Ever had a donor prospect seem fully engaged… only to go completely silent? No reply. No questions. No decision.

In this episode, Matt breaks down exactly what to do next when a potential supporter “ghosts” you, without coming across as pushy, desperate, or unsure.

The reality is, silence almost never means rejection. More often, it means something far simpler and far more fixable.

You’ll learn how to reframe what’s actually happening, avoid the most common follow-up mistakes, and step back into your role as a confident guide in the donor decision-making process.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• Why donor silence is almost never personal
• The 3 real reasons prospects stop responding
• The mindset shift every nonprofit leader needs to make about follow-up
• Why “just checking in” is hurting your results
• How to follow up with clarity instead of pressure
• A simple 4-step framework to re-engage silent prospects
• What to say (and what to avoid) in your follow-up messages
• How to create a “gentle decision moment” that invites a response

The 4-Step Follow-Up Framework:

1. Evaluate your last interaction
   Did you give a clear next step, or leave the decision entirely on them?
2. Follow up with clarity, not pressure
   Reference where you left off, add value, and give a clear next step.
3. Add value again
   Share a story, insight, or helpful resource that reduces uncertainty.
4. Create a gentle decision moment
   Make it easy for them to respond, without feeling pressured.

Key Takeaway:

Your job is not to chase donors.
Your job is to guide them.

Follow-up isn’t about pressure, it is about getting clarity for the prospect and for you.

Workshop Invitation:

If you're in the early stages of building your nonprofit and need clarity around your mission, board, fundraising, and first programs, join the Launchpad Workshop: Essentials for Moving from Nonprofit Idea to Impact.

📅 April 28–30
⏱️ 1 hour per day (live + replay available)
💲 $49

Learn more and sign up at:
👉 nonprofitlaunchplan.com/workshop

If You Found This Helpful:

Be sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with another nonprofit leader who’s navigating donor conversations right now.

If your nonprofit feels stuck, the issue may not be your strategy or your effort. It may be the relationship at the core of your organization.

In this episode, we revisit a foundational conversation with Bob Lonac on one of the most critical dynamics in any nonprofit: the relationship between the CEO or Executive Director and the board.

When this relationship is healthy, aligned, and clearly defined, it becomes the backbone of a strong, growing organization. When it’s not, it creates confusion, friction, and ultimately limits your impact.

Matt and Bob unpack what a healthy CEO and board partnership actually looks like, where things tend to break down, and how nonprofit leaders can build clarity, trust, and alignment moving forward.

What You’ll Learn

• The distinct roles of the CEO and the board and why confusion here causes problems
• What a healthy, functional CEO and board relationship actually looks like in practice
• Common breakdowns that lead to tension, misalignment, or stalled growth
• How to create clarity around expectations, authority, and accountability
• Practical ways to strengthen trust and communication between leadership and board members
• Why this relationship is foundational to long-term sustainability and impact

Why This Matters

Every nonprofit rises or falls on its leadership structure.

You can have a compelling mission, strong programs, and passionate people. But if the CEO and board are not aligned, the organization will always feel like it’s working harder than it should.

Getting this relationship right creates:

• Clear decision-making
• Stronger leadership confidence
• Healthier governance
• Greater long-term impact

Listen If You Are:

• A nonprofit founder or Executive Director navigating board dynamics
• A board member who wants to better support leadership
• A leader feeling friction or lack of clarity in governance
• Building or rebuilding the foundation of your organization

Intro Context (Replay Note)

This episode is a replay from earlier in the podcast, re-released due to its continued relevance for nonprofit leaders.

Resources:

Connect with Bob Lonac: www.boblonac.com
Register for the upcoming Launchpad Workshop: Launchpad Workshop for Nonprofits | Nonprofit Launch Plan
Contact Matt: matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-launch-plan/
Matt's LinkedIn: (1) Matt Stockman | LinkedIn

What if your nonprofit could reach people who are already searching for the exact problem you solve… without spending a dollar on ads?

In this episode, Matt Stockman sits down with digital marketing strategist Matt Mundt to break down one of the most underutilized tools available to nonprofits today: the Google Ad Grant.

Eligible nonprofits can access up to $10,000 per month in free Google search advertising. Yet most organizations either don’t know about it, don’t understand it, or never fully leverage it.

