Nonprofit Growth: How to Scale a Volunteer-Powered Nonprofit to 300+ Chapters - Luke Mickelson, Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Michael Medoro says nonprofit coalition building works when partners stay grounded in a shared mission, bring their own strengths to the work, and remain clear about what they can and cannot do. The Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at Childhelp explains that bold advocacy is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about being clear, disciplined, and focused on outcomes for the people you serve.Some of the biggest challenges nonprofits address, including child abuse, trauma, and exploitation, cannot be solved by one organization working alone. Michael explains how coalitions can bring nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, and community partners together to reduce duplication, pool scarce resources, and advance systemic change.In this episode:Why coalition building is becoming a more necessary strategy for nonprofits facing systemic challengesHow mission-centered coalition work differs from partisan political advocacyWhy coalitions can help nonprofits create systemic change that would take one organization much longer to achieve aloneHow Childhelp’s Children’s Advocacy Center model brings law enforcement, medical professionals, child welfare agencies, prosecutors, and forensic interviewers together to reduce retraumatization and better support childrenThe common concerns nonprofits and corporate partners have about advocacy, including brand risk, loss of control, and slow decision-makingHow to keep advocacy focused on your mission instead of reacting to trends or the news cycleWhy shared values and clear roles matter more than funding and operational plans aloneHow Childhelp stays focused on its core strengths while connecting people to trusted partners and local resourcesWhy boards, legal teams, communications teams, and corporate partners should be involved early in coalition conversationsThe questions nonprofits should ask about mission alignment, governance, resources, ethics, and brand values before joining a coalitionA practical coalition-building framework: trust first, structure second, results measurement third, and ongoing communication throughoutHow to explain coalition decisions to donors, staff, corporate partners, and communities by starting with the mission-based whyYou will leave with a clearer way to evaluate coalition opportunities, establish boundaries and shared goals, build trust across sectors, and advocate for meaningful change without losing sight of your mission or your partners.Episode highlights: (0:00) Intro (1:18) Why coalition building matters for nonprofits today (3:52) How nonprofit coalition building differs from political advocacy (5:33) Why nonprofits choose coalition advocacy to strengthen mission impact (10:38) Common fears about coalition advocacy and corporate partnerships (11:55) How to keep advocacy focused on your mission (12:52) How shared values and clear roles build stronger coalitions (16:57) How boards and executive teams should approach coalition advocacy (18:26) Questions to ask before joining or launching a coalition (20:17) What effective coalition building looks like in practice (21:41) How to communicate coalition decisions with stakeholders (23:36) The future of coalition building for nonprofit impact (24:43) Closing thoughtsGuest: Michael Medoro, Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff, Childhelp ⁠⁠https://childhelp.org/⁠⁠](https://childhelp.org/⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-nonprofit-coalition-buildingMore episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/⁠If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Lindsay Whorton says nonprofit-public partnerships work best when nonprofits support a public system’s goals rather than trying to shape its decisions. As president of The Holdsworth Center, she explains that lasting partnerships require real alignment from the start, respect for the public leader’s chain of accountability, and the willingness to say no when the fit is not right.Public systems often face constrained budgets, limited staff capacity, and urgent needs. That can make any outside resource feel like an opportunity. Lindsay says the better test is whether the nonprofit’s offering supports the system’s actual strategy and priorities, not simply whether it addresses a gap or comes with funding.In this episode:How to tell the difference between a nonprofit partnership that strengthens a public system and one that quietly tries to direct itWhy saying no to an unaligned partnership can protect a district’s limited time, attention, and capacityHow The Holdsworth Center works through superintendents rather than approaching school boards directlyWhat the organization’s five-year partnership with Lockhart ISD shows about shared ownership, redesigned leadership roles, and sustainable resultsWhy the nonprofit takes responsibility for adapting its delivery to each district’s culture while keeping clear values-based boundariesHow funder boundaries protect district confidentiality and keep district selection independent of outside influenceWhy real scale means building a system’s ability to continue the work after the partnership endsThe questions to ask before entering a partnership, including whether the work aligns with the system’s goals and whether leaders have the capacity to benefit from itYou will leave with a way to evaluate nonprofit-public partnerships before they begin, clarify who owns the strategy and accountability, communicate boundaries with funders and stakeholders, and build support that strengthens public institutions without taking them over.Episode highlights: (0:00) Intro (1:26) The growing need for nonprofit partnerships in public