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. 3h ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Jun 11

    How to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader

    I hear from so many nonprofit leaders who want to establish themselves as thought leaders in their niche.  But the whole process around how you do that tends to be shrouded in mystery.  It’s time to demystify!  There are 7 basic ingredients, and today we break them down and give you a roadmap to becoming a thought leader.   In this episode, we reveal: What thought leadership can do for youIndividual as thought leader vs organization as thought leader – how and when to chooseHow thought leaders think and operateThe 7 essential ingredients to becoming a thought leaderOne thing you can do today to move closer to becoming a thought leader    I would love to hear your story of your journey to thought leadership, and how it's going. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or send me a message at the podcast website. Both are great ways to reach me, and I would love to hear your thoughts.

    How to Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader

  7. Jun 4

    How the Identity You Choose to Operate from Determines Your Advocacy Results

    Identity is one of those things that we really tend to take for granted. We often don't recognize just how much of an impact it's having on how we show up in all aspects of life.   When we think to ourselves, “I am…” or “I am a…” Whatever follows, however we finish those sentences, is far more important than we often realize. Because they speak to our identity as we see it.    And our identity drives our perspective, our priorities, and perhaps most importantly, it drives how we show up.    We tend to think of identities as fixed. They simply are who we are. But it's not so simple after all. The fact is, we can choose which identities we want to operate from.    The identities we choose to operate from as Nonprofit leaders has a lot of implications for how we show up, and what kind of impact we have, especially in our advocacy work.   In this episode, we share:   The four essential identities that make the biggest impact on your advocacy successWhy those identities can often cause discomfort for many Nonprofit leadersCommonly occurring identities that will reduce your advocacy How to identify any identities you’re currently operating from that may not be serving youHow to begin to operate from the identities that will serve you most effectively as an advocate and as an leader   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!!

    How the Identity You Choose to Operate from Determines Your Advocacy Results

  8. May 29

    Why Your Clients are Most Likely to be Harmed by Attacks on Voting Rights, and What to do About it

    There is no question that voting rights are under extraordinary attack right now in this country. And the people being targeted are pretty much one and the same as the people most of us serve.   This is not entirely new, as we know. There have been attempts for years to systematically erode people's voting rights. And there have been multiple attempts at voter suppression in all kinds of ways. We've watched that unfold across the news and in our own lived experience in many of our states.   But all of that voter suppression agenda, and not just voter suppression, but attacks on the very notion of allowing entire groups of people to have any sort of say in who their elected representatives will be. That level of attack has exploded in the wake of the most recent disastrous Supreme Court decision, dismantling key parts of the Voting Rights Act.    It would be really tempting to just get super demoralized about all of that and say, this is depressing and overwhelming, and I can't deal. There's nothing we can do. We're toast.    The only way that’s true is if we don't do anything.   The fact is there is quite a bit we can do. And our clients' votes have never been more important for how their future will be written.   In this episode, we share:   The two main agendas driving voter suppression and attacks on representationWhy mid-election redistricting may not work out the way its instigators are hopingThree things you can do right now to ensure that every client and volunteer will have their vote counted on Election DayHow to make sure no one gets tripped up by ID requirements when votingThe best one-stop resource for all the information you need to help your clients make sure their vote is countedHow to put together a powerful set of voting resources for clients and volunteers, even when your bandwidth is limited  Link: Your one-stop resource for all the important voting rules in your state: Vote411.org   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!!

    Why Your Clients are Most Likely to be Harmed by Attacks on Voting Rights, and What to do About it
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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
    154
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Strategic Sense LLC
  • Show Website
    Nonprofit Power Podcast