Nonprofit Management And Staffing
Build a high-performing organization with practical tools for leading people, managing performance, and shaping a culture where teams thrive.
This expert-led video collection brings real-world guidance on executive leadership, team structure, volunteer engagement, HR best practices, employee performance, and conflict management. Whether you’re hiring your first staff member or scaling a growing organization, these lessons help you align people with purpose and create workplaces rooted in mission, trust, and smart systems.
Learn how to assemble a mission-driven team, cultivate employee engagement and retention, and lead your people through change without burnout. Each episode offers actionable advice for navigating the organizational side of doing good—so your mission lasts and your people lead with confidence.
The nonprofit development assistant role responsibilities are often misunderstood—but getting this position right can dramatically increase fundraising results and operational efficiency.
In this Fundraisers Friday episode, Julia Patrick and Tony Beall break down why this role is not just administrative support—but a strategic investment that frees your fundraising team to focus on revenue generation, donor relationships, and long-term growth.
As Tony explains, “Nonprofit fundraising professionals need to have the bandwidth to be away from their desk… making connections and stewarding relationships.” Without that support, highly paid development leaders end up doing low-value administrative work—limiting your organization’s return on investment.
This conversation dives into the real responsibilities behind the role, including donor database management, acknowledgments, reporting, event coordination, CRM oversight, and campaign support. These are not small tasks—they are the operational backbone of effective fundraising.
Julia highlights a critical mindset shift: “Even just opening your heart and your mind to having this support might be a little bit of a challenge.” Many organizations—and even development professionals—struggle to delegate, which creates bottlenecks and slows growth.
You’ll also learn:
When a nonprofit should consider hiring a development assistant
How to structure the role (full-time, part-time, or shared)
Why customer service skills are essential in fundraising operations
How this role supports donor experience and retention
Career pathways and talent pipelines (including interns and volunteers)
Most importantly, this episode challenges nonprofit leaders to think in terms of time value and ROI—are your highest-paid fundraisers doing the work that actually drives revenue?
If your organization is serious about scaling fundraising and improving efficiency, this is a conversation you need to hear.
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #FundraisingStrategy
How Gen Z is reshaping nonprofit work and donor expectations.
What happens when four generations share one nonprofit workplace, but each generation brings a completely different relationship to work, authority, technology, flexibility, and purpose? In this eye-opening conversation, Julia Patrick sits down with Katie Warnock of Staffing Boutique to explore one of the most consequential workforce shifts facing nonprofit leaders right now: the rise of Gen Z in the sector.
Katie explains that this next-generation workforce is digital-first, mission-aware, highly collaborative, and deeply resistant to outdated systems and top-down leadership habits. For nonprofit organizations, that creates both friction and opportunity. If your internal operations are clunky, if your leadership style depends on “because that’s how we’ve always done it,” or if your organization cannot connect daily work to visible impact, younger talent may not stay long. As Katie puts it, “Mission alignment is huge.”
This discussion goes far beyond stereotypes about younger workers. Instead, it frames the issue as a strategic business matter for nonprofits. Retention, recruitment, management structure, workplace flexibility, and leadership communication all come into play. Katie makes a powerful distinction between work-life balance and work-life integration, noting that younger workers are not willing to sacrifice mental health, fitness, hobbies, or autonomy for a job title. They want work to fit into life, not life to be consumed by work.
The conversation also reaches into fundraising and donor behavior. Julia and Katie connect the workforce conversation to the next wave of philanthropic engagement, pointing out that younger donors often want proof, performance, and measurable outcomes rather than emotional appeals alone. Katie says it plainly: “They want to know the numbers before they launch a project.” That same instinct shows up in how they uate employers, missions, and charitable giving.
For nonprofit executives, this episode is a call to rethink leadership assumptions. The next generation is not waiting to adapt to legacy culture. Organizations that want to attract talent, retain strong performers, and earn long-term donor trust will need to respond with sharper systems, better communication, real flexibility, and visible evidence of impact.
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitStaffing #WorkforceStrategy
Leadership transitions can either rattle a nonprofit or reset it for real success, and this conversation makes the case for why professional interim leadership can be one of the smartest business decisions a board makes.! Joan Brown, Chief Operating Officer of Third Sector Company, and professional interim executive Kevin Lynch walk through what really happens when an interim steps into an organization during a period of stress, uncertainty, or executive turnover.
