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Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

Patton McDowell
Nonprofit Leadership
Fundraising
Fundraising Strategies
Nonprofit Sector
Nonprofit Management
Strategic Planning
Professional Development
Board Engagement
Donor Engagement
Philanthropy
Artificial Intelligence
Leadership
Collaboration
Community Engagement
Mergers
Leadership Development
Higher Education
Succession Planning
Old North Illuminated
Mentorship

Ranked #1 on FeedSpot's Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy podcast lists, Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership is the go-to resource for current and aspiring nonprofit leaders. Hosted by Dr. Patton McDowell and powered by Armstrong McGuire, the show delivers practical wisdom from the sector's most experienced executives, fundraisers, board leaders, and consultants — every Thursday.Patton brings 30... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes370Founded7 years ago
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Artwork for Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

Latest Episodes

370: How to Stop Losing Half of Your Recurring Donors (Dave Raley)

Episode Summary

If your organization celebrates a 42% recurring donor retention rate (the national average), you may be focusing on the wrong number - because the real story is the ... more

369: No Money, No Mission: Rethinking How Nonprofits Are Built to Survive (Ryan Dewey Smith)

Episode Summary

Most nonprofits don’t fail because their mission stops mattering - they fail because the structure holding that mission together was never ... more

368: Before You Merge: Five Factors Every Nonprofit Leader Must Weigh (Staci Barfield)

Episode Summary

For too many nonprofit leaders, the word “merger” lands like a verdict, a sign something has gone wrong. Staci Barfield, Senior Director of Consu... more

367: Activate Good - Leading with Fearlessness and Purpose (Marjorie Maas)

Episode Summary

Nonprofit leaders carry the weight of the next grant, the next major gift, the next board meeting - and that constant worry doesn’t make the work more produc... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Ryan Dewey Smith
Founder and CEO of Imperium
Imperium
Episode: 369: No Money, No Mission: Rethinking How Nonprofits Are Built to Survive (Ryan Dewey Smith)
Staci Barfield
Senior Director of Consulting Excellence at Armstrong McGuire
Armstrong McGuire
Episode: 368: Before You Merge: Five Factors Every Nonprofit Leader Must Weigh (Staci Barfield)
Marjorie Maas
CEO of Share Good
Share Good
Episode: 367: Activate Good - Leading with Fearlessness and Purpose (Marjorie Maas)
Tom Ahern
Founder of Ahern Communications
Ahern Communications
Episode: 366: Stop Writing for Your Organization. Write for Your Donor. (Tom Ahern)
Jim Broschart
Leads all of alumni and development at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
Episode: 365: The Long Game: Building a Fundraising Career That Lasts (Jim Broschart)
Norman Gildin
Fundraising consultant, author and 40-year veteran of the sector
Independent consultant / author
Episode: 364: What Will Your Donor Remember? (Norman Gildin)
Brandy Walker
Founder of Brand Worthy Solutions
Brand Worthy Solutions
Episode: 363: Your Mission Is Clear. Is Your Story? (Brandy Walker)
Marcia Dawood
Angel investor, author, TEDx speaker
Self-employed / Author of Unapologetic Wealth
Episode: 362: It’s Never Just the Money: What Donor Psychology Means for Nonprofit Leaders (Marcia Dawood)
Megan Joseph
Founding director of Impact Launch
Impact Launch
Episode: 361: 5 Reasons Your Professional Development Isn't Working (Megan Joseph)

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 133 ratings
  • Great stuff!

    There are lots of good podcasts out there, but I consider what Patton and his team do to be one of the best out there. Easy to listen to, relatable, timely, and not over-the-top content that makes us all a little (or a lot) better at what we do for a living. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    andre1125
    United States2 months ago
  • Invaluable for Nonprofit Leaders

    If you work in or around the nonprofit sector, this podcast belongs in your rotation. Patton McDowell is a genuinely skilled interviewer, and with over 350 episodes covering everything from board governance to fundraising to AI adoption, there's something here for every stage of a nonprofit leadership journey. I was honored to be a guest myself. Being on the other side of the mic only deepened my respect for how much care goes into this show. Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mary Gallivan
    United States2 months ago
  • Always relevant topics

    I appreciate this podcast as Patton always hosts guests for discussions that are relevant, timely, and in need of nuance. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the questions and the wisdom of the guests. Very useful podcast for nonprofit leaders who are navigating the pressures of our current environment.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RoomofRequirement
    United States6 months ago
  • Highly recommended

    Patton McDowell is an excellent host who engages in meangful and informative conversations about important issues for nonprofit leaders.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Grodskor
    United States8 months ago
  • Listen To Level Up Your Leadership

    If you’re a nonprofit leader now or aspire to be one this podcast is the one to listen to!

    You’ll learn lessons from people who have gone before you and learned them the hard way so you don’t have to.

    If you listen + apply what you hear in these episodes your leadership will grow!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Stephen Newland
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Hosts are engaging and bring out actionable takeaways in every episode.
Guests come from diverse nonprofit backgrounds, offering practical, real-world strategies.
Listeners praise the host for thoughtful questions that drive meaningful conversations.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

368: Before You Merge: Five Factors Every Nonprofit Leader Must Weigh (Staci Barfield)
Q: What is the first factor to evaluate when considering a merger?
Mission alignment and strategic rationale—whether both organizations are working toward the same goals and serving similar clients, and why merging helps advance that shared mission.
368: Before You Merge: Five Factors Every Nonprofit Leader Must Weigh (Staci Barfield)
Q: What is the dominant purpose behind considering a merger in the nonprofit sector?
To increase impact and expand capacity while maintaining mission focus, rather than acting out of desperation; mergers should be strategic moves to magnify outcomes and efficiency.
366: Stop Writing for Your Organization. Write for Your Donor. (Tom Ahern)
Q: How do you translate your framework into practical donor appeals?
By starting with a case for support, using the Why Us/Why Now/Why You donor framework, and ensuring the message is emotionally engaging, personalized, and easy to act on; then rewriting iteratively to refine clarity and impact.
361: 5 Reasons Your Professional Development Isn't Working (Megan Joseph)
Q: And the fifth?
Lack of organizational support to translate learning into practice; leadership must model and embed learnings organization-wide.
361: 5 Reasons Your Professional Development Isn't Working (Megan Joseph)
Q: What is the fourth mistake to avoid?
Addressing the wrong thing; conduct a proper assessment to identify gaps aligned with strategic priorities before designing PD.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership

What is Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show delivers practical leadership, fundraising, governance, and strategy guidance for nonprofit professionals, featuring veteran fundraisers, executive directors, board leaders, and consultants. Episodes frequently tackle donor relations, storytelling, board engagement, capacity building, and sustainable funding, often weaving in actionable frameworks, real-world case studies, and ethical leadership. A standout is the focus on transforming organizational culture and governance through disciplined, donor-centric strategies, with guests who bring decades of sector experience and concrete takeaways that listeners can implement immediately.

Where can I find podcast stats for Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership:

1. Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications
2. Planet Money
3. The Indicator from Planet Money
4. The Art of Manliness
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership are there?

Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership launched 7 years ago and published 370 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership?

Recent guests on Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership include:

1. Ryan Dewey Smith
2. Staci Barfield
3. Marjorie Maas
4. Tom Ahern
5. Jim Broschart
6. Norman Gildin
7. Brandy Walker
8. Marcia Dawood

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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