The Influential Nonprofit

Hosted by Maryanne Dersch

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261

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Aug 2026

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About the show

You want your nonprofit to make the biggest impact possible on those you serve and to do that you need a community of support. Each week, join Maryanne Dersch, nonprofit revolutionary, as she interviews nonprofit leaders who are growing their influence to raise more money and do more good. If you want to fundraise with ease, build better relationships with board and staff, or just need a shot of fresh ideas and inspiration, this show is for you.

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60 recent

September 10, 202626 min

The Surprising Power of Doing Nothing

Tired of chasing donors and over-following up? Learn how stepping back, releasing control, and trusting the “edge of your agency” can transform your donor relationships. Key Takeaways: Obsessing over the perfect number of follow-ups misses the real issue: you cannot control another person’s timing, readiness, or decisions. Your responsibility is to communicate clearly, create safety, and make the next step obvious, not to force movement or manufacture urgency. The moment you cross from honoring someone’s agency into trying to control their response, you’ve shifted from influence into pressure and risk pushing them away. Acceptance means recognizing there is nothing more for you to do, not that there is nothing you can do; that distinction turns helplessness into freedom. Leaving space, doing nothing after you’ve fulfilled your role is part of true influence, because it allows the other person to exercise their own sovereignty. "When you cross that boundary, when you start to try to affect their agency, that's called pressure, and that's where your influence ends, and pressure begins." "The more you try to make it happen, the less it's going to happen." "Sometimes action isn't strategy; sometimes the action is self-soothing, and it may relieve your discomfort in the moment, because you don't have to sit in uncertainty, you don't have to feel rejected, and you don't have to acknowledge that you might not get the outcome that you want." - Maryanne Dersch Ask for and receive all you want, need, and deserve without feeling rejected, ineffective, or pushy. Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively, and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work. Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

September 3, 202625 min

Why Donors Pull Back

Scarcity-driven fundraising tactics-chasing, over-following up, pushing too soon-might be quietly sabotaging your donor relationships. In this episode, Maryanne Dersch shows you how to shift from pressure to flow. Key Takeaways: Scarcity in fundraising often begins as a nervous system response to uncertainty—like being behind goal or a donor going quiet—and can drive behaviors such as chasing, over-following up, and pitching too soon, which donors experience as pressure. Maryanne’s Donor Flow Framework (Awareness → Interest → Connection → Action) emphasizes moving people at their natural pace; scarcity wants to “skip ahead” to the ask, while flow means meeting donors exactly where they are and offering the next natural invitation. Shifting from pushing to curiosity, pitching to connecting, and chasing to inviting creates conditions where donors lean in rather than pull back, because they feel understood, sovereign, and not treated like ATMs. Sustainable fundraising grows from confidence, connection, and influence—trusting the value of your work, understanding what matters to donors, and creating conditions for movement—supported by intentional mindset practices like mantras about time and money that keep you out of scarcity loops. "Not responding is a response." "Scarcity tries to manufacture movement. Influence creates the conditions for movement, and that is my whole life's work in that sentence: creating conditions for movement." "Sustainable fundraising doesn't come from pushing harder. It comes from creating the conditions in which donors naturally want to move closer." - Maryanne Dersch Reference: Scarcity Donor Flow - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F1Q-Lbp1BQ5bklAsNqAf92zScepjBBOF/view?usp=sharing Ask for and receive all you want, need, and deserve without feeling rejected, ineffective, or pushy. Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively, and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work. Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

August 27, 202636 min

Tony Martignetti: Easy and Accessible Planned Giving

Scared of planned giving because it feels too technical, expensive, or “only for big institutions”? In this episode, you’ll learn how even the smallest nonprofit can launch a simple, effective planned giving program in just one week—without a big budget, complex gift vehicles, or a team of experts. Key Takeaways: Small and mid-sized nonprofits can be highly successful with planned giving by focusing on simple, practical actions instead of waiting for perfect materials or large teams. Launching planned giving is less about a formal campaign and more about starting real conversations with your most loyal donors. Framing legacy giving around the long-term life and impact of the mission, rather than death, makes the conversation more natural and values-driven. Starting with gifts in wills keeps things simple for both organizations and donors, avoiding technical complexity while still generating meaningful future support. Consistent stewardship—personal thanks, insider treatment, and recognition—reinforces a donor’s decision to include an organization in their will and deepens the relationship over time. “[Planned giving] is a conversation that’s the opposite of death. It's a conversation about life: the life, longevity, and sustainability of your nonprofit in your community.” “MEAL is an acronym for Meals Expertly Allow Learning.” “The most powerful idea in planned giving is also the simplest: start.” - Tony Martignetti Tony Martignetti is the evangelist for Planned Giving. In September, he publishes his book, Planned Giving Accelerated, to help small- and mid-size nonprofits launch by making Planned Giving fundraising easy, accessible, and affordable. All the book info is at PlannedGivingAccelerated.com . He started as a front-line Planned Giving fundraiser in 1997 and kicked off his consulting in 2003. Tony is a lawyer, but he doesn't talk like one. Instead, he weaves in his stand-up comedy and improv past to bring Planned Giving within reach for small- and mid-size nonprofits. Reach out to Tony Martignetti at: Website: https://www.plannedgivingaccelerated.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymartignetti/ Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

