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Serving the nonprofit sector is a privilege. Leading a nonprofit organization is, (in my opinion), one of life’s greatest joys. And one of life’s greatest sources of heartburn. Where else can you both provide a critical service to your community and fill a key need in your market? While, simultaneously, be asked to work miracles on a shoestring budget and perform the roles of CEO and chief bottle washer. My podcast, that’s where.
Join me, Kari Anderson, as I share my take on the nonprofit sector. In my 20+ years serving as a nonprofit Executive Director, I saw just about everything, and didn’t think I could be surprised. From bad board behavior to fundraising successes, well-meaning donors to entitled staff, no-show volunteers to successful community partnerships…I’ve got a story to tell!
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, breaks down the complexities of organizing special events for nonprofits. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Kari offers her insights on how to effectively set goals, increase revenue, and convert event attendees into long-term donors.
Kari addresses the common hesitations nonprofits have about special events, such as staff hours, return on investment, and lack of planning. She provides practical advice on how to overcome these challenges and make your events successful and beneficial for your organization.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Setting and Achieving Event Goals: Learn the importance of setting clear goals for your event, whether it’s for fundraising, marketing, or education. Kari emphasizes the need to align your event with your mission and target audience to maximize its impact.
Generating More Revenue: Discover strategies to boost revenue at your events, including leveraging sponsorships, engaging in friendly competition, and utilizing peer-to-peer fundraising. Kari shares tips on how to make giving easy and fun for attendees.
Converting Event Attendees to Donors: Gain insights into how to engage with attendees during and after the event to turn them into long-term supporters. Kari offers tips on building connections, acknowledging contributions, and following up promptly to maintain engagement.
Kari also discusses the importance of evaluating your event’s success by setting metrics and gathering feedback from all involved parties. She encourages nonprofit leaders to continuously improve their events by freshening ideas and adapting to their audience’s needs.
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting shares her favorite technology tools to help streamline nonprofit operations. With 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now offers coaching and consulting services to ensure nonprofits have the right structure, systems, and practices to excel.
Kari dives into the importance of using technology in nonprofit work and offers three key takeaways for integrating tech tools effectively:
Key Episode Takeaways:
Value of Technology: Technology can help your nonprofit operate more efficiently and effectively. Kari emphasizes the importance of budgeting for the right tools to enhance your operations.
Assess Your Needs: Before investing in any product or platform, perform a technology assessment to understand what your organization truly needs. Kari offers advice on how to connect technology decisions to your strategic plan and long-term growth.
Training and Usage: Once you’ve invested in technology, it’s crucial to train your team and ensure the tools are used effectively. Kari discusses how to avoid the common pitfall of underutilizing new tech.
Kari also shares her top tech tools:
Sharecard: A digital business card tool that simplifies building connections and managing contact information.
Bitly: A URL shortening and customization tool that now includes a link-in-bio feature, useful for nonprofits on social media.
Boomerang: A CRM tool with excellent communication features, training support, and a mobile app for donor management.
Motion: A scheduling tool that helps prioritize tasks and limit meetings, boosting time management.
17 Hats: An appointment scheduling tool perfect for nonprofits that book appointments.
Board Management Software: Kari highlights the value of board management tools, especially for long-term board growth.
Constant Contact: An email management platform that allows segmentation and personalization for more effective communication.
QuickBooks: Essential accounting software to replace outdated methods like spreadsheets and sticky notes.
Resource Links:
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, shares critical insights on adopting successful business strategies within nonprofit organizations. With over 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now focuses on coaching and consulting to help nonprofits build robust structures, systems, and practices.
Kari tackles the reasons why many nonprofits struggle or fail and provides actionable strategies that nonprofits can adopt from the for-profit sector to improve their operations and impact.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Kari also delves into practical strategies nonprofits can adopt, such as:
Kari emphasizes the importance of being accessible and transparent with stakeholders, including donors, partners, employees, and the community. She encourages nonprofit leaders to prioritize decision-making that balances immediate needs with long-term sustainability.
Resource Links:
Visit her website at Incite Consulting Group.
In Episode 19 of Kari’s Confessions, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, delves into the essential practice of creating a fund development plan. With 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now provides coaching and consulting services to ensure nonprofits have the structure, systems, and practices to excel.
