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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

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All Episodes

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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30:40

Fundraising for “The Perfect Victim”

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/12/02

Send us a text There's a reason some fundraising stories feel easier to tell than others. Stories about animals, "grateful" clients, and non-political solutions raise money quickly because they tap into what donors already believe about who deserves help. But what happens when those easy stories erase the complexity and humanity of the people you actually serve? On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio sits down with Esther Lee, a fundraising and equity stra...

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28:51

When Funders Try to Silence Your Advocacy with Maria...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/11/25

Send us a text What happens when the money your organization needs comes with a muzzle attached? In this bold and necessary conversation, Maria and Caitlin tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in the nonprofit sector: funders using their financial power to silence organizational advocacy and control community narratives. On this week's episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, co-hosts Maria Rio and Caitlin McBride don't hold back as they share real stories of organizations facing ...

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24:32

Leading While Latina: Identity, Power, and the...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/11/18

Send us a text What is it like to lead a nonprofit when you’re constantly being told you’re “too much” of one thing and “not enough” of another? On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Sharonne Navas shares what it’s been like to navigate a predominantly white sector as a first-gen American Latina. With experience spanning organizations like Para Los Niños, Ayuda, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and national justice movements, Sharonne names what it means to do deeply political work ...

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31:46

Nonprofit Leadership and The "PolyCrisis"

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/11/11

Send us a text The nonprofit sector is facing a “polycrisis”. In this candid conversation, we unpack how simultaneous shocks (policy shifts, funder chill, shrinking donor pools) are reshaping civil society and what small nonprofits can do to adapt. We talk about building durable strategies instead of episodic crisis responses, and how to make decisions that protect mission over ego. Just as importantly, we get real about leadership wellbeing: navigating fear, staying in productive tension, an...

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19:27

Grant Writing: Getting to YES! with DeaRonda Harrison

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/11/04

Send us a text If you’re tired of chasing dead-end applications or hearing “we don’t accept unsolicited proposals,” this episode is for you. We dig into how to build a smarter pipeline by prioritizing funders that welcome new grantees. Then we tackle the myth of “hard-to-fund” programs (arts, advocacy, civic education, etc.) and show you how reframing your work to match donor priorities can unlock dollars without changing your programming. On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit P...

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26:59

From Donor-Centric to Community-Centric Fundraising

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/10/28

Send us a text From Donor-Centric to Community-Centric: Building Equity Into Fundraising Most “best practices” put donors and boards at the top of the pyramid - and everyone else (staff, volunteers, service users) at the bottom. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio breaks down the shift from donor-centric to community-centric fundraising and why this change is key to building a more equitable nonprofit sector. Maria unpacks how covert white supremacy sh...

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25:30

Grant Writing Strategies That Work

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/10/21

Send us a text Grants look easy from the outside: download a form, fill it in, wait for the cheque. In reality? Cold applications rarely convert, and the magic happens off the application portal. On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio and co-host Caitlin McBride unpack why grants are not the quick win many organizations expect and how a single 15-minute call can completely change your pitch, and your odds. We break down what funders won’t put on their website, why mo...

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20:26

4-Day Week: Real Results of Implementing

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/10/14

Send us a text A four-day work week is not a gimmick. Done right, it can reduce burnout, stabilize output, and help you keep great people. Our guest today shares that after two years of doing a 4-day work week model, they saw a 46% increase in staff morale and wellbeing. This is only one of the many amazing benefits Imagine Canada has seen! In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Jodene Baker, Vice President of Research, Advocacy and External Relations a...

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28:09

How EDs Lead Through a Governance Crisis in Nonprofit

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/10/07

Send us a text When a nonprofit faces a full board turnover, staff departures, and community outrage all at once, most Executive Directors want to run away. Nina Horvath stayed. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Nina Horvath, Executive Director of the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, producers of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Years ago, Nina joined Coastal as their ED just two weeks before a contentious AGM that resulted in a complete board shak...

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22:16

Nonprofit Staff Are Not OK: The Changemaker Wellbeing...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/09/30

Send us a text The 2025 Changemaker Wellbeing Index Report shows that 30% of nonprofit workers are experiencing food insecurity. This new study confirms what so many in our sector already feel every day: burnout, financial strain, and constant pressure. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio is joined by Caitlin McBride, CFRE, a fundraising executive with over a decade of experience. Together, they unpack Future of Good’s 2025 Change Maker Wellbeing Index and what it ...

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23:31

Major Gifts for Small Nonprofits

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/09/23

Send us a text Small nonprofits deserve BIG support. However, many fundraisers stumble while trying one to one relationships with major donors without it feeling fake, forced, or transactional. Fundraising is not sales; it is matchmaking. At the heart of every major gift is a shared why: the values and experiences that connect you, your mission, and your donors. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio breaks down how small nonprofits can shift their mindset about...

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23:12

Audience Building for Nonprofits

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/09/16

Send us a text Growing your organization is about smarter, easier touchpoints. It’s about how small nonprofits can show up where people already are, build real connection, and grow a brand that attracts donors, partners, and advocates. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio is joined by Christa Stelzmuller, Chief Technology Officer at Charity: Water. Christa brings a wealth of experience leading technology, product, and data innovation at one of the world’s mos...

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18:30

AI Storytelling for Nonprofits: From Impact to Donors

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/09/09

Send us a text Storytelling is the heartbeat of nonprofit fundraising - and now, AI is giving organizations new ways to capture and share those stories while still keeping a human touch at the center. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Gustavo Zylberberg, Co-founder and CEO of Vitalcy, an AI-powered alumni engagement platform helping nonprofits reconnect with their communities, strengthen relationships, and unlock new donor support. AI Storyte...

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28:30

Donor Stewardship: Community-Centric Segmentation and...

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/09/02

Send us a text Your top donors don’t just write big cheques; they could be folding newsletters in your conference room every Tuesday or serving on your board for the third consecutive year. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, we're exploring on what it means to steward supporters through a Community-Centric Fundraising lens. We're sharing ways we’ve shown gratitude to people who show up for your mission with time, talent, advocacy, and yes, dollars too. We challenge the traditiona...

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27:11

Why DEI Fails in Nonprofits (and How to Do It Right)

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/08/26

Send us a text Is your nonprofit struggling to turn DEI intentions into meaningful action? Fear, burnout, and performative allyship often hold us back from creating truly equitable organizations. But what if we could move beyond discomfort into sustainable change? In this episode, Maria sits down with Jonathan Meagher-Zayas, an equity educator and nonprofit consultant, to explore the real reasons why DEI work stalls and how to finally make it stick. They discuss power dynamics, fear of being ...

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20:03

Social Enterprise: Earned Revenue for Nonprofits

Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership... ·

2025/08/19

Send us a text Social enterprises aren't only about earning or diversifying revenue; they’re key to finding creative, sustainable ways to advance your mission while serving your community with dignity. In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio chats with Tom Armitage, who has been leading The SEED, a project of the Guelph Community Health Centre, for almost 10 years. The SEED is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in the community has access to good food, and along ...

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312 results

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