Inspired Nonprofit Leadership

This podcast is a place for nonprofit leaders to gain insights, tips, inspiration, and encouragement to unleash their potential.

Inspired Nonprofit Leadership is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 456 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Inspired Nonprofit Leadership, a business show with 456 episodes published.

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  Episode #458

  458: A Simple Follow-Up Process for Major Gifts with Sarah Olivieri

  Sep 28, 202614 minS1

  Episode Description Reaching out to potential major donors can feel premature when you haven't figured out how you will follow up. A written contact list and a plan for the next interaction give you a simple place to start, without mapping out a year of conversations. Sarah walks through this approach using questions from nonprofit leaders starting major gifts programs in the Inspired Philanthropy Circle. She shares her own struggle with following up, the scheduling habit that helps her stay connected, and ways to give people something to look forward to together. In This Episode, You'll Learn What to record in a contact list so relationships don't depend on memory. How to arrange the next interaction before the current conversation ends. What to say when scheduling ahead feels uncomfortable or too pushy. How recurring tours, dinners, or informal gatherings give you something to invite people to. Why building a community of supporters can bring an emotional return alongside funding. Who This Episode Is For Nonprofit leaders who want to start donor conversations without waiting for a complete annual plan. Fundraisers looking for a simple way to keep track of relationships. Leaders who want to stay in touch with supporters without feeling pushy. Links from this episode Links Website: saraholivieri.com Substack: Sarah Olivieri's Substack publication Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips, resources, and updates on training opportunities. Inspired Philanthropy Circle Thank you to Donorbox Thank you to our sponsor, Donorbox , for supporting Inspired Nonprofit Leadership. We appreciate your support for the show and the nonprofit leaders who listen.

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  Episode #457

  457: Why Ethical Storytelling Raises More Money with Maria A. Bryan

  Sep 23, 202645 minS1

  A fundraising story asks people to care and act. How you gather and share that story matters to the person who lived it, the audience hearing it, and the donor relationships you hope to build. Sarah invited Maria A Bryan , a trauma-informed storytelling trainer who helps nonprofits tell difficult stories while protecting the people involved, to unpack how consent, safety, and choice belong in fundraising. They discuss asking for stories without pressure, preparing audiences for difficult content, and building donor relationships around shared impact rather than guilt. Who it's for You want to share compelling stories while protecting the people in them. You want donors to feel connected to your mission without using guilt or pressure. You want a clearer process for consent and responding when a story causes harm. What you will hear Why someone receiving help may feel unable to say no to sharing their story. How content warnings give audiences a choice about hearing difficult stories. Why Sarah argues that relationships built on shared impact can support long-term giving. What Maria's experience of trying to pause a monthly gift reveals about donor choice. Why your storytelling process needs a plan for repairing harm. Links from this episode Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter: weekly tips for leading your nonprofit Maria A Bryan's website Connect with Maria A Bryan on LinkedIn When Bearing Witness: trauma-informed storytelling certification Emotional Intelligence Is Nonprofit Retention Infrastructure with Brittan Stockert More of Maria's expert insight Ethical Persuasion in Fundraising: Inspire Without Pressure, The Nonprofit Podcast A Guide to Ethical Storytelling, What the Fundraising Podcast The Problem with Nonprofit Storytelling, Nonprofit Nation An Inclusionary Wakeup Call for Public Interest Copywriters, Journal of Public Interest Communications Trauma-Informed Storytelling with Maria Bryan, A Trauma-Informed Future Podcast Connect with Sarah Sarah Olivieri's website Sarah Olivieri on Substack Thank you to Donorbox Thank you to Donorbox for sponsoring Inspired Nonprofit Leadership and supporting these conversations. In this episode, Maria and Sarah discuss giving donors control over their recurring gifts. Follow Donorbox on YouTube , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok .

