On Air with Amber Podcast
The Real Talk on How to Run a Profitable Nonprofit
On Air with Amber is like having a conversation with your BFF. Difficult concepts are broken down into easy-to-understand explanations; get clear step-by-step instructions on how to build and strengthen your organization’s infrastructure; learn how to stop self-funding and start generating consistent outside funding, and get access to tons of useful resources.
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All Episodes:
Episode 63: Diversifying Your Funding Streams
A nonprofit is a business with a philanthropic purpose. Every business should diversify its funding streams so that the organization is not dependent on just one source of revenue, leaving it vulnerable to sudden and unexpected change. Learn how to diversify a nonprofit’s funding streams for long-term sustainability, adaptability and impact.
Episode 62: Why You Should Start a For Profit Instead of a Public Charity
You can make a difference in your community as a for profit business. You’d probably make more of an impact than if you formed a nonprofit. This episode will explain how.
Episode 61: 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Start a Nonprofit
There’s more to starting a nonprofit than passion and commitment. You know the reasons why you should start a nonprofit. Learn the 5 Reasons why you shouldn’t.
Episode 60: Nonprofit Sustainability - Active Leadership
The most successful nonprofits have leaders who actively seek out resources, partnerships, technology, and people to improve their organization. Active leadership is the driver behind a nonprofit’s sustainability. Get tips on how to shift into active mode!
Episode 59: What Is Your Organization Known For? Building a Nonprofit Brand
A company's brand is its identity. What consumers recognize and competitors fear. Why clients and funders choose you over your competitors.
As a nonprofit, your brand should reflect a Public Charity (inclusive). Learn how to build a brand that best represents your organization.
Episode 58: Increase Your Organization's Engagement: Grow Your Individual Donors
Is your fund development strategy focused on the most lucrative area? 69% of donations to nonprofits come from individual donors. Less than 17% comes from grants. Learn how to increase the return on your fundraising efforts by growing your individual donor base.
Episode 56: Unrestricted Funding: The B part of the A + B = C Formula for Funding Success
There is a Formula for Funding Success. It’s 60% Restricted Funds + 40% Unrestricted Funds. This distribution ensures program coverage, demonstrates to funders organization stability and viability, and allows the organization to be agile and responsive to the unforeseen.
Episode 55: Restricted Funding: The A part of the A + B = C Formula for Funding Success
There is a Formula for Funding Success. It’s 60% Restricted Funds + 40% Unrestricted Funds. This distribution ensures program coverage, demonstrates to Funders organization stability and viability, and allows the organization to be agile and responsive to the unforeseen.
Episode 54: Funder’s Pet Peeves
There are always more applicants than money; that’s why it’s important to score high on eligibility screenings. Learn what things piss off Funders the most (hint: doing these could easily land your application in the “Rejected!” pile)
Episode 53: What Funders Consider Fundable
Funders don't Fund Events, Camps, Workshops. One time engagements don’t create change. Events are for visibility and are best aligned with marketing dollars. They sponsor them. Grants are for Projects/Programs that are administered over time. Funders want to see a change. If long term sustainability is your goal, you have to understand how Funders think so that you powerfully position your organization for opportunities.
Episode 52: A Nontraditional Approach to Sustainability - The Succession Plan
No one lives forever. A responsible, forward-thinking Founder is going to have a Succession Plan and fill the pipeline with the next generation of leaders to ensure the longevity of the organization. Learn how to powerfully position your organization for stability, growth and sustainability with a Nonprofit Succession Plan.
Episode 51: A Nontraditional Approach to Fund Development - The Nonprofit Newsletter
The number 1 arsenal in a nonprofit’s tool kit will: build trust, provide constituents with quality info, maintain monthly/quarterly contact, allow it to prospect potential funders, offer the organization metrics and insight to what their funders like/support, generates revenue, and allows organizations to acknowledge staff and donors, and gets/gives visibility, announce new programs/events. The e-Newsletter ticks all the boxes. Learn how to maximize this powerful yet cost-effective resource.
Episode 50: A Nontraditional Approach to Donor Cultivation - The Program Officer
Funders aren’t obligated to renew your grant. Learn how to turn a one-time award into a recurring stream of revenue by building a strong relationship with your Program Officer.
Episode 49: A Nontraditional Approach to Board Development - Strengths-Based Recruitment
If your board isn’t fundraising it could be because it’s stacked with the wrong kind of people. Learn how to stack your board for fundraising success. Shift from “wondering” if your board will bring in consistent funding to guaranteeing it!
Episode 48: A Nontraditional Approach To Budget Savings - Leverage your Tax Exempt Status
Cost savings should be a part of every Fund Development Strategy. Tax exempt organizations have been given a special status by the IRS to incentivize donations. Learn how to leverage your organization’s tax exempt status, the right way, to maximize budget savings and increase your organization’s flexibility.
Episode 47: A Nontraditional Approach to Increasing Capacity - Employee Volunteer Programs
Get more bang for your buck: increase engagement with potential funders by leveraging THEIR employee volunteer program. Using a project-based approach, complete your goals by partnering with corporations with employee volunteer programs. Learn how to increase your capacity, increase donor engagement, and increase revenue by helping corporations meet their Corporate Social Responsibility goals.
Episode 46: A Nontraditional Approach to Marketing - Project Based Marketing
Stop viewing marketing as a traditional FTE “in house staff position” on payroll with potential costly benefits. Shift to project-based marketing that is outsourced, and focused on a particular goal (increase viewers, attract sponsors, increase SEO). This approach to project-based marketing with help increase your revenue without bogging your budget down with traditional staff positions. Get more done for less.
Episode 45: A Nontraditional Approach to - Compliance as a Part of Your Fund Development Strategy
Learn how to shift your approach to compliance by learning how effective reporting can lead to 3x your revenue. Compliance as a part of your Fund Development Strategy will shift the way you approach tracking, monitoring, and reporting.
Episode 44: A Nontraditional Approach to Staffing - Project Based Hiring
Side step the heavy lifting that comes with traditional hiring. Learn how project-based hiring can help increase your capacity, achieve short term goals, and strengthen your organization without the financial burden associated with traditional hiring.
Episode 43: A Nontraditional Approach to Running a Nonprofit - Fiscal Sponsorship
Fiscal Sponsorship is a way to start up quickly, secure grants faster, and “do a test run” of being a nonprofit without investing thousands of dollars before discovering it’s not what you want. Learn how fiscal sponsors work and how one can help you bridge your knowledge gap while you learn to run an efficient, compliant, and effective nonprofit.