Episodios

  • How an 83% Grant Approval Rate Actually Happens

    How an 83% Grant Approval Rate Actually Happens
    Feb 5 2026
    In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, we're joined by Deepa Chaudhary, founder of Grant Orb AI, to talk about what really drives grant success — and why so many nonprofit leaders feel stuck in an endless cycle of funding pressure. Deepa brings a rare perspective to the conversation. She's worked on both sides of the grant table: writing applications inside nonprofits under real operational pressure, and reviewing and awarding funding from the funder side. Her experience includes co-founding United Way Mumbai, raising funds for international organizations, and working with major foundations, corporate funders, and government agencies across Asia-Pacific. At one point, as a solo fundraiser, she wrote just six grant applications — and five were approved. That experience shaped how she thinks about grants today. Deepa explains that winning funding isn't about writing more grants — it's about alignment. Understanding who a funder is, what they care about, and how your work fits their priorities matters far more than polished language. She also emphasizes the long game: organizations that build real relationships with funders — beyond reports and deadlines — are far more likely to receive repeat funding. Grant Orb was born out of this reality. Deepa saw firsthand how grant work often falls to executive directors late at night, or doesn't happen at all because teams simply don't have the time or capacity. When new AI tools emerged, she saw an opportunity to apply them to one of the most time-consuming parts of nonprofit work. What once took 40–50 hours — researching opportunities, drafting applications, and tailoring responses — can now be done in minutes, starting from unpolished notes. Because Grant Orb is built by someone who has reviewed grants as a funder, the platform focuses on what actually matters: fit, clarity, and funder priorities. It helps nonprofits find aligned opportunities, strengthen weak sections, and avoid wasting time on grants that were never a good match in the first place. One example Deepa shares is a small Vancouver school that had never written a major grant before, but used the platform to apply for funding and secured $25,000 from the Canada Post Foundation. At its core, this episode is about access. Deepa's goal isn't to replace human judgment, but to level the playing field — so funding success depends less on time, staffing, or budget, and more on the strength of an organization's mission and ideas.
    Más Menos
    32 m
  • Leading a Nonprofit Without Having All the Answers

    Leading a Nonprofit Without Having All the Answers
    Jan 22 2026

    In this episode, we sit down with Claude-Paul Boivin to talk honestly about the path into nonprofit leadership — and what it really takes to lead well once you're there.

    Claude-Paul shares how his career didn't follow a straight line, and how early exposure to public service helped shape his understanding of impact, responsibility, and decision-making. As the conversation unfolds, he reflects on the moment he realized that strong governance, financial clarity, and internal systems aren't "behind-the-scenes" work — they're what make meaningful mission work possible.

    We dig into the realities of stepping into senior leadership, including the pressure to have all the answers, the isolation that can come with the role, and the importance of learning to ask better questions instead of trying to do everything alone. Claude-Paul speaks candidly about how leadership shifts when you move from doing the work to creating the conditions for others to succeed.

    The conversation also tackles the role of finances in nonprofit sustainability. Claude-Paul explains why understanding your numbers — even at a high level — leads to better decisions, stronger board conversations, and less reactive leadership.

    This episode is a grounded, practical listen for nonprofit leaders at any stage — especially those navigating growth, responsibility, and the quieter challenges that come with leading purpose-driven organizations.

