Research has shown that women are more prone to burnout than men for a variety of reasons, including societal expectations and imbalances in responsibilities across work and home. This can be further intensified for women working at nonprofits and other social good organizations, which often have higher than average rates of burnout and turnover.
Today’s guest, Stacie Barber, is an integrative life coach and the founder of Stacie Barber Lifestyle. She joined host Rachel Hutchisson in a discussion about why it’s important for women leaders, and all women, to engage in self-care practices at work and at home so they are aren’t overburdened and feel healthy and productive.
Topics covered in this episode:
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Why is due diligence important in grantmaking organizations? The process of satisfying legal requirements impacts many areas within an organization— mission alignment, stewardship, duty of care, reputation, outcomes & impact, and overall effectiveness to name a few.
In this episode, learn from Elizabeth (Liz) Gousse Ballotte, principal at PKF O’Connor Davies, about what the staff at grantmaking organizations need to know to be compliant.
Topics covered in this episode:
Resources
ESG (environment, social, and governance) is a hot topic amongst for-profit companies and investors, but is it important for nonprofits and other social good organizations too? Today's guest thinks so. Tim McClimon, principal consultant for The Celeste Group, which specializes in corporate social responsibility and nonprofit management strategies and programs, and former head of corporate social responsibility at American Express, joined Rachel Hutchisson to discuss why social good organizations should view ESG as an operating strategy and as a way of being more transparent and accountable to their employees, donors, beneficiaries, communities, and the planet. Rachel and Tim also talked about what nonprofits can learn from companies, including Blackbaud, and how companies can help increase the focus on ESG in the nonprofit sector.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Join Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, for an interactive training that will inspire you with mindful approaches for creating sustained balance in your life. Prepare to lower your stress level, focus on getting the important things done, and be more present for yourself, your team, and your family. Click here to listen to the full webinar from the Grantmaking Thought Leadership webinar series.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Resources:
5 Ways Grantmakers Create Work- and Tech-Life Balance
Quotes:
"When it comes to preemption, we want to be focused on creating a culture of care (...) that we are building in strong work/life boundaries and not depending on the individual to create those boundaries."
"Addressing the organizational and institutional action of this is a longer term proposition."
"Many of us are making assumptions of what is required of us, but something that is actually not being expected of us."
Rachel Hutchisson is joined by Chris Jarvis, executive director of Realized Worth, to kick off our CSR Book Club Series with an article from Stanford Social Innovation Review called “Fixing the S in ESG.” Listen to learn more about quantifying social impact and what the future of S looks like.
Chantal Forster, executive director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), discusses the top areas where grantmakers can make the most impact in 2022 and how technology can help them achieve that impact.
Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG)
Webinar: The Rising Role of Technology—and the People Behind It—in Advancing Philanthropy's Mission
How to Fund Nonprofit Tech: A Guide for Funders and Nonprofits
“Imagine if the private sector only surveyed its customers every three years.”
“If philanthropy doesn’t invest in tech infrastructure, then you are enabling inequity.”
There are a lot of ways to think about how technology impacts things, as well as how different constituent types interact with it and the relationships that it helps them build. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing recent research on how technology improves the relationship between schools and parents.
Joining the podcast today is Chuck English, of English Marketing Works, and Linda Lawrence, of Ransom Everglades. Listen to the episode to hear what they have to say about the key findings of the recent Blackbaud study show, the expectations that people have about the technology they interact with, and how the technology profile at Linda’s school came about.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
Resources:
Using Technology to Bridge the Value Gap in Private Schools
Moving Forward: Enriching the Parent Experience with a Focus on Technology
Infographic: K–12 Independent Schools Parent Survey
Quotes:
“Technology has a huge impact on their experience as parents.” – Chuck English
“Parents have learned to become very nimble with what to expect, and we just find ways to ease into those situations at a moment’s notice.” –Linda Lawrence
“I think you develop alliances; you identify those super-users that can provide assistance.” –Linda Lawrence
What do you know about setting goals for yourself and your team and managing those goals? In today’s episode, you’ll hear an excerpt from the Skills UP webinar series. In it, you’ll hear Damaris Herron-Watkins discuss best practices for creating and managing your team’s goals. Listen in to hear what she has to say about the purpose of goal management, the different types of goals, and making goals SMART.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
Resources:
5 Keys for Achieving your Organization’s Goals
Quotes:
“A couple of reasons why goals are important is one, they help to prioritize your work and the work of your team.”
