Loading...

PODCAST

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions for Canadian and American Nonprofits

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

25:00

Volunteers Aren't Free Labour: Ethical Volunteer...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/10/06

Send us Fan Mail What does your annual report say about your volunteers? If it's a headcount, a total of hours, and a dollar figure for how much they "saved" you, Jessica Pang-Parks has some thoughts. Most EDs don't set out to treat volunteers as free labour. The systems we've inherited make it easy, especially when funding won't cover the staff you actually need. This week, Maria is joined by Jessica. They talk about where volunteer engagement goes wrong, and what it looks like when it's don...

en-ca

24:27

Bold, Sustainable Leadership for Social Impact...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/09/29

Send us Fan Mail Perfectionism doesn't feel like fear. It feels like caring. But underneath the reviewed-a-hundred-times email is usually one thing: fear. In this episode, Maria talks with leadership coach Tessa Bridge about why leaders mistake control for competence and what it actually takes to lead from a grounded place instead of a scared one. Tessa Bridge is the founder of Tessa Bridge Coaching and author of Do Your Part: Bold, Sustainable Leadership for Social Impact Leaders in a Time o...

en-ca

20:07

Great Donor Stewardship: The 4 Step Donor Retention...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/09/22

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits lose more than half their donors after that very first gift, and it's rarely because those donors stopped caring. In this episode, Maria breaks down a simple, repeatable framework for keeping donors engaged long after they hit "donate." She walks through the five stages every donor moves through, why skipping even one of them kills retention, and how to weave stats and stories together so your messaging actually sticks. Then she digs into the psychology behind...

en-ca

23:36

The ED Burnout Crisis: New Data and How to Protect...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/09/15

Send us Fan Mail Nearly half of nonprofit Executive Directors are reporting burnout as a serious concern, and that number is climbing fast. In this episode, we dig into the Center for Effective Philanthropy's 2026 report and unpack what's actually driving the crisis: rising service demand, shrinking budgets, and boards and staff who often can't be the safe space EDs need. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria is joined by Caitlin McBride, a Certified Fundraising Executi...

en-ca

24:26

Family Foundations & Private Philanthropy: Why...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/09/08

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits ask foundations for what they think a funder is comfortable giving, not what the mission actually needs to succeed. That gap is costing the sector real impact. This episode pulls back the curtain on how private philanthropy really operates: why 95% of foundation assets sit invested with zero connection to mission, why "private" family foundations are actually funded with public money, and why the polite, small ask has become the norm even when it guarantees fa...

en-ca

36:15

Fundraising Strategy for Small Nonprofits: Building...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/09/01

Send us Fan Mail Throwing spaghetti at the wall can't fix broken fundraising systems. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio, a fundraising expert with over 15 years of experience, shares what it actually takes to turn acquisition and retention into a repeatable system instead of a scramble. You'll learn how to move donors through each stage of the funnel, from total stranger to lifelong supporter, and why retention deserves more of your attention. This episode...

en-ca

22:54

Nonprofit Collaboration Tips For Growing a Small...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/08/25

Send us Fan Mail Small nonprofits are constantly told to do more with less. More fundraising, more reporting, more services, same tiny team. This episode flips that pressure on its head. Instead of asking "how do we do more ourselves," our guest makes the case for asking "who could we build this with together?" You'll hear real examples of what collaboration actually looks like on the ground, from a food bank that partnered with mental health organizations to a youth coalition that hit real g...

en-ca

19:39

First-Time EDs: The Messes, the Fear, and What...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/08/18

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders don't talk about what actually happens the day you walk into an ED role. They talk about the vision and the strategy, not the fact that your admin manager just quit, the reserves are empty, and you're going to have to let people go before you've even found the bathroom. This episode is about that first year as an ED, unfiltered. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Lenny Sweeney, Executive Director at SHORE Centre and a fundraise...

en-ca

25:07

Donors Can't Find You. Here's How to Fix That.

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/08/11

Send us Fan Mail Search engines were never built with equity in mind. The organizations that show up first are the ones with money for ads, not necessarily the ones doing the most impactful work. For small and grassroots nonprofits, that means decades of good work can go unseen by the donors, program officers, and advisors who'd want to support it if they only knew it existed. It's clear the playing field was uneven long before AI entered the picture. But AI is also changing who gets found, a...

en-ca

21:34

Values Alignment 101: The Fundraiser's Guide to...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/08/04

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt pressure to chase every funding opportunity that crosses your desk just because the deadline lines up and the dollar amount looks good? This episode is your permission to slow down. You'll learn why "does this person have money" is the wrong first question, and what to actually look for before you sink hours into an application or a pitch. You'll hear the real cost of chasing misaligned funders (hint: it's not just your time), and get a practical framework for spott...

en-ca

20:36

Taking Care of the Caretakers: Compassion Fatigue Is...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/07/28

