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INSPIRATIONAL TRAINING
Articles, Videos, Podcasts
Keep up with the latest trends with practical and inspirational content about topics like leadership, fundraising, organizational development, board engagement, governance, capacity building, and much, much more. You'll also find content about how to find and work with the best nonprofit board retreat/training facilitator, or the best strategic planning facilitator so your day is a resounding success.
For the podcasts, use your favorite podcast player and search for the title names.
Tom's Blog
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Hiring the Best Board Retreat Facilitators: Are They Worth the Money?
Hiring the Best Board Retreat Facilitators: Are They Worth the Money?
Last-Minute Nonprofit Fundraising Tips for the Holidays -- or Any Time!
Last-Minute Fundraising Tips for the Holidays -- or Any Time!
Assess the Fundraising Skills of your Board - Learn How
Assess the Fundraising Skills of your Board -- Learn How Here!
It's Time to Get Your Donors Involved! Why? . . . Magic, Money, Loyalty!
Get Your Donors Involved! Why? . . . Magic, Money, Loyalty!
Don't Forget Grandma Gini? (she may be loaded!) The importance of small donations
Don't Forget Grandma Gini? (she may be loaded!) The importance of small donations
Why donors are better than grants
Why You Should Care About Adding More Donors (It’s Not Just About Money)
If your nonprofit raises money from donors, it seems obvious that you’d want more of them. More donors = more revenue… right? Sure. But the real value of donors goes far deeper than dollars, and understanding this is a game-changer for any organization that wants to grow, scale, and create meaningful impact.
Here's How to Get 70% of your Donors to Say, "YES!"
Here's How to Get 70% of your Donors to Say, "YES!"
Make your First Ask -- a Connection Ask!
Make your First Ask -- a Connection Ask!
Get Your Donors to Stick Around!
Get Your Donors to "Stick" Around! In this article, you’ll learn a simple principle that helps transform one-time donors into long-term supporters—and dramatically reduces attrition.
Are Your Donors Not Responding -- Try This!
Are Your Donors Not Responding -- Try This!
Find the Best Strategic Planner for Your Next Planning Session: 7 tips!
Find the Best Strategic Planner for Your Nonprofit: 7 Key Things to Look For.
Board Development Facilitator - Find the IDEAL Facilitator
Finding the ideal board retreat facilitator. Ever walked into a board retreat hoping for clarity and inspiration… and instead found yourself silently begging for the lunch break to arrive?
Maybe the facilitator droned through slides, spent half the morning wordsmithing statements no one cared about, or delivered content that felt stale, generic, and disconnected from reality.
Read on to learn more about how to find a great facilitator!
Looking for the Best Board Retreat Facilitator? - Here's How to Find a Gem!
Choosing the right board retreat facilitator matters more than most boards realize. The guide below highlights qualities you'll want to look for when selecting someone who can actually strengthen your board, elevate your discussions, and produce real outcomes.
9 Essentials for Choosing a Board Retreat Facilitator Who Won’t Waste Your Time
Let’s be honest: most people don’t dread board retreats because of the work.They dread them because of the facilitator.
You know the type—reading wordy slides, talking at the room, draining every ounce of energy while half the board secretly scrolls through emails. If your last retreat ended with people feeling bored, frustrated, or completely unchanged, it’s a sign your facilitator wasn’t the right fit.
Find a great facilitator . . . here's how!
Boot Camp for Board Members: What It Really Takes to Build a High-Performance Organization
Most nonprofit leaders dream of running an organization that’s stable, respected, fully funded, and wildly impactful. But too often, the day-to-day grind feels like a military obstacle course you weren’t trained for. That’s exactly why “Boot Camp” exists—an intensive leadership series designed to sharpen your mindset, expand your operational strength, and help your nonprofit rise above the noise of a fiercely competitive sector.
The video is Day 1. An Overview. Enjoy.
Why Quality People Are the Core of Every Gold-Standard Nonprofit
Quality People. Why does this pillar sit at the top building a high-performance nonprofit?
Because everything your nonprofit accomplishes—every dollar raised, every program delivered, every ounce of impact—starts with people. Without human capital, there is no nonprofit. It's imperative to bring on and retain the highest quality people possible. Learn more now! . . .
How to Bring On High-Quality People to Your Nonprofit
How do you actually bring on (and keep) those high-quality staff, volunteers, and board members?
The nonprofit world is a human endeavor. Without people—staff, board, and volunteers—you can’t run programs, raise money, or fulfill your mission. It all starts with Human Capital.
The higher the quality of your people, the higher the quality of your impact. Learn more now!
Retaining High-Quality People You Worked So Hard to Bring On
How do you keep those A-players once you have them?
People are the most precious commodity in the nonprofit world. Staff, board members, and volunteers are the engine that generates your resources and impact. Without people, you can’t raise money, run programs, or move your mission forward.
So if you’ve done the hard work to assemble a team of high-quality people—great! But now what? Read on!
Authentic Passion: Why Lip-Service Is Slowly Killing Your Nonprofit
If your organization has ever welcomed a “passionate” volunteer, board member, or partner—only to watch their enthusiasm evaporate faster than a dropped Popsicle on asphalt—you’re not alone.This post dives into the difference between real passion and lip-service passion, why it matters, and what happens when nonprofits let their passion go flat. Learn more about authentic passion now!
Authentic Passion: The First Tactic to Build a “Do Something” Culture — Commitment
On Day Five, we kicked off the Authentic Passion series by exploring the difference between lip-service passion and authentic passion—and why talk without action does nothing to help your mission.Today, we dive into the very first tactic required to build an authentically passionate, do-something culture across your nonprofit: Commitment. Learn more about authentic passion and commitment now!
Why a Clear Sense of Purpose Builds a DO SOMETHING Culture
On Day 6, we continued exploring how nonprofits can transform lip-service passion into authentic passion. We looked at why commitment—true, action-driven commitment—is foundational.Today, we move to the next essential tactic required to build an authentically passionate, DO SOMETHING culture:A Clear Sense of Purpose. Learn more now!
Turning Work & Service Into a Culture of Engagement
On Day 7, we continued our journey toward building authentic passion inside your nonprofit.
Yesterday, we explored the importance of having a clear sense of purpose—a guiding framework that tells people where they’re going and what’s required to get there.
Today, we tackle the next essential tactic: Work and Service, also known as Engagement.
Because passion without action is still just… lip service. Learn more now!
Keep Authentic Passion Fresh in Your Nonprofit
Today, we continue our series on authentic passion—the driving force behind every thriving, high-performing nonprofit. You’ve done the work to define your mission, clarify your purpose, and build a culture of engagement. But here’s the challenge:
People forget.
If you want authentic passion to stay alive and active in your organization, you must continually bring it back to the forefront of people’s minds and hearts.
Today’s tactic is simple but transformative: regular re
Inspire Others by Sharing Authentic Passion
Sharing authentic passion! When people internalize your mission, something powerful happens: They want to talk about it.They want to share stories. They want others to catch the same fire.
This is the “authentic passion flywheel.” As each person shares their experience, more people connect emotionally with your work—and that connection leads to involvement, support, and generosity.
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