Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits

Matt Stockman
  • 4.0 (2)
  • Non-Profit
  • Biweekly

Launch and grow your nonprofit with confidence! The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits is your weekly resource for nonprofit startup advice, nonprofit growth strategies, and practical tips for nonprofit leadership. Whether you're dreaming of starting a nonprofit organization, navigating the challenges of a new role, or looking to scale your impact, this podcast provides actionable insights. Learn nonprofit best practices based around the 6 critical elements that any nonprofit needs to grow foundationally strong: Leadership, Development, Marketing, Programs and Services, Operations, and Finances. Learn effective fundraising strategies, and essential nonprofit management techniques. Get nonprofit coaching and access free nonprofit resources to build your nonprofit capacity and achieve nonprofit success. Join Matt Stockman, a seasoned nonprofit growth coach, as we explore nonprofit development and provide the guidance you need to make a lasting difference. Tune in for weekly episodes filled with nonprofit tips, inspiring stories, and expert advice to help you grow a nonprofit that thrives. If you are looking for nonprofit training or ways to improve your nonprofit strategy, this podcast is for you.

  1. 4d ago

    When Compassion Hurts Your Team: 4 Nonprofit Leadership Warning Signs (Ep. 71)

    What happens when your desire to be a compassionate nonprofit leader begins to hurt the rest of your team? Most nonprofit and ministry leaders genuinely care about the people they lead. They want to extend grace, offer second chances, and help struggling employees succeed. But when compassion becomes an excuse for avoiding difficult conversations, the consequences can reach far beyond one employee. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman explores four warning signs that your leadership approach may be unintentionally damaging team morale, accountability, and organizational health. In this episode, you'll discover: Warning Sign #1: Your team has learned to work around certain people. How difficult behavior can quietly begin controlling team communication and decisions.Warning Sign #2: You're making more excuses for an employee than they're making progress. Why understanding someone's circumstances cannot replace clear expectations and measurable improvement.Warning Sign #3: Your best people have stopped bringing problems to you. Why silence may indicate that employees have lost confidence in your willingness to address concerns.Warning Sign #4: Your strongest employees are carrying the consequences of your weakest employees. How unresolved performance problems create unfair workloads, frustration, and potential employee turnover.Matt also shares four practical ways to strengthen accountability while continuing to lead with compassion, including clarifying expectations, addressing difficult conversations, creating a path toward improvement, and asking trusted employees for honest feedback about your leadership. The central leadership question: Are you extending grace to one employee at the expense of everyone else on your team? Healthy nonprofit leadership requires both compassion and accountability. Your responsibility is to protect the health of the entire team while giving individual employees a fair opportunity to succeed. Free Resource: Build Your Fearless Fundraising Framework Struggling to communicate your nonprofit's mission in a way that inspires financial support? Matt offers a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you'll work together to build your nonprofit's Fearless Fundraising Framework using five essential elements: Problem, Solution, Ask, Urgency, and Action. You'll leave with a practical framework you can use in donor conversations, fundraising emails, your website, and other communications. Visit https://www.nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book A Call to schedule your complimentary session. About the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast helps startup, small, and growing nonprofits build financially strong, healthy organizations through practical guidance in six key areas: Leadership, Fundraising, Marketing, Programs & Services, Operations, and Finances. Hosted by nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman. Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with another nonprofit leader who could benefit from a fresh perspective on leading with both grace and accountability.

  2. Oct 29

    Make It Easy For Donors To Give | Fearless Fundraising Part 5 (Ep 70)

