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Nonprofit Leadership Podcast
How to Be a Nonprofit Bestie
00:27:35
In this episode, Rob is joined by Ellena Fortner, founder of Nonprofit Bestie, an organization dedicated to empowering women leaders in small and medium-sized ...
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- [00:02]
Dr. Rob Harder
This is Dr. Rob Harder with the Nonprofit Leadership podcast, Making youg World Better. What does it take to be an effective nonprofit leader today? What are the biggest challenges? What are the biggest obstacles? How should nonprofits fundraise in an economy that is constantly changing? All of these reasons combined led me to start this show. And it's my hope that through this series, people can learn not only what it takes to be an effective nonprofit organization, but to hear from effective leaders who are successful successfully making a positive impact in their communities. We hope you enjoy the show as together we hear how they are making their world better. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. We're so glad you're tuning in. Wherever you're tuning in, we are so glad you're here. I've got another great guest for you today. And specifically, my guest today has a special niche focusing on supporting women in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. So more on that in just a bit. Now, many of you know that I provide leadership coaching and life coaching. It's been so much fun working with clients who are leaders just like you, looking to grow personally and professionally. What you may not know is I also provide consulting services. Currently, in fact, I'm working with an organization to help them create a clear strategy and plan to raise $3.5 million to expand their organization. So maybe you're listening and you're an executive director. Maybe you're a board member and your organization could use some help for different things. Maybe it's fundraising, maybe it's strategy or it's operational effectiveness. I encourage you to reach out today. Those are the kind of things that I'm doing and working alongside other nonprofits with. And you can simply email me@robharter.com again, it's robharder.com or you just go to my website, which is robharder.com so check it out. We're happy to answer any questions you have. You can always sign up for a sample coaching session as well. And I look forward to hearing your questions and any other comments you have about that. I just really am committed to making sure that people have the resources they need to continue to grow and to lead their nonprofit organizations. Okay, onto today's show. So, as I mentioned, we've got this great guest. Her name is Elena Fortner Newsome, and she has a organization that's all about supporting women in nonprofit leadership positions. And she's created this business basically, and it's called the Nonprofit Bestie. And it's great. It's. It's basically an Organization that is really seeking to provide a bootcamp, training, coaching, different opportunities to help leaders, specifically with the areas of fundraising, donor relationships, and really helping them to become a better leader in general. So I think you'll enjoy hearing her approach of how she goes about providing these resources. She's got great nonprofit experience on her own and she's just really committed to helping leaders grow so that these organizations they lead become more effective organizations themselves. So, as always, love having you tuning in. Now onto the show. This podcast is sponsored by helping you help others with the best donation forms in the business. Well, welcome to the nonprofit leadership podcast, Making youg World Better. We've got Elena Fortner Newsom here. Elena, first of all, just thanks for taking time to be on the show today.
- [03:17]
Elena Fortner Newsome
No, thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be with you. Longtime follower. Really love your coaching.
- [03:22]
Dr. Rob Harder
Thank you. Thank you so much. Really appreciate that. It's fun to have all kinds of different leaders on the show to talk about their passion, what they're doing to really make a difference in their world, their community, but also to invest in leaders. And I know that's a big thing of what you do. And you've launched this nonprofit Bestie, which you're going to talk all about today. And I thought that's a great place to start, is just give us a little bit more. About to give us a background on Nonprofit Bestie, which love the name. That's got some real star power there with your name. I love it. And then just give an overview. What do you offer nonprofit leaders through the Nonprofit Bestie?
- [03:55]
Elena Fortner Newsome
Sure. So at Nonprofit Bestie, I seek to empower women leaders at small and medium sized nonprofits where they may not have a full time fundraiser on staff to build those lasting donor relationships that enable them to hit their fundraising goals with ease. For more than 15 years, I really watched these women leaders. They would take on so much and become overwhelmed and perhaps not have the skills. So my mission is to provide a supportive, empowering space where these women can access the tools, the strategies and the guidance to make fundraising more effective and less overwhelming, just like a bestie would. So I don't sugarcoat things. I share clear, concise, concrete ideas that you may or may not want to hear. You know, sometimes to help them achieve tangible results. Too many times I would just see people trying burning out in fundraising. It's. It's a real problem. So I want to create that environment that helps them achieve their goals so that they can make the world a better place.
- [04:53]
Dr. Rob Harder
I love that that's great. Okay, so one of the main ways you help seek to train women leaders who are overseeing, say, small to medium sized nonprofits is to invite them to complete this, what you call Bestie Bootcamp. Tell me more about this bootcamp. What's all involved and. And what should my listener knows know about it?
