This year’s reflection podcast felt like a deep exhale—a moment to pause, regroup, and envision what’s next. Glennda Testone and I talk about everything from her transition into the Nonprofit Leadership Lab in 2024, a crucial legislative bill that affects all nonprofits (HR 9495), the beautiful opportunity of working with Gen Z, and the big lessons nonprofit leaders need to carry into 2025.
Glennda and I have an honest conversation about leadership challenges, share our moments of laughter, and reflect on what keeps us hopeful—even in tough times.
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
- Why Sustainability Matters: Nonprofit leaders must prioritize their well-being and that of their teams.
- Advocacy is Essential: Understanding and engaging in policy work is critical, especially in tumultuous times.
- Succession Planning is Key: Proactive planning creates stronger, more resilient organizations.
- Community is the Antidote: Leaning on peers and building connections can help combat isolation and amplify impact.
KEY QUOTES:
- On Leadership Transitions: “Succession planning isn’t just about, ‘I might leave in a year.’” Instead, it’s about always being conscious of “how to make sure your board and your staff are as strong as they can be to survive whatever might come.”
- On Advocacy in Nonprofits: “We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for. No one is coming to save us.”
- On Generational Shifts in Nonprofit Work: “When I came into nonprofit, it was like, you care about the cause, you give everything for the cause. I don’t think that younger people coming into nonprofit now are willing to tolerate that, and I think that’s a really good thing.”
ABOUT GLENNDA TESTONE:
Glennda Testone is the CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab and a nonprofit leadership expert who spent 14 years as the Executive Director of New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Over the course of her tenure at The Center, she tripled the organization’s budget, strengthened its programs, and completed a $9M capital building renovation to transform the LGBTQ community’s home on West 13 Street. Additionally, she partnered with Google to launch the virtual reality experience of Stonewall Forever, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, and helped lead a racial equity transformation of the organization.
Testone previously served as Vice President at The Women’s Media Center and Senior Director of Media Programs for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
RESOURCES:
- Why I Became CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab
- The Road To Refueling My Leadership Every 275 Miles
- Nonprofit Leadership Lab
- Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership – 2nd Edition by Joan Garry
- FREE WORKSHOP: Let’s Build the Nonprofit Board of Your Dreams!
- FREE WORKSHOP: The 5 Practices of Outstanding Nonprofit Leaders
- Music by Jukebox the Ghost
- Voiceover Work by Cindy Cap Solutions
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