Nonprofit Diaries

Kimberly

The stories that don't make the newsletter.

26 Episodes

"The crazy idea that put our mission on the map...”
11/4/2026
15:19
A young marketer. A big idea. And then... a national spotlight. 🔦Dana pulled off a flash mob to raise awareness for her nonprofit early in her career - and boy, did it work. Hear how she presented the idea, managed the logistics, and caught the eye of a national publication.Her story, and her advice, might inspire you to go big for your next campaign! 🥹Watch the flash mob video 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dCHpCaM7xgConnect with Dana 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarsnyder/Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
“The campaign I loved that flopped…”
10/28/2026
15:08
What do you do when you pour your heart into a fundraising campaign... and it flops? 💔For Maria, she didn't let it bring her down. She shares the Valentine's Day campaign that did not land with her audience and what that taught her about developing appeals, so that years later... she ran the same campaign again with great success.Connect with Maria 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-rio-ethical-fundraising/Learn about Further Together's approach to community-centric fundraising 👉 https://www.gofurthertogether.ca/Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
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"The plot twist I discovered moving from for-profit to nonprofit work...”
10/21/2026
14:53
"We COULD do this... or, I could buy a new lake house." 💰This was a direct quote Ben encountered when speaking to a for-profit business owner about growth.Now that Ben works in the nonprofit sector, he's sharing his observations about how nonprofits approach investment vs. for-profits... and what he's learned might surprise you. 👀Connect with Ben 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsmithee/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"How to navigate bosses behaving badly..."
10/14/2026
13:10
A Nonprofit Diaries favorite is BACK to help you navigate bosses behaving badly!In her first episode, we heard how Cindy's boss ambushed her on a long car ride, and she was so rattled that she forgot to lock her car, which was later stolen.Now, she's spilling the tea on more managers gone rogue..... and offering advice on getting through these moments with your professionalism intact.Connect with Cindy 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindywagman/🔗 Learn more about the Nonprofit Fractionals Network 👉 https://www.nonprofitfractionals.com/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"The advice I stopped giving after I became the executive director...”
10/7/2026
12:32
Advice feels different when you're the one living through it.That's what JB learned when she transitioned from nonprofit consultant to the executive director seat. She shares the realization she made around best practices for board engagement, and how the experience changed her whole approach to advising nonprofit leaders.Connect with JB 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jb-favour/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
“"The awkward wardrobe conversation I wasn’t trained to have...”
9/30/2026
14:39
🫣 It was an awkward conversation no leader wants to have...Early in Jamie’s career, an unexpected wardrobe issue at a fundraising event meant sharing deeply uncomfortable feedback with an employee. Jamie explains how she approached the conversation with care... the question she suggests asking when there's a power dynamic in the room... and the lesson she learned about the quiet loneliness of leadership.Connect with Jamie 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamielynnwilliams/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"The firing that made me build better leadership...”
9/23/2026
14:39
The plan was to spend her career and retire at the nonprofit she loved. But after an unexpected separation, Elizabeth Vahey Smith lost her job, home, community, and sense of direction. 💔She shares how processing that experience guided her down a new path, to help organizations prepare their people to face workplace stress without sacrificing their well-being.Learn about the RISE Capacity Model 👉 https://elizabethvaheysmith.com/rise-capacity-consulting/Connect with Elizabeth 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethvaheysmith/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"The donor experience livestream that didn’t go as planned...”
9/16/2026
14:12
In fundraising... should you go big or go home?David’s team traveled to Thailand with an expensive satellite to give donors a live window into a community celebration. Then the local internet outperformed the equipment, the control room lost control, and the donors starting noticing the chaos. 🫠After this experience... you might be surprised to hear David's advice for fundraisers with big plans for their next donor experience.Connect with David 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/digital-fundraiser/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"The choices I made between mission, marriage and motherhood...”
9/9/2026
14:50
🛑 "I just had to stop apologizing for who I was and what I was trying to do."As a military spouse, mother of three and nonprofit founder & executive director, Michelle is a case study on feeling pressure to be everything to everyone.She shares her approach to balancing her energy between all her passions and how she stays present when it matters.Connect with Michelle 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-baker-lang/Learn about Operation Honor: Rural Salute 🫡 https://www.ohruralsalute.org/✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/
"The unlikely journey from pollution to pineapples...”
9/2/2026
14:55
Ever get that feeling in your gut that you need to make a change?🌎 Kevin acted on that feeling and the world is better for it. 🌎He explains how a chance meeting in Iowa... led him to Guatemala... where he helped clean 4 MILLION pounds of trash from the waterways... before starting a new nonprofit that's helping to reduce waste, support farmers, give local women jobs and create sustainable textiles.If you need inspiration to follow you heart - this listen is for you.Connect with Kevin 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-kuhlow-1b340715/Learn about PINA&KAKAW 🍍 https://www.linkedin.com/company/pina-kakaw✍️ Got your own story to tell? Submit a diary entry to be featured on the podcast 👉 https://bit.ly/4tXt0d6🩷 Connect with our community on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-diaries/

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Nonprofit Diaries

Kimberly

26 Episodes

"The crazy idea that put our mission on the map...”

“The campaign I loved that flopped…”

"The plot twist I discovered moving from for-profit to nonprofit work...”

"How to navigate bosses behaving badly..."

"The advice I stopped giving after I became the executive director...”

“"The awkward wardrobe conversation I wasn’t trained to have...”

"The firing that made me build better leadership...”

"The donor experience livestream that didn’t go as planned...”

"The choices I made between mission, marriage and motherhood...”

"The unlikely journey from pollution to pineapples...”