Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

How Habitat for Humanity is developing creative solutions to our housing crisis

26 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 and is one of the strongest nonprofit brands in the United ...

What leading with courage looks like

19 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Adrien Lewis To affect big change in the world, a nonprofit leader must be willing to take risks and must be willing to fail along the way. To put ...

How to manage conflict better

12 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

David Dye Conflict happens in the workplace, whether we like to admit it or not. According to a recent survey, 70% of people worldwide report exper...

How do we recruit and develop the board we need

05 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Erik Hanberg We often discuss topics related to fundraising, branding, and culture. While these are all important areas of discussion, there is ano...

How you can become a changemaker through “micro-leadership”

28 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Budak, professor at University of California, Berkeley and author of “Becoming a Changemaker.” Are you a leader at a nonprofit who wants t...

Leadership Insights from The Bridgespan Group

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anum Qadir It’s no secret we appreciate hearing insights from The Bridgespan Group on the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. We invite two more voices...

How to successfully transition from the for-profit to the nonprofit sector

14 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Colleen Kelly Many of those working in nonprofits, often started in the nonprofit space. This doesn’t mean of course that someone in the for-prof...

The power of generous leadership

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Davis When you hear the term “generous leader” you may automatically think of financial generosity. Being a generous leader means more than...

Why your culture determines your brand

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of brand and what kind of culture do you have? Is there a gap between how you see your brand and how your community sees your brand? Rob’s...

How to turn volunteers into champions of your nonprofit

24 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Because nonprofit organizations thrive on the dedication of volunteers, we want to ensure we are not only recruiting the right people but also maximiz...

How Charity Water is providing sustainable solutions to one of the world’s biggest challenges

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah Bellamy Every year, approximately two million people worldwide are dying from water-borne diseases. Lack of safe drinking water, while not a...

How 501(c)(8) and 501(c)(3) organizations can collaborate together for good

10 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Lee When most people think of nonprofits, they think of 501(c)3 organizations. Did you know that there are over thirty different types of nonp...

How to improve your grant writing

03 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gauri Manglik, CEO & Co-founder of Instrumentl Whether grants generate a large portion or a small portion of your budget, it is important to be eff...

How the right data can drive an organization’s story and impact

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Angela Redding It's one thing to have a belief or a hypothesis. It’s another thing to have credible numbers available to you as a nonprofit leade...

How to scale altruism

18 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Summers When we talk about nonprofits struggling with fundraising, typically we focus on solutions that address just the fundraising aspects...

How the Wounded Warrior Project is expanding

11 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vilma Consuegra How much should your nonprofit invest in marketing and fundraising before it becomes excessive? This is the question we aim to disc...

How to implement effective accounting principles into your nonprofit

04 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Kruger As nonprofit leaders, we aim to run organizations that thrive, especially in a tough economic climate. In order to thrive, we have to ...

How can we reverse the downward trend in giving and volunteering?

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nonprofits have been dealing with a downward trend when it comes to the donations they receive and the volunteers that join their organizations. For e...

What effective leadership looks like

21 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tommy Spaulding As nonprofit leaders, we are not only making an impact in the lives of those we serve, but we have the opportunity to lead others w...

Learn more about the nonprofit Matt Damon co-founded

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vedika Bhandarkar Safe water. While most of us have access to it, there are millions across the world who do not. There are approximately 700 milli...

How can AI be used for good for your nonprofit?

07 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial Intelligence. Did you know that AI is embedded in almost everything we do? It’s often embedded in our workflow, our fundraising and our d...

“What are the key aspects to successful donor retention?”

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cara Augspurger A discouraging trend in the nonprofit space is the steady decrease in the number of donors that are giving to nonprofit organizatio...

Just how prevalent is the problem of human trafficking right here in the US?

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Diana Mao As of a September 2022 report on the global estimates on modern slavery, more than 27 million people are in forced labor. Out of those pe...

Is Servant Leadership Making A Comeback?

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Evan Wildstein What is the first thing that you think about when you hear the term, “servant leadership?” While this term isn’t very popular ...

How to maximize the impact of your board

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hardy Smith As a nonprofit leader, do you ever feel frustrated at the engagement of your board members? Do you wonder why they aren’t performing ...

Walmart has a new way they are giving back to nonprofits

03 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Gehrki, Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart We know that Walmart is a successful corporation, selling goods throughout the world, but t...