Kari emphasizes the importance of having a concrete fund development plan to ensure financial resiliency. She provides a comprehensive guide to creating such a plan, highlighting the key elements and steps involved.
Key Episode Takeaways:
The Importance of a Fund Development Plan: Kari explains why having a written plan, rather than just ideas in your head, is crucial for financial resiliency. She underscores the significance of developing a plan that involves key staff and board members.
Understanding the Current State of Giving: Kari discusses the Giving USA 2024 report, which shows that charitable giving in 2023 reached an estimated $557.16 billion. Despite the challenges posed by inflation, the data highlights the resilience of charitable giving.
Fundraising vs. Development Work: Kari challenges traditional views on fundraising and development, explaining that fundraising is about raising money, while development focuses on growth and building authentic donor relationships. She encourages nonprofits to adopt a 360-degree approach to cultivate, ask, and thank donors.
Creating a Culture of Philanthropy: A true fund development plan helps create a culture of philanthropy within the organization, prioritizing fundraising and aligning it with the overall strategic goals.
Engaging the Board: Involving the board in the planning process ensures organizational accountability and helps the board understand the role of fund development in achieving the organization’s mission.
Steps to Creating a Fund Development Plan:
Start with an Assessment: Conduct a SWOT analysis to evaluate current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Develop a Case Statement: Create a compelling argument to support your organization and programs. This internal document can be used for proposals, speeches, and publicity.
Identify Funding Opportunities: Map out potential funding sources and prospects, focusing on areas for growth and partnership opportunities.
Setting SMART Goals:
Specific: Clearly define your goals.
Measurable: Ensure goals are quantifiable.
Achievable: Set realistic targets.
Relevant: Align goals with your mission.
Time-Bound: Set deadlines for completion.
Resource Links:
In Episode 18 of Kari’s Confessions, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, focuses on the crucial practice of a mid-year check-in. With 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now provides coaching and consulting services to ensure nonprofits have the structure, systems, and practices to excel.
Kari emphasizes the importance of evaluating progress and setting realistic goals for the remainder of the year. She provides a structured approach to conducting a mid-year check-in, ensuring nonprofits stay on track and achieve their objectives.
Key Episode Takeaways:
The Importance of Pausing for a Mid-Year Check-In: Kari explains why it’s essential to pause and evaluate progress, not only individually but also with your team. This reflection helps in understanding what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done.
Assessing Financial Health and Strategic Priorities: Learn how to revisit your budget, address funding gaps, and reprioritize tasks. Kari highlights the importance of pulling out your strategic plan, utilizing board meetings for updates, and ensuring strategic priorities are shared team goals.
Communicating Impact and Engaging Stakeholders: Mid-year is an excellent time to connect with donors, volunteers, and partners. Kari shares tips on gathering stories, metrics, and other tools to demonstrate your organization’s impact and build excitement about future goals.
Reviewing Fundraising Campaigns and Stewardship Plans: Evaluate your remaining campaigns, set timelines, address technology needs, and ensure effective donor engagement. Kari stresses the importance of showing appreciation to donors throughout the year to make end-of-year asks more comfortable.
Revisiting Policies, Procedures, and Staff Engagement: Ensure your bylaws and policies are up-to-date, reengage board and staff members, and celebrate their contributions. Kari encourages one-on-one meetings with board members and social gatherings for staff to acknowledge their hard work.
Examining Time Management and Personal Growth: Reflect on your own schedule, prioritize strategic goals, and assess your personal development. Kari suggests attending nonprofit association conferences to further develop skills.
Taking Vacation Time and Preventing Burnout: Kari highlights the importance of taking time off and addressing burnout proactively.
Setting SMART Goals:
Specific: Clearly define your goals.
Measurable: Ensure goals are quantifiable.
Achievable: Set realistic targets.
Relevant: Align goals with your mission.
Time-Bound: Set deadlines for completion.
Resource Links:
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, shares invaluable marketing tips tailored for nonprofits. With 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now provides coaching and consulting services to ensure that nonprofits have the structure, systems, and practices to excel.