    A potential donor understands your mission, believes in the impact you're making, and has decided to give. But what happens next? If the process of actually making that gift is confusing, complicated, or unclear, you may lose a donation you worked hard to earn. In this episode of Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, Matt Stockman concludes the five-part Fearless Fundraising Framework series with Step 5: Action. This final step focuses on helping donors move from the decision to give to actually completing their gift. You'll learn the important distinction between making a fundraising ask and giving a donor a clear next step. Matt explains how unnecessary friction, confusing donation pages, too many giving options, and vague calls to action can get in the way of successful fundraising. In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between a fundraising ask and a call to action.Why potential donors need a specific, obvious next step.How to reduce friction in your nonprofit's online donation process.Why offering too many giving options can create confusion.How to make your fundraising emails, donation pages, and personal donor conversations more effective.How to maintain donor relationships even when someone isn't ready to give.How to put all five steps of the Fearless Fundraising Framework together into one clear fundraising message.The Complete Fearless Fundraising Framework Problem: What needs to change?Solution: What can the donor help make possible?Ask: What specifically are you inviting the donor to give?Urgency: Why does acting now matter?Action: What exactly should the donor do next?Whether you're asking for a $50 gift online, inviting someone to become a monthly partner, or having a conversation with a potential major donor, the principle remains the same: make the next step clear and easy. Ready to build your nonprofit's fundraising framework? Matt offers a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you'll work together to build your organization's complete Fearless Fundraising Framework. You'll leave with a practical messaging structure you can use in donor conversations, fundraising emails, your website, and future campaigns. Visit https://www.nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book A Call. The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast provides practical leadership, fundraising, marketing, operational, program, and financial guidance for startup, small, and growing nonprofits.

  3. Oct 22

    How to Create Urgency Without Pressuring Donors | Fearless Fundraising Part 4 (Ep. 69)

    A potential donor can believe in your nonprofit's mission, appreciate the work you're doing, and even intend to give. But without a compelling reason to act now, that good intention can quietly turn into "I'll think about it." So how do you create a sense of urgency in nonprofit fundraising without making donors feel pressured or manipulated? In Part 4 of the Fearless Fundraising series, nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman explores how to help potential donors understand why their financial support matters today rather than someday. Creating urgency doesn't mean manufacturing emergencies, inventing deadlines, or using high-pressure fundraising tactics. It means helping supporters recognize the real difference their generosity can make when they choose to act now. In this episode, you'll learn: Why potential donors sometimes delay giving even when they believe in your mission.How to identify legitimate urgency already present in your nonprofit's work.Why connecting fundraising deadlines to real human impact is more effective than focusing on budget shortfalls.How matching gifts, program deadlines, waiting lists, and fundraising momentum can motivate donors to act.Why short, focused fundraising campaigns can be especially effective for small nonprofits.How to communicate urgency without compromising donor trust.The key principle: Urgency is the gap between where your nonprofit is today and the impact that becomes possible once the money arrives. Whether you're preparing a year-end fundraising appeal, asking someone to become a monthly donor, or launching a new nonprofit program, this episode will help you communicate a clear, honest reason why giving now matters. Your Fearless Fundraising Homework Complete this sentence for your nonprofit: "This matters now because..." Think about who is waiting for help, what opportunities might be missed, or what impact could happen sooner if the funding were available today. The more clearly you can connect urgency to impact, the easier it becomes for potential donors to move from agreement to action. Build Your Fearless Fundraising Framework Fundraising is one of the biggest challenges facing startup, small, and growing nonprofits. You don't have to figure it out alone. I'm offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where we'll build your nonprofit's Fearless Fundraising Framework together. We'll work through all five steps: Problem: What needs to change?Solution: What can donor generosity make possible?Ask: What are you inviting someone to do?Urgency: Why does acting now matter?Action: What specific next step should the donor take?You'll leave with a practical framework you can use in donor conversations, fundraising emails, your website, and other fundraising communications. Schedule your complimentary coaching call at nonprofitlaunchplan.com. Click "Book A Call." About the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast helps startup, small, and growing nonprofit organizations build financially healthy, sustainable organizations that make a lasting impact. Hosted by nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman, each episode delivers practical guidance on leadership, fundraising, marketing, programs and services, operations, and finances.

