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155: Baby Don’t Hurt Me | What To Do When a Donor Gift Harms More Than Helps

Charity Therapy

Release Date: 01/08/2026

156: Captain Depressio Reporting for Duty | Can Nonprofits Give Tax-Free Money to People? show art 156: Captain Depressio Reporting for Duty | Can Nonprofits Give Tax-Free Money to People?

Charity Therapy

Nonprofits are tax-exempt, so lots of people assume that nonprofits don’t have to worry about taxes ever. Right???? Well, not quite 😐 In this episode, Meghan and I dig into a question I hear all the time from people who want to help their communities but are confused about how nonprofit tax rules actually work. Real Listener Question: “I own a couple of restaurants and we have several events to raise money for certain causes. Usually the money goes toward a charity or a local group, but sometimes we'll do it for a community member who needs financial support. The problem we're seeing is...

info_outline 155: Baby Don’t Hurt Me | What To Do When a Donor Gift Harms More Than Helps show art 155: Baby Don’t Hurt Me | What To Do When a Donor Gift Harms More Than Helps

Charity Therapy

You’re getting donations for a nonprofit – and that’s great! But sometimes generosity comes with strings you never expected. In this episode, Meghan and I dig into the wild world of donor gifts and why nonprofits need clear guardrails to protect themselves from gifts that actually hurt the nonprofit. Real Listener Question: “We have a donation button on our website where people can give online and set up recurring donations for monthly contributions. A few weeks ago, someone set up a daily 50 cent donation. Our accountant looked into it and is saying that it's not fraud or anything...

info_outline 154: It's Gravy, Baby! | What is a Nonprofit Audit? with Hannah Hugen show art 154: It's Gravy, Baby! | What is a Nonprofit Audit? with Hannah Hugen

Charity Therapy

Think an audit is something to fear for your nonprofit? I get it! But what if it’s actually a powerful tool for growth? In this episode, I sit down with nonprofit auditor Hannah Hugen from to unpack what an audit really is and why it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds. Real Listener Question: “We filed the 1023-EZ and said we’d stay under $50K… but now a funding opportunity would push us past that. Will the IRS audit us? Should we say no to the money?” Hannah and I dig into what an audit actually involves, what the IRS does (and doesn’t) care about, and how nonprofits can...

info_outline 153: It's a Triple Whammy | How to Fix the Culture of Overwork at Your Nonprofit with Rachel Platt show art 153: It's a Triple Whammy | How to Fix the Culture of Overwork at Your Nonprofit with Rachel Platt

Charity Therapy

If your team is exhausted, overwhelmed, and constantly working nights and weekends, you might be dealing with more than a scheduling issue. You might be dealing with a culture problem that is hurting your mission. In this episode, I invited my friend and people strategy expert to talk with me about the hidden issues inside nonprofit overwork and what it really takes to build a sustainable organizational culture. Real Listener Question: I’m a new staff member, and everyone at this nonprofit works tons of overtime without being paid (as hourly employees). The ED works all the time, and the...

info_outline 152: That's Called Tax Fraud! | When an Entrepreneur has a 152: That's Called Tax Fraud! | When an Entrepreneur has a "Really Good" Nonprofit Idea

Charity Therapy

You’ve got a great business idea, people want to donate to help, and you’re thinking… “What if I just start a nonprofit?” Hold up — let’s talk about it. In this episode, Meghan and I tackle one of the most common (and most frustrating) misconceptions out there — when entrepreneurs try to mix business ventures with nonprofit structures. Real Listener Question: “I’m coaching a small business owner who wants to restore a historic hotel, turn it into an Airbnb, and start a nonprofit to collect donations for the renovation. He says it’s a win-win — is that legal?” This one...

info_outline 151: Give Mark Your Crap! | When a PEO is a Good Fit for Your HR Needs with Mark Bromberg show art 151: Give Mark Your Crap! | When a PEO is a Good Fit for Your HR Needs with Mark Bromberg

Charity Therapy

Nonprofit HR can be messy — but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s talk about when it’s time to call in reinforcements (and what “reinforcements” actually look like). I sat down with Mark Bromberg, a Business Performance Advisor at Insperity and one of my favorite people to send clients to when HR headaches start taking over. We dug into what PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations) really do — and when they make sense for nonprofits. Real Listener Question: “Our professional association has seven employees. We’re losing our CEO soon, and our board wants to consider...

info_outline 150: All Press is Good Press? | GoFundMe Creates 1.4M Nonprofit Donation Pages Without Consent with Ephraim Gopin show art 150: All Press is Good Press? | GoFundMe Creates 1.4M Nonprofit Donation Pages Without Consent with Ephraim Gopin