This conversation provides a practical, strategic starting point to help you change that.

What You’ll Learn

• What the Google Ad Grant is and how it works
• Who benefits most from using it
• Why most nonprofits fail to maximize the opportunity
• How to use content to attract the right audience
• Common mistakes that can limit your results or get your account penalized
• Simple first steps to get started (even if you feel overwhelmed)

Key Takeaways

The Google Ad Grant works best when you:

• Meet people at the point of need
• Provide helpful, relevant content
• Build trust before asking for support

2. Content is the engine that makes this work

Nonprofits with more website content perform significantly better.

Strong examples include:

• Blog posts answering real questions
• Devotionals or educational resources
• Embedded podcast or video content

The goal is simple:

Serve the visitor well enough that they stay, engage, and explore.

3. Relevance determines performance

Google is constantly evaluating:

• What people search
• Whether your content matches that intent
• How long users stay on your site

If your content doesn’t match the search, your ads will be shown less frequently.

4. Start simple, then optimize

You don’t need to master everything upfront.

A strong starting point:

• Create a brand campaign (your nonprofit name)
• Add a few mission-related keywords
• Link to helpful, relevant content

Then improve over time as you learn what works.

5. Avoid these common mistakes

• Driving ads directly to a donation page
• Promoting short-term events
• Using irrelevant or misleading keywords
• Ignoring account rules and compliance requirements

These limit effectiveness and can even get your account suspended.

6. Think like your audience, not your organization

The most effective campaigns start with one question:

What is someone typing into Google right before they need what we do?

When you answer that well, you move from:

• Awareness → Engagement → Relationship → Support

7. This is a long-term growth strategy

Google Ads are not a quick win. They require:

• A learning period
• Ongoing refinement
• Consistent content development

But when done well, they create a steady stream of highly relevant traffic.

Action Steps

If you’re just getting started:

1. Apply for or activate your Google Ad Grant
2. Set up a basic brand campaign
3. Identify 3–5 questions your audience is already asking
4. Create simple content that answers those questions
5. Begin testing and refining

Resources

• Learn more about Matt Mundt: mattmundt.com
• Register for the Launchpad Workshop: nonprofitlaunchplan.com

Sooner or later, every nonprofit leader faces a difficult leadership moment. You bring someone onto your team because you believe in them. They care about the mission and want to help move the organization forward. But over time something starts to feel off. Deadlines slip. Details are missed. Results are not what they should be. Now you are left wondering what the real issue is.

• Is it a coaching problem?
• A communication breakdown?
• Or did you make the wrong hiring decision?

In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast for Startup, Small, and Growing Nonprofits, nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman walks through a practical leadership framework that helps nonprofit leaders diagnose performance issues on their team and respond in a way that actually helps people improve.

Instead of reacting emotionally or avoiding the conversation, effective leaders step back and diagnose the real cause of the problem.

Matt explains the Three Scenario Framework, a simple diagnostic tool he regularly uses when coaching nonprofit leaders through team performance challenges.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why ignoring performance issues creates long term culture problems inside a nonprofit
• The leadership mindset required to address team challenges early and constructively
• Why many underperformance problems are actually symptoms of deeper issues
• How to have productive conversations with team members who are struggling

The Three Scenarios Behind Team Performance Problems

Matt explains that when a team member is struggling, one of three things is usually happening.

1. Execution Problems (A Skills Issue)

The team member understands the role and expectations but struggles to execute consistently.

This often means they need additional development such as:

• Training
• Coaching
• Systems and processes
• Skill development

Great leaders treat this the same way a coach treats an athlete who needs more practice.

2. Understanding Problems (A Clarity Issue)

In this situation the team member believes they are doing their job correctly, but the leader sees a gap in performance.

This usually means expectations were not clearly communicated.

The solution is leadership clarity:

• Clearly define success in the role
• Document expectations
• Walk through examples
• Maintain regular check ins

Many nonprofit leaders assume clarity exists when it actually does not.

3. Strategic Alignment Problems (A Direction Issue)

Here the team member understands the job and has the skills to do it, but they believe their approach is better than the organization’s strategy.

When this happens leaders must explain the reasoning behind the strategy and how the work connects to the mission.

