Nonprofit Power Podcast

Kath Patrick
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

If you’re a progressive nonprofit leader who wants to build powerful influence with the money and policy decisionmakers in your world, but aren’t happy with your progress, help has arrived!  Host Kath Patrick has been teaching and coaching leaders on these vital skills for 25+ years, and now she shares her secrets for advocacy success with you every week.

  1. 1d ago

    The Easiest Ways to Help Your Clients Register to Vote

    Whether you’re focused on it or not, the 2026 elections are just around the corner. This is a moment of golden opportunity to help make sure that every one of our clients who's eligible to vote is registered and has the opportunity to have their vote counted.   There's a lot of moving parts to that, and a lot of opportunities for us as Nonprofit leaders to help our clients make sure their vote is counted. But today I'm focusing on one very critical technical detail, which is registration.   The good news is there is a ton of voter enthusiasm this year. We're seeing it everywhere. There's been a whole series of special elections leading up to now. A lot of states have already held their primaries. And the turnout for all of those elections has been off the charts.   That's really exciting news because it means that people do want to participate. They do want to make their voice heard. And they are really clear that the ballot box is one of the most critical places they can do that. Which is awesome because it means we don't have to spend a ton of time helping people understand why it's important to vote.   They already know that. And what they want is to be able to vote and not have it be a hassle, to have it be safe, and to make sure that when they do vote, their vote is counted.    But the bottom line is you can't vote if you're not registered. And registration deadlines are coming up. We still have plenty of time, but quite a number of states have registration rules that say you have to have your registration submitted and approved at least a month before the election.   We want to be able to support clients in ways that are easy for us - and for them - to make sure they are registered and that their registration is fully in order.    In this episode, we share: A quick breakdown of which states allow online registration and which do notThe two key requirements for online registration that you and our clients need to know aboutThe best one-click resource for the online registration rules for your stateThe best one-stop, state-specific resource to help you with paper registration for those who can’t register onlineFour key actions to take between now and Sept 1 to prepare to help clients with their registration  Links: Episode 147 – Why Your Clients are Most Likely to be Harmed by Attacks on Voting Rights and What to Do About It   The best quick access resource for the online voter registration website for your state is https://www.rockthevote.org/online/  This page gives you a direct link to online voter registration in your state.   The best source for info on how to get trained on how to help with paper registration, as well as all the info you need on the registration rules, etc. for your state, is https://www.nonprofitvote.org/voting-in-your-state/   If you found value in this episode, please share it with other progressive nonprofit leaders.  And I’d be grateful if you would leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts, which will help even more people find out about this podcast. Thanks!

    The Easiest Ways to Help Your Clients Register to Vote

  2. Jul 31

    Self Care in Times of Total Insanity

    How do we all be okay when so much is not okay in the world?   There's so much bad, scary, overwhelming stuff going on constantly that it’s really hard sometimes to just get out of bed in the morning. Nevermind show up as our best, empowered Nonprofit leader selves, fighting for what's right, fighting for the people we serve, and to protect our communities.    We can't do that without some help. So the conversation is increasingly turning to a search for information, a search for ideas, as we ask each other: What are you doing to cope? How are you managing? Have you figured something out? Can you share it with me?   I think it's incredibly important that we talk with one another about this on a regular basis, and that we keep our emotional and physical wellbeing at the forefront of our attention in this time. And I know that’s a lot easier said than done, which is why I want us to talk about it.   I don't have THE ANSWER. Nobody does. But I have some thoughts and observations about what I'm finding is working for me, and what I'm hearing from others is working for them. And some patterns, some consistencies I’m seeing that I think are worth calling out and sharing with you.   There are also a couple of cautionary notes for us as nonprofit leaders to flag and be super aware of with our teams, because they're looking to us for help.      In this episode, we share: How stress manifests itself in the body, and how to use that knowledge to reduce those damaging effectsThree physical stress management techniques that work in under three minutesThe two aspects of self-awareness that are key to all emotional/ mental/ spiritual self-careHow to catch signs of martyrdom in yourself and your team, and how to counter thatHow we can both model behavior and create an environment of policy and practice that supports our team in their own self-care work      If you found value in this episode, please let others know! I’d be grateful if you would leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Your reviews help other nonprofit leaders find the podcast. Thanks!!

