Shows
Nonprofit Nation with Julia CampbellYour Workplace Culture Is Your Growth Engine with Marcia BecknerWhat if the biggest barrier to your fundraising success isn’t your strategy or your donor list — but your workplace culture?In this insightful episode, I sit down with Marcia Beckner, a nationally recognized nonprofit founder, CEO mentor, culture strategist, and host of the Nonprofit CEO SPARK podcast. Marcia is the creator of the Culture CARES® Framework, a proven model for helping nonprofit leaders build healthy, inclusive, and empowering organizational cultures where everyone can thrive — and where fundraising can flourish.Marcia shares her powerful personal journey, beginning with a life-altering ovarian cancer diagnosis in her 20s that...
2026-02-1838 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK85% Retention Rule: Building an A-Team Culture that Thrives (with CEO Kelly Dunkin)Send a textCulture is never neutral. It’s either strengthening your mission or quietly eroding it.In this episode of Nonprofit CEO SPARK, Marcia Beckner sits down with Kelly Dunkin, President & CEO of Colorado Gives Foundation, to unpack what it really takes to build a high-performing, inclusive culture that delivers measurable results.Under Kelly’s leadership, Colorado Gives Day generated $56.5 million for 4,600 nonprofits—in a year when many organizations were navigating funding uncertainty and sector-wide stress. The secret isn’t hustle. It’s alignment.Kelly share...
2026-02-1730 min
Vancouver News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!Salmon Arm Siblings Chase Olympic DreamsTwo siblings from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, are living their Olympic dreams in Italy. Laura, 22, has already raced in speed skating events, while Daniel, 20, is set to compete soon. They started with the Salmon Arm Ice Breakers, a small club founded by their dad, Mike, and Marcia Beckner. Marcia, an Olympian herself, coached the siblings from a young age. Now, Mike and Marcia cheer them on as they compete in the Milano Cortina Games.
2026-02-1501 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARKTurbulence Ahead: How Nonprofit Leaders Stay Grounded (Lessons from an Ex-Flight Attendant)Send a textWhat do you do when you’re responsible… but not really in charge?Before I ever coached nonprofit leaders or facilitated culture transformation initiatives, I learned some of my most important leadership lessons at 30,000 feet—as an American Airlines flight attendant in my 20s. And one late-night flight out of Chicago made it unmistakably clear.In this episode, I share the true story of an emergency landing—and why, in moments of uncertainty, people don’t look to titles or authority. They look to presence. Reaction. Stability.If you’ve...
2026-02-1012 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARKFrom Survival to Smart GrowthSend a textIn challenging times, abundance isn’t about having more. It’s about defending what matters most.Recently, I met with an Executive Director I’ll call Susan. She had been in her role just a few months when the funding landscape shifted in a way that couldn’t be ignored. This wasn’t a temporary disruption—it was a permanent change that forced hard decisions forward.Susan reviewed the financials and knew layoffs were coming. She also knew her team would struggle—not from lack of commitment, but because uncert...
2026-02-0312 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARKWhen Hybrid Hurts Nonprofit Team UnitySend a textOne of the toughest calls for nonprofit leaders right now is which staff members get remote flexibility… and which don’t.You’re juggling programs, fundraising, and staff wellbeing — all while trying to create policies that balance fairness, equity, and mission delivery.But when different departments play by different rules, silos can deepen. Here’s a common example:💼 The Development team’s working hybrid.👥 The Program team’s in the field.💬 And soon, staff are whispering about fairness instead of collaborating on impact.In today’s episode, we’r...
2026-01-2707 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK12: What Actually Speeds Up Decisions in Nonprofit TeamsSend us a textLet’s say you’re leading a team meeting with the main goal to ‘Decide on new donor database’.Two hours later, you’ve heard passionate arguments, five different options, and you’re running out of trail mix in the middle of the table.Then someone says, ‘So who’s actually deciding this?’ Blank stares across the room. And that is the moment everyone realizes…nobody knows. I’ll be honest …I was very guilty of this myself. When I was the Executive Director for MyLifeLine Cancer Foundation, the organizat...
2026-01-2011 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK11: Your Drama-Free Culture Powers 2026 Results (A Personal Story)Send us a textWelcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK. I’m Marcia Beckner, and today we’re kicking off with a hot take I’ve been sitting with for a long time:On-going staff drama isn’t normal. It’s a leadership choice to tolerate a low-trust environment.I know...that’s bold, maybe even a little controversial. But I also know it’s true, because I lived through one of the most painful and ultimately transformational chapters of my Executive Director career.There was a season when my staff split into fac...
2026-01-1314 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK10: New Year's Resolution: Stop Sacrificing Yourself To Get The Work DoneSend us a textAs we step into a new year, I want to talk about one resolution that almost every nonprofit leader needs, but very few actually name out loud:Stop personally sacrificing yourself to get the work done.Consider giving yourself permission to lead without losing yourself.Today, I’m giving you 3 practical strategies to stick to this resolution, so you don’t spiral back to living on caffeine, email triage, and pure adrenaline.Typical resolutions sound like: “I want to work less.”
2026-01-0511 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK9: 4 Nonprofit Leaders’ Trust Secrets That Hold in a StormSend us a textAs we wrap up 2025, it feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect.This year stretched every leader I know from staff transitions, funding dips, and the nonstop pace of change So before we sprint into 2026 planning mode, let’s take a breath and look back at what actually worked.I asked four incredible nonprofit leaders one simple question:“What’s your #1 best strategy to build trust and morale during times of disruption?”Their answers? Honest. Practical. Grounded.They also...
