Your nonprofit has million-dollar potential. So why are you still operating like a broke startup? If you're tired of being told to "do more with less" while for-profit companies always seem to find the resources they need to grow, this podcast is for you. I'm Lisa Avila, and I help visionary nonprofit leaders stop shrinking their vision and start scaling organizations that change their communities and the world. No more martyrdom. No more winging it. No more apologizing for wanting a lot of money behind your mission. Every episode brings you straight talk about realistic strategic planning, fundraising without the guilt, and leadership that outlasts you. We're talking about building rich nonprofits, in team members, resources, strategy, and impact. This isn't about finding more volunteers or writing better thank-you notes. This is about stepping into your power as a CEO who happens to run a mission-driven organization. Your vision deserves serious funding. Your community deserves leaders who aren't burned out. And you deserve to get paid like a strategic leader. Ready to start scaling your BIG vision? Let's get to work.
Your nonprofit has million-dollar potential. So why are you still operating like a broke startup? If you're tired of being told to "do more with less" while for-profit companies always seem to find the resources they need to grow, this podcast is for you. I'm Lisa Avila, and I help visionary nonprofit leaders stop shrinking their vision and start scaling organizations that change their communities and the world. No more martyrdom. No more winging it. No more apologizing for wanting a lot of money behind your mission. Every episode brings you straight talk about realistic strategic planning, fundraising without the guilt, and leadership that outlasts you. We're talking about building rich nonprofits, in team members, resources, strategy, and impact. This isn't about finding more volunteers or writing better thank-you notes. This is about stepping into your power as a CEO who happens to run a mission-driven organization. Your vision deserves serious funding. Your community deserves leaders who aren't burned out. And you deserve to get paid like a strategic leader. Ready to start scaling your BIG vision? Let's get to work.
The ambition doesn't go away when you hit seven figures. It doesn't disappear when you build the team or check all the boxes.
It just changes direction.
It's no longer asking "How do I make more money?" It's asking "What do I want to be remembered for?"
In this episode, I talk about what happens when your drive evolves from revenue to legacy:
If you're feeling that pull toward something bigger than your next launch, pay attention to that.
That's not a distraction. That's your ambition evolving.
Join me at Audacious Purposse in-person event - https://poppygrovellc.com/audacious-purpose-2026
You run the company. Close the deal. Fix everyone's problems before breakfast.
Then you come home and your partner asks, "How can I help?" and you literally don't know how to answer.
Because letting someone take care of you? That feels harder than running your entire business.
In this episode, I'm joined by Shilpa Cacho, love mentor for powerhouse women, and we're getting honest about why the strongest women struggle the most with receiving love.
We dig into:
If you're tired of being the one who holds it all together, this conversation will show you what becomes possible when you finally let someone hold you.
About Shilpa: Shilpa Cacho is the love mentor for powerhouse women who have it all and are ready for marriage that expands them beyond success. Find her on Instagram @shilpacacho or learn about her Sicily retreat at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dallass-curated-dating-experience-for-intentional-singles-tickets-1975245479401.
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Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lisathestrategist/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamavila
You hit the revenue goals. Built the team. Launched the thing. And instead of feeling accomplished, you're sitting there thinking, "Is this it?"
That's not ungrateful. That's evolution.
In this episode, I talk about what happens when successful women realize that more money isn't the answer anymore.
I share:
The restlessness you're feeling isn't telling you to quit. It's telling you there's another level to this - one that has nothing to do with your next launch.
Join me at Audacious Purpose in-person event - https://poppygrovellc.com/audacious-purpose-2026
You're nodding along in the board meeting. Writing the check, smiling politely. Planning the gala.
But in your head? You're thinking something completely different.
Like how galas waste money that could fund actual programs. How most nonprofit boards are where good ideas go to die. How spending 40 hours on a grant application for maybe $10,000 is insane.
Everyone's thinking it. Nobody's saying it.
In this episode, I'm saying it:
Whether you're writing checks that don't create change or running a nonprofit on credit cards and hope, this one's going to sting a little.
But if you're brave enough to admit what's not working, you can start building what will.
Join me at Audacious Purposse in-person event - https://poppygrovellc.com/audacious-purpose-2026
That nonprofit you've been sketching in your head for three years? It's December, and it's back.
Every year, when things slow down just enough to think, this idea surfaces. The foundation you want to launch. The movement you see so clearly. And every January, you bury it under new business goals.