This discussion moves far beyond the idea that an interim is simply there to “hold things together.” Kevin makes it clear that the role is much bigger than that. A strong interim is assessing the organization, working closely with the board, identifying governance gaps, preparing the path for a future leader, and helping the organization become more stable and more attractive to top executive talent.
Joan brings a powerful governance lens to the conversation, reminding viewers that effective interim work starts with alignment and honesty. She says, “You have to agree on where you are.” Before a board and executive can move forward together, they need a shared view of the organization’s reality, including finances, culture, board practices, staff morale, and priorities.
Kevin also offers a practical look where nonprofit boards often stumble. He explains that many of the conditions that created problems for the prior executive will still exist for the interim unless expectations are reset early. That means boards must be willing to look at themselves, not just the staff or the previous CEO. Governance habits, budget assumptions, micromanagement, and bypassing the executive can all weaken the transition if left untouched.
For boards, executives, and leadership teams, this learning session is a wake-up call and a roadmap. Interim leadership is not a stopgap. Done well, it is a strategic bridge to stronger governance, better hiring, and long-term organizational health.
Leadership transitions don’t have to be terrifying revenue cliffs. In this conversation, Travis Craddock, CFRE and Founder of Craddock Strategies, reframes interim development leadership as a powerful strategic advantage—not a temporary patch.
Too often, organizations view interim fundraising support as “a warm body in an empty seat.” Travis challenges that mindset directly. “It prevents rushed or misaligned hires that can be expensive,” he explains, positioning interim leadership as a disciplined pause that protects both donor relationships and long-term revenue health.
Fundraising is built on trust. When leadership shifts, donors notice. Travis prioritizes immediate communication, transparency, and clarity so nothing falls through the cracks. Renewals are tracked. Grants are monitored. Donors are reassured. Strategy stays in motion.
But here’s where the real opportunity emerges.
An interim professional arrives without emotional baggage. That means clearer data analysis, honest conversations about ROI, and strategic uation of legacy traditions. Should the gala continue? Is it delivering meaningful return? Are event attendees being cultivated into major donors? These are business questions—asked gracefully, but directly.
Travis describes himself as “gracefully honest,” and that honesty becomes catalytic. Interim work isn’t simply maintenance. It’s an opportunity to elevate roles, revise job descriptions, shift from event-driven tactics to relationship-based fundraising, and align hiring with long-term strategic direction.
He emphasizes data-driven decisions, CRM fluency, relationship-centered fundraising, and partnership with CEOs and boards. In many cases, he becomes the strategic driver—project-managing fundraising momentum while executives focus on mission execution.
Three months may be the minimum engagement window. Six months may be ideal. But within that time, organizations can stabilize revenue, recalibrate strategy, build infrastructure, and hire with intention.
Anything is possible when nonprofits embrace transition as transformation!
A visit with Doug Chapiewsky, CEO & President of Kanso Software, and Cameron Bowman, CAAS Solutions Consultant at JMT Consulting, for a fast-moving, systems-first conversation on one thing every nonprofit runs on: trustworthy data.
Cameron frames the moment we’re in as “the golden age of software”—more tools, more dashboards, more integrations, and more AI than ever before. But that abundance comes with a price: fragmented systems, duplicated entries, and competing versions of the same truth. His fix is refreshingly operational. Data integrity isn’t a buzzword; it’s a checklist: accurate, complete, consistent across systems, timely, and traceable/auditable. When any one of those breaks, nonprofits pay for it in grant compliance headaches, restricted-fund confusion, audit stress, and board decisions made on shaky information.
Doug brings the lens of housing—where data errors don’t just create inconvenience; they disrupt funding, compliance, and real people’s stability. Kanso’s mission is to simplify a highly regulated, high-stakes domain where sensitive data is everywhere and staffing capacity is often thin. As Doug puts it, “Trust outweighs technology… and if we don’t have that trust, it really gets right to your mission.” The episode drills into the reality that single-vendor “one system does it all” is fading fast; modern organizations operate in an ecosystem. That’s why both speakers prioritize open systems paired with serious guardrails—especially when handling social security numbers, income data, and family composition.
The conversation turns tactical with a Business Process Review (BPR): mapping where data originates, how it moves, who owns it, what controls exist, and where manual workarounds (shadow spreadsheets, email approvals, offline tracking) weaken audit trails and invite risk. Cameron lands a line every operations leader should post near their monitor: “Technology will amplify your process. It won’t correct your misaligned workflows.”
