Most “best practices” put donors and boards at the top of the pyramid - and everyone else (staff, volunteers, service users) at the bottom.  

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio breaks down the shift from donor-centric to community-centric fundraising and why this change is key to building a more equitable nonprofit sector. 

Grants look easy from the outside: download a form, fill it in, wait for the cheque. In reality? Cold applications rarely convert, and the magic happens off the application portal.  

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio and co-host Caitlin McBride unpack why grants are not the quick win many organizations expect and how a single 15-minute call can completely change your pitch, and your odds. We break down what funders won’t put on their website, why most “perfect fit” applications still miss, and how to flip your process from “apply first” to “build trust first.” If you’ve been told to “just send more grants,” but aren’t seeing the results you want, this one’s for you.

A four-day work week is not a gimmick. Done right, it can reduce burnout, stabilize output, and help you keep great people. Our guest today shares that after two years of doing a 4-day work week model, they saw a 46% increase in staff morale and wellbeing. This is only one of the many amazing benefits Imagine Canada has seen! 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Jodene Baker, Vice President of Research, Advocacy and External Relations at Imagine Canada. Jodene oversees national research and policy efforts supporting Canada’s nonprofit sector. Imagine Canada also builds tools like Grant Connect and advocates federally to strengthen the sector. Maria and Jodene discuss the challenges of starting, decent work practices, and how to measure the unmeasurable.

When a nonprofit faces a full board turnover, staff departures, and community outrage all at once, most Executive Directors want to run away. Nina Horvath stayed. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Nina Horvath, Executive Director of the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, producers of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Years ago, Nina joined Coastal as their ED just two weeks before a contentious AGM that resulted in a complete board shake-up. What followed was months of turmoil, community mistrust, and staff uncertainty. Through transparency, communication, and stubborn resilience, Nina helped guide the organization back to stability. Her leadership built psychological safety, trust with the community, and provided much-needed calm through the storm. 

The 2025 Changemaker Wellbeing Index Report shows that 30% of nonprofit workers are experiencing food insecurity. This new study confirms what so many in our sector already feel every day: burnout, financial strain, and constant pressure. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio is joined by Caitlin McBride, CFRE, a fundraising executive with over a decade of experience. Together, they unpack Future of Good’s 2025 Change Maker Wellbeing Index and what it reveals about food security, mental health, and overall wellbeing across Canadian nonprofits.

Small nonprofits deserve BIG support. However, many fundraisers stumble while trying one to one relationships with major donors without it feeling fake, forced, or transactional.  Fundraising is not sales; it is matchmaking. At the heart of every major gift is a shared why: the values and experiences that connect you, your mission, and your donors. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio breaks down how small nonprofits can shift their mindset about major gifts, move past common fears, and start building authentic, lasting relationships with donors. 

Growing your organization is about smarter, easier touchpoints. It’s about how small nonprofits can show up where people already are, build real connection, and grow a brand that attracts donors, partners, and advocates. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio is joined by Christa Stelzmuller, Chief Technology Officer at Charity: Water. Christa brings a wealth of experience leading technology, product, and data innovation at one of the world’s most recognized nonprofits. Together, they dig into how nonprofits can use technology and partnerships to deepen empathy, engage new audiences, and grow sustainable revenue. 

Storytelling is the heartbeat of nonprofit fundraising - and now, AI is giving organizations new ways to capture and share those stories while still keeping a human touch at the center. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria Rio sits down with Gustavo Berg, Co-founder and CEO of Vitalcy, an AI-powered alumni engagement platform helping nonprofits reconnect with their communities, strengthen relationships, and unlock new donor support.

Your top donors don’t just write big cheques; they could be folding newsletters in your conference room every Tuesday or serving on your board for the third consecutive year.

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, we're exploring on what it means to steward supporters through a Community-Centric Fundraising lens. We're sharing ways we’ve shown gratitude to people who show up for your mission with time, talent, advocacy, and yes, dollars too. We challenge the traditional approach of stewarding people based solely on gift amounts and explore who really deserves your high-touch attention (spoiler: it's not just your $1,000+ donors).

Is your nonprofit struggling to turn DEI intentions into meaningful action?

Fear, burnout, and performative allyship often hold us back from creating truly equitable organizations. But what if we could move beyond discomfort into sustainable change?

