help nonprofit leaders navigate today's uncertainty. Robyn draws striking parallels between our current moment and the 1920s, explaining how cyclical patterns of economic instability, political shifts, and resource scarcity rep...

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24:22

The 8 Reasons People Donate (And Why Your Anniversary...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/01/06

Send us a text Ever wondered why some donors stick around for decades while others disappear after one gift? Join Maria Rio and Caitlin McBride as they break down the eight psychological and social reasons people actually donate to nonprofits. They tackle everything from the power of peer-to-peer fundraising (hint: 80% are brand new donors) to why guilt-based appeals only work once, why your 50th anniversary isn't a fundraising strategy, and how to diagnose exactly where your donor retention ...

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25:53

Never tell another sob story again

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/12/30

Send us a text Nonprofits are constantly told to “tell powerful stories” to move donors, but what happens when those stories come at the expense of the people you serve? In this episode, we dive into the messy, important questions behind ethical storytelling: consent, power, and what it really means to honor people’s dignity in your fundraising and communications. Maria and Ceallaigh unpack how photos and personal narratives have historically been used in extractive, colonial ways, and why “w...

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33:35

"Somebody Has to Say It": Standing up for yourself...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/12/23

Send us a text Ever wondered how to critique the nonprofit sector while leading an organization within it? Join Maria Rio for a conversation with Amber Hamilton, President and CEO of the Memphis Music Initiative, who went viral for saying what every nonprofit leader thinks but won't say out loud. Amber shares why humor became her weapon of choice; creating satirical videos that called out philanthropy's racist funding practices, absurd application processes, and performative accou...

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31:46

Writing Emails Donors Actually Want to Read

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/12/16

Send us a text Ever wondered why your nonprofit's email list is stuck at 400 contacts after decades of work? Join Maria Rio for a conversation with Jess Campbell, founder of Out in the Boons, who shares an uncomfortable truth: your email list is probably shrinking right now, and it's kneecapping your fundraising. Jess shares why email is 9-10 times more effective than social media, creative list-building tactics beyond event sign-ups, and how to shift from boring organizational updates to tho...

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26:25

How to ACTUALLY change hearts and minds

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/12/09

Send us a text What's the one thing you wish the public understood better about the problem you're solving? That gap between what people know and what you wish they knew? That's your narrative change work, and it should be driving every communication decision you make. On this week's episode, we break down how small nonprofits can stop reacting to headlines and start shaping the conversation around the issues they care about most. Maria sits down with Dimitrios Kalantzis, a ...

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328 results

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