Nonprofit Lowdown Rhea Wong

How do we untangle the web of systemic racism and inherent bias that are deeply etched into our society's fabric? How do white individuals fit into this dialogue, and more importantly, confront their roles in perpetuating or combating racism? All of these big questions might sound daunting, but we’ve got answers that will put the wind back in your sail.



Join me and my guest, Jen Mayer, founder of Becoming Better Together, as we dig deep to answer these pressing questions.



Jen unpacks her journey of introspection, the importance of acknowledging and embracing mistakes, and how people, especially white individuals, can learn to be true allies.



Tune in to find out what your role is in combating racism, without being performative—straight from the heart of a real visionary in racial justice.



Important Links:



https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenmayersandoval/

https://www.becomingbettertogether.com/the-collective-3

https://course.becomingbettertogethercoaching.com/video-series?r_done=1


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Hey friends and fellow nonprofit nerds! Get ready for a super fun and informative chat with my buddy Raj Thakkar.



You may know Raj as the founding genius behind FOREsight Financial Services for Good. But did you also know he's the author of a brand-new book called Fiscally Secure?! Raj knows his stuff when it comes to helping nonprofits get their financial ducks in a row. And let me tell you, it is WAY more interesting than it sounds. Who knew analytics could be so uplifting?



In this episode, we're talking all things budgeting, fundraising, and shaking that scarcity mindset! Raj shares his 10-step framework for getting – and staying – fiscally fit. I know it sounds intimidating but I promise it’s way more empowering than it is scary.



We also dive into creative ways to build revenue that don’t involve emptying your bank account. Hint: the answer isn’t always hiring expensive development pros! Sometimes the best solutions are right under our quirky nonprofit noses.



So pour yourself something fun (I’m drinking sparkling water with lime today!) and get ready to geek out on numbers. I promise you’ll be feeling inspired, not stressed, by the time our chat is done.



Sound like your kind of episode? Then click play! Let’s get fiscally secure together, friends.



“What I realized was there was actually a method to our madness and ended up calling it “The Fiscal Responsibility Method” where there's ten components to responsible financial management in the way we define it.” - Raj Thakkar



Important Links:https://csbm.com/fiscally-secure/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-thakkar-135b172/




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We all know storytelling is a powerful way to move people and effect change on the important issues of today. But in the fundraising world, storytelling has gotten a bad rap. Poverty porn, sensationalism, and negative storytelling practices have left a bad taste in our mouths and, at times, exposed the very people we want to help.



So how can we use the powerful language of storytelling to unify and empower communities rather than divide and conquer? 



Join me today as I talk to Tara Dorabji, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for The Center for Cultural Power! 



We talk about the need for value-aligned storytelling that is rooted in authenticity and how we can choose, gather, and elevate stories and storytellers to amplify and elevate diverse voices that can accelerate systemic cultural change. 



We also dive into how to test and measure the impact of our influence so that our efforts don’t fall on deaf ears. 



Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that just might put the joy back into your storytelling!


“It's not just about one messenger. … [D]ifferent Messengers speak to different groups, so it's important to have a multitude of stories and to continue to test and … learn. And as culture shifts and people shift, the storytelling will change too.” - Tara Dorabji, Vice President of The Center for Cultural Power



Important Links: 



LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-dorabji-a364711/The Border Report 2023: https://www.culturalpower.org/stories/the-border-report-2023/


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Social media is a modern-day jungle. If you don’t know who you are and what you want to say; the algorithms will eat you for breakfast. So what choice do non-profit folks have if we want to be heard above all the noise? Please, don’t tell me I have to dance... PLEASE don’t tell me I have to dance… 



Not even a little, my non-profit fam! 



For your sake and mine, today I’m joined by the marvelous Tania Bhattacharyya, founder of Lumos Marketing Co and host of Campfire Circle Podcast. She’ll tell us all about her experience in the non-profit world and her unmatched storytelling prowess on LinkedIn. Tania teaches underrecognized social impact leaders - coaches, consultants, service providers, and nonprofit execs - to build top of mind trust and community by sharing their stories on LinkedIn. 



 “What's beautiful about building a personal brand as a non-profit leader is you get to pick the audience that … lights you up and that you were put on this planet to make a difference for. And so often it is the person that you once were or still are. It's the person that you can become a guide for because you have trudged through that journey yourself and now you have some nuggets of expertise and advice and wisdom to pass on.” - Tania Bhattacharyya



Tania champions the idea that you can be consistent and “lazy on LinkedIn” and still gain traction with people you want to meet. It’s all about resonance versus reach, and I can’t wait for you to soak it all in!  



Get ready to hear practical tips for building your brand and cultivating legit relationships on LinkedIn through thought leadership–without doing a song and dance or an endless stream of meaningless content. Important Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-bhattacharyya/

https://lumosmarketing.co/podcast




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Succession planning. We all know it’s a possibility, but none of us wants to think about it. What processes do you have in place to protect your organization from losing funding? How will you manage the optics and let funders know your organization’s values and vision won’t change just because one person steps down?



Hint: Don’t make it all about you!



Join me today as I talk to Cassie Haynes and Jean Friedman-Rudovsky, the powerhouse co-founders of Resolve Philly, to get the lowdown on how they emerged from a leadership transition after Cassie, a black co-founder, stepped down from her position to be closer to her newly widowed mother.



Find out what strategies they used to mitigate damages, disperse responsibilities, and elevate staff members to positions of higher visibility so that the organization could continue affecting change to make Philidelphia’s journalism scene a more equitable and diverse playing field.



“We have always prioritized the storytelling around our work coming from those who are carrying out the work. More and more folks on our team are… showing up at conferences to talk about the work. […] When our funders think about who Resolve is, they should think about 25 people.” - Cassie Haynes, Resolve Philly Cofounder





Important Links:

https://resolvephilly.org/


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nonprofitlowdown/support

I’ve said it before; if you want to get big contributions, you have to make big asks. But, for so many of us, our scarcity mindset holds us back. We wonder, can we really make big asks in an economic downturn? Does generosity still exist in America in 2023? Do donors of color give monetarily to the causes they care about?



The numbers say, yes, to all of the above! Data for the win! 



Nerd out on numbers with me on today’s podcast as I get Dr. Una Osili’s thoughts on global philanthropy and giving trends in our complex philanthropic ecosystem.

Dr. Una Osili is the Director of Research at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at the Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. 



Listen to the full episode and subscribe for more data-based tips and tricks that will transform your mindset and help you niche down to find large givers and build trust as you can form a community of givers united under a common mission and vision.  



“So donors now know that it's possible to give in an unrestricted way. This is not just a good time to be engaging donors, but it's also an important time to bring innovative and transformational opportunities to those donors and to ask for those transformational gifts because more donors are aware of the needs.” - Dr. Una Osili





Important Links:



Lilly Family School of Philanthropy - https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/index.html

The General Social Survey - https://gss.norc.org/

Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy - https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/institutes/mays-institute/about/index.html

Global Philanthropy Tracker - https://globalindices.iupui.edu/tracker/index.html

Global Philanthropy Indices - https://globalindices.iupui.edu/tracker/index.html

Global Philanthropy Environment Index - https://globalindices.iupui.edu/environment-index/index.html


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nonprofitlowdown/support