Charity Therapy

What happens when a for-profit giant “helps” nonprofits without asking first? Spoiler: chaos, confusion, and a lot of angry fundraisers. In this episode, I sat down with my good friend and fundraising pro, Ephraim Gopin of 1832 Communications, to unpack the wild story of GoFundMe auto-creating donation pages for 1.4 million nonprofits — without their consent. Real Listener Question: “What do we do if our nonprofit suddenly has a GoFundMe page we didn’t create? Is that even legal?” When news broke that GoFundMe scraped IRS data to create “official” donation pages for nonprofits,...

info_outline 149: Um, Actually... | How Many Times Should a Nonprofit Board of Directors Meet? show art 149: Um, Actually... | How Many Times Should a Nonprofit Board of Directors Meet?

Charity Therapy

If your board hasn’t met in ten months, that’s not just awkward — it’s a big problem. In this episode, Meghan and I dive into a basic (but often overlooked) part of nonprofit governance: how often a board needs to meet, and what happens when it doesn’t. Real Listener Question: “My wife joined the board of a small arts nonprofit, but they haven’t met once in ten months. The executive director sends quarterly updates by email — that’s it. Is that legal?” A board that never meets isn’t really a board — it’s a liability. Meghan and I talk about what state laws and bylaws...

info_outline 148: Type A Personalities Unite! | When Nonprofits Should (Or Shouldn't!) Use PEOs for Their HR with Jess Holst show art 148: Type A Personalities Unite! | When Nonprofits Should (Or Shouldn't!) Use PEOs for Their HR with Jess Holst

Charity Therapy

Think a PEO will solve all your nonprofit’s HR headaches? Not so fast — the fine print might surprise you. In this episode, I’m joined by HR consultant Jess Holst from to answer a listener’s question about whether a professional employer organization (PEO) is the right solution for their growing nonprofit. Real Listener Question: “We’ve grown from four employees to nearly twelve. I’ve been handling payroll and HR myself, but it’s becoming too much. A board member suggested a PEO, but it feels too good to be true. Should we do it?” PEOs get sold as a one-stop HR solution, but...

info_outline 147: Keep Doing You, Boo | Are Nonprofit DEI Initiatives Illegal? With Guest Megan Fuciarelli show art 147: Keep Doing You, Boo | Are Nonprofit DEI Initiatives Illegal? With Guest Megan Fuciarelli

Charity Therapy

Worried your nonprofit’s DEI programs might be illegal now? You’re not alone — and I can bet you won’t be able to find the right answer on social media. In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Fuciarelli from US2 Consulting to dig into what the latest EEOC guidance actually means for nonprofits trying to foster inclusion. Real Listener Question: “My nonprofit has employee resource groups (ERGs) for LGBTQ+, Latinx, Black, and AAPI staff. They’re popular, but I heard the EEOC says they might count as discrimination now. Do we need to shut them down, or is there a way to keep them...

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More Episodes

You’re getting donations for a nonprofit – and that’s great! But sometimes generosity comes with strings you never expected.

In this episode, Meghan and I dig into the wild world of donor gifts and why nonprofits need clear guardrails to protect themselves from gifts that actually hurt the nonprofit.

Real Listener Question: “We have a donation button on our website where people can give online and set up recurring donations for monthly contributions. A few weeks ago, someone set up a daily 50 cent donation. Our accountant looked into it and is saying that it's not fraud or anything like that, but it just seems really silly. Our payment processor takes $0.30 out per transaction plus a merchant fee, so we're getting next to nothing on these donations. What do I do?”

This tiny daily gift opens the door to a much bigger conversation about gift acceptance policies and the hidden costs of donations. Meghan and I talk through the drawbacks, the admin time, the donor relationship dynamics, and the surprising ways well-intentioned gifts can actually drain your resources. We also break down how to set minimums, how to talk to donors with compassion, and how to avoid getting stuck with gifts that cost more than they give back.

What You'll Learn:

  • Why every nonprofit needs a gift acceptance policy
  • How to know when a gift creates more harm than helps
  • The hidden administrative costs behind every single donation
  • Ways to set smart donation minimums
  • How to redirect donors without damaging the relationship
  • Why saying no is actually part of stewardship
  • How to prepare for unusual gifts before they show up

Bottom line: Not every gift is a positive thing for a nonprofit. Sometimes you need to say no and guiding donors toward giving that truly supports your mission.

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