How to strengthen your nonprofit’s financial processes

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dean Dalzell Do you have financial processes in place for your nonprofit organization? Does your financial team have the skills and knowledge to ha...

What Amazon is doing to empower nonprofits to go further and faster

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Allyson Fryhoff Amazon is not just a place full of great products to purchase and movies to stream, but the company is also making a social impac...

How can donors avoid the pitfalls of self-dealing

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Stephanie Yan Many donors give to nonprofits via family foundations. There are times that this type of donation could pose a conflict of interest, ...

Are We Facing a Generosity Crisis?

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Crimmins When it comes to traditional giving to nonprofits, we are facing a downward trend. Today's guest, Brian Crimmins, shares why tradit...

How nonprofits can successfully collaborate with government agencies

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ann Lee As nonprofit leaders, we aim to make the biggest impact possible. Sometimes in order to make the biggest and most effective impact long ter...

Hear From Top Nonprofit Leaders Live at the NIO Summit

22 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s digital age, it is more important than ever for nonprofit organizations to innovate and optimize their fundraising. Today we are honored ...

Live From the UNA Conference

15 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lindsay Hadley Tanisha Shedden When looking at the current state of the nonprofit sector, we have to look at both the biggest challenges and the...

What is the state of giving in America?

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michelle Boggs, Executive Nonprofit Industry Advisor, Classy What are the current trends facing the nonprofit sector when it comes to giving? What ...

Nonprofits…we need a re-brand

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nonprofit. It’s a word we all use to describe our organizations, but are we inadvertently hurting ourselves by using that word? When you hear the na...

How nonprofits can move from being an organization to a “brand”

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Too often, nonprofits think they're the cause that the community wants to support. But nonprofits are not the cause. They're the conduit for the cause...

How to scale an organization without mission drift

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lynn Margherio, founder and CEO of Cradles to Crayons As nonprofit leaders, we often find we are filling a gap in society by resolving specific nee...

Can you help fund a nonprofit and also get a “return on your investment”?

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jasper van Brakel, CEO of RSF Social Finance Funding is absolutely critical for all nonprofits and there’s a growing group of investors who want ...

How to manage a crisis

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Falcone Right now we are living in a time when the challenges facing management is at an all time high, especially when it comes to managing c...

How to create a leadership culture that retains diverse staff

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jakada Imani, CEO of The Management Center Recruitment and retention are hot topics on the minds of many nonprofit leaders right now. Today’s gue...

How to turn former gang members into nonprofit leaders

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Leading and motivating staff is a difficult job for every leader, especially the CEO or Executive Director of an organization. Staff communication, st...

Hear how three emerging Gen Z leaders are making their world better

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sienna Nazarian Being young doesn’t mean one can't make a difference. In fact, there is a lot we in the nonprofit space can learn from Gen Z lead...

Are you ready for the largest wealth transfer in our history?

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that we're heading into an unprecedented wealth transfer? It’s been said that within the next few decades, as much as 68 trillion in we...

What a business entrepreneur can teach nonprofit leaders

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earl Foote, CEO, Nexus IT Consultants When it comes to becoming more efficient as a nonprofit organization, it can be helpful for nonprofit leaders...

How “Smart Tech” is changing the way we lead our nonprofit organizations

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our world continues to change in so many areas, particularly in regards to technology, and specifically, smart tech. Smart tech is not just changing h...

How is climate change and violent conflict impacting the most vulnerable around the world?

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jocelyn Wyatt, CEO, Alight When we hear about the growing number of people being displaced from their home countries, we often assume it is conflic...

Jon and Becky from “We Are For Good” share their thoughts on the biggest opportunities facing nonprofits today

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you think about the nonprofit sector, are you looking at it with a "scarcity mindset" or an "abundance mindset"? Do you feel like you have alread...

How to discover and encourage untapped generosity from your current donors

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that on average, most nonprofit leaders and organizations are only tapping into 13% of their current donors’ potential? In other words,...

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is driving social change through community leadership

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Martinez, Chief Leadership and Human Capital Strategist, W.K. Kellogg Foundation The breakfast food innovator, Will Keith Kellogg, started the...

Are you maximizing all of your planned giving options?

01 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Timothy Higdon, President and CEO, Hearing Health Foundation Many nonprofit leaders don’t discuss the topic of planned giving, yet it can be a cr...

