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COVID

Yes, you need Julia Patrick’s 5 tips for annual nonprofit planning

#031 – Today I am speaking with Julia Patrick.  Julia is the founder of the American Nonprofit Academy.  Her mission is to bring education, leadership, connectivity and collaboration to the nonprofit community.  She produces and hosts the nation’s ONLY daily 30 minute nonprofit broadcast called The Nonprofit Show. She interviews nonprofit leaders from around the country and world.  There are almost 500 episodes in the archive.

Julia shares that funders are looking for financial commitments from your board.

“what percentage of your board is financially invested in your organization?”

“Newsflash, if it’s NOT 100%, then you’re going to lose some funding. And that doesn’t necessarily mean huge amounts of money. It could be a hundred dollars, it could be $10, but that is something that funders across this country are looking at.”

She adds that you can be creative by scholarshiping younger board members who may not be able to meet the financial hurdle.

Check out the American Nonprofit Academy at – 

americannonprofitacademy.com

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Resources

  • Website
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Boardable

4 Key Takeaways  

#1 Be organized.  Have all of your meetings defined and scheduled for at least 12 months out;

#2 Most funders are asking the question what percentage of your board is financially invested in your organization? If it’s not a hundred percent, then you’re going to lose some funding opportunities;

#3 The same people get asked to to join these boards so you’re probably going to hear a lot of nos before you hear yeses; AND

#4 The pandemic has forced overdue changes in the nonprofit world.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:13] There are about 1.8 million non-profits registered in this country. AND a lot more unregistered.
[3:02] Fiduciary responsibility of board members.
[3:27] Understand board responsibilities.
[4:00] Have a board liaison.
[4:23] Have all of your meetings scheduled out for 1 year.
[4:45] Understand the Give or Get Policy.
[5:50] Most funders are asking if board members are financially committed to the organization.
[6:38] Board Portal.
[8:13] The importance of DEI.
[10:36] Most grant applications ask if board members are financially committed to the org.
[12:08] Consider scholarshipping the Give or Get.
[13:57] Many boards are missing representation from the communities that they serve.
[15:58] You’re going to get a lot of NOs before you get YESSES.
[18:20] What have you learned from the pandemic?
[23:55] How to find Julia.

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GroupFinity

Posted in PodcastTagged 501c3, COVID, fundraising, non profit, nonprofit, relationship building, Strategy, The nonprofit show

4 Nonprofit Branding Strategy Questions Every Nonprofit Should Be Asking

#030 – Today I am speaking with Maura Fitzpatrick.  Maura is a nonprofit consultant, specializing in brand messaging and marketing strategy for nonprofit founders.  Her superpower is helping nonprofits communicate their mission in a way that feels authentic to them and compelling their donors, service users, and volunteers.

Maura says that one of the keys to effective branding and marketing is you have to develop personas for your target audience – your audience should feel like you’re talking to them. Maura smartly tells us

“…if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one”. 

Check out Maura’s services on her website – 

https://www.maurafitzpatrick.com

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Resources

  • Website
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • This is Marketing – Seth Godin
  • Design Kit

4 Key Takeaways  

#1 Avoid mission creep – focus on one thing you’re doing and do it well before you start expanding;

#2 Who’s your target audience like specifically, an actual person or persona – if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one;

#3 Most of your content should not be asking for donations. Most of your content should be establishing authority as the expert in what you’re doing; AND

#4 You have to build trust and credibility with your community, and that takes branding and marketing.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:30] When people struggle with articulating their mission, they have disorganized thoughts.
[2:40] Describing your work comes down to 4 basic questions.
[3:50] It’s like an elevator pitch.
[6:10] My brand is cutting people off and cutting through the mission creep.
[7:52] What is the overarching theme in what you do?
[9:10] Big Aha moments.
[9:23] If you’re for everyone, you’re for no one.
[10:21] Know your audience.
[10:48] Creating your ideal persona.
[15:27] What kind of buy-in do you need to carry out your mission?
[16:29] Go where they are.
[17:08] Be consistent on one or a few platforms vs being on every platform.
[18:25] Just because you’re a good cause does not mean you are a good solution.
[20:10] Relationship building is a long game.
[24:43] Give more than you’re asking for.
[26:10] Potential donors will look you up to see if you’re legit.
[28:58] Maura raised $100k + for a nonprofit that had never raised more than $25k.
[32:13] How to find Maura.

