Home Podcasts Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications

Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications

Joan Garry & Glennda Testone 261 Episodes Aug 15, 2026

Nonprofits Are Messy is a podcast for nonprofit leaders tackling the everyday challenges of leadership, fundraising, governance, communications, and organizational growth. Hosted by Joan Garry and Glennda Testone, each episode features candid conversations, practical advice, and honest stories to help listeners lead with greater confidence through the inevitable messiness of nonprofit work.

Episodes

Ep 259: Nonprofit Unions: What Leaders, Staff, and Boards Need to Know with Bev Tillary
Ep 259: Nonprofit Unions: What Leaders, Staff, and Boards Need to Know with Bev Tillary Aug 15, 2026 1:08:22 For many nonprofit leaders, unionization can feel deeply personal. Explore the questions, challenges, and realities of nonprofit unionization, and how leaders, staff, and boards can navigate the process while preserving trust, culture, and their org’s values.
Ep 258: Burn on vs. Burnout: A Conversation With Jim Collins About What Matters in Life
Ep 258: Burn on vs. Burnout: A Conversation With Jim Collins About What Matters in Life Aug 1, 2026 50:33 What if the goal isn’t simply to avoid burnout, but to learn how to burn on? Jim Collins joins Joan Garry to explore why some leaders stay energized for decades, what it means to stay “in frame,” and how to build a life around what matters most.
Ep 257: Presence ≠ Power: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Rashad Robinson
Ep 257: Presence ≠ Power: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Rashad Robinson Jul 18, 2026 50:33 Most nonprofits know how to get people to pay attention. Fewer know how to turn that attention into lasting change. In this conversation, Rashad Robinson shares what makes the difference.
Ep 256: What are Corporate Sponsors Really Looking for From Nonprofits? with Mariah Monique
Ep 256: What are Corporate Sponsors Really Looking for From Nonprofits? with Mariah Monique Jun 20, 2026 25:41 Some sponsorship conversations turn into long-term partnerships. Others quietly disappear after the first meeting. What's the difference?
Ep 255: Managing Across Generations: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Jason Burlingame
Ep 255: Managing Across Generations: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Jason Burlingame Jun 8, 2026 25:41 Managing a team that spans five generations isn't a Gen Z problem. It's a leadership challenge. In this episode, I sit down with Jason Burlingame to talk about the workplace tensions that seem to resurface with every generation and what it takes to lead through them.
Ep 254: Building Belonging When DEI Feels Like a Four-Letter Word with Dr Kiki Ramsey
Ep 254: Building Belonging When DEI Feels Like a Four-Letter Word with Dr Kiki Ramsey May 23, 2026 25:41 I sat down with Dr. Kiki Ramsey, positive psychologist and CEO of the Positive Psychology Coaching and Diversity Institute, to have an honest conversation about DEI that nonprofit leaders need to hear right now. We’re covering what’s changing and how nonprofits can keep building belonging even in a hostile climate.
Ep 253: Still Figuring It Out: An Honest Take on People Pleasing and Leadership
Ep 253: Still Figuring It Out: An Honest Take on People Pleasing and Leadership May 9, 2026 25:41 For a long time, Glennda Testone’s people-pleasing nature shaped – and sometimes complicated – her leadership. In this honest, personal solo episode, she shares her journey from people pleaser to recovering people pleaser. Plus, five practical strategies for leading well when you’re wired to make everyone happy.
Ep 252: CRM Matchmaking: How to Ensure the Right Fit for Your Nonprofit with Julia Gackenbach
Ep 252: CRM Matchmaking: How to Ensure the Right Fit for Your Nonprofit with Julia Gackenbach Apr 25, 2026 47:25 Think of finding the right CRM like matchmaking – it takes time, self-awareness, and knowing what you actually need versus what just looks good on paper. Glennda Testone sits down with Julia Gachenbach of DonorPerfect to walk through the do’s and don’ts of the matchmaking process to help your organization find the right fit.
Ep 251: Reimagining Nonprofits: The Uncomfortable Conversation We Need to Have with Vu Le
Ep 251: Reimagining Nonprofits: The Uncomfortable Conversation We Need to Have with Vu Le Apr 11, 2026 51:02 What if the rules we’ve built our sector around are actually holding us back? I sat down with author, blogger, and nonprofit rabble-rouser Vu Le to dig into the uncomfortable truths behind his new book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy, and why the sector’s greatest threat may be its own suppressed imagination.
Ep 250: The Power of Neighbors: A Leadership Story from Minneapolis with Emilia Gonzalez Avalos
Ep 250: The Power of Neighbors: A Leadership Story from Minneapolis with Emilia Gonzalez Avalos Mar 28, 2026 58:50 When crisis hit Minneapolis, nonprofit leaders and neighbors didn’t wait for rescue. In this episode, Emilia Gonzalez Avalos of Unidos Minnesota shares what it took to build a rapid-response infrastructure, protect communities, and turn terror into collective action.
Ep 249: Financial Resilience Isn’t Luck – It’s Strategy with Bethany Maki
Ep 249: Financial Resilience Isn’t Luck – It’s Strategy with Bethany Maki Mar 14, 2026 44:37 In a nonprofit, revenue often feels uncertain. But here’s the secret: financial resilience isn’t luck – it’s strategy. In this episode, Glennda Testone and Bethany Maki of Progressive Multipliers explore how nonprofits can build independent revenue, diversify funding, and strengthen long-term sustainability.
Ep 248: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Simple, Agile, and Real with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford
Ep 248: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Simple, Agile, and Real with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford Mar 2, 2026 51:37 Strategic planning doesn’t have to be expensive, exhausting, or end up on a shelf. In this episode, Glennda Testone talks with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford of PlanPerfect about a smarter, more accessible approach to nonprofit strategic planning – especially for small to mid-sized organizations.

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