What are the biggest challenges facing the nonprofit sector, with special guest panel (Part 2)

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is Part 2 of a discussion on the biggest challenges that are facing the nonprofit sector. This discussion includes five, successful ...

What are the biggest challenges facing the nonprofit sector, with special guest panel (Part 1)

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we think about the nonprofit sector as a whole, it’s important to know what challenges we are up against, so we can come up with solutions. Wit...

What Adobe is doing to revitalize local communities

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amy White, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Issues Communications, Adobe Many of us are familiar with the multimedia software com...

How you can build a culture of trust through listening

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachael Grail, Senior Consultant for Interaction Associates Did you know that employees are five times more likely to perform their best work if th...

Live from Amazon Web Service’s (AWS) Summit Washington event featuring Allyson Fryhoff

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Allyson Fryhoff and Sarah Wilber You will remember that we had previously spoken to Allyson Fryhoff of Amazon Web Services, who explained how AWS p...

What is your intended impact and theory of change, and why does it matter?

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Preeta Nayak, researcher and partner, The Bridgespan Group When it comes to making the best decisions for the future of your organization, you need...

Why character and virtue matter

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Lamb, F.M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character at Wake Forest Have you considered the importance of character and virtue whe...

How to motivate your team towards mission alignment

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Maryanne Dersch Is your Board on board with your ideas? Do you find it difficult to keep your team focused on the organization’s mission? What is...

Strategies for helping to cultivate social change

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jacob Harold, author of The Toolbox: Strategies for Crafting Social Impact and Co-founder of Candid Nonprofits are driven by the desire to create s...

How to Make Better and Wiser Decisions Part 2

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker Today’s episode is Part 2 of a conversation with guests, Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker. In Part 1, they d...

How to Make Better and Wiser Decisions Part 1

07 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker You may be surprised to learn that we humans make on average 35,000 decisions in a single day! Some decisions are fairly ...

How you can improve your grant funding asks

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly Rustick Getting funding in the form of grants is essential to many nonprofit organizations. Today’s episode is all about grant writing. Tod...

Are leaders born or made?

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Gauthier, Vice President and Executive Director, U.S. for Cru We can’t discuss the topic of leadership without coming across the age-old que...

How our experience with leadership impacts how we view leadership

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Darren Isom, partner, The Bridgespan Group When it comes to leadership attributes, what are the top attributes in your opinion? Is it motivation? I...

How to overcome the most common barriers for growing as a leader

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Jeffrey Miller, speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host Are you familiar with the term leadership "lids”? I first heard about leaders...

How this nonprofit is elevating the importance of hiring people with disabilities

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lloyd Lewis, CEO, Arc Thrift Stores Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are key issues that most nonprofit leaders are discussing. When looking ...

How one nonprofit is promoting both mental and digital wellbeing

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Larissa (Larz) May, founder, Half the Story. Mental health issues are a growing concern all over the world. Right here in the US, there is a mental...

How this nonprofit is providing the gift of mobility to people all over the world

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nuka Solomon, CEO, Free Wheelchair Mission When living in developed countries, we are accustomed to seeing special parking spaces and accessible ra...

How you can become a changemaker through “micro-leadership”

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Budak, professor at University of California, Berkeley and author of “Becoming a Changemaker.” Are you a leader at a nonprofit who wants t...

How Petco is impacting the lives of both pets and humans

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love Humans are not the only ones who suffer through troubling times, their pets do as well. Pets are often the o...

How Habitat for Humanity is developing creative solutions to our housing crisis

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 and is one of the strongest nonprofit brands in the United ...

How you can bring positive change to your organization

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hal Donaldson, founder & CEO of Convoy of Hope Change. Some people avoid it, while others thrive in it. Tension can sometimes rise when leaders of...

Walmart has a new way they are giving back to nonprofits

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Julie Gehrki, Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart We know that Walmart is a large, profitable corporation selling goods throughout the world,...

How to bring technological change to your organization

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In order to have a successful nonprofit, sometimes changes must be made. While it may be difficult to bring change, it is necessary. Rob’s guests, J...

How the Visa Foundation is helping both local and global nonprofits

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have all heard of Visa, a world leader in digital payments, but most don’t realize that the corporation has a philanthropic arm to their company....

Do we have a “worker shortage” in America or a “quality jobs shortage”?

