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What is it like to lead a nonprofit when you’re constantly being told you’re “too much” of one thing and “not enough” of another? On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, Sharonne Navas shares what it’s been like to navigate a predominantly white sector as a first-gen American Latina. With experience spanning organizations like Para Los Niños, Ayuda, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and national justice movements, Sharonne names what it means to do deeply political work in a sector that loves to pretend it’s “neutral”.

Maria sits down with Sharonne — co-founder and Executive Director of the Equity and Education Center in Seattle and a longtime advocate, organizer, and policy leader — to talk about identity, race, and power in nonprofit leadership. Nonprofit leaders will walk away with language to describe what they’re experiencing, validation that they’re not imagining it, and practical ideas to lead in ways that centre community, democracy, and their own humanity.

The Highlights

• Living in the “in-between” as a Latina ED – Sharonne reflects on growing up as the first American-born child of Central American immigrants, never feeling quite “Latina enough” or “American enough,” and how that plays out in mostly white nonprofit spaces.
• Racism and tokenism in fundraising – From being treated as a bilingual “two-for-one” hire to working with wealthy donors, Sharonne names the microaggressions and structural issues that racialized leaders face in development and leadership roles.
• Why nonprofits are inherently political – Sharonne challenges the idea that nonprofits should be “non-political,” framing our work as resistance in systems where governments have stepped back from their responsibilities to marginalized communities.
• Democracy, philanthropy, and power – Drawing on her policy and advocacy work, she unpacks the contradictions of billionaire philanthropy.

Resources and Links

• Connect with our host, Maria Rio
• Connect with our guest, Sharonne Navas

Book a Discovery Call Here

Support the show

• Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded!
• Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.

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The nonprofit sector is facing a “polycrisis”. In this candid conversation, we unpack how simultaneous shocks (policy shifts, funder chill, shrinking donor pools) are reshaping civil society and what small nonprofits can do to adapt. We talk about building durable strategies instead of episodic crisis responses, and how to make decisions that protect mission over ego. Just as importantly, we get real about leadership wellbeing: navigating fear, staying in productive tension, and knowing when to step back. You’ll hear concrete ways to hold both urgency and care without burning yourself out or your team.

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, host Maria Rio sits down with consultant and movement leader Rachel D'Souza, founder and principal of Gladiator Consulting and a member of the Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council. Together, they explore how nonprofit leaders can stay grounded, collaborative, and courageous in uncertain times, and what this moment asks of all of us.

The Highlights:

• Polycrisis = this is a structural reset, not a blip. Multiple shocks are hitting at once, from government pullbacks to donor-consolidation trends; this reset requires long-term strategy, not perpetual crisis appeals.
• Leadership in ambiguity: Discomfort isn’t the same as harm; staying in relationship through tension is a core leadership skill right now.
• Mission over ego: When resources shift, leaders may need to right-size, share services, merge, or even sunset, to preserve gains made.
• Wellbeing as capacity: The sector isn’t well; leaders need practices that keep them resourced enough to make hard, long-horizon decisions.
• Values alignment matters: If we claim justice externally, our internal policies and culture must reflect it.

Actionable Tips for Nonprofits:

• Create a “durability plan,” not just a crisis plan: Define 12–24 month funding scenarios, decision triggers (e.g., reserves level), and pre-agreed pivots (program pause, shared HR/finance).
• Normalize productive tension: Add a “discomfort check” to meetings: name what feels hard, distinguish discomfort from harm, and agree on the next experiment.
• Protect leadership capacity: Set non-negotiables (quiet hours, coverage plans, reflective time). Model boundaries so the team believes you mean it.
• Align inside practices: Audit internal policies (pay equity, leave, flexibility) to match your external equity commitments. Then share that story with donors.

Resources and Links:

• Guest: Rachel D'Souza— Founder & Principal, Gladiator Consulting
  • Website: gladiatorrds.com
  • Instagram: @ConsultingGladiator
  • LinkedIn: Gladiator Consulting / Rachel D'Souza

Book a Discovery Call Here

Support the show

• Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded!
• Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.

Send us a text

If you’re tired of chasing dead-end applications or hearing “we don’t accept unsolicited proposals,” this episode is for you. We dig into how to build a smarter pipeline by prioritizing funders that welcome new grantees. Then we tackle the myth of “hard-to-fund” programs (arts, advocacy, civic education, etc.) and show you how reframing your work to match donor priorities can unlock dollars without changing your programming.

On this week’s episode of The Small Nonprofit Podcast, grant expert DeaRonda Harrison shares practical ways small and mid-sized nonprofits can sharpen their prospecting and reposition “tough” programs, especially in shifting political climates. You’ll learn how to identify real opportunities, speak to funder focus areas, and package your outcomes in ways that resonate.

The Highlights

• Prospect where the odds are real: Use research tools to identify funders who funded new grantees last year and build your pipeline around them instead of chasing closed doors.
• Positioning beats “hard-to-fund”: No program is inherently unfundable; reframe outcomes to align with funder interests.
• Mindset shift for momentum: Swap “our program is hard to fund” for “we haven’t matched the right funder-message fit, yet.”
• Save time, increase wins: Stop spending time on “no unsolicited proposals” and redirect to open, new-grantee-friendly funders.

Actionable Tips for Nonprofits

• Start your list with “new grantees” filters: Find 20–30 funders who added new organizations last year; prioritize by alignment and deadlines.
• Write a 1-paragraph positioning brief: For each program, list the community problem, your outcome, and 1–2 crosswalks to current funder priorities (e.g., “street outreach → community building”).
• Qualify fast: If a funder is closed to unsolicited proposals and has no pathway to connect, park them for later and move on.
• Collect proof points: Gather quotes, stories, or early indicators (surveys, sign-ups, attendance) that validate your reframed outcomes.

Resources and Links

• Connect with our host, Maria Rio
• Connect with our guest, DeaRonda Harrison
• DeaRonda’s website
• Support our show. We are fully self-funded!
• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Need help with your fundraising?

Book a Discovery Call Here

Support the show

• Connect with the show: Watch the episode on YouTube; follow Maria Rio on LinkedIn for more conversations and resources. Or support our show. We are fully self-funded!
• Book a Discovery Call with Further Together: Need help with your fundraising? See if our values-aligned fundraisers are a fit for your organization.