Podcasts offer organizations the chance to market their expertise to the world. For nonprofits, social activists, and philanthropists, it is more than that. Podcasts help nonprofits learn inspiring stories, gain knowledge, discover new trends, and develop skills. Luckily, there is no shortage of nonprofit podcasts out there. Here are a few that stand out!
Podcasts are one of the fastest-growing cultural phenomena in the United States and beyond. As per a recent study on podcast statistics, 144 million Americans have listened to podcasts at least once, and 74% of these listeners have done so to learn something new. Moreover, listeners spend an average of 6 hours and 37 minutes per week on podcasts they love.
Such magnificent growth of podcasts has offered organizations and individuals a platform to market their expertise to the world. But for nonprofits, social activists, and philanthropists, it is more than that. Podcasts for nonprofits are a means to learn inspiring stories, gain knowledge, discover new trends, and develop skills for consistent growth.
Luckily for nonprofit professionals, there’s no shortage of nonprofit podcasts out there. In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 12 nonprofit podcasts you should listen to for inspiration and growth, plus take a look at why you should be listening to podcasts.
Research at Stanford University observed that we remember information more when it is conveyed as part of a narrative “up to 22 times more than facts alone“.
Humans think in stories. The format of podcasts lends itself to storytelling – the audio allows us to engage with the content in a different way.
What’s particularly great about podcasts is that they are ideal for listening “on the go”. For example, the daily commute to and from work, usually a mind-numbing time, is great for listening to podcasts.
Podcasts also offer an opportunity for personal and professional growth. They can also be very inspiring – which is great for nonprofit professionals. Fundraisers and other nonprofit pros can discover similar people/organizations who are striving to bring about goodness in the world, their everyday struggles, challenges, what they’re doing to overcome them, and their stories of success.
There are many reasons why nonprofit professionals should consider listening to powerful nonprofit podcasts:
Here are some of our favorite nonprofit podcasts featuring renowned philanthropists, social innovators, CEOs, and more. Listen and let the stories inspire you.
Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Buzzsprout, YouTube
The Nonprofit Podcast shares inspiring stories of people along with actionable tips and best practices to help boost your overall nonprofit growth. Hosted by Jena Lynch (Education & Community Engagement Manager at Donorbox), Cara Augspurger (Fundraising Pro), and Brittan Stockert (Fundraiser Strategist at Donorbox), this podcast channel is an essential hub of everything nonprofit.
The Nonprofit Podcast by Donorbox invites experts to share their knowledge and experience in strategy-making, fundraising, nonprofit management, donor stewardship, and more. Interviewees include noted thought-leaders, founders, and directors from impactful nonprofits such as Ten Eighteen Uganda, Upward Scholars, Movember, and Barn Sanctuary.
This channel presently comprises more than 100 episodes, with a run-time ranging from 6 minutes to over an hour. New episodes are posted every week. If you’re often motivated by other nonprofits’ stories of struggle and success and are looking to gain from their experience, this podcast is a must for you.
Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, STITCHER
The Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio podcast is a go-to for the 95% of nonprofits that have big dreams but a small budget. It addresses issues that they struggle with in terms of fundraising, board relations, prospect research, volunteer management, accounting, finance, technology, marketing, and more.
This podcast channel is hosted by Tony Martignetti, who is an ardent evangelist for planned giving and has 25 years of experience working with organizations to build successful planned giving programs. He also hosts various training sessions and consults in charitable solicitation registration, getting charities into compliance with state laws. Tony started this podcast channel in 2010 to work with industry experts and thought leaders to help small and mid-sized organizations.
The podcast currently comprises 700+ episodes, each covering engaging topics sure to inspire. Follow this podcast every week if you want to get wise to topics that will holistically improve the way your nonprofit functions!
Where: Apple Podcasts.
The Business of Giving is hosted by Denver Frederick, who has 40+ years of experience in the philanthropy world. The program explores possible solutions to today’s social problems, including global poverty, affordable housing, clean drinking water, and education. Each week, Frederick interviews philanthropists, nonprofit luminaries, and social entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of social change.
The podcast comprises more than 500 episodes, through which nonprofits can not only seek inspiration in such impactful discussions but also discover great platforms to further their cause.
Where: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud.
The Good to Growth Podcast, a podcast by Nonprofit Hub, covers a wide range of topics in the nonprofit world. They break down data, interview thought leaders, and discuss management strategies in each 20-30 minute episode.
Host Katie Appold, nonprofit leader and executive director at Nonprofit Hub narrates the way to transforming your organization for good. Past episodes have included discussions about content posted in article form on their website, recaps of insightful webinars, and conversations with the industry’s most influential thought leaders.
This podcast currently has 142 episodes. They are posted weekly and are primarily focused on the various aspects of nonprofit governance, fundraising, and development goals. They are determined to help nonprofits move from good to growth with expert tips, ideas, and insights into the nonprofit world.
Where: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Audible
The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast covers the most critical issues, trends, and opportunities facing nonprofit leaders and those engaged in social innovation. Hosted by Dr. Rob Harter, a nonprofit executive professional with nearly 30 years of experience, this podcast features founders and CEOs of nonprofits of all sizes. You will hear real stories from experienced leaders about what strategies and practices have made them successful.
The podcast channel currently has 300+ episodes and offers an immense knowledge base shared and enriched by top leaders of the nonprofit world. Follow for the latest episodes that come out every week!
Where: SoundCloud, The Fund Raising School App on App Store
The First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School is a weekly podcast series dedicated to the advancement of ethical fundraising. Each episode is usually 10 minutes long and provides the latest news and research information on philanthropy and fundraising. Some of the popular topics with thousands of plays include Donor-Advised Funds, Fundraising Advice, Major-Gifts Fundraising, Self Care for Fundraisers, and more.