“When we’re creating goals for our team, like I said, you have to make sure you know what your goals are for the year.”
“SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.”
International Women’s Day is on March 8th, 2022, and it’s a good time to think about the state of women and girls worldwide, how current events may make violence and abuse even worse than they were, and how to move forward by empowering each other.
Today’s guest is Vesna Jaric, the Interim Chief of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. Listen to the episode to learn about Vesna’s role at the Trust Fund and how current events affect the state of women and girls around the world.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Learning from Practice: The Impact of COVID-19 on Violence Against Women and Girls
UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women
UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women on Twitter
UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women on Instagram
Quotes:
“So far, the fund has supported more than 600 organizations in 140 countries and territories across the world.”
“I would argue that violence against women and girls is probably the oldest and most persistent problem the world is dealing with.”
“Women’s rights organizations have been the first responders.”
We are highlighting an excerpt from the Skills UP Webinar Series where Deb Taft, CEO of Lindauer Global, will be talking about the dynamics of hiring and how you can achieve success in effective retention. Listen to what she has to say about the Great Resignation, the rise of freelancers and gig workers, and the remote/in-person hybrid.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Skills Up FREE Webinar Series for nonprofit managers
The Future of Executive Search
To Attract Talented Fundraisers of Color, Get Your House in Order
CASE xChange Podcast; President and CEO Sue Cunningham interviews Lindauer CEO Deb Taft
4 Keys for Attracting, Hiring and Retaining a Successful Major Gift Team
Quotes:
“I think one of the dynamics to think about is that there is very little loyalty.”
“So, hiring is on steroids, and if you are struggling to retain and hire, you are not alone.”
“I just need people to understand, that employees will choose you, talent will choose you, or not, depending on what’s possible.”
Public policy impacts decisions made around charitable giving. These policies can influence how people give, when they give, and how much they give. So what are the likely effects for 2022?
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Brian Flahaven to learn how policies have impacted giving over the past few years and what’s ahead for the coming year. Listen in to hear what Brian has to say about his role in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and what they do, what current legislation is on the table, and whether Brian believes it will gain traction this year.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report
Quotes:
“Having an incentive there, sending that signal, will encourage more Americans hopefully to give even more to charitable organizations during these difficult times.”
“In the tax world, it’s pretty much been a partisan game over the past few years.”
“A lot of institutions are actually creating their own giving days.”
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“When you’re identifying a mentor, be really upfront with them about why you’re asking them, why you thought of that person.”
“I also believe that the best mentors are always mentees themselves.”
“Look for the type of sponsor you want, the gender doesn’t matter.”
Giving doesn’t stay static. As things change and more innovations become available, giving changes with it, and that’s true for the upcoming year too. Today, you’ll be hearing about some of the changes and giving and how social good organizations and donors are affected.
Sonia Nigam, Co-founder and CEO of Change, and Amar Shah, Co-founder and President of Change, discuss changes in online shopping, how social good organizations are adjusting to cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and what’s going to happen going forward in 2022
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“I feel like one of the most interesting evolutions around giving today is how it’s becoming more experience-based.” –Sonia Nigam
“Social good’s really at the foundation of this ecosystem.” –Sonia Nigam
“I think one of the biggest things that’s going to continue is the increase in online giving, either via e-commerce or even via cryptocurrency.” –Amir Shah
What do you know about cybersecurity? You’re probably aware that it’s a threat, but if you don’t know what cybersecurity threats entail or how to increase your own security, how can you really protect yourself or your organization? Listen in to this BBCon excerpt to learn about some of the basics of cybersecurity, including what the risks and threats are, steps you can take to protect yourself, and how to implement policies at the workplace that protect your company.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Cybersecurity Industry Standards
Security at Blackbaud Overview
Quotes:
“Additionally, 85% of the breaches that happen involve some sort of human element.”
