Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications

Ep 260: How Can Nonprofits Do Better Good? Hint: Doing More Isn’t the Answer.

What if greater nonprofit impact isn’t about doing more? Glennda Testone talks with Better Good author Scott M. Curran about focusing on what works and using what you alr

Ep 259: Nonprofit Unions: What Leaders, Staff, and Boards Need to Know with Bev Tillery

For many nonprofit leaders, unionization can feel deeply personal. Explore the questions, challenges, and realities of nonprofit unionization, and how leaders, staff, and

Ep 258: Burn on vs. Burnout: A Conversation With Jim Collins About What Matters in Life

What if the goal isn’t simply to avoid burnout, but to learn how to burn on? Jim Collins joins Joan Garry to explore why some leaders stay energized for decades, what it

Ep 257: Presence ≠ Power: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Rashad Robinson

Most nonprofits know how to get people to pay attention. Fewer know how to turn that attention into lasting change. In this conversation, Rashad Robinson shares what make

Ep 256: What are Corporate Sponsors Really Looking for From Nonprofits? with Mariah Monique

Some sponsorship conversations turn into long-term partnerships. Others quietly disappear after the first meeting. What's the difference?

Ep 255: Managing Across Generations: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Jason Burlingame

Managing a team that spans five generations isn't a Gen Z problem. It's a leadership challenge. In this episode, I sit down with Jason Burlingame to talk about the workpl

Ep 254: Building Belonging When DEI Feels Like a Four-Letter Word with Dr Kiki Ramsey

I sat down with Dr. Kiki Ramsey, positive psychologist and CEO of the Positive Psychology Coaching and Diversity Institute, to have an honest conversation about DEI that

Ep 253: Still Figuring It Out: An Honest Take on People Pleasing and Leadership

For a long time, Glennda Testone’s people-pleasing nature shaped – and sometimes complicated – her leadership. In this honest, personal solo episode, she shares her journ

Ep 252: CRM Matchmaking: How to Ensure the Right Fit for Your Nonprofit with Julia Gackenbach

Think of finding the right CRM like matchmaking – it takes time, self-awareness, and knowing what you actually need versus what just looks good on paper. Glennda Testone

Ep 251: Reimagining Nonprofits: The Uncomfortable Conversation We Need to Have with Vu Le

What if the rules we’ve built our sector around are actually holding us back? I sat down with author, blogger, and nonprofit rabble-rouser Vu Le to dig into the uncomfort

Ep 250: The Power of Neighbors: A Leadership Story from Minneapolis with Emilia Gonzalez Avalos

When crisis hit Minneapolis, nonprofit leaders and neighbors didn’t wait for rescue. In this episode, Emilia Gonzalez Avalos of Unidos Minnesota shares what it took to bu

Ep 249: Financial Resilience Isn’t Luck – It’s Strategy with Bethany Maki

In a nonprofit, revenue often feels uncertain. But here’s the secret: financial resilience isn’t luck – it’s strategy. In this episode, Glennda Testone and Bethany Maki o

Ep 248: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Simple, Agile, and Real with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford

Strategic planning doesn’t have to be expensive, exhausting, or end up on a shelf. In this episode, Glennda Testone talks with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford of PlanPerfect

Ep 247: A Volunteer’s Guide to Major Donor Conversations with Eileen Opatut

In this episode, I’m joined by my wife Eileen Opatut, a volunteer fundraiser who landed a yes on her first major ask! Together, we break down what actually works and walk

Ep 246: If You Believe Leadership Matters, Prove It!

Nonprofit leaders aren’t burning out because they’re incapable. They’re burning out because we’re not setting them up for success. In this episode, I make the case for wh

Ep 245: Rethinking Leadership in 2026: The Shifts Nonprofit Leaders Need to Make Now

In this episode, Glennda and I reflect on what last year revealed about leadership–and what must change going forward. From adaptive leadership to intentional planning to

Ep 244: The Board Chair–CEO Blueprint: What Every Nonprofit Can Learn from Girl Scouts USA

When the relationship between a board chair and CEO is strong, it can transform an entire organization, but most nonprofit leaders aren’t taught how to build it well. Gir

Ep 243: What 2025 Taught Us About Real Leadership with Darlene Nipper

2025 felt like a year when everything became more and harder. More crises. More fear. More civic strain. More communities under pressure. And yet – more leadership, too.

Ep 242: Think Like a Nonprofit: A Smarter Way to Do Business

Nonprofits aren’t “less than” – they’re labs for modern leadership. I’ll share 8 nonprofit lessons corporate leaders need now.

Ep: 241: Nonprofit Budgets Done Right: Goals Drive and Numbers Follow

Your budget isn’t just rows on a spreadsheet–it tells a story. I’ll explain how a goals-first budgeting process reduces friction, fuels creativity, and helps everyone in