    Más Menos
    33 m
  • The Hidden Risk Nonprofit Boards Keep Missing

    The Hidden Risk Nonprofit Boards Keep Missing
    Jan 8 2026
    In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, our conversation with Angela Fenton, former board Chair of Pleo, went well beyond board mechanics. What really surfaced was the hidden cost of instability — not just to organizations, but to the people leading them. Angela spoke candidly about Executive Directors living in a constant cycle of "we have funding / we don't have funding," and how that emotional whiplash becomes a health risk, not just a leadership challenge. That framing matters. When boards delay decisions around sustainability, they aren't just managing cash — they're transferring pressure directly onto one person. Another underappreciated insight was how boards often misjudge risk. Angela described situations where boards hesitated to spend reserves on a fractional fundraiser because of fear — fear of depleting cash, fear it wouldn't work, fear of being wrong. But she reframed the real question: what is the risk of not investing? Staying understaffed, relying on an already stretched ED, and hoping the funding picture improves on its own isn't neutral — it's a decision with consequences. In this case, the board accepted short-term discomfort to create long-term capacity, giving leadership space to plan instead of constantly react. The episode also highlighted something boards rarely formalize: who carries the thinking load. Angela described how, without intentional support, EDs become the default strategist, fundraiser, operator, and emotional shock absorber. Her board made deliberate choices — allocating professional development funds, embedding future-focused conversations into performance reviews, and involving finance partners early — to redistribute that load. Not because it was generous, but because it was necessary for sustainability. The real insight here is this: good governance isn't about control, and it isn't about caution. It's about absorbing risk at the board level so it doesn't collapse onto staff, and making investments before burnout or crisis forces your hand. For boards and leaders reading this, the harder question isn't "Can we afford to do this?" It's "Who is paying the price if we don't?"
    Más Menos
    26 m
  • Turning $1 Into $3: How OCHF Builds Real Community Impact

    Turning $1 Into $3: How OCHF Builds Real Community Impact
    Dec 4 2025
    This episode of The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast features an honest, open conversation with Traci Spour-Lafrance, Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation — the team supporting 33,000 people across 155 communities, including 12,000 kids and youth. Traci walks us through what it really looks like to keep programs running at that scale, especially when funding shifts and the needs in the community keep growing. A few years ago, their biggest programs were funded by government grants that suddenly disappeared. Instead of cutting back, Traci and her team rebuilt their whole model. Now they stretch every donated dollar into $3 of programming by stacking subsidies, partnering with local recreation providers, and working with corporate groups who actually build the bikes, pack the backpacks, and help fund the programs they're supporting. Their leadership program brings in 150 youth a year, and their recreation program gets kids into activities they never thought they'd access. Traci also shares a moment many nonprofit leaders will relate to — realizing not enough people even knew the Foundation existed. That pushed her to join AFP Ottawa, start showing up at events, and talk about their work one conversation at a time. The result? Their fundraising revenue has more than doubled, their donor base is stronger, and the team has grown from "fundraising on the side of a desk" to a full resource development crew. We wrap the interview with a very real conversation about balance: leading a busy nonprofit, raising two kids, and finding routines that keep her grounded. It's a down-to-earth look at what nonprofit impact really takes when the need is huge, the dollars are tight, and you decide to keep going anyway.
    Más Menos
    31 m
  • How this nonprofit leader turned a strategic plan into real sustainability

    How this nonprofit leader turned a strategic plan into real sustainability
    Nov 13 2025

    Every nonprofit wants to build something that lasts — but sustainability can feel like a moving target.


    In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan sits down with Melissa Shahin, Chief Strategy Officer at AFMC, to talk about what sustainability actually looks like when strategy meets execution.

    Melissa shares how AFMC shifted from being heavily grant-funded to running a successful social enterprise — the AFMC Student Portal — that now fuels its mission while reducing government reliance to under 20%. She explains how the team links board priorities to measurable outcomes using scorecards and indicators, helping them make faster, data-driven decisions.

    The conversation dives deep into what makes nonprofit sustainability strategies work:

    • tracking what truly matters instead of chasing every initiative,
    • being transparent about change and earning staff buy-in, and
    • building flexibility into work culture to protect teams from burnout.

    For any nonprofit leader wondering how to turn a solid plan into lasting impact — this episode is a masterclass in staying mission-driven and financially resilient.

    Más Menos
    32 m
  • How To Build Community (and Cash Flow) Without Big Budgets

    How To Build Community (and Cash Flow) Without Big Budgets
    Oct 28 2025

    In this Unfiltered Nonprofit conversation, Cherry sits down with Tara Shannon, Executive Director of the Ottawa Festival Network (OFN), which represents more than 100 festivals across arts, music, and culture. A lifelong entrepreneur and artist, Tara brings a rare 360° view—she's built private companies (including scaling to 120 employees), founded Willow Sound Records in 2014, wrote You in the Music Business, and still coaches creators on building sustainable careers.

    The thread through it all: sustainability without losing soul. Tara breaks down why owned audiences matter more than ever—email lists beat social algorithms for consistency, control, and conversion. Using a relationship model (introduce → educate → permission → nurture), she explains how nonprofits can communicate weekly without burning out their lists: give value 80% of the time, ask 20%.

