Changing careers can be difficult for anyone. When you’re a corporate, number-focused person transitioning to the nonprofit world it can probably go either way. For Diane Nelson and for VIPS, where she serves as executive director, it’s been a perfect match. In this episode Diane shares a bit about the transition, as well as ways they increased their budget from $1.1 to about 2.6 million. The key points covered in this podcast discussion are: • Leading a Nonprofit Requires Creativity, Flexibility and Strategic Thinking • Competitive Bids Can Save Thousands of Dollars • Don’t Spend Money Before You Know Where It’s Coming From • Analyze Where Funding is Coming From – and Where It Should be Coming From • Ask – and You Might Just Receive • Tell Stories About Individuals to Better Communicate Impact of Programs • Sometimes, Earned Income Opportunities Also Increase the Positive Impact of Your Programs • Seek Out Collaborations to Extend Impact (and Potentially Raise Funds) • Spending Time Agreeing on Expectations is Essential to Any Partnership • Don't create something, cure something. Visit www.socialgoodinstigators.com to find the podcast, transcript, and to sign up to receive notifications as new episodes are released (every 2-3 weeks). Episodes are also available via Stitcher, iTunes, GooglePlay, and iHeartRadio.