But what if the fact that it keeps coming back is the point?
In this episode, I share:
The idea that won't leave you alone isn't waiting for you to be ready. You've been ready.
NEW EVENT! Audacious Purpose 2026 - https://poppygrovellc.com/audacious-purpose-2026
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If you're not taking breaks, you're not productive. You're just busy and likely depleted.
Your unique brilliance disappears when you're running on fumes. And your mission needs YOU at full capacity, not the depleted version pretending everything's fine.
In this conversation with aromatherapist and flower essence practitioner Dori Bell, we get real about why your exhaustion isn't serving your mission and what it takes to build your business and legacy.
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While everyone's posting their year-end wins, I'm asking a different question: Did any of it matter?
With weeks left in 2025, I'm getting real about what I want to say I built this year. Not achieved. Built.
In this episode, I share:
The money you've made is fuel. The influence you've built is power. The business you've created is a vehicle. But without strategy to tie them together, you're just stacking numbers.
Ready to build legacy before 2026? Book your $10M Impact Legacy Intensive
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I stood in front of a room full of female entrepreneurs making serious money and told them their business is bigger than their bank account.
Want to know what happened next? They lined up to ask me HOW.
In this episode, I reveal:
You don't need to sacrifice your business to build legacy. You don't need to wait until you're "successful enough." You just need a strategy.
Ready to map your impact strategy? Book your $10M Impact Legacy Intensive
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Caring about your mission doesn't mean you should accept poverty wages.
In this episode, I call out the "passion tax" - the amount of money you're expected to give up because you chose meaningful work. We talk about what underpaying staff really costs organizations and why fair compensation is a programmatic effectiveness issue.
If you've been told that wanting fair pay makes you less committed to the cause, this episode will change how you think about compensation in mission-driven work.
Passion doesn't pay rent.
Check out Momentum Virtual Strategy Retreats - I help you design compensation structures and funding strategies that support your mission.
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Strategic planning should feel like problem-solving with someone who gets your world.
In this episode, I discuss why most strategic planning processes leave leaders more exhausted than energized. We talk about building decision-making frameworks instead of detailed action plans that become outdated the moment conditions change.
If you've been dreading your organization's planning process, this episode offers a different approach.
Strategic planning should make your job easier, not harder.
My Bored Room to Bold Leader intensive is a focused 45-minute session where we take one strategic area where you're feeling stuck and create the framework you need to move forward confidently.
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Nonprofits are praised for doing too much with too little. But there's nothing ethical about disorganization. And burnout isn't proof of commitment.
In this episode, I challenge the idea that business principles are incompatible with mission-driven work.
We cover:
If you're finished shrinking your leadership to look more "nonprofit-y" and ready to scale like an impactful business, listen in..
Ready to lead your organization with strategy and sustainability? Join me for a Momentum Virtual Strategy Retreat where we map out your 2026 priorities, messaging, and growth plan in two focused days.
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While you’re wondering why your funding applications keep getting rejected, another organization just secured its most significant grant yet.
In this episode, I break down the five strategic mistakes that keep nonprofit leaders stuck — while their competitors consistently win support.
We discuss why leading with need can make you appear like a charity case, how to reposition your messaging so funders view you as a strategic partner, and what it takes to shift from being overlooked to being the obvious choice.
If you're tired of being passed over while others with the same mission keep pulling ahead, this conversation will change how you approach every funder relationship from now on.
The gap between you and them isn’t passion or connections.
It’s strategy.
Ready to position your organization for serious investment?
Join me for Momentum Virtual Retreat, where we will map out your messaging, your funding model, and your board engagement strategy in just two days.
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There are two types of nonprofit leaders in the fourth quarter (Q4).
Those who are clear, focused, and funded.
And those who are busy, reactive, and hoping it all works out.
In this episode, I highlight the mindset and habits that distinguish prepared leaders from those still trying to piece it together. If you're heading into year-end without a strong plan, this is your chance to course-correct before you're stuck trying to recover in December.
Leaders who win Q4 don’t wait.
They decide what they want and build the strategy to match.
If you’re ready to approach your funding conversations with confidence instead of pressure, Momentum Virtual Retreats is where we map your Q4 strategy in two focused days.
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You don't have to figure everything out alone. In fact, trying to do so is what's keeping you running in circles.