The podcast channel currently has more than 320 episodes. None of them are more than 20 minutes long and provide compact knowledge on the latest advancements in nonprofit technology and fundraising. Follow this channel if you prefer short podcasts and want to benefit from the latest nonprofit updates.
Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android.
The Successful Nonprofits podcast – hosted by Dolph Goldenburg – covers a wide range of relevant topics. It has episodes that focus on managing your nonprofit’s risk, utilizing social media, using your board most effectively, crypto philanthropy, content marketing, nonprofit mergers, promoting diversity and inclusion, and more.
This podcast channel comprises 300+ episodes at present. Each week, they release one 40-minute episode featuring a top nonprofit leader who talks about trends in fundraising and philanthropy, marketing, collecting data, recruiting volunteers, onboarding, and more. Follow this podcast if you’re eagerly looking to learn from the experts of the nonprofit world and grow your organization accordingly!
Where: Apple Podcasts, Android, PlayerFM
In her podcast, Joan Garry, a professor and nonprofit leadership mentor, covers nonprofit marketing, overcoming fundraising mistakes, leadership, optimism, and just about everything else in between. The podcast delves into real-life scenarios a nonprofit might face. Whether it’s fundraising that interests you, or you’re looking to learn more about developing a board of directors, marketing and communications, team building, leadership, finance, social media, staff management, or even self-care for nonprofit professionals, this nonprofit podcast has got you covered.
This podcast comprises more than 200 episodes with an average run-time of 50 minutes for each. One of the latest episodes discusses the secrets of a high-functioning board of directions in nonprofit organizations, while another focuses on retaining top nonprofit talent. Such topics are bound to help leaders and senior nonprofit professionals looking to improve staff and board engagement in their nonprofits!
Where: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast
Tiny Spark is all about taking a hard look at the business of doing good. The podcast episodes are usually journalistic in nature. They cover topics of philanthropy, nonprofits, international aid, and development. Amy Costello, the show’s host, particularly focuses on providing insights on the unintended consequences of aid, philanthropy, or charity. Some of their best topics include health equity, climate justice, food rescue heroes, forgotten women in wars, and nonprofits seeking language justice.
With 156 episodes not more than 40 minutes long, this podcast offers a slightly different take on nonprofit podcasting. Most of their episodes are focused on research and in-depth analysis of adverse societal situations. But their speakers hail from the nonprofit and philanthropic world and can offer you close insights into the conditions you’d want to improve through your mission.
Where: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher
The Official Do Good Better Podcast is hosted by Patrick Kirby, a fundraiser, nonprofit expert, author, and event creator, and it interviews leaders and champions of small and medium nonprofits. The focus is to share their success stories and their impact on the world. Some of their episodes are as short as 12 minutes but include insightful topics such as event planning, website marketing, goal-setting, and more.
The podcast had 362 episodes and can be a quick go-to place for everyday solutions in the nonprofit world. So, if you have about 15 – 30 minutes on your hands, dive right in, follow, and listen to this podcast.
Where: Apple Podcasts
Impact Boom Podcast is an initiative by Impact Boom, an innovative company focused on boosting social impact through programs, events, and inspirational articles. In this podcast, they interview nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, social innovators, and educators to seek stories of inspiration. Each of their episodes is no more than 25 minutes long. They discuss possibilities to spark change and address issues in the workplace.
The podcast presently has more than 450 episodes, all meant to scale the growth and impact of nonprofits through storytelling and knowledge sharing.
Where: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher
Uncharted Ground is a podcast initiative by The Stanford Social Innovation Review that often slices audio recordings of their events into episodes. Host Jonathan Levine talks with experts on various topics such as social entrepreneurship, global issues and stories of development, and nonprofit journeys.
This podcast comprises just eight episodes, but some of the most eye-opening and daunting societal tales from corners of the world. The episodes have an average run-time of 40 minutes. Engage in some of the most moving stories and experiences shared by industry leaders and nonprofit experts on this podcast.
Check out these FAQs about nonprofit podcasts to learn more about how to use these educational resources to boost your fundraising.
A: There are several ways nonprofits can use podcasts, but we’ll cover what we consider to be the top two. One, nonprofits can use podcasts as listeners looking to learn about a myriad of topics.
Two, nonprofits can use podcasts to gain awareness for their own mission. This can be done by either launching their own or by appearing as guests on other podcasts.
A: There certainly are! Most of the podcasts listed here cover nonprofit marketing and communications at one point or another. Donorbox’s The Nonprofit Podcast, in particular, covers these topics often!
A: As you can see above, the length of nonprofit podcast episodes varies greatly. Many, however, seem to fall within a 20-40-minute time frame – perfect for a morning commute!
A: Nonprofit podcasts can cover a wide range of topics, from fundraising to marketing to leadership and beyond. They can also share impactful stories, discuss upcoming trends, and even break down the latest webinar or conference.
Hopefully, this list of top nonprofit podcasts will help you start out with a phenomenal tool that is enhancing the growth of thousands of organizations out there. If you’re looking to learn more from free resources and tips, explore our Nonprofit Blog and Donorbox Library. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated list of the best Donorbox resources (podcasts, webinars, blogs) in your inbox!
Along with helping your nonprofit with insightful podcast episodes, Donorbox also offers a wide range of powerful fundraising tools! Learn about all our products here, including recurring donation forms, Memberships, Crowdfunding, event ticketing, in-person fundraising, and so much more.
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Ilma Ibrisevic is a content creator and nonprofit writer. She’s passionate about meaningful work, sustainability, and social movements. If she’s not working, she’s obsessing over coffee or cooking. You can connect with her on Linkedin.
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Ilma Ibrisevic