education (5:02) What a healthy nonprofit partnership with public schools looks like (7:51) Working inside public school systems without losing your mission (9:41) A public school partnership that strengthened outcomes for students and educators (13:22) The biggest fears about nonprofits working with public systems (14:40) Strategic support versus short-term fixes in public partnerships (17:53) Building trust and shared culture across nonprofit and public school teams (20:39) Getting boards and executive teams aligned around a public partnership (23:32) Questions to ask before entering into a public partnership (25:30) What it takes to build a long-term public school partnership (28:12) Clearly communicating roles in a nonprofit-public partnership (30:41) The future of nonprofit partnerships in public educationGuest: Lindsay Whorton, President, The Holdsworth Center ⁠https://holdsworthcenter.org/⁠Full transcript and show notes: ⁠https://www.anedot.com/nonprofit-pulse⁠More episodes and the monthly newsletter: ⁠https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/⁠If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Erica Cox has spent more than 30 years in technology consulting, and she says nonprofit AI adoption is the polar opposite of a large, singular transformation. The Chief Innovation Officer at Provisio Partners recommends small, controlled use cases that let a team fail fast or win fast while building the guardrails it needs.The usual instruction is to clean all of your data first, then modernize systems, then consider AI. Erica says data readiness does not depend on organization size or a sophisticated platform. It depends on the minimum viable data required for a useful job.In this episode:How to find a small AI use case inside a recurring process instead of starting with one large transformation projectThe minimum viable data test, including why asking staff to enter 100 fields can hurt both adoption and AI resultsHow the Higher Learning Commission used runners, walkers, and bystanders to identify early adopters and bring more people inThe guardrail behind Pacific Clinics' agent Hope, which had one identifier and no other information about a personWhy a client kept staff at eight-hour days but helped them see ten kids instead of five and complete three grant applications instead of oneYou will leave with a way to inventory AI already in use, choose a pilot, revisit governance monthly, and explain why responsible adoption can strengthen the human work your team does.Episode highlights: (0:00) Starting with AI without a transformation (1:14) Small pilots beat the big transformation (3:14) The minimum viable data test (7:19) The runners, and permission to fail (10:31) How to inventory scattered data (13:18) What the agent named Hope actually does (15:37) Guardrails before sensitive data (19:19) Why AI is changing work so fast (25:38) Why ignoring AI can be risky (30:00) AI that strengthens human work (33:09) Where to start this weekGuest: Erica Cox, Chief Innovation Officer, Provisio Partners https://provisiopartners.comFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-nonprofit-ai-how-to-start More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Krissie Kelleher brings more than 25 years of strategic fundraising experience to Team IMPACT, and she says an annual fundraising plan is not a document. It is a decision about what you will do and what you will not do.The answer is not a 40-page plan no one reads. Krissie starts with the few revenue drivers that matter, maps the work across the year, and turns ambitious goals into math the team can manage. Fear is not a strategy, and neither is hope.In this episode:How to identify the 3 to 5 core revenue drivers instead of treating every idea as equally importantWhy 70 to 80% of revenue is often predictable, while the rest can be tested, shrunk, or removedWhat a $3.7 million Team IMPACT gala reveals once $750,000 in event costs are countedHow a 12-month calendar becomes the strategy for campaigns, appeals, events, and stewardshipWhy the top 25 prospects and 30%, 50%, and 75% yield calculations keep a pipeline honestYou will leave with a one-page planning approach, a calendar your team can follow, and a quarterly review rhythm for changing course. Focus on relationships, not activity for activity's sake. Krissie would take a sit-down visit with a major-gift prospect ten times more than an event invitation.Episode highlights: (0:00) What the plan says no to (1:26) What makes a fundraising plan work (4:58) Choose revenue drivers that matter (8:36) A 12-month calendar people use (12:59) Targets ambitious enough to manage (18:25) Planning mistakes to avoid (24:55) When to revise the plan (27:58) Fundraising beyond the development team (34:16) Staying focused amid shiny objects (43:37) Start with the one-page planGuest: Krissie Kelleher, CEO, Team IMPACTFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-annual-nonprofit-fundraising-plan More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Luke Mickelson helped turn Sleep in Heavenly Peace into a volunteer-powered nonprofit with more than 300 chapters, and he did not want to become the bottleneck. The organization's national ambassador says founders do not always have to step back. They have to step differently, from daily operator to a role that protects the mission while local leaders carry it forward.That transition demands a shared process, not hundreds of separate ways of doing the same work. It also demands an experience that lets volunteers contribute meaningfully, even if they have never touched a tool before.In this episode:How Sleep in Heavenly Peace grew from seven chapters to 125 in less than a year, while its budget rose from $80,000 to $1 million in six monthsWhy every chapter needs at least four core team members, rather