In this episode, I discuss why isolation is harming nonprofit leadership and the distinction between seeking advice and forming a genuine strategic partnership. We explore why nonprofit leaders resist investing in support and what it costs you to continue making strategic decisions in isolation.
If you're great at what you do but feel like you're hitting a wall in your growth, this episode explains why strategic partnership will help you get to your next level.
Great leaders don't go it alone. They build with strategic partners.
Ready for the strategic partnership that will accelerate your growth? Check out Momentum Strategy Retreats - we'll map out your strategic priorities, funding plan, and organizational structure so you can lead boldly and scale sustainably.
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Your board is already thinking about next year. Decisions are being shaped, priorities weighed, energy sorted. If you walk into January without a clear plan, you'll spend Q1 chasing conversations that could have been decided in the fall.
In this episode, I explain what your board really wants from you (hint: it's not a 50-page document) and why October is your final window to commit to getting strategic before the year ends. We discuss the three questions every board needs answered, why perfectionism hinders clarity, and what happens when you try to lead from exhaustion rather than intention.
If you're tired of starting every year behind and ready to walk into 2026 with a board that's aligned and energized, this episode shows you exactly how to get there.
Your board doesn't want another plan. They want clarity you can deliver on.
Want help getting your board-approved strategy locked in before the year ends? Download my free strategic guide, "Your Shortcut to a Board-Approved Strategy (Before Year-End)". It walks you through the framework I use with clients to achieve clarity quickly.
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Too many nonprofit leaders walk into Q4 with apologetic energy, and it costs them. While they say, “We’re grateful for anything,” decisions are already being made about who gets serious support and who gets scraps.
Q4 isn’t just busy season, it’s decision season. In this episode, I discuss why you can’t afford to play small with funders, boards, or partners, and how to position your organization as the obvious choice.
If you’re done with scraping by and ready for real strategy, join me for a Momentum Virtual Retreat. Two half-days. Eight hours. A Board-ready action plan that sets you up before Q4 gets by you.
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You care deeply about your mission, but passion alone isn't a funding plan.
In this episode, I get honest about what happens when women in nonprofit leadership build their organizations on personal sacrifice, guilt, and urgency instead of strategy and sustainability. I talk about how over-giving is rewarded in this sector and why it's quietly sabotaging your growth.
If you've been praised for how much you care but still can't pay yourself what you're worth, you'll want to listen in.
This is the mindset shift that must happen before your fundraising strategy can work.
Ready to start 2026 with a leadership plan that protects your energy and scales your mission? Check out Momentum Strategy Retreats - we'll get your leadership role defined, funding priorities set, and program structures built so you're not pulled in a hundred directions
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Money isn't the problem. Scarcity is.
In this episode, I call out the biggest reason nonprofits stay broke: the internalized belief that wanting more funding makes you less mission-driven. If you're still trying to contort your organization around limited funding instead of building funding around your organization's needs, this episode will challenge you.
You'll learn what fully-funded leadership looks like, why shrinking isn't serving your community, and how to stop treating money like it's dirty.
This isn't about being greedy. This is about being ready for your next level.
Ready to stop designing your mission around scarcity? Check out Momentum Strategy Retreats - we'll rebuild your funding model, board alignment, and leadership structure in two focused days so you can step into 2026 resourced and strategic.
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Most nonprofits are trying to forecast five years out when they don't even know if their biggest funder is renewing in six months.
In this episode, I challenge the old way of strategic planning and get clear about what boards want from you: Direction. Clarity. Confidence.
Because a 50-page document sitting unopened for months on Google Drive doesn't fund your work or move your mission.
If you're under pressure to create another strategic plan, this is your permission slip to choose what works in real-world nonprofit leadership, especially with federal cuts slashing 2,600+ programs.
It's time to plan like a leader who knows the terrain, not like someone trying to impress a funder.
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You're not underfunded because you're not working hard enough.
You're underfunded because you're still treating grant writing like a strategy instead of a tool.
In this episode, I talk about what too many leaders have been told to normalize: the feast-or-famine cycle of funding that's built on hope and hustle, not clarity. We talk about what strategic funding looks like and the six revenue streams I help clients build when they are ready to stop spinning and start scaling.
If you're finished pouring your energy into proposals with a 10% chance of success and ready to build a sustainable strategy, this episode is for you.
You don't need another grant calendar. You need strategy that works for these unprecedented times.
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