The Nonprofit Show

American Nonprofit Academy
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The Nonprofit Show is the nation’s daily broadcast for the business side of nonprofits — bringing you practical insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies to help your organization run smarter, lead stronger, and fund better. Each weekday, our co-hosts and guests break down the most current topics in fundraising, board governance, leadership, staffing, technology, communications, and financial strategy — giving nonprofit professionals the tools they need to build sustainable, high-performing organizations. With more than 1,400 episodes and growing, our on-demand library is a trusted resource for executive directors, team members, fundraisers, board members, and sector leaders who are ready to move beyond inspiration and into implementation. 🎥 Watch the daily show on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3A0Dqlw

  1. The Mid-Level Donor Strategy Nonprofits Keep Missing

    1 day ago

    The Mid-Level Donor Strategy Nonprofits Keep Missing

    Send us Fan Mail Mid-level donor strategy for nonprofits is no longer just a fundraising “nice to have.” It is becoming one of the most important business tools for building stronger major donor pipelines, improving donor retention, and making better decisions from the data already sitting inside your CRM. In this episode, Kirsten Wantland, Principal Industry Strategist at Bloomerang, joins Julia Patrick for a lively conversation about the “magic” of mid and major donors—and why that magic depends on structure, ownership, visibility, and disciplined relationship management. Kirsten points to a critical trend: nonprofits may be raising more overall, but more major gift revenue is coming from fewer donors. That means the pipeline is narrowing. As she explains, “It’s not that generosity is decreasing… they’re just coming from less donors.” For nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, CEOs, and board members, that raises a big operational question: are you actively building the next layer of donors, or simply hoping they appear? This discussion moves beyond the old idea that donor portfolios are based only on personal relationships. Kirsten challenges nonprofits to look at donor characteristics, giving patterns, generosity indicators, recurring giving behavior, and relationship touches that actually move someone from mid-level to major giving. She also addresses one of the quiet problems inside many organizations: unclear donor ownership. When relationship knowledge lives in someone’s head—or in a side spreadsheet—it creates risk, confusion, and missed opportunities. “The problem comes down to visibility,” Kirsten says. Your CRM should help your team see who owns the relationship, what has happened, what should happen next, and where the donor may be headed. This is a business conversation about fundraising discipline: analyze your data, define your donor levels based on real giving patterns, revisit your plans often, and shift from quantity-based activity to higher-quality donor cultivation! Key Takeaways: Major gift revenue is increasingly concentrated among fewer donors, making mid-level donor pipeline strategy more urgent. Donor portfolio ownership should be based on giving behavior, motivation, and capacity—not only personal relationships. CRM visibility helps prevent relationship confusion, staff transition risk, and hidden donor management gaps. Nonprofits should define mid-level and major donor thresholds using their own data, sector benchmarks, and realistic growth goals. Fundraising plans should be reviewed regularly so teams can adjust campaigns before revenue gaps become emergencies. Higher ROI comes from more intentional donor cultivation, not simply increasing the number of mailers, touches, or asks.  00:00:00 Welcome to The Nonprofit Show  00:01:55 Kirsten Wantland’s Role at Bloomerang  00:04:11 Why Fundraiser Experience Matters in Technology  00:05:22 Why Mid and Major Donors Matter Now  00:07:23 The Donor Relationship Ownership Problem  00:09:03 Portfolio Management Beyond Personal Relationships  00:12:34 Taking Ego Out of Donor Ownership  00:14:45 How to Define Mid-Level and Major Donors  00:18:23 Fundraising as Data, Psychology, and Relationship Strategy  00:21:38 Tracking Campaign Milestones Before It Is Too Late  00:23:27 Understanding Donor Catalysts and Moves Management  00:25:48 Quality Versus Quantity in Fundraising Activity  00:28:00 Cultivating Smaller Donor Segments More Intentionally  00:29:31 Final Thoughts with Kirsten Wantland  #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFundraising #MajorGifts Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    31 min
  2. Future-Ready Nonprofits Need More Than a Strategic Plan