Finally, the duo urge nonprofits to build a cadence—monthly, quarterly, at least annually—to revisit processes, configuration, and integrations as funding rules, reporting needs, staff, and tech keep shifting. The message is clear: clean data isn’t a finance luxury—it’s a mission accelerant.
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitTechnology #DataIntegrity
We lean into a timely business truth: nonprofit sustainability is built as much through belonging as through budgets. Cohosts Julia C. Patrick and Tim Sarrantonio welcome Rachel D’Souza, Founder and President of Gladiator Consulting, for a conversation that reframes community-building as a practical growth strategy for donors, volunteers, staff cohesion, and long-term resilience.
Rachel describes nonprofits as one of society’s last best “third spaces”—those informal gathering places that used to create trust across differences. With remote work, the pandemic’s aftershocks, and algorithm-driven polarization, many people have fewer natural pathways into civic life. That shift creates risk for organizations relying on legacy participation habits. It also creates opportunity: nonprofits can intentionally become the place where people reconnect around shared purpose and shared outcomes.
The discussion moves from theory into operating reality: boards at impasses, teams facing funding gaps, and leaders stuck in fight-flight-freeze. Rachel offers a pragmatic path forward—start with shared facts, clarify who holds which decisions, and practice disagreement before the stakes spike. “If you want to be better at conflict, that means you have to practice it, just like anything else,” she said, recommending simple meeting exercises that build the muscle of respectful debate.
Tim grounds this in organizational dynamics leaders recognize instantly: misalignment between finance and fundraising can derail systems decisions, contracts, and staff trust—without anyone “hating” anyone. The fix is not heroics; it’s earlier conversations, shared language, and a commitment to being in the room together.
Rachel draws a bright line leaders need: discomfort is part of growth, but it is not the same as harm. When emotions run hot, the first move is often a pause—reset the temperature so people can listen to process, not just respond. This convo offers a hopeful business case: build community on purpose, and capacity follows.
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitLeadership #CommunityBuilding
Starting a new role as a nonprofit’s fundraiser can feel like stepping onto the field mid-game—high expectations, limited time, and a lot of “what happened before I got here?” On this Fundraisers Friday, cohosts Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall offer a practical, confidence-building roadmap for what a new development officer should focus on in the first 30 days—with the business realities of nonprofit revenue, relationships, and systems front and center.
Julia sets the tone with honesty and heart, and Tony brings the steady reassurance every new fundraiser needs: “It’s all about listening, learning, and building trust in your first 30 days.” From there, they lay out the early priorities that protect both results and stamina. First: get anchored in the mission. Tony makes the point that mission alignment isn’t sentimental—it’s operational. If you don’t truly connect with the purpose, the work becomes an uphill climb.
Next, they move into relationship strategy: creating a thoughtful internal and external “relationship tour” so you can meet leadership, board members, and key stakeholders the right way. The emphasis isn’t speed—it’s sequence, context, and smart preparation so those early conversations build momentum instead of misunderstanding.
Then comes the systems side: CRMs, reporting, access issues, and the real-world obstacles that appear when prior staff have departed. Tony offers a realistic view of getting up to speed quickly, and Julia adds the on-the-ground reminder that you’ll be meeting people immediately—so you’ll need to document interactions in the CRM from day one.
Finally, they elevate culture as a performance driver. Julia notes how pressure often lands on the development officer as “the savior,” and Tony reframes it: fundraising works best as a team effort, not a solo canoe trip. As Julia puts it, “It’s the nucleus of the whole organization.” If you’re new in the seat, this episode gives you both direction and permission: respect the past, build trust first, and then earn the right to recommend change.
Sunsetting a nonprofit is one of the most difficult decisions a board and executive team can face. Erin McPartlin, Principal of Erin McPartlin Consulting, guides leaders through the strategic and compassionate realities of organizational closure.
Host Julia Patrick opens the conversation by acknowledging the emotional weight of the topic. Closing an organization can feel like failure. Yet Erin reframes the discussion: sometimes the healthiest business decision is an intentional ending. Whether an organization has achieved its mission, become operationally stagnant, or reached financial unsustainability, the question is not just when to close—but how to do so responsibly.
Erin outlines three common scenarios: mission accomplished, operational decline with weak infrastructure, and full financial unsustainability. In many cases, boards wait too long to confront the truth. “If you get to that point where you're now saying, we need to look at should we stay open or not, you're probably past the decision point,” she explains. That delay often stems from intermittent success—a returning donor, a new grant, a compelling impact story—that keeps leadership hoping for a turnaround.