August 20, 202632 min

The Power of Not Going it Alone

What if you didn’t have to choose between trusting an expert and trusting yourself? In this solo episode, Maryanne unpacks how to find the right guide to navigate uncertainty—without ever giving up your agency, autonomy, or judgment. Key Takeaways: You can lean on someone else’s expertise without giving up your own authority; a good guide supports your decisions rather than replacing them. Endless research often becomes an attempt to eliminate uncertainty, but uncertainty can only be navigated, not removed. Many obstacles come not from reality but from the “stories” and assumptions we’ve absorbed, which can be challenged and rewritten. True independence is knowing when to ask for help so you can focus your time and energy on your highest-value work. The best coaches and experts are not trying to create copies of themselves; they help you make decisions that align with your own values and way of working. “A poor guide says, Here's what you should do. I want you to do this. A great guide says, Here's what I know.” “We don't remove the uncertainty; we work to navigate it together.” “Sometimes the obstacle isn't the situation; it's the story we've attached to the situation.” - Maryanne Dersch Episode Reference: Grisel Castaneda dentaltourismalgodones@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/perlagrisel.castanedavargas (602) 399-7769 Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

August 6, 202631 min

Becoming a Regulated Leader

What if your leadership wasn’t defined by urgency and chaos, but by calm, clarity, and presence? In this episode, you’ll learn how to become a regulating presence whose nervous system quietly shapes the entire culture of your organization. Key Takeaways: You cannot regulate another person’s nervous system, but you can become a regulating presence that others naturally attune to. Your energetic state is contagious; how you walk into a room can either escalate panic or invite everyone to breathe and settle. Calm becomes accessible when leaders design predictable, consistent, and psychologically safe environments with clear roles and next steps. Coaching through curiosity—rather than correcting through criticism—helps dysregulated team members explore what feels urgent and where they need support. Many people, especially in nonprofits, unconsciously build their identity around chaos and busyness, and only self-awareness and willingness to do the inner work can shift that pattern. “You don't make somebody calm; you make calm accessible through productivity, through predictability, through curiosity, consistency, psychological safety, clarity, and simple next steps.” “Clarity creates leadership that reassures.” “If urgency becomes contagious, so can steadiness.” - Maryanne Dersch Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

July 30, 202634 min

Can You Trust Yourself?

When do you ignore the red flags your body, brain, and intuition are screaming at you—and what does that cost your leadership? In this episode, learn how to stop outsourcing trust and start making calm, confident decisions rooted in your own inner knowing. Key Takeaways: Self-betrayal rarely comes from a lack of information; it comes from overriding what your body, observations, and intuition are already telling you. Instinct, intellect, and intuition are three distinct but complementary information systems, and wise leadership means giving each a “seat at the table.” External pressures—from family, boards, donors, or cultural conditioning—often masquerade as wisdom but are usually fear dressed up as good advice. Many leadership mistakes happen when trust is outsourced to boards, consultants, or “important” stakeholders instead of starting with the question, “What do I know?” True freedom is not about avoiding hurt; it’s about becoming someone who no longer abandons themselves in order to avoid discomfort or disappointment. "You can have every signal, every red flag, every fact, every intuitive knowing, and still betray yourself." "Our goal is to become people who never have to abandon themselves in order to avoid getting hurt." "Because when you trust yourself, you don't have to know how the story ends. You simply have to know that you'll stay with yourself through every chapter." - Maryanne Dersch Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

July 23, 202630 min

Why We Struggle To Trust

Learn why your nervous system keeps mistaking uncertainty for danger—and how shifting from hypervigilance to trust can transform your leadership, fundraising, and everyday decisions. This episode shows you how regulated leaders create calm, confidence, and influence, even in the middle of crisis. Key Takeaways: The nervous system’s primary job is safety, not truth, so it often creates stories that feel real but aren’t actually based in facts. When uncertainty arises, the brain rushes to “fill in the blanks,” which can trigger anxiety, catastrophizing, and unnecessary conflict in leadership and fundraising. Hypervigilance can look like being extra prepared, caring, or productive, but if it is driven by fear and the need for control, it never truly calms the nervous system. Trust doesn’t eliminate uncertainty; it increases your capacity to tolerate it and move forward, believing you will handle whatever happens. The most influential leaders are the most regulated ones—they set the emotional temperature, create psychological safety, and stop making decisions from a dysregulated state. “People think trust removes uncertainty. It doesn't. It increases our ability to tolerate uncertainty.” “As leaders, we communicate more than information. We communicate emotional safety, and your nervous system becomes a part of your leadership.” “You don't need more confidence. You need a nervous system that no longer mistakes uncertainty for danger.” - Maryanne Dersch Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