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GroupFinity

Posted in PodcastTagged 4 questions, 501c3, Best nonprofit branding, Branding, Checklist, COVID, fundraising, Marketing, new non profit, nonprofit, Nonprofit branding checklist, Nonprofit branding strategy, Nonprofit Leaders, Persona, relationship building, social media, Strategy

The Real Life Nonprofit Social Media Marketing Strategies of Julia Campbell, who swears by the Funky Grandma

#029 – Today I am speaking with Julia Campbell.  Julia is a Speaker, Author, Nonprofit Consultant and self proclaimed Activist.  She started the recycling program in her middle school when she was just in the 6th grade.  She started her business 11 years ago to help more nonprofits figure out the digital age.  Today, she shares her nonprofit social media marketing ideas that can be used by both beginners and pros alike.

“…stop thinking of social media as a transactional tool and really start thinking of it as a community building tool. It is not a money spigot you can just turn on. It is not an ATM…. 

….social media is a value exchange. People give you their time and attention and you give them something of value to them. So to build, start building a social media community, you have to know who is in your community and who do you want to attract to your community”.

Social media is Julia’s super power, but she also offers resources on:  

1 Storytelling

2 Fundraising AND

3 Email Marketing

Check out Julia’s resources on her website – https://jcsocialmarketing.com/

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Resources

  • Website
  • Books
  • Courses
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

4 Key Takeaways  

#1 Social media is NOT a transactional tool; it is a community building one;

#2 Social media is a place where you educate your audience and get them excited about what you do;

#3 Your message and content has to be strategically crafted for each channel; AND

#4 The 90-9-1 Rule: 90% of users are lurkers, 9% contribute a little, 1% contribute A LOT!

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:00] Social Media is your front door
[2:52] Stop thinking of social media as a transactional tool
[3:19] Social Media is a value exchange
[4:00] Be clear on your goals
[5:02] Give more than you get
[5:35] Social Media is a place to start a 2-way conversation
[7:03] Don't focus on the tool first
[9:45] Start experimenting
[10:57] You need to strategically craft your message for each channel
[12:14] You have to understand each channel
[12:55] 90-9-1 Rule
[14:24] Curse of Knowledge
[16:38] The FUNKY GRANDMA
[18:52] Get niche and granular in identifying your target audience
[20:50] Be clear on your social media policies
[22:38] One of Julia's success stories

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GroupFinity

Posted in PodcastTagged 501c3, COVID, Email Marketing, Facebook, Funding, fundraising, Instagram, Marketing, new non profit, nonprofit, Nonprofit Leaders, social media, Storytelling, Twitter, Value Exchange

A few secrets everyone should know before starting a new nonprofit organization – with Gigi Lawrence

#027 – Today I am speaking with Gigi Lawrence. Gigi founded Nonprofit for Newbies,  a consulting and networking community, to help people start new nonprofits.  Gigi is a mompreneur who started off in the financial consulting world, but didn’t feel fulfilled. She knew she wanted to help others, but was unsure how.  After she took a job as a nonprofit financial literacy program director she knew she had found her calling.  Gigi says….

“If your foundation isn’t structured correctly and you don’t know how to explain your process. You don’t know how to explain your programs in a way that others are going to understand and be motivated to move forward with those services or that program and being involved…..

…you have to be able to sell yourself, sell your organization, and in order to sell it, you have to know what you’re selling and you have to believe in it.”