    2 days ago

    Future-Ready Nonprofits Need More Than a Strategic Plan

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit strategic planning software is changing how leaders, boards, and fundraisers build plans that actually guide decisions. Sophia Shaw, co-founder of Plan Perfect, explains why the old “plan on a shelf” model no longer fits the business of nonprofits. Sophia brings deep sector experience as former CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden, former leader of the nonprofit board governance program at Kellogg, and a nonprofit board chair. Her message is direct: strategic planning needs to live, move, and help organizations navigate change. In this conversation, Sophia explains how Plan Perfect helps nonprofits move from first surveys to finished plans while also connecting planning to enterprise risk management. Instead of building a document once and leaving it untouched, nonprofit leaders can use dashboards, AI-supported surveys, risk tools, tabletop exercises, and real-time updates to keep strategy connected to daily work. For fundraisers, this shift is especially important. Sophia says, “To have a strategic plan is to give your fundraisers the ability to know what they’re raising money for.” That one sentence carries real business value. If fundraisers cannot clearly describe priorities, goals, and impact, donor conversations become harder than they need to be. This lively discussion also addresses cost and timeline. Sophia compares traditional planning processes that may take nine months and cost $50,000 with a newer approach that can happen in two to three months for up to $4,800 before added consulting support.  Another major theme is safe AI adoption. Sophia warns that nonprofits should not place donor, visitor, clinic, or constituent data into open AI systems without safeguards. The opportunity is powerful, but the responsibility is just as real. Key Takeaways: * Strategic plans should be updated regularly and used as management tools, not ceremonial documents. * Fundraisers need clear organizational priorities to support donor conversations and multi-year giving. * Three-year plans are becoming common, while six-month and one-year plans can help nonprofits respond faster. * Surveys can bring thousands of constituent voices into planning and reduce boardroom disconnect. * AI can help nonprofits leap forward, but sensitive data must remain protected. * Donors and foundations may begin asking harder questions about plans, goals, and execution.  00:00:00 Welcome to The Nonprofit Show  00:02:00 What Plan Perfect Does for Nonprofits  00:02:50 Sophia Shaw’s Journey Through Nonprofit Leadership  00:04:22 Why Traditional Strategic Planning Must End  00:05:49 How Boards Respond to New Planning Tools  00:08:54 Giving Nonprofit Leaders Their Own Voice  00:09:49 Rethinking Planning Timelines and Costs  00:10:45 What It Means to Be Future Ready  00:12:35 Why Fundraisers Need the Strategic Plan  00:14:56 Using Surveys to Hear More Constituent Voices  00:18:41 Safe AI Adoption for Nonprofits  00:21:35 Turning Strategy Into Daily Action  00:25:36 Why Donors Should Ask About the Plan  #TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitStrategy #NonprofitPlanning Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    29 min
  3. The 3-to-6 PM Blueprint That Can Transform a Community

    2 Jul

    The 3-to-6 PM Blueprint That Can Transform a Community

    Send us Fan Mail How can nonprofits build community support for after-school programs while creating measurable value for children, families, funders, and local leaders? JonPaul Reed, founder and executive director of Pure Momentum Group and founder of Athlete University, shares how the hours between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. can become a powerful platform for youth development and stronger communities. The school day may end before parents finish working, but JonPaul sees that gap as much more than a supervision problem. It is an opportunity to build work ethic, decision-making, teamwork, leadership, communication skills, and what he calls “monetizable skill sets.” “We’re either taking advantage of that window or we’re not,” he explains. JonPaul also examines how youth sports have become increasingly driven by money, exclusivity, and winning. For nonprofit leaders, his warning is clear: programs must remain grounded in access, developmental outcomes, and the needs of young people—not simply the ambitions of adults. The conversation moves from program philosophy into the business of running and growing a youth-serving nonprofit. JonPaul discusses building parent buy-in, choosing the right time for difficult conversations, maintaining organizational paperwork, meeting with commissioners, submitting proposals, developing municipal relationships, and presenting a program in language decision-makers understand. His experience also shows why passion alone is not enough. Nonprofits need a defined model, consistent follow-up, credible documentation, accessible leadership, and a message that community partners can quickly understand. As JonPaul advises, “Package your product and package it well, and also get the right person to speak for you.” For nonprofit executives, program directors, board members, coaches, and community leaders, this episode offers a candid look at how mission, culture, communication, and operational discipline work together to create sustainable youth programs. Key Takeaways: * Treat the 3-to-6 p.m. period as a youth-development and workforce-readiness opportunity—not merely a childcare gap. * Build parent participation through timely, honest communication and shared accountability. * Define developmental outcomes before allowing competition, revenue, or adult expectations to shape the program. * Establish tax-exempt status, documentation, proposals, and operating records before approaching major partners. * Translate personal passion into a clear model that public officials, businesses, and funders can understand. * Delegate communications and introductions when another team member can position the organization more effectively. 00:00:00 Why the 3-to-6 PM Window Matters 00:02:31 Building Access Through Pure Momentum Group 00:05:49 The Daily Gap Between School and Home 00:07:28 Turning a Youth Development Gap Into a Gateway 00:08:14 Preparing Young People for a Competitive World 00:11:29 Reclaiming the Developmental Purpose of Sports 00:16:14 Building Accountability With Parents and Children 00:19:05 Creating Culture and Organizational Buy-In 00:20:42 How Youth Programs Gain Community Support 00:22:10 Packaging a Mission for Partners and Funders 00:23:28 Documentation, Legitimacy, and Funding Readiness 00:28:23 Leading Through Criticism, Risk, and Resilience #AfterSchoolPrograms #NonprofitLeadership #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    32 min
  4. The Newest Leadership Training Through Role Play: What Nonprofit Teams Learn

