Leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, awareness, and courage. That’s the central message of this sparkling conversation featuring Wendy F. Adams, CFRE, CEO of Cultivate for Good, co-host Ellie Hume of Your Part-Time Controller, and co-host Julia Patrick. Together, they unpack what it means to truly “read the room” and lead with authenticity.

Wendy brings her trademark candor and wisdom to the conversation. Affectionately called the “Elephant Slayer”, she reminds us that every meeting has unspoken dynamics—and ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear. “There’s always one in the room and it doesn’t get any smaller. We’ve got to be able to read that,” she offers. Her advice? Pause, acknowledge what’s happening, and create space for truth to emerge. Far from being awkward, this honesty often gives others permission to voice what they’re feeling too.

Ellie adds valuable perspective from the accounting and numbers world, where emotional intelligence isn’t always the strongest suit. Her questions prompt Wendy to outline practical strategies—like intentionally setting tone before a meeting, clarifying expectations, and practicing emotional awareness in social settings as a warm-up for boardroom discussions. It’s not about being naturally gifted; as Wendy emphasizes, “Spoiler: it didn’t come natural to anyone. This girl is working on it all the time.” Growth comes from steady practice.

The trio also explore the modern challenge of hybrid and virtual meetings. Cameras off? Silence in the Zoom squares? Wendy pushes back against the false assumption that silence equals agreement. Instead, she encourages leaders to embrace pauses, ask clarifying questions, and bring remote participants into the conversation first. It’s about building connection and respect, not just plowing through an agenda.

Julia raises a deeply personal question: can seasoned leaders in their 60s really evolve? Wendy’s answer is refreshingly hopeful—yes. Tools like the “Five Voices” framework help leaders understand their natural style while intentionally developing their weaker “voices.” Courageous leadership is about humility and transparency, she argues. Admitting to your team that you’re learning and evolving isn’t weakness—it’s a strength that inspires trust.

For emerging leaders, Wendy’s advice is equally empowering: don’t wait for perfection. Ask questions, seize small opportunities to lead projects or meetings, and allow your leadership style to grow alongside your organization. If you outgrow your current space, that’s not failure—it may simply mean it’s time to align with a new environment that fits your values and vision.

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

In a conversation that feels more like a real-time crisis briefing than a casual update, Derick Dreher, Government Funding Department Leader at Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC), breaks down the latest turbulence in federal funding. If your nonprofit depends on government grants—or even corporate partnerships—you’ll want to pay attention.

Derick opens with a stark truth: “Change is the only constant these days.” Over the past several months, nonprofits have faced an unprecedented series of delays, freezes, and sudden shifts in the flow of federal dollars. From an outright funding pause by the Office of Management and Budget to agency-specific cancellations and now a new executive order forcing a 30-day grant-making pause, the reliability nonprofits once counted on has been replaced with a precarious “rolling boil” of uncertainty.

But it’s not just about delays. The newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill—a sprawling 900-page spending package—introduces a corporate giving floor of 1% of taxable income. The concern? Many corporations have historically given just under that threshold, meaning some could cut giving entirely, while others may “bunch” donations into large, infrequent gifts, creating cash flow whiplash for nonprofits.

Derick also tackles a thorny, politically charged issue: DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) language in grant applications. After an executive order forbidding “illegal discrimination” without clearly defining it, some nonprofits began scrubbing websites and documents out of fear of jeopardizing awards. New DOJ guidance offers more clarity, but each organization will need to work with legal counsel to understand the implications.

Equally eye-opening is a startling public perception gap: only 5% of Americans believe they’ve interacted with a nonprofit, despite most having lifelong contact with them—from hospitals and schools to museums and sports leagues. Derick urges nonprofits to continually communicate their value to stakeholders and elected officials, noting that state and local funding often originates from the federal level.

Looking ahead, he’s watching two key indicators: the volume of grants listed on grants.gov (a barometer of federal stability) and the progress of 12 appropriations bills that must pass before October 1 to avoid a government shutdown. His advice? Increase the frequency of cash flow projections, consider lines of credit, and engage corporations now—before the 2026 deduction changes kick in.

Derick’s message is both calming and urgent: understand what you can control, seek accurate information, and act strategically to protect and position your nonprofit to thrive, even in a climate where certainty is in short supply.

#TheNonprofitShow #NonprofitFunding #GovernmentGrants

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

Has your nonprofit ever had a simulated break-in to test your digital defenses? If not, you may already have an intruder inside!

Cyberattacks aren’t just happening to big corporations—they’re happening to nonprofits every day. And far too many organizations have no idea they’ve been breached until months later. Cybersecurity expert Michael Nouguier, Partner of Cybersecurity Services at Richey May, pulls back the curtain on the urgent, often-overlooked practice of penetration testing—known as “pen testing.” His message is blunt: if your nonprofit hasn’t done one, you may already be compromised.

Michael explains that a pen test is essentially a real-world simulation of a cyberattack, conducted by ethical hackers to expose weaknesses before malicious actors exploit them. “It’s like hiring a home inspector before you buy a house,” he says, “but instead of finding leaky pipes, we’re finding the digital doors and windows you’ve accidentally left wide open.” These gaps can exist in email, donor databases, websites, payment systems—anywhere sensitive information lives.

The process starts with scoping—identifying your organization’s tech environment, third-party tools, and data flows. From there, ethical hackers gather open-source intelligence (OSINT) to see what information about your nonprofit is publicly available, then attempt to exploit any vulnerabilities found. This may involve phishing attempts, network access attempts, or probing for weaknesses in online applications. Post-exploitation, the team determines how far they can move within your systems—accessing donor records, financial data, or confidential client files.

The findings are compiled into a detailed report, along with a letter of assessment that can be shared with insurers or contractual partners. In many industries, including healthcare, justice, and education, annual pen testing isn’t optional—it’s required by regulation or by contract. Yet, as Michael warns in this episode, many nonprofits sign agreements without realizing they’re agreeing to perform such tests.

Waiting too long is costly. IBM research shows that proactive security measures can save organizations over $200,000 per breach. On the flip side, skipping pen testing can raise your cyber insurance premiums—or get your coverage denied entirely. And because updates, new software, and staffing changes continually introduce new risks, pen testing isn’t a one-and-done task—it’s an annual checkup for your organization’s digital health.

Michael also touches on the human factor. When testing social engineering risks, you often don’t alert staff in advance—because real attackers certainly won’t. The goal is to create realistic conditions, not staged ones.

This conversation should serve as a wake-up call: penetration testing is not an optional luxury—it’s a frontline defense. Whether you hold donor payment information, confidential case files, or sensitive program data, you can’t afford to leave your cybersecurity to chance.

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show