Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
Joan Garry · Joan Garry & Glennda Testone
Show overview
Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications has been publishing since 2016, and across the 10 years since has built a catalogue of 266 episodes. That works out to roughly 190 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence, with the show now in its 6th season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 37 min and 51 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 weeks ago, with 20 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Joan Garry & Glennda Testone.
From the publisher
Joan Garry: Nonprofit Leader and former Executive Director of GLAAD helps fellow CEOs, Boards and Board Chairs, Fundraisers, and Nonprofit Marketers
Latest Episodes
View all 266 episodesEp 262: How to Be a Force for Good When Your Tank Is Empty (with Sam Horn)
Ep 261: What Would Dolly Do? Leadership Lessons from a Life of Giving
Ep 260: How Can Nonprofits Do Better Good? Hint: Doing More Isn’t the Answer.
Ep 258: Burn on vs. Burnout: A Conversation With Jim Collins About What Matters in Life
Ep 257: Nonprofit Unions: What Leaders, Staff, and Boards Need to Know with Bev Tillary
Ep 257: Presence ≠ Power: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Rashad Robinson
Ep 256: What are Corporate Sponsors Really Looking for From Nonprofits? with Mariah Monique
Ep 255: Managing Across Generations: What Nonprofit Leaders Need to Know with Jason Burlingame
Ep 256: What are Corporate Sponsors Really Looking for From Nonprofits? with Mariah Monique
Ep 254: Building Belonging When DEI Feels Like a Four-Letter Word with Dr Kiki Ramsey
Ep 253: Still Figuring It Out: An Honest Take on People Pleasing and Leadership
Ep 252: CRM Matchmaking: How to Ensure the Right Fit for Your Nonprofit with Julia Gackenbach
Ep 251: Reimagining Nonprofits: The Uncomfortable Conversation We Need to Have with Vu Le
S1 Ep 1Ep 250: The Power of Neighbors: A Leadership Story from Minneapolis with Emilia Gonzalez Avalos
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.
S1 Ep 1Ep 249: Financial Resilience Isn’t Luck – It’s Strategy with Bethany Maki
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.
S1 Ep 1Ep 248: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Simple, Agile, and Real with Sophia Shaw and Adam Wolford
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.
S1 Ep 1Ep 247: A Volunteer’s Guide to Major Donor Conversations with Eileen Opatut
In this episode, I’m joined by my wife Eileen Opatut, a volunteer fundraiser who landed a yes on her first major ask! Together, we break down what actually works and walk through the real mechanics of successful fundraising.
S1 Ep 1Ep 246: If You Believe Leadership Matters, Prove It!
Nonprofit leaders aren’t burning out because they’re incapable. They’re burning out because we’re not setting them up for success. In this episode, I make the case for why leadership development is not optional – and why investing in leaders is one of the most powerful retention strategies our sector has.
S1 Ep 1Ep 245: Rethinking Leadership in 2026: The Shifts Nonprofit Leaders Need to Make Now
In this episode, Glennda and I reflect on what last year revealed about leadership–and what must change going forward. From adaptive leadership to intentional planning to shared power and long-term thinking, this conversation explores how nonprofit leaders can move beyond reaction and lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose in the year ahead.
S1 Ep 1Ep 244: The Board Chair–CEO Blueprint: What Every Nonprofit Can Learn from Girl Scouts USA
When the relationship between a board chair and CEO is strong, it can transform an entire organization, but most nonprofit leaders aren’t taught how to build it well. Girl Scouts of the USA’s CEO Bonnie Barczykowski and Board President Noorain Khan join Glennda to share exactly how they created a high-trust, high-impact partnership from day one.