Nonprofit Lowdown

Rhea Wong
  • 4.9 (127)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This is Nonprofit Lowdown where I review and recommend the best ideas, resources, tools, tricks and tips to run your nonprofit like a pro!

  1. 5D AGO

    #374- Building a System in 2026

    If your fundraising feels scattered, exhausting, or like it all lives in your head, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, I’m breaking down why the old fundraising model is no longer working—and why in 2026 we can’t keep relying on vibes, guesswork, or the heroics of one person. Activity isn’t a system, and burnout isn’t a strategy. I share what it actually looks like to build a donor-driven, consent-based major gift system that replaces pressure with clarity and makes fundraising feel human again. I’ll leave you with this question:What would change if fundraising stopped living in your head? Important Links: Book a Call: https://connect.rheawong.com/  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    26 min

  2. JAN 26

    #373- Out of the Ayahuasca Closet

    This is not a normal episode of Nonprofit Lowdown. In this one, I’m sharing something deeply personal: my experience with ayahuasca and why it mattered so much to me as a nonprofit leader. From the outside, my life looked great. The business was working. The mission was working. I was working. But joy wasn’t part of the equation. I talk about burnout that doesn’t look like collapse—but like numbness. About over-functioning becoming a leadership identity. About how so many of us in the nonprofit sector are competent, ethical, respected… and quietly exhausted. I share why I chose a medically licensed ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica, and how the experience helped me move from self-surveillance to self-trust. This episode isn’t about telling you to do ayahuasca. It’s about asking a bigger question:What happens when being “good” replaces being whole? If you’re a nonprofit leader who feels like the hallway monitor—holding it all together while losing touch with yourself—this one’s for you. Healing isn’t a detour from leadership. It’s part of it. Important Links Retreat: https://www.rythmia.com/open/worldsfirst?utm_source=post_affiliate_pro&utm_pap_affiliate_id=68cc7cb81ebf5&a_aid=68cc7cb81ebf5  How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    34 min

  3. JAN 19

    #372- Worst Fundraising Advice I've Ever Heard

    If your fundraising results depend entirely on one person holding everything together, that's not strategy- that's a vulnerability. And I see this all the time. Too many development programs are built on transactional asks, heroic effort, and one exhausted fundraiser keeping the whole thing afloat. That's not sustainable, and it's definitely not the future. 2026 is the year we stop doing fundraising to people and start building consent-based systems that actually work- systems that respect donors, reduce pressure, and create clarity instead of chaos. That's why I'm hosting a free webinar. No fluff. No vague theory. Just real systems that don't rely on one person's personality or stamina to succeed. Important Links Free Webinar: https://go.rheawong.com/MajorGiftSystem2026  How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    23 min

  4. JAN 12

    #371- Focus on What Matters: Goal Setting for Nonprofit Leaders in 2026

    Nonprofit friends — I’ve been thinking a lot about why so many of us feel exhausted heading into 2026. And honestly? It’s not because we’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s because we’re trying to do everything. This week on Nonprofit Lowdown, I talk about focus — real focus. Not the kind that adds another priority to the list, but the kind that asks us to choose one thing and let the rest go. The kind that replaces fundraising chaos with clarity, and pressure with consent. So much of our burnout comes from fundraising theater — lots of motion, not enough impact. And leadership, real leadership, is about subtraction. Saying no. Protecting your energy. Deciding what actually moves the needle and having the courage to stop doing the rest. If you’re craving a calmer, more intentional way to lead fundraising this year — one that honors your time, your donors, and yourself — this episode is for you. And if you want to go deeper, I’m hosting a free training on January 21 at 12 PM ET on building a major gift system that feels aligned, focused, and human. No forcing. No chasing. Just clarity. Important Links: Free Webinar: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/MajorGiftSystem2026⁠  How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    25 min

  5. JAN 5

    #370- The Neuroscience of Generosity (and What Fundraisers Get Wrong) with Cherian Koshy