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  Episode #456

  456: When Preparing for a Meeting is NOT Helpful with Sarah Olivieri

  Sep 20, 202611 minS1

  Show Notes Arriving at a team meeting with a solution already worked out can feel like you're helping everyone get ahead. When the work needs several people's perspectives, leaving the solution open gives the team a chance to develop something together that none of them could have created alone. Sarah discusses when preparing a solution before a meeting can get in the way of collaboration, drawing on her experience helping teams create something new together. In This Episode, You'll Learn What to consider before working out a solution ahead of a meeting Why doing extra work can feel like the right thing to do What your approach to meeting preparation might be teaching your team How to make more room for leadership across your organization What Sarah's one-sentence definition of leadership asks us to reconsider Who This Episode Is For • Nonprofit leaders who want more people on their team taking initiative. • Teams who want meetings that draw on everyone's ideas and experience. • Executive directors who want to share the responsibility for moving their organization forward. • Leadership teams who want to develop solutions they couldn't create on their own. About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human… Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth. She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results. Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them. A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life. Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey. Links Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit. Resources mentioned: • Apply to talk with Sarah about working together • Explore ways to work with Sarah • Email Sarah about your experience Connect with Sarah: • Sarah Olivieri's website • Sarah Olivieri on LinkedIn Thank you to our sponsor Donorbox . More than a suite of helpful fundraising tools, Donorbox is a partner that helps you raise more money and supports you in retaining your donors.

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  Episode #454

  456: When Preparing for a Meeting is NOT Helpful with Sarah Olivieri

  Sep 20, 202611 minS1

  Show Notes Arriving at a team meeting with a solution already worked out can feel like you're helping everyone get ahead. When the work needs several people's perspectives, leaving the solution open gives the team a chance to develop something together that none of them could have created alone. Sarah discusses when preparing a solution before a meeting can get in the way of collaboration, drawing on her experience helping teams create something new together. In This Episode, You'll Learn What to consider before working out a solution ahead of a meeting Why doing extra work can feel like the right thing to do What your approach to meeting preparation might be teaching your team How to make more room for leadership across your organization What Sarah's one-sentence definition of leadership asks us to reconsider Who This Episode Is For • Nonprofit leaders who want more people on their team taking initiative. • Teams who want meetings that draw on everyone's ideas and experience. • Executive directors who want to share the responsibility for moving their organization forward. • Leadership teams who want to develop solutions they couldn't create on their own. About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human… Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth. She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results. Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them. A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life. Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey. Links Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit. Resources mentioned: • Apply to talk with Sarah about working together • Explore ways to work with Sarah • Email Sarah about your experience Connect with Sarah: • Sarah Olivieri's website • Sarah Olivieri on LinkedIn Thank you to our sponsor Donorbox . More than a suite of helpful fundraising tools, Donorbox is a partner that helps you raise more money and supports you in retaining your donors.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #455

  455: Make Trust Tangible with Kim Bohr

  Sep 16, 202639 minS1

  Episode Description Trust can be measured. It grows through honest communication and fair treatment, and it can break when leaders mishandle change. Sarah invited Kim Bohr , President and CEO of SparkEffect, whose annual research tracks organizational trust across the US, to discuss what builds trust, what breaks it, and how leaders can protect it through disruption. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why 85 percent of people faced major disruption in two years What Kim's research says builds trust Why hard conversations should get to the point How job loss creates shame and blocks support How Sarah uses AI to reshape only her own words Who This Episode Is For • Executive directors leading teams exhausted by constant change • Leaders bringing in AI while staff fear for their jobs • Anyone avoiding a hard conversation with a wrong-fit staff or board member • CEOs hearing "we have a communication problem" without finding the cause About the Guest Kim Bohr is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SparkEffect, where she helps executive teams navigate change while building trust and strong organizational performance. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, she's a board advisor, speaker, podcast host, and author who specializes in helping leaders build resilient organizations during times of disruption. Join the Inspired Nonprofit Leadership Newsletter for weekly tips and inspiration for leading your nonprofit: https://www.inspirednonprofitleadership.com/signup Connect with Kim: Website: https://sparkeffect.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbohr/ Email: kim.bohr@sparkeffect.com Text: (206) 552-4452 Blog: https://sparkeffect.com/blog Podcast: Courage to Advance with Kim Bohr Instagram: @SparkEffect Threads: @SparkEffect Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparkEffect YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SparkEffect-US Resources mentioned: The 2026 State of Organizational Trust research and the guide on stigma after job loss: https://sparkeffect.com/inspired Sarah Olivieri: Website: saraholivieri.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-olivieri Thank you to our sponsor, Donorbox. More than a suite of helpful fundraising tools, Donorbox is a partner that helps you raise more money and supports you in retaining your donors.

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