    1 Jul

    The Newest Leadership Training Through Role Play: What Nonprofit Teams Learn

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit leadership training through role play offers teams a different way to confront difficult decisions, build trust, and retain what they learn. Tim Sarrantonio, founder and chief designer of The Generosity Spectrum, introduces a collaborative educational gaming system created specifically for nonprofit professionals, boards, and the communities they serve. Rather than asking participants to sit through another lecture, the Generosity Roundtable places people inside realistic organizational situations. Players adopt generosity archetypes, explore competing priorities, and work toward consensus through guided storytelling. Tim says the goal is simple: “If it feels like work, we’re doing it wrong.” The episode examines a persistent operational challenge across the sector: professional development is often expensive, passive, or inaccessible. Tim notes that 97% of nonprofits operate with less than $5 million in annual revenue, leaving many organizations with limited training budgets and little time for traditional programs. The Generosity Roundtable is designed to begin with as few as three people and support groups of up to ten. A session can help teams explore issues such as stalled engagement, technology decisions, board dynamics, donor conversations, and organizational trust—in roughly 20 minutes. Tim also explains why active participation may produce stronger recall than lectures, books, and webinars. By rehearsing decisions in a protected setting, nonprofit professionals can test ideas, examine assumptions, and prepare for situations ranging from boardroom conflict to foundation presentations. As Tim explains, “We win by agreeing with each other.” That consensus-based structure encourages participants to listen, negotiate, and understand why colleagues approach the same issue differently. The conversation also explores the business model behind the project, including fiscal sponsorship, corporate underwriting, accessible pricing, and community-based distribution. Key Takeaways: Role play allows nonprofit teams to rehearse difficult decisions without risking real organizational consequences. The experience can begin with three participants and expand to groups of ten. Twenty-minute sessions are designed for time-constrained nonprofit professionals and boards. Consensus-based gameplay strengthens listening, trust, negotiation, and shared decision-making. Corporate partners can underwrite access without turning participants into marketing leads. A shared library of verified game sessions could spread ideas across organizations, regions, and conferences. 00:00:00 A New Approach to Nonprofit Leadership Training 00:02:17 Tim Sarrantonio’s Journey Into Nonprofit Education 00:03:21 The Professional Development Problem 00:05:06 Why Educational Gaming Belongs in the Sector 00:07:02 Role Play Versus Traditional Board Games 00:08:48 How the Generosity Archetypes Work 00:10:14 Why Immersive Learning Improves Retention 00:11:31 Building Consensus and Psychological Safety 00:14:10 Creating Circles of Trust 00:17:15 Sharing Knowledge Through a Library of Generosity 00:20:23 Using Scenarios for Boards and Nonprofit Teams 00:23:49 Funding Innovation Without Gatekeeping Access 00:25:35 Rethinking Corporate Sponsorship 00:28:14 The Vision for Every Nonprofit Table #NonprofitLeadership #NonprofitTraining #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    31 min
  5. How Many Auction Items Does Your Nonprofit Gala Really Need?