    We’re kicking off 2026 with a big conversation—and the perfect guest to start the year. I’m joined by my friend Cherian Koshy, author of NeuroGiving and Vice President at Hindsight. Cherian’s journey from accidental frontline fundraiser to nonprofit tech founder to bestselling author mirrors so much of what many of us in this sector experience: curiosity, frustration with “best practices,” and a deep desire to do fundraising in a more human way. In this episode, we dig into why so many traditional fundraising approaches feel off—and what neuroscience and behavioral science can teach us about how people actually make decisions about giving. We talk about generosity, identity, trust, and the mistakes nonprofits make when we over-engineer donations but under-invest in relationships and stewardship. If you’ve ever felt like fundraising advice wasn’t built for real humans—or real organizations—this conversation is for you. Happy New Year, and I’m so glad you’re here. Important Links: Cherian’s Book- Neurogiving: https://www.amazon.com/Neurogiving-Science-Decision-Making-Cherian-Koshy/dp/1394370458 How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    44 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    #369- The Quiet Machinery of Hope

    This final episode for 2025 has no tips, no tactics, no strategies. Just a moment to acknowledge the grief, exhaustion, and weight so many of us—especially in the nonprofit sector—are carrying right now. If leadership feels heavier than usual…If fundraising feels harder…If you’re tired but still showing up anyway… This episode is for you. Nonprofits are the quiet machinery of hope. When the world burns, we’re the ones stitching it back together. That work isn’t glamorous, but it matters deeply. You don’t need to fix the whole world today.You just need to keep your corner lit. Give yourself permission to rest, to feel, and then—when you’re ready—to come back steady in 2026. Because hope isn’t passive. Hope is funded. Happy holidays, friends. Take care of yourselves.And as always—get that money, honey. 💛 Important Links: How to Train ChatGPT: ⁠ ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program:⁠ ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey:⁠ ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠⁠  My Newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠⁠

    10 min

  7. 12/15/2025

    #368- What Happened in 2025?

    2025 was a pressure cooker year. Tariffs. Funding cuts. Attacks on DEI. AI overload. Donor fatigue. Burnout everywhere. In this episode, I reflect on what 2025 revealed about leadership, fundraising, and trust—and more importantly, what to do next as we head into 2026. Here’s what I cover:- Why burnout is not a personal failure—it’s a structural reality- The 5 trends that will define successful fundraisers in 2026- Why quality conversations > mass outreach noise-Why simplification beats expansion (stop chasing shiny objects)- How collaboration is the real power move-And why clarity of identity is the only true moat left If 2025 left you feeling behind, overwhelmed, or questioning your impact—this episode is your reminder that surviving was the win. Important Links: How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    21 min

  8. 12/08/2025

    #367- Giving Tuesday Flop...Now What?

    If your Giving Tuesday results felt… underwhelming, you’re not alone. And more importantly—you’re not too late. In this special episode, I break down the real reasons campaigns flop and show you exactly how to course-correct for your year-end campaign. Giving Tuesday isn’t the finale.It’s the kickoff to the most important 28 days of your fundraising year. Important Links: Year-End Sprint Webinar: https://go.rheawong.com/yearendsprint  Checklist: https://go.rheawong.com/givingtuesdaytoendofyear-808942  How to Train ChatGPT:  ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/annual-fundraising-plan-tracker1-3127-4300⁠  My Big Ask Gifts Program: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program⁠  My Book, Get That Money Honey: ⁠https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey⁠  My Newsletter: ⁠https://www.rheawong.com/⁠

    27 min
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4.9
out of 5
127 Ratings

About

This is Nonprofit Lowdown where I review and recommend the best ideas, resources, tools, tricks and tips to run your nonprofit like a pro!

Information

  • Creator
    Rhea Wong
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    387
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rhea Wong
  • Show Website
    Nonprofit Lowdown

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