than one or two people headed for burnoutWhy a jig that builds beds ten times faster with ten times fewer people can work against a volunteer-powered missionHow public bed builds turn one person's 10 to 30 beds a year into a community effort that can build 300 or 400Why chapter presidents receive a weekly P&L and the organization presents its finances every quarterYou will leave with a framework for deciding what to centralize, choosing coachable chapter leaders, designing a meaningful volunteer experience, and preparing for the moment your organization outgrows you.Episode highlights: (0:00) How to grow past the founder bottleneck (1:41) When founders must step differently (6:40) National standards, local ownership (9:49) A founder's job: vision, not operations (14:06) Keeping quality across 300 chapters (18:19) When growth breaks the system (22:33) Choosing leaders who can be coached (28:26) Volunteers who become long-term champions (35:13) Why radical transparency matters (41:40) Before your idea takes off (45:46) Where founders go from hereGuest: Luke Mickelson, National Ambassador, Sleep in Heavenly PeaceFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-how-to-scale-a-volunteer-powered-nonprofit More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Dave Raley, Founder and CEO of The Center for Sustainable Giving, says recurring giving programs do not grow on technology pixie dust. Recurring giving has changed with the subscription economy, but too many charities still treat it as a checkbox.The average recurring donor retention rate is between 78 and 84%, yet a recurring program can still plateau when nobody owns it or donors have no reason to stay. Dave explains how to make recurring giving a full-fledged discipline, not a side project.In this episode:What The Joshua Fund changed to grow from about 1,900 to more than 4,000 recurring donors in two yearsWhy Netflix and Spotify spend heavily to acquire subscribers, and what that says about donor lifetime valueThe difference between voluntary and involuntary churn, including the 20 to 25% of cards that go bad each yearWhy a $1,500 to $3,000 recurring donor is worth a call when a payment failsThe "how many and how much" questions to answer by the end of today before assessing six technology criteriaYou will leave with a way to identify the owner of your program, define a recurring value proposition, and start reducing churn with the resources you already have. Technology can be a barrier or an ally, but it will not grow the program for you.Episode highlights: (0:00) Why recurring programs stop growing (1:06) Why resilient programs still plateau (3:44) Quick wins for a stagnant program (5:11) What Netflix and Spotify reveal (7:38) When recurring giving becomes core strategy (9:50) Who owns recurring giving? (12:49) A value proposition donors want to keep (15:08) Reducing churn and winning donors back (18:24) Growth without a big tech stack (21:20) First steps toward sustainable growth (24:42) Start with the program, not the technologyGuest: Dave Raley, Founder and CEO, The Center for Sustainable GivingFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-recurring-giving More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Stephen Minix thinks nonprofit impact measurement starts with people, not a report or a platform. As Vice President of Community at UpMetrics, he helps investors, funders, and nonprofits move beyond transactional engagement toward authentic partnership.An annual report that says everything worked is validation, not learning. Stephen explains how nonprofits can own their story, decide what success means for their intervention, and use information to improve instead of merely meeting a funder requirement. The work becomes more useful when teams can see themselves in the process.In this episode:Why collecting every possible metric makes it harder to identify what actually mattersHow a single source of truth can replace disconnected surveys, budgets, marketing data, and spreadsheetsWhat the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation event revealed by putting a story before the dataWhy Affirmative Athletics could move from the story to its data without putting Rob Thelusma on the back footThe $8 million funding loss that affected 12,000 kids across Los Angeles and exposed the cost of an ineffective data strategyYou will leave with a people-first approach to choosing useful measures, combining numbers with stories, and making room to change course when the data shows an intervention is not working. Start with the mission and values before looking for a tool.Episode highlights: (0:00) When measurement becomes a burden (1:10) Make measurement work for your team (4:13) One source of truth, not scattered systems (7:20) From collecting data to improving programs (10:16) When numbers and stories work together (14:01) A shared framework with funders (17:46) From ad hoc reports to disciplined measurement (21:59) Data confidence for non-data people (26:39) Define the work before choosing a platform (29:49) Start with mission and valuesGuest: Stephen Minix, Vice President of Community, UpMetricsFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-nonprofit-data-impact-measurement More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Laurie Hood has spent 20 years growing Alaqua Animal Refuge, a no-kill animal sanctuary in Northwest Florida, and she says nonprofit crisis preparedness begins long before an emergency. For Laurie, relationship building is not something to turn on in a crisis. It is work an organization lives every day.When Hurricane Milton created an urgent need, Alaqua had less than 24 hours to organize hundreds of dogs from South Florida. The response worked because people knew its role, trusted its team, and could be assigned to work quickly.In