Kari emphasizes the importance of a cohesive communications and marketing strategy, regardless of the size of your organization. She discusses the challenges of piecemeal marketing efforts and the necessity of having a unified approach to prevent inconsistent messaging and confusion among stakeholders.
Key Episode Takeaways:
The Importance of Email Segmentation: Learn how to segment your donors effectively to customize messaging and improve engagement. Kari highlights the benefits of using donor software platforms and provides tips for defining your audience based on various donor traits.
Tips to Make Your Emails Pop: Discover essential tips for creating compelling and mobile-friendly emails. Kari shares statistics and insights on the effectiveness of personalized emails and the importance of regular, intentional communication.
Website Checklist: Ensure your website is user-friendly, transparent, and inclusive. Kari offers a checklist to make your website a powerful tool for engagement, including the importance of having an easily accessible donation page, listing staff and board members, and following accessibility guidelines.
Kari underscores the importance of marketing in creating awareness about your mission, building a network of advocates, and deepening relationships with supporters. She encourages nonprofit leaders to start where they are and implement one or two actionable tips from the episode to enhance their marketing strategy.
Resource Links:
Nonprofit Tech for Good: https://www.nptechforgood.com
HubSpot on Email Marketing: https://www.hubspot.com
Follow Kari on your favorite streaming platforms, including YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
For additional resources on organizational storytelling and tools, follow Kari on
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting explores the art of storytelling within nonprofit organizations. With 25 years of experience in leadership roles across seven organizations, Kari now provides coaching and consulting services to ensure nonprofits like yours have the structure, systems, and practices to do their best work.
Kari discusses the significance of storytelling and why our brains are wired to love stories. She offers practical tips for gathering stories that resonate and provides insights on effectively communicating these stories to engage your audience. Kari emphasizes the importance of making storytelling a part of your organizational culture and using a variety of mediums to share your stories.
Key Episode Takeaways:
1. Why Our Brain Loves Stories: Understanding the neurological basis for why stories are so compelling and how this relevance applies to your nonprofit’s communication.
2. Tips for Gathering Resonant Stories: Strategies for identifying and capturing powerful moments that can form the foundation of impactful stories.
3. Effective Storytelling: Key elements to remember when crafting stories include knowing your audience, following a clear structure, and incorporating calls to action.
Kari invites you to reflect on your favorite book and its impact on you. She illustrates how powerful stories can inspire action and build connections. She encourages nonprofit leaders to pause and think about how their organizations can tell compelling stories that resonate with their communities.
Follow Kari on your favorite streaming platforms, including YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
For additional resources on organizational storytelling and tools, follow Kari on
In this episode, Kari Anderson, a seasoned nonprofit executive and principal at Incite! Consulting, takes on the crucial topic of transparency within nonprofit organizations. Kari shares her wisdom on why transparency matters and offers practical tips for enhancing your organization’s transparency. She emphasizes the importance of building trust with donors, partners, and stakeholders by being open and honest about your operations. Kari also discusses the impact of achieving the GuideStar seal of transparency and how it can significantly boost your nonprofit’s credibility and funding. Tune in to learn actionable steps you can take today to improve your organization’s transparency and strengthen your relationships with your community.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Resource Links
Implementing these transparency tips to enhance trust and performance in your nonprofit!
