Podcasts offer nonprofit professionals an easy and accessible way to stay on top of industry trends, have critical conversations, and grow skills in an industry with notoriously limited professional development resources. Below is a list of 16 podcasts covering topics ranging from nonprofit industry insights, leadership development, social change, and fundraising, to personal and career growth.
Nonprofit Leadership & Industry Insights:
Authentically Inclusive - Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management
The Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management and CCS Fundraising team up to bring you expert ideas and practical insights to support the promotion of DEI across your organizations and communities.
The Nonprofit Lowdown
Each week, Rhea Wong reviews fundraising techniques and strategies for running a nonprofit. Joined by a series of experts and nonprofit leaders, the podcast covers a variety of different nonprofit sectors, as well as gives tips on how to stay calm under the pressure of leadership. Conversations around leadership, race, equity, and philanthropy abound.
Nonprofit Optimist
The Nonprofit Optimist podcast showcases positive change agents and talks through lessons that their small nonprofits have learned. With interviews of executive directors, founders, board members and staff leaders, we share practical advice based on real experiences working in the non-profit sector. Since most nonprofit professionals wear many hats, this is a great opportunity to learn how to grow your small nonprofit without needing to re-invent the wheel!
Nonprofit Quarterly Podcasts
Check out the podcasts presented by Nonprofit Quarterly, including Women of Color in Power and Tiny Spark.
In Women of Color in Power, NPQ’s editor-in-chief, Cyndi Suarez, produces candid, in-depth interviews with women of color to learn how they embarked on their paths to power, how their leadership styles have evolved over the years, and their visions for women of color leaders in the future.
Tiny Spark is a podcast that investigates nonprofits, international aid, and philanthropy.
The Ethical Rainmaker
The Ethical Rainmaker hosts authentic conversations grappling with tough questions in the nonprofit and philanthropy space, including where we can step into our power and where we should step out of the way!
Fund the People
Are you a funder who loves philanthropy, but you want your foundation to be more effective, and to help build the organizational strength, equity, and impact of grantees? Are you a nonprofit leader who loves our sector, but you’re frustrated with the seeming inability to compensate and support staff in a fair and effective fashion, and the ubiquity of toxic nonprofit workplaces? This unique podcast examines the need, value, and complexity of investing in the nonprofit workforce.
Big Picture
Inside Social Innovation
This podcast by the Stanford Social Innovation Review considers all perspectives when it comes to social change; consisting of talks and lectures by the leaders of social change, this podcast explores many different case studies to help you learn from the best.
Doing Good
“There are huge global problems that we hear about on a daily basis, so it’s my goal to explore these with you; to get a deeper understanding of what makes these issues complex, who are the stakeholders involved, and what progress is being made to solve some of these challenges. Together, we’re going to speak with movers and shakers in the business and impact worlds to learn more about their work in creating a better world. We promise to be candid and open to having our views challenged, while learning more about what makes our world tick.”
Fundraising & Marketing:
Go Beyond: The Pursuant Listening Experience for Nonprofits
Pursuant, a fundraising agency built for fundraisers and marketers, explores how to make the biggest impact that you can as a nonprofit through a series of techniques and fundraising strategies.
Nonprofit Nation
Nonprofit Nation is hosted by Julia Campbell, digital marketing and fundraising expert, nonprofit consultant, and author of Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits and How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit in 90 Days. Julia helps nonprofits build movements, and in her work she teaches nonprofits how to build community, audience and raise influence on social media channels.
The Smart Communications Podcast
This podcast from Big Duck, a nonprofit communications agency, naturally helps you improve your organization’s communications and develop your organization’s unique voice. 15-20 minute episodes come out every few weeks, each delivering unique tips on branding, community building, and media management.
Young Professionals:
The Early Career Moves Podcast
“Early Career Moves is a BIPOC-focused career strategy podcast that empowers listeners to make their next career move with confidence and joy. Hosted by Priscilla Esquivel Bulcha, Latinx Career Coach, Human Capital Consultant, ex-recruiter, and first-gen professional. Each week we drop guest and solo episodes brimming with BIPOC friendly career knowledge. Find out more at ecmpodcast.com!”
Good Life Project
Every week, we share inspirational, intimate and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about living a fully-engaged, fiercely-connected and purpose-drenched life. From iconic world-shakers like Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, Sir Ken Robinson, Seth Godin and Gretchen Rubin to everyday guests, every story matters.
We Are For Good Podcast Nonprofit professionals are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more, and be more for the causes we hold so dear. With bootstrapped budgets and staff, the community of do-gooders are seeking camaraderie along the journey, a safe place to grow and learn and find connection and inspiration. Join Jonathan McCoy, CFRE and Becky Endicott, CFRE as they learn with you from some of the best in the industry; sharing the most innovative ideas, inspiration and stories of making a difference.
Secure The Seat
Hear stories of everyday women of color as they lean into a workforce that isn't always invested in their success. How do they do it? Join us as we dig deep and learn how to #SECURETHESEAT
The Financial Confessions
The Financial Confessions is a podcast about how we live and interact with money, hosted by Chelsea Fagan and brought to you by The Financial Diet.