    30 Jun

    How Many Auction Items Does Your Nonprofit Gala Really Need?

    Send us Fan Mail How many auction items should a nonprofit gala have? Jason A. Champion of Winspire shares a measurable nonprofit gala auction strategy for selecting stronger items, creating bidding urgency, and protecting fundraising revenue. The answer begins before guests enter the ballroom. Rather than assuming which trips, experiences, or packages donors will want, Jason recommends surveying ticket holders, sponsors, and supporters before the event. A simple five-question form can reveal interest in sporting events, beach destinations, city experiences, international travel, and dream locations. That early input gives nonprofits something invaluable: evidence that potential bidders have already raised their hands. Jason also challenges the belief that every donated item belongs in the auction. As he puts it, “Just because it was donated doesn’t mean you need to use it.” Quality, pricing range, audience fit, and presentation matter more than filling every table with merchandise. The episode provides several concrete nonprofit auction benchmarks. For a silent auction, Jason recommends approximately one item for every four to five attendees. A room of 350 to 400 guests, for example, may need roughly 40 carefully chosen items—not 150 choices that overwhelm bidders. For a live auction, he recommends one or two major tentpole experiences plus two or three supporting items, with no more than six total. He also advises offering opportunities across a wide financial range, from approximately $500 to $20,000, so the auction reflects the giving capacity represented in the room. Staffing is equally important. A trained benefit auctioneer can read the audience, communicate the mission, manage momentum, and relieve executive and development leaders who have been asking for money all year. “Hope is not a business plan,” Jason warns. Technology should simplify registration, mobile bidding, checkout, and payment processing. However, the live paddle raise should remain visible and immediate because public participation creates social proof, energy, and additional giving. Key Takeaways Survey donors before selecting auction experiences or packages.Plan roughly one silent-auction item for every four to five attendees.Limit the live auction to six focused, high-value opportunities.Build an auction portfolio spanning approximately $500 to $20,000.Use a professional benefit auctioneer to protect momentum and revenue.Modernize bidding and checkout while keeping the paddle raise visible.#NonprofitFundraising #NonprofitGala #TheNonprofitShow 00:00:00 How Many Auction Items Does a Gala Need? 00:02:34 How Winspire Supports Nonprofit Auctions 00:05:07 Finding the Perfect Auction Item 00:05:44 Survey Donors Before Selecting Packages 00:08:23 Why Quality Beats Auction Quantity 00:10:14 Designing Events for Different Donor Types 00:12:53 Edit the Speeches and Protect the Program 00:13:47 Why a Benefit Auctioneer Raises More 00:18:57 The One-Item-for-Five-Guests Formula 00:19:57 Why Live Auctions Should Stop at Six Items 00:23:37 Modern Bidding Technology and Faster Checkout 00:24:33 Why the Paddle Raise Should Stay Live 00:26:31 Structuring the Auction Without Exhausting Guests 00:28:26 Final Advice for Nonprofit Leaders Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    31 min
  6. Do Less to Achieve More? The Hidden Costs Draining Your Nonprofit’s Revenue