In this episode, Maria sits down with Jonathan Meagher-Zayas, an equity educator and nonprofit consultant, to explore the real reasons why DEI work stalls and how to finally make it stick. They discuss power dynamics, fear of being "canceled," the broken board structure, and how small nonprofits can lead with community and strategy at the center.

Social enterprises aren't only about earning or diversifying revenue; they’re key to finding creative, sustainable ways to advance your mission while serving your community with dignity. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio chats with Tom Armitage, who has been leading The Seed, a project of the Guelph Community Health Centre, for almost 10 years. The Seed is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in the community has access to good food, and along the way they have built innovative programming, including a social enterprise, that rethink how nonprofits can deliver impact.

Relying on a fundraiser’s personal network isn’t a fundraising strategy; it’s a shortcut that can cost your nonprofit big in the long run. 

In this episode, Maria Rio and Caitlin McBride unpack why this common hiring question is a major red flag, what it reveals about an organization’s approach to fundraising, and how small nonprofits can shift toward healthier, more sustainable donor relationships.

In this solo episode, Maria Rio dives into five powerful forces shaping the future of the nonprofit sector and lays out what organizations might look like by 2035. From workforce shifts and AI adoption to government instability and DEI backlash, Maria doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges but she also shares smart ways small nonprofits can stay resilient, ethical, and effective through it all. 

AI is here to stay, and many nonprofits are already embracing it. In this episode, we break down how you can set up your own custom GPT to save time, boost donor engagement, and make your team’s life a whole lot easier. Whether you're writing thank-you emails, managing volunteers, or brainstorming fundraising ideas, your nonprofit can benefit from an AI assistant that actually knows your mission. 

Ever tried to juggle visionary ideas, tight budgets, and a team that spans every learning style under the sun? In this episode of The Small Nonprofit, Maria sits down with management coach and EDI powerhouse Marisa Tran (they/them) to unpack what “people-first, consent-based leadership” really looks like when you’re running a small shop. 

Good Works estimates that a staggering $280 billion in estate wealth is expected to flow into Canadian charities. That’s not a number small nonprofits can afford to overlook. Planned giving doesn’t have to be exclusive, intimidating, or tax-code-heavy. In this episode, we dive into how small nonprofits can approach planned giving in a way that’s equitable, inclusive, and deeply aligned with community values. 

Too many small nonprofits build their budgets on optimism alone, dreaming big without the strategy or infrastructure to back it up. This episode is all about why that’s a problem, and how to stop the cycle of setting fundraising goals that hurt more than they help. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit, Maria Rio and co-host Caitlin McBride get real about what it means to set realistic, strategic fundraising goals, and what happens when you don’t. From pressure-filled board expectations to outlier-year budgeting mistakes, they unpack the ripple effects of extremely optimistic thinking and offer grounded ways to move forward. 

Want to avoid budget burnout and build goals that actually serve your mission? This episode is your guide. Listen now and share it with your board.  

Street fundraising teaches you more than grit, it teaches you the psychology of yes. Maria shares how to use these powers for good. 

In this episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Maria shares real-world insights from her time as a face-to-face fundraiser, where she learned the science and subtlety behind why people say yes. It’s about harnessing cognitive biases and psychology to ethically move people toward action.  

Whether you're fundraising in person, online, or in campaigns, this episode gives you the tools to make your ask more effective, and more human. 

Marketing doesn’t have to mean manipulation. But for many small nonprofits, common practices like donor recognition, emotional appeals, and urgency-driven fundraising can unintentionally cause harm. In this episode, Maria and anti-oppressive marketer Natalia Sanyal unpack how to shift your messaging and methods without compromising your values or your impact. 

Natalia works with human-first brands, helping for-profit and nonprofit organizations market more ethically. Here she shares her seven ethical marketing filters, reflects on her own missteps, and gives nonprofit leaders practical ways to rethink recognition, storytelling, and inclusion — especially in a world where perfectionism is no longer the standard.

Running a small nonprofit often means juggling strategy, people, programs, and inbox chaos, all while making what feels like a million decisions a day. If you’ve ever felt stuck between leading and just trying to keep up, this episode is for you. 

In this candid and insightful conversation, Maria chats with returning guest Veronica LaFemina about one of the most overlooked pain points in nonprofit life: how decisions are made, delegated, and communicated. From messy inboxes to that nagging feeling of "did I already assign this?"- Veronica offers both clarity and real tools to help leaders make better decisions, faster.