- [05:10]
Elena Fortner Newsome
So I came up with the Bestie Boot Camp after working with one client who had seen her retention start to really plummet. It was on a downward trajectory, and they went through and they were throwing everything at it. Can we change this? Can we change that? They tried so many things. After I talked to her, I realized they never asked, why did you donate? And I find this can be a step that gets overlooked. We're so excited to get that first gift that, you know, we forget to ask, why? Why did you give us money? So we sent out a quick survey and found out that it was one program of a wide array that was really drawing the donors. Using that data, we were able to put together a retention plan for her that saw a 12% increase year over year, even though we didn't really start working together until like month nine. So that made me start to think, what could we do? So I came up with Bestie Bootcamp. It's a comprehensive 15 week program designed to equip nonprofit leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to master donor retention. So each week we tackle different topics, from defining donor Personas to creating effective email campaigns. And I really seek to make it turnkey step by step, so that even if you have no fundraising background, at the end of the boot camp, you feel that you have what you need. And we enclose that in an environment of support and guidance so that nobody has to be worried that they're trudging out, out there alone and trying to do things. We also cover advanced tools like segmentation and a B testing, and we really look to lean into digital tools because we find that nonprofits are really kind of catching up with for profits when it comes to using these tools. So we make that a seamless transition where they can really start to move forward.
- [06:58]
Dr. Rob Harder
Well, one of the things I know you talk about, it sounds like in your camp, is to really talk about personalized donor journeys. So tell me more about what does that involve? It sounds like exactly what nonprofit leaders should be focused on. But explain a little bit more what you mean by that.
- [07:14]
Elena Fortner Newsome
I find that personalization as a strategy, it's one that is oldest time, and it never goes away. It's never out of style. It feeds into our brains of what we want. Right. We want to feel we're all at the center of the world. And personalization helps to do that. And again, it starts with understanding why did they give in the first place. So when we can get to that key, we can start seeing, what type of content do you want? Where do you want to receive it? How do you want it to be packaged? So I focus a lot on trying to look for those opportunities to speak one on one to that donor and to automate it so that it's possible, because solutions that require one person to do the work of 10 are not solutions. So we want to make that personalization really easy to implement, to give that donor an experience. And that's. That's what you're providing as a nonprofit, an experience and a feeling. And so they have to feel that you know them one on one.
- [08:12]
Dr. Rob Harder
Well, you're so right, Elena. You know, the personal contact is so important. As before, we were talking about or jumped on the show, we talked about, you know, AI and how that's changing a lot of our landscape. And one of the things I think we need to continue to specialize in, if you want to put it that way, is that person to person contact, that human to human connection. And I think you cannot emphasize that enough, particularly when it comes to donors, but that's the case for staff and community members, et cetera. Okay, so donor retention, it is certainly, I would say, at the top of mind of every executive director, development director, every nonprofit leader. That is a big, big thing that they focus on and really are concerned about, maybe keeps them up at night. What would you say, from your experience, the key engagement strategies that you would recommend in order to reduce this donor churn that so many people are experiencing?
- [09:02]
Elena Fortner Newsome
So I find that donor retention can sometimes feel that it's competing with acquisition, and so you can start to feel a tug of war between the two. But knowing that retention can return five times the amount on your roi, really, for me, bubbles it up to the top. And so one of the things that I like to tell them, two strategies, One, storytelling. You're never going to. We're humans. We really like storytelling. That's how we've talked since we're sitting in front of a fire in a cave. And it's how, you know, we talk now is we want to hear the story of it. So I really encourage the clients I've worked with to share impact stories, stories that show the difference donors are making. One of the things I like to encourage them to do is after they've given that gift, tell them what their money's been doing in the first 24 hours. Just say, here's. Here's where your money's been working. Hour two, it did this. Hour four, it did this. And you, you make them general. I'm not saying that we want to send out a customized email to every person, but your money is working on that mission all the time. So help your donors understand that story. Another great one that I feel can almost be glossed over. Maybe people don't realize how powerful it is is segmentation. If we try to talk to everybody the same way, we're not talking to anybody. And so it goes back to what we were saying. You've got to get to that one on one level where you can take your donors here. That may be maybe they came in on a challenge of Facebook and you need to talk to them like that versus, say, a direct male donor who may be older, who may be going to the mailbox to get your. Your nonprofit. So segmentation, storytelling, sharing those impact stories, I think those are so powerful, especially when you can couple them with like automated email sequences and CRM data. You start to nurture a relationship. So they're not a wallet, they're a relationship. And I think that's a really important thing to rem.