    29 Jun

    Do Less to Achieve More? The Hidden Costs Draining Your Nonprofit’s Revenue

    Send us Fan Mail Nonprofit revenue growth requires more than another campaign, gala, or grant application. John Abrahamson, CFO and COO of Action Council, shares how nonprofits can connect earned revenue, contributed revenue, program priorities, financial literacy, and organizational culture within one stronger business strategy. Action Council provides infrastructure and fiscal sponsorship for approximately 30 smaller organizations delivering healthcare, education, and other community services in Monterey County. Drawing from this work—and his leadership experience with organizations including the National Geographic Society and Monterey Bay Aquarium—John challenges the siloed approach that often separates finance, fundraising, programming, and earned revenue. His recommendation is direct: examine every activity according to its required resources and measurable contribution to the mission. “You can actually have higher impact by doing fewer programs that have the most impact toward your stated mission,” John tells us. The conversation explores how mission creep develops, why finance leaders must understand what happens beyond the spreadsheet, and how financial literacy can reduce fear across departments.  The discussion also introduces the “Bubba Gump Effect”—the idea that organizations may face greater danger by tying themselves to the shore and waiting for conditions to improve than by moving directly into change. Using Blue Ocean Strategy principles, John encourages nonprofit leaders to question inherited business models and explore revenue opportunities outside crowded, familiar territory. Another major lesson is the difference between plate cost and true cost. A fundraising gala may appear profitable until staff time, insurance, technology, facilities, operational disruption, and missed opportunities are included. As John asks, was the squeeze worth the juice? Ultimately, disciplined financial decisions depend on trust, communication, and consistent leadership. “It’s sometimes more compassionate to say no than it is to say yes and not be able to fully fulfill.”   Key Takeaways: * Integrate earned and contributed revenue into one organizational strategy. * Compare each program’s resource requirements with its contribution to mission. * Include labor, overhead, disruption, and opportunity cost when evaluating events. * Build financial literacy before asking employees to accept difficult decisions. * Use periods of change to reconsider legacy processes and revenue models. * Earn organizational trust through consistent, visible leadership behavior. 00:00:00 Creative Approaches to Nonprofit Revenue Growth 00:01:31 How Fiscal Sponsorship Provides Business Infrastructure 00:04:23 Why Earned and Contributed Revenue Belong Together 00:05:26 Breaking Down Organizational Silos 00:07:49 Doing Less to Produce Greater Mission Impact 00:10:12 Mission Creep and the Changing Funding Landscape 00:12:07 Moving Finance Beyond Rows and Columns 00:14:01 Building Financial Literacy Across the Organization 00:15:27 The Bubba Gump Effect: Facing the Storm 00:18:54 Plate Cost Versus the True Cost of Programs 00:20:15 Do Nonprofit Galas Really Produce a Return? 00:22:33 Measuring Opportunity Cost and Mission Impact 00:24:17 Why Strong Leaders Give Teams Permission to Say No 00:25:41 Consistency, Culture, and Organizational Trust Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    31 min
  7. Your Major Donor Chose Another Nonprofit—What Did You Miss?

    26 Jun

    Your Major Donor Chose Another Nonprofit—What Did You Miss?

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when one of your best donors gives far more to another nonprofit? These major donor stewardship strategies can help your organization move beyond frustration, learn what influenced the gift, and build stronger opportunities for future investment. On this Fundraisers Friday conversation, Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall confront a painful fundraising reality: a donor may care about your mission, possess considerable giving capacity, and still make their transformational or legacy gift somewhere else! The wrong response is indignation. The stronger business response is curiosity, gratitude, and an honest review of the donor relationship. Tony advises nonprofit leaders to look beyond their internal database and understand a donor’s broader philanthropic activity. “Invest some time in really understanding the full profile of your donor, not just the profile that exists within your organization.” That knowledge can reveal why another organization received the larger commitment. Perhaps there was a matching opportunity, a clearly defined project, a compelling future vision, or simply a direct invitation your nonprofit never extended. The conversation also addresses a common fundraising weakness: under-asking. Rather than surprising a donor with an oversized request, Tony recommends testing the opportunity through language such as, “How would you feel if I asked you to double your investment?” This creates room for an honest response while connecting the proposed gift to measurable community impact. Julia reinforces the importance of giving donors something meaningful to fund: “If we can get your investment, we can do this.” The discussion moves fundraising away from building organizational coffers and toward financing visible results. The co-hosts also examine legacy gifts, balancing immediate fundraising needs with long-term sustainability, and handling donors who expect board influence in exchange for financial support.  Key Takeaways: Study donors’ broader philanthropic activity, not only their history with your organization. Celebrate gifts to peer nonprofits before asking what motivated the decision. Connect larger requests to specific programs, outcomes, and people served. Test donor readiness before presenting a formal major-gift request. Discuss legacy giving with donors across a wider range of ages. Use a written gift policy to prevent donations from becoming board-level pay-to-play arrangements. 00:00:00 When Your Best Donor Gives Somewhere Else 00:02:59 Looking Beyond Your Internal Donor Data 00:04:05 Celebrate the Other Gift—and Learn From It 00:06:38 Moving a Loyal Donor Toward a Major Gift 00:08:00 Share the Strategic Plan and Future Vision 00:09:42 How to Test a Larger Ask Without Making It 00:12:27 When Another Nonprofit Receives the Legacy Gift 00:15:05 Under-Asking and Missed Planned-Giving Opportunities 00:17:20 Funding Today’s Crisis While Building Tomorrow 00:18:50 The Five-Minute Call That Changed a Donor 00:20:10 When a Donor Wants Influence Over the Board 00:22:17 Why Every Nonprofit Needs a Gift Policy #NonprofitFundraising #MajorGifts #TheNonprofitShow Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    28 min
  8. Where AI Actually Saves Nonprofits Time