Alignment improves dramatically when people understand why decisions are being made.

Why This Matters for Nonprofit Leaders

Avoiding performance conversations can create serious organizational consequences.

When leaders ignore problems:

• The issue continues
• The employee never has a chance to grow
• Lack of attention to the situation is a breeding ground for toxicity in your nonprofit.

Your team is one of the most important assets your nonprofit has.

Great leaders address problems with clarity, coaching, and purpose rather than avoidance.

Workshop Invitation

If you are in the dreaming or early phases of launching a nonprofit, Matt invites you to join the upcoming virtual Launchpad Workshop: Essentials for Moving from Nonprofit IDEA to IMPACT.

In this live workshop you will:

• Clarify your mission and vision
• Identify the right board members
• Develop your initial fundraising approach
• Build your minimum viable nonprofit program

Workshop Details

April 28–30
1 hour each day (virtual)
Cost: $49

Register at
nonprofitlaunchplan.com → Click “Workshop”

Email: matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-launch-plan
Matt's Personal LinkedIn: Matt Stockman | LinkedIn

Brainstorming meetings are supposed to spark creativity, solve problems, and move your nonprofit forward. But for many leaders, they end up feeling like a waste of time, energy, and attention. In this episode, nonprofit growth coach Matt Stockman explains why most brainstorming sessions fail and shares a simple 7-step framework nonprofit leaders can use to design meetings that produce clear ideas, better decisions, and real progress.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why most brainstorming sessions don’t actually produce useful outcomes
• The common leadership mistakes that derail meetings before they even begin
• How choosing the right participants matters more than inviting more people
• Why briefing your team ahead of time dramatically improves idea quality
• How time limits and structure actually improve creativity
• The leadership skill of guiding discussion without shutting it down
• Why the “yes, and” mindset keeps momentum alive in group problem solving
• How documenting ideas and following up ensures meetings lead to action
• The critical final step that builds trust and improves future participation

The 7 Steps to Better Brainstorming

Matt walks through a practical framework leaders can use immediately:

1. Put the right people in the room
2. Brief participants in advance
3. Set a clear agenda and time limit
4. Guide the conversation without over-controlling it
5. Record every idea
6. Send a recap and allow for follow-up ideas
7. Close the loop by sharing the final decision and outcome

Who This Episode Is For?

This episode is especially helpful if you:

• Lead a startup or growing nonprofit
• Feel like meetings drain energy instead of creating progress
• Want better team input without losing direction
• Need practical leadership tools you can implement right away

Mentioned in This Episode

Matt invites early-stage nonprofit leaders to join the Launchpad Workshop: Essentials for Moving from Nonprofit Idea to Impact, happening April 28–30.
Learn more at: nonprofitlaunchplan.com → Workshop

Share This Episode

If this episode helped you think differently about meetings or leadership, share it with another nonprofit leader who could benefit from it.

Each nonprofit grows through 5 distinct phases in its early years, and in this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, Matt Stockman explains how nonprofit leaders move from early traction into long-term sustainability by understanding where their organization sits in the development cycle. If you’re trying to grow your donor base, stabilize funding, scale programs, or strengthen your leadership structure, this conversation will help you focus on the right priorities at the right time.

This episode continues the Nonprofit Flight Path framework by walking through Phases 3–5, the stages where nonprofits move from initial traction into stability and long-term impact. Matt breaks down what leaders are thinking, feeling, and struggling with in each stage, along with the strategic moves that help organizations grow in a healthy, sustainable way instead of rushing growth too early or scaling without a foundation.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities, unsure whether to expand programs, or trying to stabilize fundraising while growing your team, this episode will help you identify your current phase and clarify what actually matters most right now.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Phase 3: The First Steps Phase (Liftoff Stage)

• Why many nonprofits struggle after launching programs too early
• The importance of building fundraising systems before scaling impact
• How to move from zero donors and zero dollars toward early momentum
• Key focus areas: database growth, monthly giving, board building, donor communication

Phase 4: The 1–3 Year Growth Phase

• The tension between excitement and financial fear in early program years
• How to expand your support base without overspending on marketing
• Why impact storytelling becomes crucial in this stage
• When to add staff and how to delegate strategically
• The shift toward larger gifts, partnerships, and broader visibility

Phase 5: The Sustainability or “Orbit” Phase

• What a thriving nonprofit actually looks like across leadership, fundraising, marketing, programs, operations, and finances
• Why leadership clarity and team alignment matter more than ever
• The systems that support stable revenue and long-term growth
• The new challenges leaders face even after success

Key Takeaway

Progress in nonprofit leadership doesn’t come from doing everything at once. It comes from identifying your current phase, focusing on the few priorities that matter most in this season, and building a strong foundation before scaling.