From a governance standpoint, Erin emphasizes four pillars: people, communication, finance, and risk. Boards must fully engage, understand cash flow, assess liabilities, calculate burn rate, and uate runway. The most important question becomes, “What is the cost of our inaction?”
Rather than allowing an abrupt collapse—locked doors and shocked staff—Erin advocates for a structured 4–6 month minimum runway. This deliberate process allows nonprofits to respect employees, honor donor commitments, manage restricted funds, and protect community trust.
The episode closes on a powerful idea: the “elegant ending.” By planning intentionally, nonprofits can celebrate their impact, transfer knowledge, mentor peer organizations, and potentially redistribute remaining funds to aligned missions. “It’s preserving the public perception and preserving the positivity in the work that this organization did,” Erin shares.
Closing well is not defeat. It is stewardship.
#NonprofitManagement #BoardGovernance #TheNonprofitShow
On this Fundraisers Friday, our cohosts lean into one of the most nuanced and professionally demanding areas of nonprofit leadership: donor research, privacy, ethics, and gift acceptance policy. For nonprofit executives, development leaders, and board members, this episode functions as a governance workshop disguised as a conversation. The message is clear: professionalism in fundraising is not just about revenue—it is about trust architecture, long-term credibility, and disciplined leadership.
In a fundraising ecosystem shaped by rapid technological change, cloud-based systems, and evolving donor expectations, the conversation moves beyond tactics into governance and risk management. Julia Patrick sets the tone by noting that philanthropy is in an exciting era—but it demands more strategic thinking. Tony Beall echoes that reality, sharing that even experienced leaders must continually refine their understanding because the landscape keeps shifting.
At the center of the discussion is a powerful reminder: “Research isn’t surveillance so much as it is stewardship,” Tony explains. Just because information is available does not mean it should be used. Fundraising professionals must balance data access with relational integrity. As Tony adds, “A donor doesn’t want to feel studied. They want to feel understood.”
The cohosts explore practical implications:
• Who has access to donor data internally and externally
• The responsibility of third-party vendors and contract review
• Data breach planning and crisis communication
• Transparency with donors about how their information is protected
• Retention policies for lapsed donors
• Recognition preferences and anonymity in sensitive mission areas
Perhaps the most thought-provoking segment addresses gift acceptance policies. Tony offers a clarifying principle: “A gift acceptance policy isn’t anti-donor, it’s pro-mission.” Without policy, organizations invite inconsistency and risk. With policy, staff are protected from making moral judgment calls alone, and mission credibility remains intact.
Job searches in the nonprofit sector aren’t just about “what’s next” anymore they’re about navigating a labor market that feels equal parts opportunity and uncertainty. We visit with Dana Scurlock, Managing Director of Staffing at Staffing Boutique, to talk about what’s really happening on both sides of the hiring desk and how nonprofit professionals can compete with more strategy and less stress.
Dana describes today’s market as “a little bit of everything,” explaining why so many experienced professionals are staying put. She introduces a newer trend she’s seeing across industries: “job hugging” where talented mid-level and senior candidates hold tightly to stable roles, making it harder for nonprofits to recruit proven performers and slowing down the pace of hiring. At the same time, organizations are being more cautious with budgets and taking longer to hire, sometimes choosing a vacancy over a rushed decision.
Then the conversation turns to modern job-search tactics and what nonprofits should expect from candidates (and vice versa). Dana makes the business case for tailoring every application, just like fundraising requires tailored outreach: fewer applications, better aimed. She also shares how AI tools can help candidates align resumes with recruiter keyword searches so the right experience actually shows up when hiring teams search. As Dana puts it, “AI really can be a helpful assistant when it comes to building your resume and optimizing your resume for some of the Boolean and keyword searches.”
One of the most eyebrow-raising moments is the rise of the one-way video interview: candidates recording answers to prompts without a live interviewer. Dana and host Julia Patrick react strongly to what that may signal about candidate experience and employer brand. Dana frames it plainly: “It affects your brand, it affects your ability to retain staff.” From virtual first-round interviews to smarter follow-up emails, the big takeaway is clear: nonprofit hiring is evolving fast and the organizations that treat recruitment like a core business function will win better talent.
