Nonprofit SnapCast

In this conversation, Community Cats Podcast host Stacy LeBaron unpacks her decades of nonprofit leadership, using the lens of animal welfare to illustrate how organizations evolve from scrappy, all-hands-on-deck startups into strategically focused, governance-driven institutions. Drawing on her experience mentoring 80+ organizations and running a successful feline rescue nonprofit, Stacy explains the realities of cat overpopulatio...

Erin Straza explains the difference between basic fundraising tactics and a true donor-engagement strategy, emphasizing that nonprofits often exhaust themselves with endless low-ROI tasks—especially social media—without first defining their “why” or mapping donor journeys. She stresses that strategic messaging, clarity of purpose, and relationship-building yield far stronger returns than disconnected tactical scrambles. Key takeawa...

In this conversation, fractional CFO Stephen Newland joins to break down what financial leadership actually looks like inside a nonprofit—and why it doesn’t need to be complicated. Stephen explains that his core role is acting as a financial translator: turning dense, intimidating financial reports into meaningful insights that help leaders make informed decisions.

He emphasizes the critical role of forecasting, calling it one of t...

Gustavo Zilberberg, CEO of Vitalcy, visits the SnapCast to introduce the company as a web-based platform that helps nonprofits build long-term financial stability by re-engaging and maintaining relationships with their community of supporters, including former members, staff, volunteers, and donors.

Key takeaways:

• Nonprofits Are Leaving Support on the Table Vitalcy’s mission is to help organizations reconnect with the huge...

Daniel Gordani, founder of Global Health Shift, joins Mickey to discuss his nonprofit’s mission to close healthcare gaps by bringing permanent, free primary-care clinics to communities—especially U.S. “healthcare deserts” where 75 million people lack basic access. Unlike temporary relief models, his organization aims to build lasting clinics near universities, staffed by medical and nursing students supervised by licensed physician...

Mickey gets to visit with Amanda ReCupido to talk strategic plans, board and staff buy-in, and impact. Key topics discussed:- The importance of operationalizing a strategic plan, not just creating a document

• Strategies for getting board and staff buy-in and engagement with the strategic plan
• How a strategic planning process can expose issues and identify solutions across an organization (fundraising, communications, programs,...

Mickey reconnects with Gung Wong, CEO and co-founder of Civic Champs, for a look at the state of volunteerism as nonprofits head into 2026. Gung reflects on how volunteer engagement has shifted since Civic Champs launched in 2019 (through pre-pandemic growth, the collapse of in-person volunteering during COVID, and the slow climb back). Some key takeaways:

• Volunteerism has rebounded since COVID, with individual volunteers ret...

Mickey learns about the Four Freedoms Fund, a national funder collaborative supporting immigrant justice, with its director Rini Chakraborty.

Key Takeaways

• Four Freedoms Fund is a national funder collaborative that pools resources to support immigrant-led organizations across 48 states
• Collaborative funds offer more nimble, flexible funding and break funders out of silos for greater collective impact
• FFF focuses on eq...

Mickey talks with Kate Viana about her new venture, Viana Communications, and its four brands supporting nonprofits.

Key Takeaways

• Viana Communications launches with four integrated brands: Non-Toxic Nonprofits, Viana Social, Opscale, and Nonprofit Text
• The venture addresses timely nonprofit needs: culture, marketing, infrastructure, and AI-powered communications
• Kate's approach involves comprehensive observation and ...

Mickey gets to interview Jocelyn Chamra-Barrera, new ED of the Christie Center, discussing her transition to leadership and today's nonprofit challenges.

Key Takeaways

• Jocelyn transitioned from clinical work to the executive role role, bringing valuable perspective as a person of color and Spanish speaker.
• Christie Center faces funding challenges but maintains strong community support and programs.
• Nonprofit sector ex...

Morgan Teel of Dance Waterloo visits the Snapcast to discuss social media strategies for small nonprofits, focusing on Dance Waterloo's approach.

Key Takeaways

• Dance Waterloo prioritizes meaningful engagement over frequent social media posting, focusing on word-of-mouth marketing (89% trust from friends/family recommendations).
• Email list growth and strategic, purpose-driven social media use have been successful for t...

In this episode of The Nonprofit SnapCast, host Mickey Desai visits with Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association (AHA). Fish shares his journey into humanism, his vision for the movement, and the role nonprofits play in safeguarding democracy, empathy, and human dignity in a rapidly shifting cultural and political landscape.

They discuss what humanism means today, the threats posed by rising authoritaria...

Adam Olenn, founder of Rustle and Spark branding agency, meets with Mickey to discuss effective storytelling techniques for nonprofits.

Key Takeaways

• Storytelling is crucial for nonprofits to build trust, create emotional connections, and double donations
• Never lead with data; start with an emotional story about a single protagonist, then provide supporting statistics
• Train all staff and board members to tell authenti...

Kathy Bremer of Boardwalk Consulting and Dave Paule of Our Fundraising Search visit the SnapCast to discuss career reinventions and job search strategies. We focus on Kathy's new book "Headhunter Confidential" Key Takeaways

• Job seekers should focus on targeted, strategic networking rather than mass applying online
• Successful candidates demonstrate cultural fit and provide specific examples of past achievements
• Career...

Jeff Schreifels of Veritus Group discusses trends and strategies for mid-level and major gift fundraising. Key Takeaways:

• Mid-level giving (typically $1,000-$9,999) is a growing focus, bridging small donors to major gifts
• Nonprofits should diversify revenue streams, especially those reliant on government/corporate funding
• AI can boost efficiency in fundraising, freeing up time for relationship-building
• Restructuring developmen...

This episode of the Snap Cast podcast features an interview with freelance journalist Adrianne Murchison. Murchison discusses her transition to freelance work after being laid off from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the challenges and opportunities of working as a freelance writer covering local and community issues. The conversation explores how national political themes and policy changes under the Trump administration hav...

Host Mickey Desai speaks with Beverly Means, founder of Transitions Pet Care, and Jennifer McCormick, a dedicated volunteer with the organization.

About Transitions Pet Care:

• A 100% volunteer-run nonprofit organization that helps pet owners facing health challenges keep their beloved animals
• Services include free dog walking, litter box maintenance, veterinary care cost coverage, and temporary foster care for pets while owner...

Pat Libby returns to the SnapCast, bringing with her Travis Kemnitz, Executive Director of the San Diego Bird Alliance. Together, we talk about the work they did together, presenting a case study of their methods and results. Among the topics we discuss:

1. Strategic Planning - What did the process look like? - What did you learn along the way? - How did the board respond to what you were learning? Were they resistant to change...

Maria Perez is the Cause Marketing Consultant. She specializes in helping organizations grow their sponsor-partner initiatives. Among the questions we tackle:

• Why cause sponsorship is such an important revenue generation element for NPO's to pursue.
• Why do NPO's confuse patronage, corporate partnering and sponsorship? 
• What are the nuances and why are they important?
• Why do brands and companies sponsor?

We welcome suppo...