Resources Mentioned

• Launchpad Workshop: Essentials for Moving from Nonprofit Idea to Impact
• Learn more at nonprofitlaunchplan.com/workshop

Listen Next

If you haven’t yet heard the previous episode covering Phases 1 and 2 of the Nonprofit Flight Path, go back and listen to that first for the full framework.

Email: matt@nonprofitlaunchplan.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nonprofit-launch-plan
Matt's Personal LinkedIn: Matt Stockman | LinkedIn

Every nonprofit begins the same way: with a problem that refuses to leave your mind. In this episode, Matt introduces the Nonprofit Flight Path, a five-phase framework that maps the predictable journey every nonprofit takes from early dreaming to long-term sustainability.

Today’s focus is on the first two phases:

• Phase One: The Dreaming Phase
• Phase Two: The Building Consensus Phase

If you are in the early stages of launching your nonprofit, this episode will help you:

• Name what you are thinking and feeling
• Understand why uncertainty is normal
• Identify the risks that cause leaders to stall
• Clarify the next right step forward

✈️ Phase One: The Dreaming Phase

Every nonprofit starts with you seeing a problem up close. You feel a personal responsibility to do something about it. The idea grows quietly in your mind.

Common thoughts in this phase:

• Where do I even start?
• Am I qualified to do this?
• Could I actually make this work?
• Is there a future where this replaces what I am doing now?

What you’re feeling:

• Excitement and energy
• Fear and risk awareness
• Anxiety due to lack of clarity

The biggest danger:

Staying in the dreaming phase too long. Inspiration without movement becomes regret.

What helps you move forward:

• Speak the idea out loud
• Share it with trusted truth tellers
• Research whether the problem is real and widespread
• Give the idea the “24 hour test”

Dreaming is necessary. But clarity requires externalization.

🚀 Phase Two: The Building Consensus Phase

This is where your idea leaves your head and enters the real world.

You begin talking with family, mentors, and potential supporters. Affirmation builds. So does complexity.

Common thoughts in this phase:

• What am I missing?
• How do I legally start this?
• How much will it cost?
• Who actually knows how to do this?

What you’re feeling:

• Validation
• Overwhelm
• Practical fear
• Self doubt

This is often where:

• Endless research begins
• Leaders stall out
• Or vision grows unrealistically large too fast

The temptation is to build the fully formed organization in your imagination. Facilities. Staff. Multiple programs.

But healthy nonprofits begin with an MVP: a Minimum Viable Program.

Matt shares the story of a thriving multimillion dollar nonprofit that began with one college student, a camping stove, and grilled cheese sandwiches for the homeless. Big impact rarely starts big.

What moves you forward from Phase Two:

• Identifying potential board members
• Building early structure
• Clarifying fundraising messaging
• Securing support
• Designing your first viable version of impact

Building consensus is not about convincing people to believe in you.
It is about confirming the vision is real, viable, and worth stewarding.

Why This Matters

Uncertainty in these early phases is not a red flag.

It is predictable pressure.

The leaders who move forward are not the ones who feel the most confident. They are the ones who understand what the pressure is revealing and what it is asking of them next.

When you can name the phase you are in, you can name your next step.

Coming Next

In the next episode, Matt walks through Phases 3 - 5

And what it takes to move from intention to momentum without burning out.

🎯 Resource Mentioned

Launchpad Workshop: Essentials for Moving from Nonprofit Idea to Impact

If you are in the dreaming or early phases, this virtual workshop is designed specifically for you.

• April 28 to 30
• One hour per day
• Mission and vision clarity
• Board development
• Early fundraising
• Designing your MVP
• $49 investment

Visit: nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Workshop.