2025-12-1610 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK8: Nonprofit CEO, You Have More Agency Than You ThinkSend us a textHey there, nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors — welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK,where we help you lead with more clarity and confidence — without burning out.I recently met a CEO who runs a nonprofit refugee center.As you can imagine, her organization is facing some of the toughest challenges imaginable —threats to documented and undocumented immigrants, shifting government policies, and the constant emotional weight of caring for people in crisis.So when she told me, “I love my job,” — I was stunne...
2025-12-0910 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK7: The Nonprofit CEO-ED Lesson Behind a Starbucks Mix-upSend us a textHey there, nonprofit leaders, tell me if this sounds familiar…You leave a staff meeting thinking, “Yes! We’re totally aligned. Everyone’s got it.”Then 48 hours later, your inbox tells a different story.Half the team took your idea and sprinted in one direction.Another half politely waited for more instructions.And one person… somehow started building an entirely new project.You sit back, reread your own notes, and think, “How did we get here? I was so clear!”That’s today’s topic — th...
2025-12-0208 min
Tom and DCultureCares: How to Build Teams That Actually Work — with Marcia BecknerThis week on Tom and D, we’re joined by Marcia Beckner—THE preeminent CEO Mentor and Culture Strategist at CultureCares.com—who helps nonprofit leaders build inclusive, connected teams and rediscover the joy in leading. Marcia shares real-world strategies for improving workplace culture, unifying teams, and addressing burnout before it takes root.Along the way, she gets a front-row seat to one of the most “challenging” but hilarious work environments of all— the one on this podcast. From playful chaos to genuine insights, this episode offers a mix of laughter, leadership wisdom, and a little cultural intervention...
2025-11-0735 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK6: Why Disney's Magic Holds a Lesson for Nonprofit CEOsSend a textHave you ever had a staff member who seemed great on paper, or even had moments of brilliance, but behind the scenes, their toxic behavior slowly drained the energy out of your whole team? Maybe you found yourself thinking, “If I just give them one more chance, maybe this time it will stick.”Today, we’re exploring what happens when those second, third, and fourth chances start working against you. Because sometimes, the real damage isn’t just in what the employee does, it’s in the ripple effect their...
2025-10-2813 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK5: Why It's So Hard for Nonprofits to Hire Right NowSend us a textWelcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK, the show that fuels your leadership, protects your energy, and helps you spark lasting change. I’m your host, Marcia Beckner.Let me paint the picture.You spend three hours writing a job posting. You list all the “must-haves,” cross your fingers, and wait.--> Fifty-three applications land in your inbox.--> Only two even kind of fit the bill.--> You reach out to one, and they ghost you.--> The other wants $30K more than you can of...
2025-10-2108 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK4: What I Learned as an Interim Executive DirectorSend us a textHey there, nonprofit leaders, and welcome back to Nonprofit CEO SPARK, the podcast that helps you fuel your leadership, protect your energy, and spark lasting change.In today’s episode, I’m sharing behind-the-scenes lessons from a unique opportunity I had in 2024, stepping in as the Interim Executive Director of a thriving arts nonprofit in Denver. This wasn’t my first rodeo, but it was my first time back in the ED seat since 2017, and wow, the experience gave me powerful tools and fresh perspective for anyone navigating nonprofit leaders...
2025-10-2110 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK3: Navigating Complex Staff Challenges with GraceSend us a textLet’s talk about something every nonprofit CEO and Executive Director will face… and usually at the most inconvenient moment possible.Picture this: It’s Monday morning. You’re halfway through your first cup of coffee, still convincing yourself this is going to be a productive day. You open your inbox, and there it is… a subject line from a staff member that reads: “Quick Chat?”Now, we both know “Quick Chat” means anything but quick. It’s code for: This is going to be emotionally draining a...
2025-10-2106 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK2: The ONE Thing Nonprofit CEOs & EDs Can ControlSend us a textIf you’re a nonprofit CEO or Executive Director, you already know there are a million things you can’t control: The economy. Funder priorities. Donor preferences. That one staff member who thinks “fashionably late” is a cute personality trait.But there is one thing you can control, and it changes everything else.Back when I was an Executive Director, I tried to control it all…I even lost sleep over details no one else cared about.I thought if I worked harder and sle...
2025-10-2107 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK1: Breaking the Silent Epidemic in Nonprofit LeadershipSend us a textIf you’re a nonprofit CEO or Executive Director, I have a question for you.How many mornings have you opened your laptop and thought, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up?How many nights have you laid awake worried about staff conflict, budget gaps, and your organization’s long-term sustainability. Wondering if you’re holding your organization back?So, if that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.What you’re experiencing isn’t just stress. It’s what I call Th...
2025-10-2106 min
Nonprofit CEO SPARK0: What Nonprofit CEO SPARK Is All AboutSend us a textFind the full transcript for this episode and more resources for nonprofit leaders here. Hello, and welcome to my very first episode of the Nonprofit CEO SPARK podcast. I’m Marcia Beckner, and I help nonprofit CEOs, Executive Directors, and founders lead with confidence, boost team morale, and design inclusive cultures that fuel sustainable growth.Since 2020, my mission has been to partner with leaders who are ready to create “best place to work” cultures, places where your team’s energy and your organization’s mission are fully aligned for long-term s...
2025-09-0301 min
Leading Improvements in Higher Education with Stephen Hundleys02e04: The Guiding Principles for the Assessment of Arts LearningIn this episode, we discuss The Guiding Principles for the Assessment of Arts Learning. Our guests are Timothy Brophy, Maria Leite, Marcia McCaffrey, and Jeff Poulin. Timothy is Director of Institutional Assessment and Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida. Maria is Assistant Director of Institutional Assessment at the University of Florida. Marcia is an Arts Consultant with the New Hampshire Department of Education. Jeff is Managing Director of Creative Generation. Please see below for information about several resources mentioned during this episode.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center...
2022-01-171h 18