  4. Oct 14

    What to Say When It's Time to Ask For a Gift | Fearless Fundraising Part 3 (ep. 68)

    Making the ask is often the moment when an otherwise confident fundraising conversation suddenly gets uncomfortable. You can talk passionately about the problem your nonprofit exists to solve. You can explain the impact your organization is making. But then comes the moment when you actually have to ask someone to give. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, we continue building the Fearless Fundraising Framework with Step 3: The Ask. A strong fundraising ask isn’t about pressuring someone into giving. It’s about clearly inviting them to participate in an impact they already understand and care about. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why asking for money shouldn’t feel like an awkward change of subjectThe difference between transactional and relational fundraisingWhy vague fundraising asks make giving harder for donorsHow to connect a specific gift amount to a specific impactWhy clarity is not the same thing as pressureHow many giving options you should offerHow to tailor your ask based on the donor and the relationshipWhat to do immediately after you make the askWhy silence is an important fundraising skillHow to respond when a donor says noThree questions you can use to test whether your fundraising ask is strongThe goal isn’t to find a magical fundraising script that guarantees someone will say yes. Your job is to clearly present the opportunity, confidently invite someone to participate, and then give them the dignity of deciding what they want to do. Build Your Fearless Fundraising Framework The Fearless Fundraising Framework is built around five pieces: Problem: What needs to change?Solution: What can the donor help make possible?Ask: What specifically are you inviting them to do?Urgency: Why should they act now?Action: What should they do next?For this episode, work on completing this sentence: Would you consider ____________________? Then test your ask with three questions: Is it specific? Can the donor tell exactly what you’re asking them to do? Is it connected to impact? Can they understand what their gift will help make possible? Is it appropriate? Does the amount and type of gift make sense for this donor and this situation? Then say your ask out loud until the words feel natural coming from you. Want Help Building Your Fundraising Message? I’m offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you and I will build your nonprofit’s Fearless Fundraising Framework together. We’ll work through the problem, solution, ask, urgency, and action around your actual organization so you leave with clearer fundraising language you can use in donor conversations, emails, your website, and the rest of your fundraising communication. Visit nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book A Call.

  5. Oct 7

    Fearless Fundraising (Step 2): The Solution is Bigger Than You (Ep. 67)

    Your nonprofit may be doing incredible work. But when you talk about that work with a potential donor, who sounds like the hero? Too often, nonprofit fundraising revolves around what we do: we provide these programs, we served this many people, we expanded into this community. In this episode, we continue working through the Fearless Fundraising Framework with step two: the solution. And the solution is bigger than your program. Your mentoring program, food pantry, shelter, counseling service, or clean water project is the mechanism. The real solution is the change that happens in someone’s life because that program exists. A well is what you build. A family having clean water close to home is the impact. A mentoring program is what you operate. A teenager having a trusted adult consistently show up in their life is the impact. That way of thinking about the solution can completely change the way you communicate with donors. In this episode, we talk about: Why your nonprofit should not be the hero of your fundraising storyThe difference between your program and the impact it createsHow to help donors see themselves as part of the solutionWhy fundraising should feel more like a partnership than a transactionA simple way to audit your website and fundraising communicationHow changing “we” language into “you” language can reshape the donor’s roleWhy the eventual ask should feel like the natural next step in a story the donor already understandsTwo simple sentences every staff member, volunteer, and board member should be able to communicateHere’s the exercise for this week: The problem we exist to solve is __________. Then add: Because of your support, __________. Keep both sentences simple, specific, and conversational. Your organization may do the work, but your donor helps make the impact possible. When you communicate that consistently, fundraising begins to sound less like an organization asking people to fund its needs and more like an invitation to participate in something that matters. FREE OFFER:  If you’d like help building the complete Fearless Fundraising Framework for your nonprofit, I’m offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call. Together, we’ll work through the five pieces every fundraising conversation needs: Problem. Solution. Ask. Urgency. Action. Go to nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book a Call. Contact Matt: matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.comMatt's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mattstockman

  6. Sep 30

    Fearless Fundraising (Step 1): Start With the Problem (Ep. 66)