- [10:58]
Dr. Rob Harder
Oh, boy, that's so yeah, they're not a wallet, they're a person. I think that's right there is huge. And I. And people, I would say donors pick up on that very quickly. And I think you're absolutely again right to emphasize that. There's times where I know I've worked with a donor relationship, and some of the best things that you can do with certain people is to not even ask them for money. It's just to build that relationship, build that trust, and then out of that, let them ask, okay, so what do you need? And then you have an open door. And so anyway, I think that really matches well with kind of your approach. We'll be right back. Are you looking for an easy and effective way to boost your nonprofit's donations? Look no further than DonorBox, the online fundraising platform that streamlines your fundraising efforts, maximizes donations, and simplifies giving for your supporters. With DonorBox, you can create beautiful donation forms, accept digital wallet payments, track donations, and send auto receipts. And the best part, there are no setup or monthly fees and no long term contracts required. So what are you waiting for? Visit donorbox.org today to get started. That is donorbox.org hey, friends, thanks so much for listening to the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. Many of you know that I provide leadership and life coaching. With my 30 years of nonprofit experience, I know firsthand how hard leaders like you work. I also know how important it is to have someone you can call on and to get help with the barriers and leadership challenges you will face both professionally and personally. I really want to help people thrive and become all they were meant to become by providing coaching and consulting services. It's been so much fun working as a coach, working with clients who are leaders just like you, looking to grow personally and professionally. What you may not know is that I also provide consulting services currently. In fact, I'm working with an organization to help them create a clear strategy and plan to raise $3.5 million to expand their organization. So perhaps you're an executive director and you sense your organization has hit a lid on growth and you need a strategy as to how you can scale your nonprofit. Or perhaps the culture you set out to create is not the culture you have currently and it's impacting your staff retention. Or maybe you're facing a major resource challenge and you don't know what to do. That's where I can help. I come alongside leaders and organizations to create strategies to grow their organizations and maximize their impact. If your nonprofit needs help with fundraising strategy or operational effectiveness, reach out today. You can simply email me@robparter.com you can go to my website, robharder.com or you can call me 435-776-5173. I would be happy to provide a free sample coaching session or a consult to see how I can best be of help to you and your organization. Well, thanks again for listening. Now back to the show. So, okay, so if someone attends your boot camp, what can they plan on taking away from that experience? And what kind of support does the Bestie Bootcamp community offer to participants after the fact?
- [14:08]
Elena Fortner Newsome
So participants leave the boot camp with a complete donor retention plan and it's tailored to their organization. But it doesn't stop there. They also gain access to a community of like minded nonprofit leaders where we can share resources and get feedback and offer each other support. And I think that's one of the ways that it really makes it different from other programs. We found that the community element, it's a truly powerful especially for women leaders. We're used to talking to each other and we are used to leaning on besties. And so to give them that bestie support and say I'm here for you, I'm going to keep it Honest, I'm going to, I'm going to give you the full scoop. I think that's invaluable. And I think you can start to see the change in the leaders and you can start to see them implement that change in the nonprofit.
- [14:53]
Dr. Rob Harder
That's good. That's good to know that that's what they can take away from it. And then some of the key features would you say, what do you provide in the basic bestie as well as the bundle bestie plans that you feel like are most helpful for nonprofit leaders today?
- [15:06]
Elena Fortner Newsome
So I've created a quiz out there so you can figure out which package really works best for you, which, which tier. And it's based on how much support and guidance do you need. So the basic bestie plan is ideal for non profits that do have a strong foundation. They may need some extra tools, maybe they need some templates and understanding of, of some of the more complex formulas perhaps. So they go into to it and they get the template, they get curriculum, they get ideas and a weekly Q and A session to like bubble up those questions that are at the top of their mind. But if you need more support, then we move up to the bundle bestie or even our VIP which offers more in depth one on one coaching and exclusive workshops and mastermind groups so that they get the support that they need to do the same thing that people in the basic are doing. You know, it's all about how can you take this, turn it into your own and then use that to power your mission. And that's what we want to help them do is, you know, power that mission and move that forward.
- [16:04]
Dr. Rob Harder
Yeah. And as you think about the people that you've worked with already, maybe even from your own experience, what has been some of an example or two of the things you've taught and how it really plays out and the difference it's making in different leaders lives, maybe you have an example or two that you can share.
- [16:18]
Elena Fortner Newsome
Yeah. So it's so fun because you start to think of things that seem sometimes to. I'm a fundraiser at heart, so these are things that I stay up late night talking about, you know. But other times when it's not your wheelhouse, you don't think about. So only 13% of donors receive a thank you in the receipt.