Nonprofit for Newbies either advises or refers “newbies” to one of the independent contractors in their network on:

  1. Starting their nonprofit
  2. Grant writing
  3. Writing their business plan
  4. Fundraising
  5. Marketing
  6. Accounting
  7. Board Development, and
  8. Mindset

As of this interview, her Facebook Group has over 10k members.

Gigi has a ton of free resources on her website

https://www.nonprofitfornewbies.com/social

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Resources

  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • Voices of Color

4 Key Takeaways  

#1 Be able to clearly explain your programs and what you do.

#2 Get board members who will help you execute your mission.

#3 Have people you are serving represented on your board.

#4 Get local high school or college students to help with your social media at little or no cost.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.  

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[3:45] We have a vetted consultant netwrok
[5:30] It comes down to getting your foundation right....
[7:20] Most questions I get when people start
[8:12] Considerations when forming your board
[11:40] Have representation on your board
[12:40] Changes since the pandemic
[15:30] Use college students to help with social media
[16:45] Focus on the tasks that are a good use of your time
[17:27] Make sure you spend some time budgeting
[19:33] Voices of Color
[20:51] How Gigi got started

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GroupFinity

Posted in PodcastTagged 501c3, Accounting, Board Development, Budgeting, community, COVID, Foundations, Funding, fundraising, grant writing, Grants, Marketing, new non profit, nonprofit

What every PTO volunteer ought to know about starting, maintaining, and fundraising for a parent-teacher organization – with Sandy Pfau Englund.

#023 – Today I am speaking with Sandy Pfau Englund.  Sandy is a skilled nonprofit and tax law attorney.  When parents at her kids’ elementary school recognized her articles, she was recruited to join the PTO.

The PTO did not have its own EIN – it was using the schools.  Nor did it have tax exempt status.  If you named the list of errors, it was making all of them.

“It was overwhelming for the other volunteers. That’s why I got recruited. You don’t have someone that does tax exempt and non-profit law that’s the mom of the kids in your elementary school.  It’s not just an everyday thing.”

That led her to start Parent Booster USA – to help PTAs, PTOs, booster clubs, and chapters remain in compliance with the IRS and state regulators.  She wanted to make it easy – at least more accessible for groups to keep up with these regulations.

She has a ton of free resources – her policy is that “for every paid service, we have to have a do it yourself guide” so that if someone wants to be a weekend warrior, they can.

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Resources

Parent Booster USA

My RENOSI

Book – School Fundraising – So Much More than Cookie Dough

Amazon Smile

4 Key Takeaways  

#1 Don’t decide who can give and who can’t – let them decide for themselves if they can give or not;

#2 To be eligible for grants, you need to make sure your registration is up to date;

#3 There is no such thing as a tax deductible, Christmas Tree or anything else – if buyer is getting something of value, you need to identify that value for them; AND

#4 Fundraising benefits need to be for the WHOLE group, not for only one individual.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[3:48] Members have hung in and done a little bit of online fundraising, if they could.
[5:18] Can we just disband for a year and then come back?
[5:45] What are the burning questions are you getting?
[6:40] Be transparent with you donors...
[8:31] You can't use 501(c)(3) for personal gifts/benefits...
[9:46] Don't be afraid to fundraise in tough times.
[12:18] Leave the funding decision to the donor...
[18:44] States are getting more aggressive with compliance.
[19:35] For every paid service, we offer a DIY guide.
[20:49] I want to make it easy...
[21:19] Information drain when leadership turns over...
[22:07] IRS letter shows up and we don't know what to do...
[23:23] There is no such thing as a tax deductible Christmas Tree.
[24:00] Booster club participation and donations can't be mandatory
[25:10] Benefits have to be for the whole group, not just one member...
[28:00] Best practices is to cover big expenses that benefit the entire group.
[30:12] It should not be this hard

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GroupFinity

Posted in PodcastTagged 501c3, Band, Booster, Chapter, Club, COVID, DIY, Do it yourself, Filings, fundraising, Graduation, IRS, MyRENOSI, nonprofit, Parent Booster, PTA, PTO, Registrations, School, Sports, State Registration
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