Libsyn Directory

S1:E27 - Reflect, Reimagine, Reignite: Your Nonprofit’s Year-End Reset for 2026

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Release Date: 12/17/2025

S1:E27 - Reflect, Reimagine, Reignite: Your Nonprofit’s Year-End Reset for 2026

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

It’s been a tough year for many nonprofits. Yet here you are! Still standing, still serving, and still dreaming about a brighter future. In this special end-of-year solo episode, Nate Birt, founder of Silver Maple Strategies, guides nonprofit leaders through a reflective, energizing reset for 2026. This is not your average strategy podcast. It's a hands-on series of guided journaling prompts you can use to evaluate where you've grown, what you've overcome, and where your organization is headed next. You’ll also learn about some key trends affecting nonprofit giving, donor behavior, and...

S1: E26 - Leading Big Change, Communicating Across Divides, and Staying Grounded with Sheila Voss

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

How do you lead transformative change in a complex, fast-moving world without losing your sense of purpose? In this episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, host Nate Birt talks with Sheila Voss, Senior Vice President of Communications at the Good Food Institute, about what it takes to lead mission-driven work with courage, clarity, and heart. Sheila’s career spans environmental education, biodiversity, and global nonprofit leadership. Although her current work focuses on protein innovation and reimagining the food system, her insights apply to any nonprofit leader navigating...

S1: E25 - Art Meets Impact: Balancing Mission, Money, and Audience in Nonprofit Leadership

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

How do you stay true to your mission and pay the bills? How do you engage your community and challenge them to think differently? And how do you do all that without burning out? In this episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, I’m joined by Sara Dean, Artistic Director at The Pear Theatre in Silicon Valley, CA, and a board member of Theatre Bay Area. Sara brings an incredible mix of creative courage, business pragmatism, and heart-centred leadership to nonprofit work, offering takeaways for anyone navigating mission-driven challenges. We talk about: Navigating the tension between...

S1: E24 - The AI Tool Built for Nonprofits—Not Big Tech, with Aram Fischer of Change Agent AI

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Artificial intelligence is evolving fast, but today’s expert guest tells us AI is also entering a new phase of stability, making now the ideal time for nonprofit leaders to get comfortable and curious with this technology. In this week’s episode, I chat with Aram Fischer, co-founder and CEO of Change Agent AI, an alternative to tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Change Agent AI is purpose-built from the ground up for nonprofits, advocacy groups, and social impact professionals. We talk about what makes Change Agent AI different: from stronger privacy and anti-bias safeguards to a smaller...

S1: E23 - Economic Uncertainty and Your Nonprofit: 5 Actions You Can Take, No Matter What’s Happening Around You

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Episode Summary: In this teaching episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, host Nate Birt, founder of Silver Maple Strategies, coaches nonprofit leaders navigating an increasingly uncertain economy. What can you as a nonprofit leader do to navigate volatility and come out ahead? A lot, actually! Here are five practical, actionable strategies you can implement immediately whether you’re up against government shutdowns, mixed economic signals, or donor unpredictability. And you can take these actions without burning out or losing your mission-driven focus. Whether you're in survival...

S1: E22 - Nonprofit Leadership Amid Rapid Change: Lessons from Extension Foundation CEO Beverly Coberly

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

How do you lead a nonprofit with clarity, morale, and flexibility when the world around you is rapidly changing? In this episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, Nate Birt sits down with Beverly Coberly, CEO of , for a powerful and wide-ranging conversation on what it means to lead through complexity without losing your values, your vision, or your team’s energy. Bev brings deep insight from her decades-long career in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. She shares insights about nonprofit leadership from her days growing up on a Missouri dairy farm to leading a national...