- [16:36]
Dr. Rob Harder
That's shocking to me. That's like 101. That's one on one. Right.
- [16:40]
Elena Fortner Newsome
So, so that's what I'm here to say is like, I'll help you do that one on one. So you're not missing those basic steps because it's so easy to always make sure to say thank you in that. And it makes such a difference. I want to hear it. In my daily life, I tell my kids to tell me thank you. You know, it's. It's part of the process. So I love to help them realize how these small changes that don't require money, don't require budget, don't require an immense staff are still available to them, is still open to them in an area that they can grow in. So I love that example. I think it's always something that they can implement and helps them. Others may not be looking at or calculating their retention, so they may not see. I think it's really helpful to know your lifetime value. I think it helps with your segmentation, I think it helps with your messaging. And it's not a complex formula, it's not calculus. You can get to it with some simple numbers and it will help. You know, do I go after this group who only has $2 worth of lifetime value left or do I go after this group who has $200 of lifetime value? And when you're short on time that knowing how to prioritize is invaluable. And then when you can have the like we provide a year long content calendar of here's how to stay in touch and nurture them. So in February you can leverage Valentine's Day and send out a thank you. Of course, we all know we're doing things on giving Tuesday and end of year, but let's fill the, you know that summer. Summer always drops off right. So what can you be talking about to nurture so that they're all ready for Q4. And that's some of the things that you walk away with is just making sure that you know how to talk all the time. I always keep the relationships at the center, which is why nonprofit bestie works on relationships, you know, with the leaders.
- [18:30]
Dr. Rob Harder
Exactly. Well said. You know, one of the things I've talked to a lot of my guests about and it's not just with development, although it seems to be that development and the role of development director is, is very much at the top of this list. What I mean by that is now staff churn or staff turnover that is just continuing to be a problem in the nonprofit sector. It's just getting only worse. It's now spreading to more marketing and program director positions as well as of course executive directors. But development has always been that one of those areas where I think the last I saw was 18 months is the average now for a development director to stay at any given nonprofit. And as you're talking about the things about building relationship. And 18 months is not that much time. You're just getting to know people and you leave, then there's a new person. So it really can make it so difficult for some nonprofits to kind of make progress and actually move forward. What have you seen? I guess maybe on the one hand, why do you think there's so much churn? And number two, what's some of the solutions to get around that?
- [19:27]
Elena Fortner Newsome
You know, I, I don't think we can underscore how difficult it can be to work in the nonprofit space. When I worked on the client side, I worked for Mothers against drunk Driving. And so for instance, I would walk by a mural every day of drunk driving victims. And it was small little babies in Santa hats, it was young married couples, it was grandmothers down to kids wiped out. That takes an emotional toll on you. And these fundraisers are out there doing that every day, talking the stories, talking about their mission. So we have to be there to help them with their mental health. I think especially as women, we try to take on everything, we try to do it all. And we tend to think, and in a small nonprofit, it could be true that we're the only one available. So if you're Talking about an 18 month, you've only repeated half of your campaigns. You haven't even repeated a whole cycle of campaigns. So when you lose that knowledge all the time, it's an impossible well to fill. It's important. And one of the things we stress is to start writing down things. You see this a lot in say, the hospitality industry. Get some SOPs going, talk, understand your brand and your voice and your mission and just write it down. Even if you're just making notes in an email to yourself, get it written so that you can pass that along to the, to the next person. And, and I would say, and we highlight this in nonprofit bestie, you have to pay attention to your mental health. You, you can't just sit there. Back in the day, I would work 80 hours at a nonprofit because it always felt like it was so important. I was literally saving lives. Like my email had to go out, it had to, to solve Alzheimer's or end drunk driving or help sick children. Like, that's an immense burden. And now I know to step away, to take those moments. And the greatest thing I can give to a non profit is my mind and my inspiration and my heart. So if I keep myself filled, then I can fill the nonprofit with self.
- [21:34]
Dr. Rob Harder
Care when it comes to leadership is so critical and often not talked about enough. So I'm glad to hear that that's one of your key focus areas and that lends it well into this coaching arena. I mean, you do coaching your consulting as well, and that's something that my listeners know. That's what I've gone into. I've got my own business now. I'm building. And I do feel like coaching is one of the most underappreciated services out there. And I think, tell me if you see this too. I feel like oftentimes I'm talking to various nonprofit leaders and they said, oh, I love coaching, that would be wonderful. I really need it. I don't have the budget, I don't have the time. Those are probably the two responses I get the most. And yet those who take the step and invest even a little bit into coaching or consulting for that matter, so beneficial, the benefits are just far outweigh what you invest in it. So talk, maybe you could talk a little bit more about that, you know, tell me more about your experience and how that maybe prompted you to even start this bootcamp in the first place. But how can people find out more about what you're offering, offering and what have you seen to be the benefits of coaching and what you offer?