this episode:How Alaqua became part of a statewide disaster-response coalition before it needed to activate oneWhat changed when hundreds of dogs arrived from South Florida and Alaqua was fully set up within 24 hoursHow more than 1,000 volunteers contributing 80,000 hours a year create readiness before the next call for helpWhy knowing volunteers' strengths lets a team assign tasks quickly, safely, and without chaosHow to use AI as an intern to create a starting point for an emergency-management plan and identify community partnersYou will leave with a simple first move: make one phone call this week, start one relationship in the calm season, and build the trust that turns goodwill into coordinated response.Episode highlights: (0:00) The relationships a crisis response depends on (2:03) Build community before the emergency (4:18) Who needs to be at the table first (6:49) Making room for readiness on a maxed-out team (7:56) Why calm-season relationships matter (10:46) Earning a seat in emergency planning (14:16) Keeping volunteers engaged between crises (16:22) The cost of activating community too late (18:12) What a prepared response looks like (19:24) One call to start building readiness (21:05) Your first relationship this weekGuest: Laurie Hood, Founder, Alaqua Animal RefugeFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-how-to-build-community-before-a-crisis-hits More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Tasha Van Vlack says nonprofit ambassador programs fail when organizations treat people as a marketing tactic instead of building community. As Founder & Co-Director of The Nonprofit Hive, she has seen why a Slack channel full of posts to share can turn committed supporters into a distribution channel.The goal is not simply brand awareness. Tasha argues that ambassadors should create trust, belonging, and influence around the mission. That begins by defining the purpose, choosing the right people, and giving the group a role that is clear without trying to control every action.In this episode:Why an ambassador program should be a community strategy, not a cheaper substitute for paid advertisingHow The Nonprofit Hive used a one-page overview, an internal owner, and minimum expectations for its cohortsWhy 12 ambassadors may need to become 18 instead of being asked to do moreThe value of separate tracks for a TikTok contributor and someone connected to a local chamber of commerceHow a second-Wednesday monthly rhythm lets ambassadors put 12 months on the calendarYou will leave with a practical way to pilot an ambassador program, define its role, and recognize people without making the work feel transactional. Start small, learn from the pilot, and refine it.Episode highlights: (0:00) When ambassadors become a distribution channel (1:08) Why ambassador programs miss the point (4:45) When programs turn transactional (7:00) Define the purpose before recruiting (8:53) What a working ambassador program needs (13:13) Values before marketing goals (17:18) Ambassadors as community leaders (20:01) Scaling without burning out supporters (25:59) Building belonging beyond the task list (30:08) How to start a program that lasts (37:08) Start small, learn, refineGuest: Tasha Van Vlack, Founder & Co-Director, The Nonprofit HiveFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-nonprofit-ambassador-programs More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.

Debra Hertz says a nonprofit merger can make one plus one equal five, but only when the organizations share a clear vision and common values. As Managing Director and founder of The Strategy Group, she helps nonprofit organizations build strength, clarity, and impact through moments of growth, transition, and complexity.A merger is not automatically a sign of failure. Debra explains why leaders should look beyond themselves to what is best for the people they serve, while being honest about the time, money, and champion the process requires. Culture must be part of the conversation early, because cultures do not simply merge. The dominant culture dominates.In this episode:How Connecticut's two food banks became a larger organization that served more pantries and saved $1 million a yearWhy the strongest mergers begin with common values, common vision, and a realistic view of non-negotiablesThe difference between a boardroom conversation and broad discussion before leaders have done their homeworkWhy a merger can take 7 to 8 months, while an unusually compressed process can take 60 daysHow community foundations and capacity-building grants can help fund the work of exploring a mergerYou will leave with a practical lens for deciding whether a merger is a strategic opportunity, how to raise the question responsibly, and which early issues deserve attention before a commitment. Reimagine the future around mission and community impact.Episode highlights: (0:00) When one plus one can equal five (1:22) Why mission-driven mergers are rising (4:24) A merger that strengthened impact (5:52) The misconceptions that cloud merger talks (8:06) Strategic opportunity or desperation? (10:00) Why cultures do not simply merge (13:48) How boards should start the conversation (17:16) Questions to ask before pursuing a merger (18:37) What the merger process requires (20:55) Mergers as a sustainability strategy (23:15) Reimagine the future around missionGuest: Debra Hertz, Managing Director and founder, The Strategy GroupFull transcript and show notes: https://www.anedot.com/blog/nonprofit-pulse-nonprofit-mergers More episodes and the monthly newsletter: https://www.nonprofitpulse.com/If this was useful, follow Nonprofit Pulse wherever you listen.Nonprofit Pulse is a podcast by Anedot that explores trends, insights, and resources that help nonprofits accomplish their mission. Hosted by Josh Breland.