Michael Phillips didn't take the straight path to running a nonprofit — he was a local TV news producer who started volunteering at Su Casa teaching adult English. In 2018 the board asked him to help find their next executive director. He couldn't think of anyone, so they asked him.

Eight years later Su Casa has grown from a $300,000 budget and eight employees to $1.5 million and nearly thirty staff. But the part of this conversation worth your time is what happened about a year and a half ago, when the full-time preschool they'd bet the organization on wasn't paying for itself and Michael didn't know if it would survive.

We get into what it took to see the real gap in the numbers, how he went back to his largest donors and told them plainly what was at stake, why he decided that shrinking was the riskier choice, and what changed in him when he stopped leading out of fear. Along the way: what he learned about fundraising from years of being unable to say the real number out loud, what makes a board actually useful, and why measuring impact in this work is harder than it looks from the outside.

Su Casa Family Ministries serves Latino immigrant families in Memphis through a bilingual preschool, adult English classes, and family support.

Outdated systems making things harder than they need to be? Sam and Daniel walk through the three areas every nonprofit should look at—tech, workflow, and team—to figure out what’s slowing you down and how to fix it. You’ll walk away with clear next steps on a better path forward.

What You’ll Learn:

• Tech That Works for You: Why legacy systems hold you back—and how platforms like QuickBooks Online or Sage Intacct can streamline operations.
• Smarter Workflows: Spotting bottlenecks, reducing redundancy, and switching from checks to ACH to save time and reduce risk.
• Leading Through Change: How strong leadership and cultural buy-in help teams embrace modernization instead of fear it.
• Getting Unstuck: When to bring in outside help, how to prioritize changes, and why sustainable improvements beat disruptive overhauls.

Schedule a Consultation: https://www.cfoleverage.com/contact/

Resource Center
Podcast: https://feeds.transistor.fm/maximize-your-impact-by-c-f-o-leverage
Blog: https://www.cfoleverage.com/blog/

Are potential federal grant changes putting your nonprofit’s financial stability at risk? In this episode, Sam and Daniel discuss how executive directors and board chairs can navigate recent policy news to build long-term financial resilience. Learn proactive strategies to protect your nonprofit’s mission and maintain financial health.

What You’ll Learn:

• Federal Grant Volatility & Your Nonprofit: Navigating potential political shifts, understanding funding cycles, and mitigating grant risks.
• Cash Flow Management: Maintaining reserves, securing access to credit, and planning for reimbursement delays.
• Financial Resilience at the Board Level: Diversifying funding, spotting financial red flags, and strengthening oversight.
• Fundraising & Donor Engagement: Engaging major donors, improving banking relationships, and expanding funding sources.
• Crisis Planning & Risk Management: Preparing for funding gaps, communicating with your board, and making data-driven decisions.

Schedule a Consultation: https://www.cfoleverage.com/contact/

Resource Center
Podcast: https://feeds.transistor.fm/maximize-your-impact-by-c-f-o-leverage
Blog: https://www.cfoleverage.com/blog/