    We also get real about volunteers—the lifeblood of the festival sector. The organizations that retain volunteers year after year do two things exceptionally well: create an emotional connection to the mission and deliver a fair value exchange (access, perks, food, community). That same mindset fuels growth in nonprofit sponsorship—where authentic engagement now matters more than logo placement.

    Looking ahead, OFN is building a sponsor-match "Tinder for festivals" (name TBD) to help connect mission-driven organizations with private-sector partners. It's a fresh, technology-driven approach to nonprofit sponsorship that aligns shared values and real audience data. Combined with peer learning—like financial literacy workshops featuring Bluesfest's Mark Monahan—it's a practical blueprint for any nonprofit rethinking its sponsorship strategy and navigating uncertainty with creativity and consistency.

    Más Menos
    31 m
  • How Listening Helped this CEO Unlock Major Gifts and Stronger Donors

    How Listening Helped this CEO Unlock Major Gifts and Stronger Donors
    Oct 2 2025
    What if the secret to securing major gifts and building stronger donor relationships isn't about having the biggest database or slickest pitch—but about simply listening? In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan sits down with Chris McGarvey, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Foundation, to unpack nearly 30 years of nonprofit fundraising leadership. Chris shares how listening first—to staff, boards, and donors—has shaped his career and why it remains the most powerful strategy for cultivating trust and raising significant funds. You'll hear how CNF pivoted during the pandemic to launch mental health programming, diversifying both its programs and donor base. Chris breaks down the realities of major gift fundraising, from the 70/30 hospital funding split to the patience required for $25k+ gifts that often take 18–24 months to secure. For nonprofit CEOs, fundraisers, and board members, this episode is a reminder that sustainable revenue growth comes from more than one funding source. With practical insights on donor diversification, board engagement, and balancing the demands of leadership, Chris offers a roadmap for thriving—even in uncertain times. You'll learn: Why listening is the cornerstone of major gifts fundraising How to diversify programs to attract new donors and revenue streams The realistic timeline for $25k+ major gifts (18–24 months) How to build a business case your board will support Why strong leaders build teams that don't depend on them If you're ready to strengthen your nonprofit's fundraising pipeline, this conversation is packed with strategies you can put to work right away.
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • Collaboration That Turns Competition into New Revenue

    Collaboration That Turns Competition into New Revenue
    Sep 18 2025
    In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry sits down with Vaia Dimas, Executive Director of the Almonte General Hospital–Fairview Manor Foundation. With 20 years in fundraising, Vaia shares how small teams can punch above their weight by getting disciplined, streamlining events, and collaborating—even with "competitors." She explains why hospital equipment isn't government-funded, how donor education unlocks giving, and what it takes to stay motivated when leadership feels isolating. You'll hear a practical playbook: trim what doesn't move the needle (like time-sucking auctions that underperform), refocus golf tournaments around one or two high-yield mechanics, and convert "nice to have" add-ons into mission-critical gifts. Vaia also breaks down a donor-sparked joint lottery between two nearby hospitals—new money neither could access alone, shared workload, and a stronger community message. If you're an ED or fundraiser feeling stretched thin, this conversation shows how discipline beats motivation, how to build a personal leadership circle, and how diversified revenue gives you stability when the economy wobbles. Highlights Why donors fund what's inside the hospital walls—and how to explain it simply The small-shop advantage: deeper relationships, faster learning loops Event redesign that saves staff time and raises more (fewer raffles, clearer case for support) Diversifying revenue beyond galas to reduce risk Collaboration that creates net-new dollars (and shares the workload) Mindset shift: discipline over motivation when leadership feels isolating Practical Tips You Can Use This Quarter Audit one signature event: cut low-yield tasks (e.g., sprawling auctions) and add a direct "fund the equipment" paddle raise/auction Teach the need: make "what government funds vs. what donors fund" a standard one-pager Diversify lightly: add one new stream (vendor program, planned giving starter, small lottery/pilot raffle) without blowing up your calendar Form a leadership circle: three peers you can call for gut-checks and confidential problem-solving
    Más Menos
    34 m