“Bottom line, social engineering takes advantage of someone going about their usual day.”
“If you receive an email, phone call, or voicemail that feels odd, it probably is.”
Trends in giving and donor retention are an important topic in the fundraising landscape, and at this time of year, it’s a good idea to take a look at what’s been happening in the fundraising world. Looking closely at giving and donor retention now with help you get a handle on end-of-the-year giving and some clarity about what will be coming in the new year. Listen in to this episode to hear from Erica Wassdorp about current fundraising trends, how online giving has developed in different kinds of organizations, and how to handle benefits for recurring donors.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Blackbaud Institute Retention Toolkit
Quotes:
“We have to tell them that they can make a difference even when it’s with a smaller recurring gift.”
“I think the other piece that has really helped with that, of course, is the whole digital, online opportunities.”
“The only promise you want to make to your new monthly donor is that they’re going to get updates from you.”
Are you dealing with problems in your organizations and wondering why you can’t solve them, or why you can’t solve them in a lasting way? Listen in to this excerpt from bbcon 2021 Virtual, where Sarah Beauregard, Senior Process Engineer at Blackbaud, discusses root cause analysis.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“If we pull up the weed by the root, it won’t come back.”
“Also as a part of this step, we identify who those subject matter experts are that could help determine why this problem might be happening.”
“The real value here comes from engaging those subject matter experts on a guided conversation to get to that root cause.”
What do social good organizations need to know about corporate philanthropy? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Julia Beltran, partnership specialist from Double the Donation, to learn more about corporate giving programs and how to promote them. Listen to the episode to hear what Julia has to say about common types of corporate philanthropy, data points on matching gift programs, and how to boost a companies’ matching gift percentage.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs, so quite a lot.”
“I think that people do engage in matching gift programs, but they don’t nearly engage as much as they could.”
“Engaging donors during the giving process, or like right when they’re about to give, is a great way to encourage people to submit matching gift requests.”
Volunteering is changing. Many volunteer opportunities went virtual because of the pandemic, and like other types of work, it may never look exactly like it did in a pre-pandemic world. So what does volunteering look like now? What resources are there for professionals in this space who want to learn more about how volunteering has changed and how to rise to those changes? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Ben Sampson of WeHero. Listen to the conversation to learn more about what WeHero does, the latest trends and changes in the volunteering space, and how to provide new and different volunteer opportunities.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“Workers are going to come out of this really wanting agency in how and where they work, but also that ability to really connect meaningfully with people.”
“One of the big pros that we noticed is we saw people from different countries, different cultures, connecting over a common cause and volunteering.”
“Adobe does a really good job of building a portfolio of numerous different kinds of volunteer opportunities.”
Is donor retention different when the donor is acquired online? In this episode, you’ll learn more about ways to improve donor retention for online-acquired donors. Joining the podcast today is Rachel Clemens, Chief Marketing Officer of Mighty Citizen. Listen to today’s conversation to learn what Rachel thinks about building relationships between donors and organizations, the role of segmentation, and how language factors into donor retention.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“I always think about donor retention as part of the donation process.”
“It’s not a transaction. It’s a relationship.”
“The thing that comes to mind almost immediately is just getting their tech in check.”
The newest Blackbaud Luminate Online® Benchmark Report provides unique insight to online fundraising during its meteoric rise in 2020. Learn more about the shift to email engagement, how one-time online giving changed nonprofit revenue composition, and the steady march of sustainer donors. Joining the podcast today are report analysts Mike Snusz, Rachael Ahrens, and Deb Ashmore of Blackbaud’s Professional Services team as well as Erik Leaver, Principal Customer Success Manager. They also share their predictions for the next big online fundraising opportunity in this new guide.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Blackbaud Luminate Online Benchmark Report
Quotes:
“Ultimately, I always like to have nonprofits know that the best benchmarks are your own.”
