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.
Listen Now:
All Episodes:
Episode 97: Making the Case for Funding
Funders fund programs, not businesses. It's not their responsibility to cover business expenses, yet 90% of Founders and Executive Directors expect them to. Keeping them in poverty mode. Learn what the Funder's Perspective is, why it matters, and what you should be asking funders for so your proposals are funded (and how to cover the rest!).
Episode 96: No Show
Are You Struggling to Fill Your Programs? There could be many reasons why. Marketing, need, a change in your community. What can and should you do to address a drop in your enrollment? Take a listen to this episode for ways to address how to get more butts in the seats in your programs!
Episode 95: Clarity at a Glance
Do Your Descriptions Clearly Reflect Your Mission? Funders use your mission and program descriptions to determine alignment with their funding goals. With so much at stake, don't risk getting screened out of a funding opportunity because you didn't understand how important clear, measurable, and targeted descriptions are. Learn more in this episode!
Episode 94: Should I? or Shouldn't I?
If you're thinking about starting a nonprofit but aren't sure if you should or shouldn't, this episode will help you to decide. Starting a nonprofit is starting a business. If you think you will "get a grant " to start a nonprofit - then, No. You shouldn't start a nonprofit. If you have at least $25K to start your nonprofit, then yes, you should. If you're not sure when or why you should start a nonprofit check out this episode to learn if you should or shouldn't.
Episode 93: Is It Time?
Is it time to dissolve your nonprofit? if you're constantly self-funding your organization, and your "We" is really "You", if you don't have paid staff and your volunteers won't pick up your call. And you're delivering the same programs, with no growth or innovation. But mostly, if you're sacrificing YOU to give to your community with no compensation. Is it time to stop and start living your best life, while you can? Or are you ready to shift your mindset, build a solid infrastructure and generate real revenue? It's time you decide. If you're ready to do the work it takes to run a profitable, impactful nonprofit that changes lives—including your own--then it's time to start fresh!
Episode 92: 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 91: 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 90: Validating Need
Funders don’t just write checks because nonprofits ask for support. They need to be inspired and believe their money will make a difference. The Statement of Need is an essential tool for demonstrating need. Without the justification, Funders will not support your cause. Find out how to validate the need in your community; what goes into a Statement of Need.
Episode 89: What You Don't Know, You Don't Know - Things to Consider Before Starting a Nonprofit
Did you start your nonprofit organization because you thought it would be easy? Or, you thought you'd get grants to help you serve your community? People start nonprofits without understanding that there are rules that must be followed, infrastructures that must be in place, and systems that can produce information, in order to qualify for funding.
Episode 88: Nonprofit Does Not Mean "No Profit": A Nonprofit is a Business
In this episode, Amber explains why "Nonprofit" doesn't mean "No Profit." A nonprofit is a business (it's just a business with a philanthropic purpose), and every business has expenses. That's why nonprofits MUST generate revenue to cover those expenses. *It is the organization's responsibility to cover business costs, not the funders.
Episode 87: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 7 – Build a Sustainable Nonprofit
Are you self-funding your nonprofit organization? Learn what it takes to get consistent, outside funding that leads to a sustainable nonprofit.
Episode 86: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 6 – Build Your Credibility
How do you get grants as a start-up? You’re competing against organizations with long track records. Learn what you have to do and how to get them before applying and getting rejected for grants.
Episode 85: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 5 - Build Your Systems
How to qualify for grants? Funders request financial statements to help determine eligibility. How do you produce the financial statements? You need systems in place that track, monitor, and produce reports both the IRS and Funders need. Learn what they are and how to create them.
Episode 84: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 4 – Building Your Leadership Team
How to get a salary? How to hire a paid staff? There’s a formula and it’s based on your leadership team. Learn the formula and how to go from volunteer to receiving a check every month.
Episode 83: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 3 - 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 82: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 2 - Develop your Purpose
How to recruit board members (you don’t pay), funders, and clients. It starts with a clear purpose. Learn what it entails.
Episode 81: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 1 Pt. 2 - How to Start a Nonprofit “The Infrastructure”
How to start a nonprofit in terms of building out the most important foundational elements of the organization - the infrastructure. Step 2 is the key to getting grants, recruiting board members, and becoming funder-ready. This is the part of starting a nonprofit that most Founders skip.
Episode 80: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 1 Pt. 1 - How to Start a Nonprofit “The Legal Entity”
“How to start a nonprofit?” means more than just getting a 501(c)(3) tax exemption. It’s a 2-step process. Step 1 is forming the Legal Entity. Learn what this means and why it’s an important part of the nonprofit success roadmap.
Episode 79: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap: Stage 0 – Thinking About Starting a Nonprofit
Not sure if you should start a nonprofit or for-profit? Learn the difference between the two, and which one you should start.
Episode 78: The Nonprofit Success Roadmap - The 7 Stages of Building a Successful Nonprofit
Thinking about starting a nonprofit? Struggling to fund your nonprofit? Overwhelmed? Before starting a nonprofit, learn the 7 Stages of a Successful nonprofit and get clarity on what should be done to start, fund, and run a profitable nonprofit organization before spending a dime.