    Before you ask someone to support your nonprofit, can you clearly explain the problem you’re asking them to help solve? That sounds simple, but it’s one of the places nonprofit fundraising communication often gets complicated. We become really good at explaining our organization, our programs, our history, and everything we’re doing. But to someone hearing about our work for the first time, we may be starting in the middle of the story. In this episode, we begin a five-part series walking through the Fearless Fundraising Framework: Problem, Solution, Ask, Urgency, and Action. Step one is the problem. You’ll learn how to develop a nonprofit problem statement that helps potential donors understand why your organization needs to exist before you begin explaining what your organization does. We’ll talk about: • Why fundraising communication should begin with the problem, not your organization• How to make a nonprofit problem statement more specific and understandable• Why clarity is usually more valuable than overwhelming donors with statistics• How stories help move a problem from abstract to personal• Why your nonprofit shouldn't try to solve every problem you care about• How a clear problem can also prevent mission drift• Why nonprofit jargon makes fundraising communication harder to understand• A simple exercise for testing whether your board can clearly explain the problem you solve Your exercise after this episode is simple: “The problem we exist to solve is __________.” Finish that sentence in one sentence, then test it against four questions: Is it specific?Is it human?Is it focused?Is it clear? Because fearless fundraising starts long before you actually ask someone for money. It starts with knowing exactly why your work needs to exist. Build Your Fearless Fundraising Framework If fundraising is one of the biggest challenges facing your nonprofit, I’d be glad to help you build your framework.  offer a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where we’ll work together to build your nonprofit’s Fearless Fundraising Framework around the five pieces every fundraising conversation needs: Problem. Solution. Ask. Urgency. Action. You’ll leave with clearer language you can use in donor conversations, fundraising emails, your website, and other fundraising communication. Visit nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book A Call to schedule your complimentary 90-minute coaching call. In This Series This is Part 1 of a five-part series on the Fearless Fundraising Framework. Part 1: ProblemPart 2: SolutionPart 3: AskPart 4: UrgencyPart 5: Action Connect with Matt Email: matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.comMatt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattstockman/

  7. Sep 23

    When a Donor Says Yes… But the Gift Never Comes (Ep. 65)

    A donor tells you they’re going to give $5,000. Great. Except a week passes. Then another week. Eventually you start wondering: Do I call them? Send an email? Leave it alone? And at what point does following up become pushy? This is one of those awkward fundraising situations that almost every nonprofit leader eventually encounters, but very few people teach you how to handle. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, Matt Stockman walks through a practical approach for following up when a donor says they intend to give, but the gift never arrives. The key principle is simple: when someone tells you they intend to make a gift, they have given you permission to follow up. They have not given you permission to pressure them. You’ll learn how to: Determine whether the donor actually made a commitment or simply expressed interestClarify vague statements like “I’d love to help”Assume positive intent instead of assuming the donor changed their mindKnow when and how to follow upGive donors room to tell you if their circumstances have changedRecognize when it is time to release the expectationProtect the donor relationship even if the gift never arrivesAvoid making financial commitments based on money you have not actually receivedMatt also shares simple language you can use in a follow-up conversation so you can get clarity without making the donor feel pressured. The goal of following up is not to collect money at all costs. The goal is clarity. Did they forget? Do they need the giving link again? Do they have another question? Did their circumstances change? Or did they simply decide not to give? Any of those answers is better than spending the next three months wondering what happened. Clear fundraising does not have to be aggressive fundraising. Done well, these conversations can actually strengthen trust because donors discover that you are comfortable talking about money while also demonstrating that the relationship matters more than any individual gift. In this episode: Interest vs. actual donor commitmentWhy vague fundraising conversations create vague expectationsHow long to wait before following upWhat to say when you contact the donorHow to respond if circumstances have changedWhen to stop following upWhy promised gifts should never be treated like cash in the bankHow clarity can strengthen donor relationshipsNeed help strengthening your fundraising? If raising consistent financial support is one of the biggest challenges facing your nonprofit, Matt offers a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you will build your nonprofit’s Fearless Fundraising Framework together. You’ll work through the five pieces every fundraising conversation needs: Problem. Solution. Ask. Urgency. Action. You’ll leave with a framework you can use in donor conversations, emails, your website, and other fundraising communication. Visit NonprofitLaunchPlan.com and click Book A Call to schedule your complimentary coaching session.