July 16, 202630 min

Living Life Fully Expressed

Discover how to close the gap between who you are on the inside and how you show up on the outside. In this solo episode, you’ll learn a practical, seven-step framework to live fully self-expressed—through your choices, boundaries, presence, and the courage to speak (or stay silent) with intention. Key Takeaways: Self-expression is much more than “speaking up”; it’s about living in alignment so your daily choices, boundaries, and presence reflect who you truly are. Continually suppressing your truth widens the gap between who you are and how you show up, leading to resentment, burnout, and feeling like a victim of circumstance. Agreements and boundaries are powerful tools of expression that define what you are and are not available for, and they communicate your values more clearly than repeated complaints. Curiosity-driven questions like “Help me understand what you mean by that” can defuse conflict, create safety, and often make problems “go away” without an argument. Living fully expressed is a daily practice of sovereignty and discernment—choosing what to say, what to ask, when to stay silent, and how to act so your life becomes a more effortless “super highway.” “Sometimes the most powerful self-expression isn't speaking a truth, it’s refusing to continue betraying one.” “Full self-expression isn't measured by the number of words you speak. It's measured by how intentionally your life reflects who you truly are.” “One of the greatest gifts and one of the best skills you can have is we can give the other person the experience of feeling fully heard, and sometimes the most authentic response isn't an answer; it's curiosity.” - Maryanne Dersch Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

July 9, 202636 min

Christine Lester: Creating Sustainable Impact

Discover how a longtime educator-turned-nonprofit leader uses governance, compassion, and community empowerment to build organizations that truly last. In this episode, you’ll hear stories from hospices, classrooms, and European projects that reveal what sustainable leadership looks like in the real world. Key Takeaways: Strong governance and clear structures are critical for nonprofits to compete with larger institutions and remain sustainable over time. When leaders actively identify and nurture the potential in others, they can create learning pathways that help people “leap forward” despite limited opportunities. Third-sector organizations are still businesses at their core; they require sound leadership, financial sustainability, and strategic planning just like for-profit entities. Compassion, kindness, and genuine giving are not “soft extras” but essential qualities of modern leadership, especially for women balancing multiple responsibilities. Networking and mentorship—both in person and online—provide vital emotional support and perspective for leaders who often feel they are carrying the weight of an organization alone. “How do you make it easier for people to leap forward when they haven't had the opportunities?” “To me, businesses in the third sector are no different to businesses in the first or the second. They still have to be sustainable ; they still have to have good governance ; they still have to have good leadership.” “I think all along the line we're giving, we're giving our knowledge, aren't we? We're passing on something that we've learned from somebody else, and if they didn't share their knowledge with us, then we wouldn't have anything to share…” - Christine Lester Christine Miller Lester is an international leadership, Learning & Development, and organizational transformation specialist with more than 40 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations develop leaders, build learning cultures, and create sustainable impact through people-centered leadership and organizational excellence. Reach out to Christine Lester at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinelester1/ Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker

July 2, 202628 min

CLASSIC REWIND: Release Resistance and Raise More Money

Key Takeaways: Identify and acknowledge your resistance, such as being overly attached to outcomes or trying to fix others. Understand that fear has a role but should not drive your actions. Reframe negative mindsets and stories into more positive, empowering narratives. Make the unconscious conscious to change unhelpful thought patterns. Practice surrender, trust, and gratitude to cultivate a receptive state. Engage in joyful, playful activities that activate your whole being. Take inspired action aligned with excitement and purpose, rather than obligation. Maintain a sense of sovereignty and commitment to the process over the outcome. “Fear has a place. It has a role. We're not going to kick it off the bus. It just doesn't get to drive it.” “The more you focus on what's already good in your life, the more you attract positivity. ” “Joy puts you in a receptive state, and it makes it easier to attract good things. You get to be joyful. You deserve joy.” - Maryanne Dersch Let’s Work Together to Amplify Your Leadership + Influence 1. Group Coaching for Nonprofit Leaders Want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and influence? My group coaching program is designed for nonprofit leaders who are ready to communicate more powerfully, navigate challenges with ease, and move their organizations forward. 2. Team Coaching + Training I work hands-on with nonprofit teams to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and align around a shared vision. Whether you’re growing fast or feeling stuck, we’ll create more clarity, collaboration, and momentum—together. 3. Board Retreats + Trainings Your board has big potential. I’ll help you unlock it. My engaging, no-fluff retreats and trainings are built to energize your board, refocus on what matters, and generate real results. Get your free starter kit today at www.theinfluentialnonprofit.com Connect with Maryanne about her coaching programs: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/connect Book Maryanne to speak at your conference: https://www.courageouscommunication.com/nonprofit-keynote-speaker