    Self Care in Times of Total Insanity

  3. Jul 24

    The Huge Hidden Obstacle to Reaching Your Biggest Vision and Goals, and How to Get Past It

    If you're like so many Nonprofit leaders that I work with, you have a big vision, or maybe a big new ambitious goal. And you know it has the potential to make a huge impact. You're inspired and excited about it.   Yet you find that you keep putting off taking the actions that will start moving you toward that big thing. You have lots of good reasons for that. Now's not a good time. Maybe when things calm down a little, we can focus on that, but right now we have too many urgent things to deal with. Or maybe it's, I'm not ready yet. First I need to learn more or plan more, research more, etc.   If that's what's going on, you are not alone. This is a super common problem, and I want to let you in on what's actually going on when that's happening.    Those all sound like real rational things that are true, right? Things are crazy right now. We have too much going on. We can't possibly be doing the stretch thing right now. I'll do that later. I'll do that soon.    Here's the thing. What's really going on is that is your subconscious tricking you into staying right where you are. Your subconscious will always tell you that now is not the right time, that you're not ready yet, and so on, and so on.   That's why we so often put off going after that big, scary goal, the big bodacious vision or dream. Because it feels really scary to the subconscious. It does not like change. It regards anything new as a threat, and it will do whatever it takes to stop you from walking into that threat. But we don't have to let that happen.  We can absolutely hack our subconscious to align with our ambitions, and to do amazing things for us.     In this episode, we share: The two types of resistance your subconscious will put up to stop you from pursuing your big thingHow to calm your subconscious and get it to drop its resistanceHow to recognize tricks of the subconscious that masquerade as rational thoughtThe simplest way to harness your subconscious and get it working with you to achieve your big goalHow to start stepping into the identities that align with your big ambitious goal or vision How to deal with other people’s (board and team) subconscious efforts to derail your ambitions  If you found value in this episode, please share it with other progressive nonprofit leaders.  And I’d be grateful if you would leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts, which will help even more people find out about this podcast. Thanks!

    The Huge Hidden Obstacle to Reaching Your Biggest Vision and Goals, and How to Get Past It

  4. Jul 17

    The Big Hole in Your Messaging that You Can't See and that's Costing You Money

    There is a huge messaging problem that happens all the time with Nonprofit leaders that is virtually invisible to us, and yet can be incredibly costly. And I don't want that to be happening to you. But the truth is, it probably is, at least with some of your decisionmakers.    Here's how you know that it's happening. If you have any decisionmakers who still aren't getting it about what you really do and the impact of it and its value, there is most definitely a hole in your messaging.    When they're not getting it, the very first place to look is your messaging around the problem you solve. And here's why. The truth is decisionmakers will not care one bit about your solution if they don't first care about the problem that you solve.   Part of the problem is we tend to think that the problem is obvious, that everybody already gets that. And so we jump right to the solution. We start right in with, "Here's what we do. Here's who we help. Blah, blah, blah."    But the fact is, most decisionmakers do not go around thinking every day about the problem that you solve, and it’s very unlikely they understand the level of impact of the problem in the way that you do.  They're not going to be listening to how great your solution is if they don't first think that the problem is important, serious, and urgent to solve. If they don't think those things, then all your cool information about how you solve it and the wonderful results that it produces, just slides off them. Because in their head, they're like, "Yeah, but it's not that big a problem, so whatever."    And more to the point, if they don’t think the problem you solve is important, serious and urgent, why would they ever invest in your solution?   In this episode, we share: The primary causes of decisionmakers not understanding the problemThe three messaging elements that will get decisionmakers to see the problem you solve as important and urgentThe vital question you must ask multiple times as you develop your messaging around the problemThe most common unhelpful belief decisionmakers have that causes them to disregard the problemThe critical ingredient to add to your messaging to disrupt those unhelpful beliefs     If you found value in this episode, please share it with other progressive nonprofit leaders.  And I’d be grateful if you would leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts, which will help even more people find out about this podcast. Thanks!

    The Big Hole in Your Messaging that You Can't See and that's Costing You Money

  5. Jul 8

    A Fresh Danger to Nonprofits’ Federal Funding that Needs Your Action NOW

    We've got ourselves a five alarm fire here, and not a lot of time to do something about it. If you currently have or are thinking of applying for any sort of federal grant funding for the work that you do, this is of utmost importance to you.    The current administration's Office of Management and Budget has proposed a new set of rules around how federal grants will be handled that have the potential to have tremendously negative impact on Nonprofits, and on your ability to access federal grant funds to do the very important work that you do.   There is an opportunity to push back on these horrible proposed rules, and right now they're only proposed. But the deadline for public comments is July 13th. So fire up the laptop and get your comments going.   I'll walk through the basics of what's going on, why it matters and how it would harm Nonprofits and the people we serve. I'll also hook you up with some links that will help you take immediate action on three  fronts.    If this is not already on your radar, I want to put it at the top of your to-do list for the coming week.   In this episode, we share: How the proposed rules could endanger both current and future grants The types of nonprofits that are especially vulnerable under the proposed rules (hint: it’s a lot of them)How the new proposed rules around federal grants connect back to the DOGE debacles of a year agoThree quick and powerful actions you can take right now to help block the proposed rules  Take action to oppose the proposed changes by July 13, 2026:    Sign NCN's national letter  Submit a public comment here using NCN's comment guide which includes talking points, instructions, and more information.  Email your member of Congress and urge them to help protect nonprofit grantees and the communities they serve. If you want to do the deep dive, see NCN’s chart of key provisions or read the proposed changes in its entirety.