#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitCareers #NonprofitStaffing
Jeffrey R. Wilcox, President and Chief Learning Curator of Third Sector Company, and Nancy Bacon of Nancy Bacon Consulting—provide a timely conversation on interim leadership as a smart business move for nonprofits.
Nancy shares the findings from their recently completed report on Interim Leadership and how it was built through deep listening—town halls, surveys, and focus groups with interim experts across North America—to capture what the field is becoming. The result: a sector-wide definition that positions interim leadership as an intentional, mission-centered intervention at a pivotal moment—built to stabilize operations, guide people through change, and set up the next leader for success.
Jeffrey makes the business case with unmistakable clarity: “Interim is an investment. It is not an expense.” Rather than a temporary human resource fix, the work addresses a major risk facing nonprofits: executive attrition and leadership transitions that aren’t planned. Boards that treat a transition like an emergency hire often trade speed for stability—then pay for it later in culture strain, staff churn, and stalled momentum.
The conversation lifts the role of language in board decision-making. Both guests emphasize that clear expectations reduce fear and prevent “accidental interims” created by rushed succession. Jeffrey shares a simple framework interims consistently bring: clarity, capacity, and confidence—so boards can move forward with shared reality instead of conflicting perceptions.
Finally, the episode widens the lens: interim leadership is expanding beyond coastal hubs, accelerated by COVID-era shifts and virtual capacity, allowing experienced leaders to support rural and smaller communities that need strong nonprofit operations the most.
If your organization is thinking about succession—or avoiding it—this conversation offers a practical, mission-forward way to treat leadership change as a moment to strengthen the business engine behind the mission.
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Nonprofit leaders are staring down a new funding reality and Ben Cooley, CEO of Maxwell and Marie, arrives with the kind of energy that turns anxiety into action. In this conversation, Ben makes the case that “development” is no longer a department it’s a shared posture across the whole organization. When revenue streams shift and donor expectations rise, sustainable growth comes from culture, systems, and a leadership voice that people trust.
Ben draws on his own path scaling a nonprofit from a basement operation to work across 12 countries, with dozens of offices and nearly 1,000 staff. That experience fuels a blunt message for today’s moment: government and institutional funding patterns have changed, high net worth giving is evolving, and donor behavior is more selective than ever. The solution is not panic, it’s diversification and public fundraising strength that can weather storms.
The discussion challenges the way nonprofits talk about donors. Ben and host Julia Patrick point toward a refreshed mindset where supporters increasingly behave like philanthropic investors, expecting clarity, measurable outcomes, and proof of execution. Stories still matter, but numbers and outcomes must become part of everyday language, not just a grant report.
Ben’s rallying call is cultural and operational. “Your resources are in your relationships,” he says, and that means every staff member can contribute to growth. His mantra is simple and powerful: “Everyone needs to be a fundraiser and everyone needs to be a friend raiser.” The conversation also moves into stewardship, where gratitude becomes a strategy, not an afterthought. Ben shares an unforgettable reminder that systems create results, and leadership sets the tone for momentum.
If your organization is wondering how to meet goals in uncertain times, this inspiring convo offers a strong playbook: build rhythms, modernize engagement, prioritize relationship-based growth, and lead with hope that moves people to act.
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Nonprofit financial leaders are being asked to do more with less, manage rising risk, and still advance mission with confidence. Dr. Stephanie Rose-Belcher, COO of JMT Consulting, provides a forward-looking conversation on FinTech forecasts and what nonprofit executives must be preparing for now.
Dr. Rose-Belcher reframes finance as the operational backbone of nonprofit leadership, not a barrier. She opens by addressing cybersecurity, urging leaders to view it as a governance, compliance, and financial responsibility rather than an IT task. “This is not an IT issue. This is an everybody issue,” she explains, placing accountability squarely with executive leadership and boards. With donor data, financial systems, and integrated platforms increasingly interconnected, leaders must treat cyber readiness as an enterprise-wide business risk.
From there, the discussion moves to platform strategy. Rather than promoting a one-size-fits-all solution, Dr. Rose-Belcher challenges nonprofit leaders to take ownership of their technology ecosystem. The responsibility, she explains, is not simply to buy tools, but to understand workflows, integrations, return on investment, and the operational change required to realize value. Finance leaders, often serving as what she calls “accidental technologists,” must either develop this fluency or intentionally bring in expert guidance.
