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Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
Welcome to Small Nonprofit, the podcast designed for leaders, fundraisers, and advocates in the nonprofit sector who want to create real change. We provide small nonprofit organizations with strategies to enhance their fundraising campaigns, improve nonprofit governance, and implement ethical fundraising practices that resonate with today’s values-driven donors.
Hosted by an experienced nonprofit consultant, Maria Rio, this show delves into the unique challenges of nonprofit fundraising and community-centric fundraising, providing tools for donor engagement and major gifts fundraising.
👤 Who Should Listen?
This podcast is perfect for anyone involved in a small nonprofit seeking practical advice on fundraising strategy, nonprofit leadership, and board accountability. Whether you're looking for innovative fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations or trying to create an impact measurement framework that demonstrates your organization’s value, Small Nonprofit is here to guide you.
🎤 Core Topics We Cover
Community-Centric Fundraising: Learn how ethical fundraising practices can strengthen donor relationships, enhance donor engagement, and align your organization with values-based major giving principles. We’ll help you shift from a donor-centric model to one that prioritizes the community.
Systemic Change and Governance: From participatory budgeting to nonprofit board of directors best practices, we explore how to navigate the nonprofit industrial complex and embrace structures that foster diversity in nonprofit leadership and board accountability.
Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Tackle topics such as nonprofit burnout prevention and learn how to cultivate a healthy, anti-oppressive work culture that supports your team’s well-being.
Nonprofit Storytelling: Understand how to measure your nonprofit’s effectiveness through nonprofit impact measurement strategies and leverage nonprofit storytelling to create compelling narratives that attract donors.
📣 Engaging Conversations and Real-World Advice
In each episode, we bring you insights from experts in fundraising consulting, nonprofit grant writing, and capital campaign strategies. From interviews with fractional fundraisers and major gift officers to deep dives on fundraising tips and innovative fundraising ideas, we offer actionable advice that you can implement immediately to strengthen your organization’s impact.
💰 Learn How to Build a Sustainable Nonprofit
Every nonprofit leader faces the challenge of achieving financial sustainability. Our episodes address critical fundraising strategies for nonprofit organizations, providing insights on volunteer management, capacity building, and nonprofit marketing strategy. Gain access to tools that help you execute successful fundraising campaigns and build a foundation for long-term growth.
🤝 Join the Movement for Systemic Change
At The Small Nonprofit, we’re committed to transforming the nonprofit sector from the ground up. Our focus on systemic change and community-centric fundraising aligns with our mission to support nonprofits in creating equitable, sustainable communities. By addressing topics like values-based decision making and nonprofit transparency, we’re working to build a more ethical, inclusive sector.
❤️ Stay Connected
Subscribe to Small Nonprofit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform. Don’t miss an episode as we explore everything from fundraising tips to nonprofit social media strategy, and learn how you can become a stronger advocate for your organization’s mission.
Small Nonprofit: Fundraising Tips, Leadership Strategies, and Community-Centric Solutions
4-Day Week: Real Results of Implementing
A four-day work week is not a gimmick. Done right, it can reduce burnout, stabilize output, and help you keep great people. Our guest today shares that after two years of doing a 4-day work week model, they saw a 46% increase in staff morale and wellbeing. This is only one of the many amazing benefits Imagine Canada has seen!
In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Jodene Baker, Vice President of Research, Advocacy and External Relations at Imagine Canada. Jodene oversees national research and policy efforts supporting Canada’s nonprofit sector. Imagine Canada also builds tools like Grant Connect and advocates federally to strengthen the sector. Maria and Jodene discuss the challenges of starting, decent work practices, and how to measure the unmeasurable.
4-Day Work Week for Nonprofits - The Highlights:
- Why try a four-day week in the first place
The sector is stretched: lower average pay, rising demand, and chronic burnout. Imagine Canada saw the same internal pressures and chose to test a four-day week to improve staff wellbeing and retention while holding impact. - Their model is 100 percent pay, 80 percent time, 100 percent outcomes
Imagine Canada works Monday to Thursday and closes Fridays. There is no pay cut and no compressed schedule. This pilot began in January 2023 and is now extended through 2026. It remains a pilot so they can keep measuring and adjust if needed. - Preparation made the shift workable
They joined the Four Day Week Global pilot, created a cross-functional staff group, set clear goals, and defined success metrics. They also cleaned up calendars:- Audited and shortened meetings
- Made Monday afternoons meeting-free internally
- Blocked Fridays well in advance to build the habit
- Measured results: wellbeing up, sick days down, impact stable
They track roughly 50 metrics across wellbeing, productivity, and outputs. - Recruitment and retention improved
Candidates now cite the four-day week as a reason to apply. Staff attrition has dropped exponentially.
🎧 Listen to more episodes for actionable fundraising tips and insights on nonprofit leadership, nonprofit governance, productivity & tools, and donor engagement strategies that work. We're here to eliminate nonprofit burnout and boost your donations!
✨ Key Quote
“The four day work week is a tactic - to help tackle wellbeing and equity challenges without needing to increase wages.” – Jodene Baker
4-Day Work Week for Nonprofits: 3 Actionable Tips:
- Do a calendar cleanse before you change schedules
Remove or shorten recurring meetings. Pilot a no internal meetings block on Friday and a second block on Monday afternoon. This builds focus time, reduces context switching, and makes a four day schedule realistic. - Decide your goals and metrics first
Be clear about what you want to improve and what must be protected. Examples: morale, sick days, turnover, core outputs, donor response times. Build a simple dashboard, survey staff, and review quarterly. - Adapt the model to your operating reality
Frontline or high-access orgs can stagger schedules: Team A works Mon-Thu and Team B works Tue-Fri. You can also test summer Fridays, rotating days, or a 9-day fortnight. Pair any schedule with decent work practices like personal days, clear sick leave, and paid PD. The goal is capacity and wellbeing, not a rigid recipe.