    25 Jun

    Where AI Actually Saves Nonprofits Time

    Send us Fan Mail How AI saves time for nonprofits depends far less on the excitement surrounding the technology and far more on the quality of the organization’s data, workflows, and financial controls. Buu-Linh Tran, Senior Vice President of Financial Solutions at JMT Consulting, and Torbjorn Nilsen, Director of Business Solutions at DATABASICS, explain where AI can deliver measurable value—and where nonprofit leaders should proceed carefully. The conversation moves beyond broad promises about efficiency and into the daily work of nonprofit finance operations. Data entry, receipt review, expense coding, compliance checks, anomaly detection, and financial reporting are all areas where technology can reduce repetitive work and help employees focus on higher-value decisions. One example shows how AI can examine an itemized receipt, recognize an alcohol brand, and flag a potentially unallowable expense. It can also identify spending drift, unusual fund-code activity, or patterns that may be missed when transactions are reviewed individually. But automation is not the same as control. As Torbjorn cautions, “We can’t let the machine control. The control still has to be there.” AI should help nonprofit teams surface concerns and direct attention—not make unchecked financial decisions. Buu-Linh offers another important reality check: “Look at the basics first—look at tools that help you streamline your operations.” Poor data, inconsistent coding, and inefficient processes do not become reliable simply because AI has been added. The guests also discuss natural-language reporting, which could allow managers to ask direct questions such as, “How much have we spent on this conference?” or “Are supply costs higher than last year?” Instead of learning a complicated reporting system, users may receive the information they need in plain language. JMT Consulting has served nonprofit organizations since 1991 and currently supports more than 2,300 nonprofits. DATABASICS has worked with nonprofit organizations since the mid-1990s, helping manage time, expenses, grants, and workforce processes. Key Takeaways: Begin with the operational problem—not the desire to adopt AI. Clean, consistent data is essential for reliable AI-generated analysis. Data entry and high-volume receipt processing are strong automation opportunities. AI can flag anomalies, unallowable costs, spending drift, and questionable fund coding. Natural-language reporting can make financial information more accessible to non-finance managers. Human oversight, privacy controls, and cross-department collaboration remain essential. 00:00:00 Where Does AI Genuinely Save Time? 00:01:50 JMT Consulting and the Nonprofit Finance Landscape 00:03:51 How DATABASICS Supports Time and Expense Management 00:05:05 Using AI Without Losing Financial Control 00:06:31 Data Privacy, Compliance, and Security Risks 00:08:37 Fix the Basic Workflow Before Adding AI 00:11:18 How AI Detects Expense Report Problems 00:14:05 Why Poor Data Produces Poor AI Results 00:16:15 Data Entry and Reporting Tasks AI Can Reduce 00:20:03 Creating More Time for Strategy and Mission 00:23:38 Turning Financial Reports Into Useful Insights 00:27:40 Finding Spending Drift and Fund-Code Anomalies #NonprofitAI #NonprofitFinance Find us Live daily on YouTube! Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn! Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PT Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

    31 min
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About

The Nonprofit Show is the nation’s daily broadcast for the business side of nonprofits — bringing you practical insights, expert interviews, and real-world strategies to help your organization run smarter, lead stronger, and fund better. Each weekday, our co-hosts and guests break down the most current topics in fundraising, board governance, leadership, staffing, technology, communications, and financial strategy — giving nonprofit professionals the tools they need to build sustainable, high-performing organizations. With more than 1,400 episodes and growing, our on-demand library is a trusted resource for executive directors, team members, fundraisers, board members, and sector leaders who are ready to move beyond inspiration and into implementation. 🎥 Watch the daily show on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3A0Dqlw

Information

  • Creator
    American Nonprofit Academy
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1k
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 American Nonprofit Academy
  • Show Website
    The Nonprofit Show

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