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, analyzes the crucial topic of budgeting as a collaborative effort within nonprofit organizations. With over 25 years of experience, Kari emphasizes that effective budgeting cannot be a solo endeavor—it requires the collective involvement of key figures such as the board chair, executive director, and board treasurer. She demystifies the budgeting process, explaining it as a vital planning tool that tracks expenses and revenues, shaping the organization’s strategic decisions. This episode is packed with practical advice, aiming to equip nonprofit leaders with the understanding and tools necessary to foster budget adherence and accountability through team involvement.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, shares her wealth of knowledge gained from 25 years in nonprofit leadership to help other nonprofit executives enhance their financial management skills. This episode focuses on the pivotal theme of financial readiness, which Kari describes as the backbone of organizational growth and sustainability. She outlines the elements of a comprehensive financial readiness assessment, stressing the importance of budgets that reflect an organization’s mission and priorities. Kari also discusses the prerequisites for securing and effectively using grant funding, emphasizing the need for solid internal foundations and diverse funding streams to attract confident grantors. She also tackles the topic of cost management, encouraging nonprofits to conduct thorough cost analyses to ensure they’re maximizing their financial resources for greater impact. This episode is an invaluable resource for nonprofit leaders looking to deepen their financial understanding and drive their organizations toward long-term success.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, shares the essentials of assembling and nurturing an engaged nonprofit board. She brings her 25 years of expertise to the forefront, offering a detailed roadmap for nonprofit leaders. From the initial steps of board recruitment to fostering deep connections through board retreats and recognition, Kari lays out the foundation for a robust board dynamic. Learn how clear communication, respect for time, and celebrating milestones can transform your board into a cohesive and motivated team. This episode is perfect for any leader looking to elevate their nonprofit’s governance and create an atmosphere of active participation and shared success.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, dives deep into the challenging waters of navigating poor nonprofit board behavior. With her extensive 25-year experience in the nonprofit sector, Kari sheds light on the common pitfalls and disruptive behaviors that board members can exhibit, from absenteeism to conflict avoidance. More importantly, she offers practical advice and actionable strategies for nonprofit leaders, particularly executive directors and board chairs, to address and mitigate these issues. By exploring the root causes of such behavior and introducing methods for fostering a positive and productive board culture, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to strengthen their nonprofit organization’s leadership and governance.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, explores the importance of rethinking leadership roles, developing key leadership traits, and the significance of continuous leadership discussions in organizations. Whether you are a seasoned leader or aspiring to be one, this episode offers valuable insights into fostering growth, resilience, and sustainability in nonprofit leadership. Join Kari as she shares her journey and lessons learned, providing listeners with the tools and motivation to enhance their leadership skills and make a lasting impact in their organizations.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, provides essential tools, feedback, and advice aimed at fostering leadership within nonprofit organizations. This episode covers the critical aspects of effective organizational leadership, the empowerment of staff, and the creation of an inclusive workplace culture. Tune in to discover actionable strategies for retaining employees, building a bench of future leaders, and ensuring your nonprofit thrives through leadership transitions and growth.
Key Episode Takeaways:
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, reveals evaluation techniques for nonprofits and shares invaluable insights on how to capture data that truly matters to evaluate your success effectively. This episode is a gold mine of advice on why gathering and evaluating data is essential for any nonprofit, how to determine what metrics you should be tracking, and the evaluation tools that can help you without breaking the bank. Whether you’re a small and mighty organization or a sprawling entity, Kari’s expert guidance from her 25-year nonprofit career will help make data collection and evaluation less overwhelming and more impactful for achieving your mission.
Key Episode Takeaways:
On this episode of “Karis Confessions,” Kari Anderson, a nonprofit executive and founder of Incite! Consulting, shares the art of effective goal setting for nonprofit leaders. With her 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Kari shares invaluable insights and practical strategies to help you redefine goal setting in a way that aligns with your mission and fosters growth. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone in the nonprofit world looking to start the new year with clear, achievable, and impactful goals. Whether you’re leading a team of one or twenty, Kari’s advice on flexibility, adaptability, and honesty in goal setting will empower you to propel your nonprofit forward.
Key Episode Takeaways:
Dec 31, 2023
In this episode of ‘Karis Confessions,’ Kari Anderson, delves into the crucial task of preparing for staff reviews in the nonprofit sector. Kari shares valuable insights on the importance of effective staff reviews for organizational success. She discusses the shortcomings of traditional review methods, as indicated by recent Gallup poll statistics, and emphasizes the need for ongoing communication, goal setting, and feedback for staff performance improvement. Kari also provides practical advice on structuring one-on-one meetings, conducting self-evaluations, and handling difficult conversations. Her expert guidance is aimed at helping nonprofit leaders create a more transparent and motivational review process, fostering employee growth and organizational development.
Key Episode Takeaways:
– The necessity of preparation for effective staff reviews.
– Insights from a Gallup poll highlighting the ineffectiveness of traditional review methods.
– The importance of ongoing communication and feedback for staff performance.
– Strategies for setting and achieving performance goals collaboratively.
– Tips for conducting productive one-on-one meetings and quarterly reviews.
– The value of self-evaluations and 360 reviews for comprehensive feedback.