“Be prepared for emergency giving.”
“Those that grow the fastest have the most robust direct acquisition strategies.”
We are now just a little more than a month from GivingTuesday is getting closer all the time, you don’t need to stress if your organization hasn’t yet developed its plan. Today, Blackbaud’s GivingTuesday experts Matt Connell and Jackie Zimmerman join the podcast to talk about the value of Giving Tuesday, how organizations can start planning now for a successful day, and the GivingTuesday campaigns have inspired them.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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Quotes:
“While we should be giving every day of the year, let’s make sure that we especially give on this particular day of the year.” –Jackie Zimmerman
“If this, again, is your first experiment with it, you’re not the first people experimenting with it.” –Matt Connell
“Giving Tuesday is the day I make sure that my matching gift is used up for the year.” –Matt Connell
Digital communications have become ever more important over the last year and a half, and visual storytelling is a critical part of an effective strategy. Visual images help supporters visualize and understand what the organizations are doing, and how their contributions make a difference.
That's why today we are bringing back an ever relevant episode originally recorded at bbcon 2018 featuring Ira Horowitz, the founder of Cornershop Creative. Listen in to hear what Ira has to say about why visuals matter in storytelling, how to demonstrate to donors that they can be the heroes of the story, and how to match copy with the right visuals for maximum impact.
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How can finance and fundraising departments better work with each other? Why does it matter? Often, these disparate personalities find that working together feels chaotic, but it doesn’t need to be that way. In today’s episode, you’ll hear some ideas about how finance and development can build connections and better work together to support the mission.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
Financial Management Toolkit – Blackbaud Institute
Blackbaud University Curriculum For Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT
Quotes:
“The idea of everybody working together as a team in order to support the mission is immense in a nonprofit.”
“Nobody that is in finance in a nonprofit organization wants to see us go over budget.”
“I would think that the first thing you want to do is open the line of communication.”
Today, improving ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance is no longer optional. People want to work for companies that are helping to change the world, consumers are making purchasing decisions based on how brands are solving social problems and addressing climate change and investors consider companies that are ESG laggards to be high-risk. Despite the imperative for corporations to be making social change a priority, many businesses continue the practice of "CSR lite," an approach that prioritizes communications and optics over meaningful and measurable change.
Join Paul Klein for a conversation about why it's more important than ever for corporations to shift from a checkbox approach to corporate social responsibility to one that contributes to solving social problems. They will discuss what social change leadership looks like today and how businesses can help solve social problems and benefit from doing so.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
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[book] Change for Good by Paul Klein (ECW press) - coming spring 2022
Quotes:
“I think that the social dimension of business is the next frontier of what it means to be a business in society today.”
"There's a leadership vacuum at a social change level."
“So many companies don't take [being socially responsible] beyond the bare minimum and that's what CSR lite is. It's the optics, rather than the substance."
“To me, the essence of innovation is thinking about the fastest way to make the biggest difference at the lowest cost.”
What impact has COVID-19 and the racial justice movement had on corporate social responsibility (CSR)? The Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) partnered with Rocket Social Impact to research just that. Join Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO of ACCP, on today’s episode to learn all about it and what motivated their research.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Resources:
The Impact of Pandemic & Racial Justice Movement on CSR
Quotes:
“The expectations of CEOs and of senior leadership is significantly raising the game. They want to be reported to more frequently and want to have a greater hand in the [social responsibility] work.”
“There’s a heightened demand for measurement and there is not necessarily an increase in the internal resources to do that work… We’ve got to have the right people in the right places to do the volume of work that is expected and necessary to make change.”
“40% of companies in the survey said that they are making a long-term CSR focus-area shift. 64% of those are shifting or adding racial justice and racial equity as a priority.”