Predictive analytics emerges as a defining leadership capability for 2026. Dr. Rose-Belcher encourages nonprofit financial teams to move beyond static annual budgets toward rolling forecasts and scenario planning. By modeling funding shifts, cost changes, and operational risks throughout the year, finance teams can elevate their role from record-keeping to strategic decision support.
Talent constraints also surface as a pressing leadership challenge. With fewer trained accountants entering the field and nonprofit compensation pressures persisting, leaders must focus on skill development, retention, and creative workforce pipelines. Dr. Rose-Belcher shares how JMT is investing in long-term intern programs to strengthen the sector as a whole.
The episode closes with a powerful leadership message: finance teams must act as strategic partners and educators across the organization. “We consider finance the enabler of the mission, not the blocker,” Dr. Rose-Belcher notes—a mindset shift that can transform silos into shared stewardship.
Keith Mestrich, Senior Advisor of Nonprofit and Foundation Partnerships at Crescent Cares, for a great nonprofit business conversation. As nonprofit leaders step into a new year filled with uncertainty and rapid change, Keith offers a clear message: finance isn’t a back-office function to tolerate—it’s one of the strongest tools a nonprofit has to stay steady, make smarter decisions, and keep programs moving when conditions shift.
Keith shares that early in his nonprofit CFO journey, he drew a firm line about how the role should operate: “As the CFO, I’m a full partner, just like any of your other programmatic partners are.” That idea sets the tone for the discussion. When finance is treated as an equal partner—connected to program strategy, staffing, and planning—leaders gain visibility into what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s sustainable. Keith also explains why finance is often sidelined in the sector: many nonprofit executives rise through program excellence and suddenly inherit budgets, banking, insurance, and reporting—without ever being trained for the business mechanics.
From there, the conversation shifts to technology decisions that can protect both time and dollars. Keith uses a simple example that lands with almost every organization: paper checks. Moving payments and processes into modern systems can increase speed, reduce cost, strengthen tracking, and lower exposure to fraud. He also points to the growing potential of analytical tools and AI to strengthen forecasting—helping leaders anticipate cash-flow pinch points and plan ahead instead of reacting late.
Scenario planning becomes another centerpiece, and Keith keeps it approachable: you don’t have to create a plan for every possible situation. Focus on two major categories—key personnel changes and major financial impacts—and walk through what you would do if something shifted quickly. He emphasizes that this is a management responsibility, while boards should ensure it’s happening and revisited regularly.
Finally, Keith reframes risk management as something that supports confident leadership, not fear. As he puts it, “The bad guys know that our sector isn’t as sharp… They target us.” Reviewing insurance, cyber readiness, and coverage levels isn’t glamorous—but it’s part of protecting the mission with the same care you bring to programs.
#TheNonprofitShow #Nonprofitboards #NonprofitFinance
In 2026, nonprofit finance isn’t just about reporting what happened — it’s about shaping what happens next. Ellie Hume (Regional Director, at Your Part-Time Controller) leasds a forward-facing conversation on financial leadership that starts with one powerful idea: your organization’s strongest advantage is what you choose to control.
If your nonprofit is ready to “spiral up,” this episode offers a finance-and-management playbook that turns mindset into momentum—so you can stay steady, stay strategic, and stay fundable.
Ellie reframes today’s uncertainty—funding volatility, staffing pressure, new compliance expectations—as a call to build resilience through intentional decisions. She challenges leaders to stop relying on “SALI” (Same As Last Year) and instead strengthen revenue diversification: monthly giving programs, new grant relationships, and smarter prospecting that expands beyond familiar funders.
From the finance seat, Ellie makes scenario analysis feel practical and doable. Build multiple budget versions, monitor what’s changing, and be ready to adjust the levers as reality shifts. Financial data becomes fuel for action when it’s used for forecasting and decision-making—not just for looking in the rearview mirror.
The conversation also brings AI down to earth. AI isn’t “coming someday”—it’s already embedded in accounting systems and donor databases. Ellie talks about adopting tools with purpose, using them to reduce administrative drag, increase speed, and free staff to focus on higher-value work. As Ellie puts it: “Control what you can control, and that is your mind and the actions that result from what you want to do.”
Finally, Ellie connects governance, compliance, and cybersecurity to financial stewardship. Cyber risk and fraud are rising, and boards have fiduciary responsibility to protect organizational assets. That means budgeting for safeguards, setting internal guardrails for AI use, and even seeking funding specifically for infrastructure that protects mission delivery.