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits pour everything into the people and causes they serve, and forget the staff doing that work every single day. This episode flips the script. We're talking about what it actually looks like to take care of the caretakers, especially when your team is dealing with trauma, grief, or emotional burnout as part of the job. You'll hear how one nonprofit built a staff wellness program from the ground up, fueled almost entirely through community donations, not big budg...

en-ca

19:59

You Don't Have to Love Donor-Advised Funds to Have a...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/07/21

Send us Fan Mail Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are the fastest-growing way to give in Canada, the US, and the UK, and most nonprofits still don't have the words "donor-advised fund" anywhere on their website. This episode isn't a case for DAFs. It's a case for having a strategy for them anyway, so that money moves toward community instead of sitting in an advisor's spreadsheet. In this episode, Mike Todd (Transform Philanthropy) breaks down what's actually happening when a DAF gift lands in your...

en-ca

20:49

Plain Language, Real Impact: How to Communicate So...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/07/14

Send us Fan Mail Posting on social media and hoping donations follow? You might be setting yourself up for disappointment. In this episode, we get into why social media is often a top-of-funnel tool, not a direct-response one, and why that's not a bad thing once you understand how to use it right. We talk about the algorithm problem nobody wants to admit: that even your own followers might never see your posts. We also dig into what actually makes content land, from ditching jargon to using s...

en-ca

20:25

Getting Off the Grants Hamster Wheel: The Skills You...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/07/07

Send us Fan Mail If your fundraising calendar is back-to-back grant deadlines and event planning, you might be stuck on a treadmill that's working against you. Grants and events share something that doesn't get talked about enough: they're two of the highest time investment portfolios in the fundraising world. The good news? If you're good at grants, you're already sitting on a foundation of skills that translate directly into individual giving, corporate, and social enterprise. On this week'...

en-ca

26:58

What to Do When Your Fundraiser Quits to Maintain...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/06/30

Send us Fan Mail Your fundraiser just handed in their notice. Now what? Before you dust off that three-year-old job description and blast it out, there are a few things you need to know. Fundraiser turnover is one of the most disruptive events a small nonprofit can face. Donor relationships go quiet, grant deadlines get missed, and someone who already has a full plate suddenly inherits a whole new set of responsibilities. If the hiring process that follows is reactive rather than intentional,...

en-ca

22:43

Burnt-Out EDs (And What to Do Before You Reach Your...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/06/23

Send us Fan Mail A burnt-out Executive Director doesn't just affect themselves. The team feels it. The culture shifts. The bold, brave decisions that your community depends on? They stop happening. And yet, so many EDs stay well past their limit because the tools, staffing, or board support to do anything differently simply don't exist. If you're an ED who's been running on fumes, or a board member wondering why your leader seems like a different person than the one you hired, this conversati...

en-ca

27:48

Sorry Isn't Enough: A 5-Step Framework for Nonprofit...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/06/16

Send us Fan Mail Most nonprofits are good at issuing apologies, but terrible at actually changing. There's a difference between saying "I'm sorry" and doing the work of repair, and that gap is exactly where trust goes to die. In this episode, we get into what accountability actually means, why so few organizations do it well, and what it looks like when it's done right. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Chris Talbot (they/them), Communications Lead fo...

en-ca

31:52

Donor-Centric Fundraising: The Real Price of Keeping...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/06/09

Send us Fan Mail You've been told that keeping donors happy is how you protect your revenue. What if that's actually the thing bleeding your organization dry? In this episode, Maria Rio makes the case that donor-centric fundraising isn't just a values problem, but also financial one. She breaks down exactly how centering donor comfort drives away your most aligned supporters, tanks staff morale, and keeps your organization stuck addressing symptoms instead of causes. Maria introduces the ACT ...

en-ca

21:31

Why Hiring a Fundraiser Too Soon Is Costing You More...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/06/02

Send us Fan Mail Hiring a fundraiser feels like the obvious solution when revenue is tight and the need is growing, but doing it before you're ready can set everyone up to fail, including the person you just hired. Before you draft that job description, there are real systems, mindsets, and infrastructure pieces that need to be in place. And if you don't have them yet, there's a smarter path forward that most small nonprofits haven't considered. This episode breaks down what "ready" actually ...

en-ca

22:11

Living Wages: How Nonprofits Can Adopt Dignified Work...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2026/05/26

Send us Fan Mail The Changemaker Wellbeing Index reports that 31% of nonprofit workers experience food insecurity — and for frontline staff, that rises to 48%. The very sector working to end poverty is, in many cases, perpetuating it through its own payroll. The good news? There's a practical, achievable path forward, and it is easy to get started. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria sits down with Anne Coleman, newly-appointed Executive Director at the Ontario Living...

en-ca

352 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

SoldiOnline

Mondadori Digital

Inside the ICE House

Intercontinental Exchange

36氪·有识芝士

36氪音频频道