S1: E21 - How Compassion Can Rebuild Communities: Mike Servello’s Model for Ending Hunger with Dignity

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Episode Summary In this episode of Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, host Nate Birt speaks with Mike Servello, Founder and CEO of Compassion Coalition, Inc. Mike shares how his nonprofit has grown from a providential beginning in Utica, New York, into a model for feeding millions of people without taking on debt or relying on ongoing government funding. You’ll hear how a donated warehouse and early support from Walmart launched an innovative system of community grocery stores that transformed entire neighborhoods once labeled as “food deserts.” Mike also unpacks why restoring...

S1: E20 - Bringing People Together for a More Sustainable Future with Carrie Vollmer-Sanders

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Soil health. Sustainable ag. Regenerative practices. These topics are no longer niche. They're front and center in conversations about the future of food, farming, and resilience. This week on Secrets of Social Impact Communicators, I sit down with Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, president of Field to Market, a nonprofit coalition of nearly 200 organizations working to advance sustainable agriculture. Carrie is a sixth-generation farmer, coalition-builder, and lifelong learner who is passionate about helping farmers thrive while stewarding the environment. We explore what it means to lead in a...

S1: E19 - Breaking the Hiring Mold: How Bus Stop Mamas Is Redefining Work for Moms with Mary Kay Ziniewicz

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Too many hiring systems are broken, and moms are often the ones getting left behind. But what if there was a better way? In this inspiring episode, I talk with Mary Kay Ziniewicz, founder and CEO of Bus Stop Mamas, about how she’s radically reimagining what work can look like for mothers. From her early career in law firm marketing to building a national platform that connects talented women with flexible, meaningful jobs, Mary Kay is a force for challenging outdated assumptions and rebuilding the hiring process with humans at the center. You'll hear how Mary Kay’s personal transformation...

S1: E18 - Shared Prosperity, Capital Truths, and Letting Go of the Ego: A Conversation with Alfredo Mathew III

Secrets of Social Impact Communicators: A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

What if the path to real social impact began with letting go? In this episode, I sit down with Alfredo Mathew III, founder and CEO of SPCC One—the world’s first Shared Prosperity Community Corporation. Alfredo is a former public school educator turned social entrepreneur who’s building a bold, transformative model that reimagines capital, ownership, and community. Alfredo shares how his work empowers small businesses—especially Black and Brown-owned enterprises—to band together, unlock capital, and drive systemic change through shared prosperity models rooted in economic...

More Episodes

This is not your average strategy podcast. It's a hands-on series of guided journaling prompts you can use to evaluate where you've grown, what you've overcome, and where your organization is headed next.

You’ll also learn about some key trends affecting nonprofit giving, donor behavior, and funding diversification. Keep an eye on these factors in 2026 and beyond so you can creatively grow your revenue and deliver even greater impact in the New Year.

This episode is for you if you:

Want to hit pause, take a breath, and reflect before jumping into planning mode
Crave more alignment and greater morale across your team and board
Need practical ideas for adapting to donor trends and funding volatility
Want a clear framework to set meaningful, motivating goals for 2026

You’ll Walk Away With:

10 powerful journaling prompts to use with your board, team, or just for yourself
A resilience framework you can apply to any season of uncertainty
Emerging trends in donor behavior, DAFs, and general operating support
A renewed sense of purpose for the year ahead

Bonus: Hear Nate’s personal Word of the Year and find out why this practice can be a great way to unlock sustained inspiration to fuel your next chapter. Then, choose your own personal Word of the Year.

Take the Next Step:

Share your feedback on this episode: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
View and register for future webinars: www.silvermaplestrategies.com/webinars
Get Nate’s newsletter: www.silvermaplestrategies.com/newsletter
Book Nate to speak or facilitate a strategy session with your nonprofit or association: https://www.silvermaplestrategies.com/speaking-engagements

Connect with Nate:

🌐 SilverMapleStrategies.com
📧 nate@silvermaplestrategies.com
💼 Connect on LinkedIn

Special Thanks

Big thanks to Lee Williams for editing and producing this episode, and to Audrey for helping bring these ideas to life through thoughtful design and marketing. I’m grateful for your partnership!

You’ll Walk Away With:

Take the Next Step:

Connect with Nate:

Special Thanks

TOPICS