- [22:38]
Elena Fortner Newsome
You know, so one of the things you, you talked about, it's time and money, right? Do I have the time and do I have the money? So non profits are often, we do have slim budgets, but you have to invest in fundraising or you see even shorter 10 years or you see even less effective. So you don't know what you don't know. And as a leader, you're busy managing. You may have a in depth knowledge of the mission, but you don't know about fundraising. So you have to go out and take the time to learn it. And like you said, the benefits really, really pay off. Especially with nonprofit Bessie. What we do is we're going to be a resource for you forever. A lifetime of resource to bounce an idea off. How useful would it be to be working on your next campaign? We'll say 7pm at night. And to have somebody that you could be like, what do you think about this idea? And that's what I love about coaching is being able to look at their data, to look at their mission and look at their story and the magic of bringing all that together. It's really where I live and it's what brings me great joy to do for them. And so I find that if you can, if you can take the time and you can find the budget, you'll get it back. I mean a retention returns on your roa five times more. If you see a 5% increase in retention, you could have up to a 20% increase in donations. So it, you don't want to put the car. You know what they used to say, don't, don't step over a dollar to pick up a dime.
- [24:06]
Dr. Rob Harder
Right, right. Exactly right. That's a good analogy. Yeah. I was just having lunch with a good friend who's an entrepreneur and he's in the for profit world, but he has just done really well and he's growing his business and, and ready to go to another level. He's at 75 staff right now, but he's ready to actually triple that, if you can believe it. And I was like, wow, that's a huge step. And to asking him more questions about how are you going to make that next step. And one of the things he told me really just stood out and it just resonates with what you just shared was he has invested in personal coaching for many years now. And he invests actually each one of his key leadership at a certain management level. He pays through his company, he pays for personal coaching for each one of them. And he says that's how we've been able to grow so quickly and continue to grow and sustain it. And I thought that's brilliant. I mean, I again, I wish the nonprofit sector would listen a little bit more to that because I think that's where so many nonprofits either hit a level where they just can't get beyond or they, they start expanding because the needs there and like say post Covid, there was so many needs and you're growing and, but you can't sustain it because you're not providing that undergirding of coaching and support because we all need coaching at the end of the day. So anyway, I love that you have that as an offering. So anything else that people ought to know that are listening that I want to find out a little bit more about what you offer through the Bestie bootcamp or just the bestie nonprofit.
- [25:25]
Elena Fortner Newsome
Yeah. So we have a lot of exciting things going on at Nonprofit Bestie. Next week we'll be starting a five day donor retention challenge and that'll be five days to implement and see changes in your donor retention. And I'd like to invite all your viewers to take part in it for free. They can go to www.nonprofitbestie.com. sign up for the mailing list. I'll send you all the information and we'll get you in there for free. It's a great and exciting time. I think the nonprofit world does need to borrow from the entrepreneurial world, and they do need to invest in themselves and the employees. We talk a big game about that being our biggest asset. And you kind of have to walk the walk if you believe it.
- [26:07]
Dr. Rob Harder
Absolutely. Okay, one more time. Your website. And then how can they connect with you if maybe they want to connect with you on LinkedIn or whatever else? What are the best ways to connect with you?
- [26:14]
Elena Fortner Newsome
I'm on Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn. And you can email me@bestienprofitbestie.com and then my website is www.nonprofitbestie.com.
- [26:26]
Dr. Rob Harder
Okay. Well, Elena, thanks for all you're doing to really to invest in leadership, particularly women in leadership in the nonprofit sector. It's so critical, as we've said, and just appreciate your passion for it and your desire to really make better leaders. So thanks for all you're doing and thanks for being on the show.
- [26:39]
Elena Fortner Newsome
Thank you so much. I had a great time.
- [26:42]
Dr. Rob Harder
Hey, friends. Well, I wanted you to know that this podcast can be found on itunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google podcasts, and wherever you listen to other podcasts. I also want to encourage you to, like, subscribe and share this podcast with others. This will actually help us get this great content out to more nonprofit leaders just like you. You can also join the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast community, find other resources and interviews of past guests, all on my website, Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. Well, thanks again for listening and until next time, keep making your world better. And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. Go to YouTube and look up Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. We'll see you there. This podcast is sponsored by DonorBox Donor Box, helping you help others with the best donation forms in the business.