  8. Sep 4

    4 Leadership Lies Nonprofit Leaders Need to Stop Believing (Ep. 64)

    Some leadership habits look responsible on the surface. Watching the numbers closely. Working long hours. Staying involved in decisions. Learning not to take rejection personally. But each of those can quietly become something unhealthy. In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits, Matt Stockman shares four leadership beliefs he has had to unlearn through years of leading organizations, teams, and now his own business. You'll hear why constantly checking nonprofit metrics can create anxiety instead of clarity, why long hours aren't necessarily evidence of commitment, how a leader can unintentionally become the bottleneck that keeps a team from growing, and why fundraising rejection should affect you without determining how you approach the next opportunity. You'll also learn a simple way to identify the handful of numbers an executive director should actually be watching, how your work habits communicate expectations to your staff and volunteers, and how to evaluate a donor's “no” without allowing rejection to undermine your confidence. In this episode: • Why obsessing over nonprofit metrics rarely improves the numbers• How to identify the 2–4 numbers that matter most to your organization• Why working more hours doesn't automatically make you a more committed leader• What late-night emails and texts may unintentionally communicate to your team• How nonprofit founders and executive directors become organizational bottlenecks• Why empowering your team can increase both capacity and ownership• How to handle fundraising, grant, donor, and board-member rejection• The five elements of a strong fundraising invitation: Problem, Solution, Ask, Urgency, and Action• How to learn from rejection without allowing yesterday's “no” to weaken tomorrow's ask The question to consider after listening: What are you doing right now in the name of good leadership that may actually be making it harder for you to lead well? Learn more about Nonprofit Launch Plan and access free nonprofit leadership and fundraising resources at nonprofitlaunchplan.com. Want the free weekly Nonprofit Launch Briefing? Email Matt at matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.com with “Sign Me Up” in the subject line. Frequently Asked Questions What numbers should a nonprofit executive director track? A nonprofit executive director should focus on a small number of metrics that provide the clearest picture of organizational health and that leadership can actually influence. Depending on the nonprofit, those could include progress toward the fundraising goal, new donors or contacts added to the database, revenue compared with expenses, or the number of people being served. How often should nonprofit leaders check their metrics? Important nonprofit metrics should be reviewed consistently, but constantly checking dashboards can create unnecessary anxiety and lead leaders to make changes before enough information exists to know whether a strategy is working. For many executive directors, reviewing a focused dashboard once or twice a day is more useful than monitoring dozens of numbers throughout the day. How can a nonprofit leader avoid becoming a bottleneck? Look for decisions, meetings, approvals, and responsibilities that currently require your involvement but could appropriately be owned by someone else. Giving capable staff and volunteers genuine decision-making responsibility can increase organizational capacity while helping people grow. How should nonprofit leaders handle fundraising rejection? Allow yourself to be disappointed, then evaluate what you can learn. Ask whether the problem was clearly explained, whether the solution made sense, whether the ask was specific, whether urgency was clear, and whether the donor understood the next step. Make any necessary adjustments, then move on to the next opportunity. Long hours may occasionally be necessary, especially during the early stages of an organization, but they are not an accurate measurement of commitment. Leaders should also consider what their work habits communicate to employees and volunteers about availability, expectations, and healthy boundaries.

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Launch and grow your nonprofit with confidence! The Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits is your weekly resource for nonprofit startup advice, nonprofit growth strategies, and practical tips for nonprofit leadership. Whether you're dreaming of starting a nonprofit organization, navigating the challenges of a new role, or looking to scale your impact, this podcast provides actionable insights. Learn nonprofit best practices based around the 6 critical elements that any nonprofit needs to grow foundationally strong: Leadership, Development, Marketing, Programs and Services, Operations, and Finances. Learn effective fundraising strategies, and essential nonprofit management techniques. Get nonprofit coaching and access free nonprofit resources to build your nonprofit capacity and achieve nonprofit success. Join Matt Stockman, a seasoned nonprofit growth coach, as we explore nonprofit development and provide the guidance you need to make a lasting difference. Tune in for weekly episodes filled with nonprofit tips, inspiring stories, and expert advice to help you grow a nonprofit that thrives. If you are looking for nonprofit training or ways to improve your nonprofit strategy, this podcast is for you.

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