– Techniques for delivering specific, empathetic, and constructive feedback.
Enhance your team’s performance and growth. Contact Kari Anderson for resources on crafting effective performance reviews, and don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast for more valuable insights into nonprofit leadership.
December 17, 2023
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, delves into the vital dynamics of the relationship between an executive director and a board chair in nonprofit organizations. Drawing from her extensive experience, Kari discusses the importance of staying in one’s professional lane, shares tips for fostering effective relationships, and emphasizes teamwork for organizational success. She recounts personal experiences, including a pivotal moment with a mentor, to highlight the critical role of open communication and trust in these partnerships. This episode is a must-listen for anyone in the nonprofit sector seeking to strengthen their leadership and organizational impact.
Key Episode Takeaways
December 3, 2023
In this episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” Kari Anderson, dives deep into the crucial topic of Fund Development Planning. As we navigate the complexities of budget cycles in the fall season, Kari emphasizes the importance of aligning revenue generation with organizational missions. She concisely breaks down what Fund Development Planning truly entails, going beyond mere fundraising to strategy development and donor engagement. Kari also highlights the critical role of board involvement in this process, ensuring board buy-in and support. With her expertise, Kari transforms the often-daunting task of fund development into an approachable and strategic endeavor, essential for the sustainability of any nonprofit organization.
Key Episode Takeaways
Nov 19, 2023
In this enlightening episode, Kari Anderson explores the art of maximizing year-end appeals in the nonprofit sector. Discover the secrets to making November and December your most lucrative fundraising months. We delve deep into the strategic planning necessary for a successful campaign, emphasizing the importance of ‘planning backwards’ for optimal impact. Gain invaluable insights on the most effective tools and techniques to engage donors and drive donations.
Plus, Kari shares essential tips on maintaining meaningful relationships with your donors, ensuring their continued support. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the nonprofit world, this episode is your go-to guide for setting and achieving realistic, data-driven fundraising goals. Tune in to transform your year-end appeal and make a lasting impact!
Key Episode Takeaways
In this episode, Kari Anderson, emphasizes the importance of understanding that a nonprofit budget is not just a spreadsheet filled with numbers; it’s a strategic tool that plays a pivotal role in organizational success.
Throughout the episode, Kari shares insights on why proficient budgeting matters, how to make it a collaborative team effort, and the significance of starting the budgeting process early. She emphasizes the need for consistency in your approach and the importance of being realistic when estimating revenue and expenses. Kari also advocates for professional development funds, not only for staff but also for board members, highlighting their crucial role in your organization’s success.
Key Takeaways:
1. Nonprofit budgeting is more than numbers; it’s a strategic tool.
2. Proficient budgeting informs decisions and enhances donor engagement.
3. Budgeting is a collaborative team sport involving your board.
4. Start early and maintain consistency in your budgeting approach.
5. Allocate funds for board member professional development to enhance their contribution to your organization’s success.
Welcome to the very first episode of “Kari’s Confessions,” the podcast where the curtain on the world of nonprofit leadership is peeled back. In this inaugural episode you’re invited to explore the core responsibilities of an executive director. Whether you’re a seasoned nonprofit professional or just embarking on your journey in the sector, understanding the intricacies of this role is essential.
The episode delves into the five fundamental areas every executive director should excel in, regardless of the organization’s size:
1. Board Support: As an executive director, one is accountable to the entire board while reporting to the board chair. The episode offers insights into navigating this relationship effectively.
2. Staff and Volunteer Coaching: Whether managing a small team or a multitude of volunteers, effective coaching and engagement strategies are discussed to empower your workforce.
3. Fundraising: The chief fundraiser for the organization, the episode explores the development of a diversified fund development plan to maintain financial stability.
4. Community Outreach and Engagement: The role extends beyond the boardroom, with tips on effective communication and outreach strategies.
5. Administrative Functions: Managing payroll, databases, and finances is crucial for the organization’s success, though often less glamorous.
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on these core responsibilities in their own nonprofit journey. Are there additional responsibilities unique to their organization? Are they clear on their role as an executive director? And where do they need extra support?
The episode also touches on the nonprofit lifecycle, aiding listeners in identifying where their organization stands and what challenges they might face.
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