    A Fresh Danger to Nonprofits’ Federal Funding that Needs Your Action NOW

  6. Jul 3

    How to Negotiate Successfully with Any Decisionmaker

    Whether you love it or hate it, negotiating with decisionmakers is part of the job of a nonprofit leader.  You have to negotiate with funders, contracting partners, policymakers, and more.  Like most things, negotiation is a lot more enjoyable when you get good at it.  The secret of those who love negotiating is they’ve learned the keys to success, and developed the skills to use them well.   But there’s another piece. The reason a lot of folks have trouble with negotiation is not that the skills are so hard to learn. It’s that there tends to be a lot of emotional freight around negotiating. To get great at negotiating, we also have to rewire some of the most common beliefs about negotiation that are getting in our way, and to claim our power in the process.   In today’s episode, we’ll tackle all of that, and show you how you can rapidly improve your negotiation skills and success rate starting today.     In this episode, we share: The two most powerful ingredients for a successful negotiationThe most common mistake that will rob you of your negotiating powerThe three beliefs that will block your success The most important questions to answer before negotiation beginsHow to make a successful counterofferHow to know when to say no to a deal If you found value in this episode, please share it with other progressive nonprofit leaders.  And I’d be grateful if you would leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts, which will help even more people find out about this podcast. Thanks!

    How to Negotiate Successfully with Any Decisionmaker

  7. Jun 27

    The One Person You Absolutely Need When You Want to Change a Piece of Public Policy

    I hear from so many nonprofit leaders that they struggle to figure out how to go after a particular policy goal, even when they're really clear about what they want. The problem is the path from here to there is not at all clear.    There’s one piece of advice I give to every client who’s feeling frustrated by this problem. There's really one person you need to have that is going to make your life so much easier. And you want to start by finding that one person.   That’s the person who knows how stuff works. You need someone who understands inside and out the process for changing the specific type of policy you want to change.    And that's the thing. It's not like there's just one way or one method or one process or one strategy. It depends immensely on the policy arena you're operating in. It depends on who the decisionmakers are that are involved, and what their openness to change and different ideas looks like. It depends on lots and lots of things.   But what never changes is that for any given policy change that you want to try to make, you're always going to be operating in some sort of an existing policy landscape, and some sort of an existing decision-making structure. With people in charge of stuff and people who have vested interests in stuff and all of that. And if you don't know that landscape, you're in a real bind.   The one person you need in all of this is a guide. You need the person who knows that landscape like the back of their hand, and that can take you through it to help you find the best pth to the policy results you want.    In this episode, we reveal:   Where to find a great guide – even one who doesn’t expect you to pay themWhat a paid guide can do for you, and what they can’tHow to use AI effectively as part of your strategy developmentWhy your greatest champion may not be the best choice for a guideThe three most important pieces of information you need to give your guide up front, to ensure the best resultsThe five most powerful questions you should ask your guide  Help spread the word! If you found value in this episode, I’d be grateful if you would leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Your reviews help other nonprofit leaders find the podcast.  Thanks!!

    The One Person You Absolutely Need When You Want to Change a Piece of Public Policy

  8. Jun 19

    The Four Essential Sales Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs

    Nonprofit leaders spend a lot of time selling to one kind of funder or decisionmaker or another just about every day of the week. We spend a lot of time selling, but we don't necessarily talk about it as sales. And I think that's a bit of a mistake.   And here's the thing. When you get into nonprofit leadership, people don't tell you you're going to be a salesperson. They don't tell you that's going to be a big part of the job. Part of what I want to do today is to first of all call out the actual sales work that we are all doing. And then to address what tends to get in the way of a successful sale.   What I've noticed again and again is that there are certain aspects of sales that can be especially problematic and challenging for Nonprofit leaders. We start getting tripped up and finding ourselves in situations with decisionmakers where we are either not getting the sale, or maybe we're getting the sale, but we're not getting the deal we want. They're not investing at the level that we really need them to, and we're settling for something less.   Today I’m uncovering the most common hazards that get in the way of a successful sale.  And to go with them, I’m sharing the four essential sales skills that will let you conquer those hazards.    In this episode, we share:   The biggest hazards that can trip you up and tank your sales conversationsThe four essential sales skills that will let you conquer those hazardsHow to make huge asks without fearHow our money stories are driving our sales conversations, whether we realize it or notHow to wire in the money stories that will cause sales successWhat to do (and what NOT to do) when a decisionmaker reacts negatively to your price    Help spread the word! If you found value in this episode, I’d be grateful if you would leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Your reviews help other nonprofit leaders find the podcast.  Thanks!!

    The Four Essential Sales Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs
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About

If you’re a progressive nonprofit leader who wants to build powerful influence with the money and policy decisionmakers in your world, but aren’t happy with your progress, help has arrived!  Host Kath Patrick has been teaching and coaching leaders on these vital skills for 25+ years, and now she shares her secrets for advocacy success with you every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Kath Patrick
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Strategic Sense LLC
  • Show Website
    Nonprofit Power Podcast