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some people will use the phrase “the great resignation” to describe current employment trends, while others will use the phrase, “the great resh...

Why community foundations play a critical role in the success of the nonprofit sector

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Community foundations play an important role in the geographic regions they offer support. Today’s guest, Joel Zarrow, helps us to further understan...

How to improve your organization’s diversity and inclusion with recruiting

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Improving the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) of your organization in terms of recruiting, is becoming increasingly important for both nonprofi...

What Amazon Web Services is doing to empower nonprofits to go further and faster

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon is not just a place full of great products to purchase and movies to stream, but the company is also making a social impact. Rob’s guest, All...

What is your personal mission?

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Creech, President of the Wyland Foundation Most in the nonprofit sector are passionate about affecting change with a particular issue in the ...

How “Smart Tech” is changing the way we lead our nonprofit organizations

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our world continues to change in so many areas, particularly in regards to technology, and specifically, smart tech. Smart tech is not just changing h...

How to increase the number of women of color in tech leadership

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Currently only five percent of the tech industry is made up of women of color. This figure is extremely low, but thankfully there are nonprofits who a...

Is It Possible to Achieve a Healthy Balance Between Work and Home?

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When you hear the phrase “healthy work-life balance”, what goes through your mind? That it’s impossible or possibly just a myth? Or perhaps you...

Why your culture determines your brand

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of brand and what kind of culture do you have? Is there a gap between how you see your brand and how your community sees your brand? Rob’s...

How nonprofits get started

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many nonprofit founders will see a problem in their community and decide to tackle the problem by starting a nonprofit. Today’s guest, Doctor David ...

How to improve your grant writing

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Gauri Manglik, CEO & Co-founder of Instrumentl Whether grants generate a large portion or a small portion of your budget, it is important to be eff...

Preparing your organization for the future of giving

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to auditing the donations coming into your nonprofit organization, have you ever thought about where your donations are primarily coming...

How Can You Future-Proof Your Fundraising?

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2020 skyrocketed the move to online giving for all donors who give to nonprofits. Organizations who already had a clear and robust process for donors ...

Why are donor advised funds increasingly being used to fund nonprofits?

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the market being hit hard as of late, thankfully charitable giving has remained resilient. One particular tool that is fueling philanthropy is...

Are the days of having a singular Executive Director leading a nonprofit over?

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brooke Pace McKenna, Executive Director of The Hunger Coalition The traditional model of having a singular Executive Director can actually be an un...

“Stories from the front lines”: Real stories from nonprofit leaders just like you

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Across the United States, nonprofit organizations are all struggling to serve their communities due to the current economic climate. Many people are h...

How Harvard Business School is shaping today’s change makers Part 2

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is Part 2 of a fascinating conversation with Dr. Jan Rivkin of the Harvard Business School. In Part 1, Doctor Rivkin dives deep into...

What are giving circles and why do they matter?

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Right now in the United States, 95% of the sector is being overlooked and underinvested when it comes to nonprofit donations, according to Philanthrop...

How Harvard Business School is shaping today’s change makers Part 1

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It can be difficult to see actual change to today’s big problems, especially when starting at the federal level. Change usually occurs due to the ef...

How is cryptocurrency shaping the future of philanthropy? (Part two)

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cryptocurrency is all the rage in many ways right now, but there still remains a lot of skepticism about the long term sustainability of cryptocurrenc...

How is cryptocurrency shaping the future of philanthropy? (Part one)

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cryptocurrency is here to stay and it's coming to a nonprofit near you. Understandably, many of you might be very skeptical when it comes to cryptocur...

“From Aristotle to Zuckerberg”, Learn How and When Philanthropy First Started and Where We Have Gone Wrong Today

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered how philanthropy and charity first began? The answer may surprise you! The Greek roots for the word “philanthropy” refer to the “l...

The baton of leadership has been passed at the YMCA

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Almost everyone is familiar with the YMCA, especially because of the Village People's infamous song. What many may not know is that the Y, with all of...

How one organization is transforming philanthropy into a force for racial equity and justice

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rob has had several guests on the show to talk about the work they are doing with diversity, equity and inclusion. Today’s guest is dedicated to thi...

What Is the Key Predictor of Your Success as a Leader

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Morgan Cron, speaker, author, and pioneer in the contemporary Enneagram movement Personality tests have existed for centuries, yet many leaders...