EP 52 / Collaboration Is the New Currency with Bradley Harris
When money gets tight, most nonprofits respond by asking harder. Bradley Harris would rather you ask differently, and ask together.
In Episode 52 of Nonprofit Nook, I sat down with Bradley, founder of Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory and president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation. He's spent years on both sides of the giving table, including running a multimillion-dollar corporate philanthropy budget. We talked about why collaboration is the new currency, how to figure out who belongs at the table, why you should ask for advice before you ask for money, and why the fourth quarter is the best time to start a partnership conversation.
Listen to the full episode below, read the show notes, or scroll down for the complete transcript.
SHOW NOTES
What if the answer to a tight budget isn't another ask, but a better partner?
Bradley Harris has spent more than 13 years working across nonprofit leadership, government, economic development, and corporate philanthropy. He's the founder of Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory, president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation, and a board member who somehow always ends up on the development committee. He's also sat on the other side of the table, running a multimillion-dollar philanthropic budget for a major water utility for five and a half years.
From where he sits, the math has changed. Families are paying more at the gas pump and giving less to their local nonprofits, and grant funding is pulling back. His answer: collaboration is the new currency. When two organizations are chasing the same outcomes with separate programs, separate staff time, and separate email lists, partnering lets everybody do a little so nobody has to do a lot. And it shouldn't matter who gets the credit.
Bradley also shares the advice from his years in political consulting that stuck with him most: if you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice. People invest in what they've helped shape, and he's watched it happen more times than you'd think.
In this episode of Nonprofit Nook, Bradley joins Wendy to talk about how to figure out who belongs at the table, why relationship mapping beats a cold ask, and what a real corporate partnership looks like beyond a logo on a banner. He shares how his utility funded bottle filling stations at the YMCA, why every one of his subcontractors stepped up when he asked them to support the United Way, and why the most common reason people give for not donating is that no one ever asked.
Underneath all of it, this is a conversation about relationships: listening to what funders actually care about, staying curious when their priorities shift, and taking care of donors long before you need something from them.
If you lead, volunteer with, support, or dream of starting a nonprofit, this conversation is a reminder that you don't have to reach your biggest goals alone, and that right now, while 2027 budgets are being set, is a good time to start the conversation.
In This Episode
You'll hear Wendy and Bradley talk about:
Why collaboration has become the new currency, and how sharing staff, social channels, and email lists with a partner stretches every dollar
Why "if you want money, ask for advice" works, and how it changes donor conversations
How to decide who actually needs to be at the table for a big goal
What relationship mapping looks like, and why board members should make introductions instead of asks
How funder priorities shift with new leadership, and why no renewal is guaranteed
What a branded corporate partnership looks like beyond a logo, including in-kind help from vendors and subcontractors
Why the fourth quarter is the time to reach out, since most 2027 budgets are being set now
Why funders should say no kindly instead of ghosting
Connect with Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory
Website
https://thebradleyharris.com
Bradley Harris on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-harris-a4649360
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thebradleyharris
Connect with Wendy + Nonprofit Nook
Nonprofit Nook
https://nonprofitnook.com
Upcoming Nonprofit Nook Events
https://www.nonprofitnook.com/events
Wendy Kidd on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendykidd/
More from Boss Level Engaged
Boss Level Engaged
https://www.bosslevelengaged.com/
Boss Table
https://www.bosslevelengaged.com/bosstable
TRANSCRIPT
Wendy: Welcome back to Nonprofit Nook. Today we have Bradley Harris. Bradley is the founder of Bradley Harris Strategic Advisory, where he helps nonprofits, business leaders, and organizations turn big ideas into strategies that build trust, strengthen partnerships, and create lasting impact. With more than 13 years of experience across nonprofit leadership, government, economic development, and regulated industries, Bradley specializes in stakeholder engagement, strategic positioning, and bringing diverse interests together around a shared mission. He also serves as president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation and on several community boards, giving him experience on both sides of the nonprofit leadership table. Welcome, Bradley!
Bradley: Hi, Wendy. It's so good to be with you today.
Wendy: It's so good to have you. I was so happy when you reached out and we got to chit-chat for a minute. We just vibed, and I loved that.
Bradley: Loved it. I was like, we need to record this phone call too. I was on the street, on the run, typical me on the fly.
Wendy: This is how it works. We are two authentic people just living our lives and having weird conversations. But we really talked about partnerships and collaborations, and I really appreciated your opinion on that. So that's what I want to talk about today. You said the one thing you want listeners to walk away with is that nonprofits don't have to accomplish their biggest goals alone, and I completely agree. So tell us, why does that message matter so much to you right now?
Bradley: You know, Wendy, for better or for worse, it just is what it is. Right now nonprofits are in a really tough spot with funding, and really it's a trickle-down of economics. Folks are paying more at the gas pump, they're probably giving less to their local nonprofit, and that hurts everyone. So I think now more than ever, and I've adapted this in all of my work, collaboration really is the new currency.
What do I mean by that? It's really partnering where folks can align. I have a nonprofit client, and we had a shared mission with a board that I sit on. And I thought to myself, rather than us both spending the money, the time, the energy, and the effort to do two separate programs with the same mission, the same outcomes, and the same goals, why not collaborate? Why not partner? We both get credit. And first of all, it shouldn't matter who gets credit. It should just matter that we're achieving the goals and getting the outcomes we want.
It was a beautiful partnership. Both organizations had never worked together before. They didn't know each other. So I said, this is my client, I sit on this board, let's bring together the CEOs, sit down, and talk about this. They hit it off. And the beauty of the collaboration is the shared resources. You get to share the resources of the staff, so everybody does a little, and then everybody doesn't have to do a lot. We're all splitting up that work. The other piece is sharing our social media channels, our email listservs, anybody on our email marketing list or our newsletters. We're able to share that to amplify the message and amplify the campaign or the project even further. In this environment, anywhere we can partner and collaborate, it really is currency. And it could be more than two organizations. It could be three, four, or five.
Wendy: Absolutely.
Bradley: I've been around the nonprofit community for a long time and served on boards for many, many years. I'm an efficiency guy. I can ball on a budget. So I often step back and think, why isn't this organization working with this organization? And I'll say that. I'll just introduce the idea: have you talked to so-and-so over at this nonprofit? You should call them. Sometimes people just don't think that way.
I just told you I'm going to have a meeting with someone who might be perceived as competition, but we don't view it that way. We're partners. Even in the business world, with consulting and doing our work, if something comes along and I really need Wendy's expertise, and I'm fully committed and it's going to be a stretch for me, I'm going to call her and see if we can take it on together. And we split it.
Wendy: Absolutely.
Bradley: So I think it's almost a mindset of collaborating and partnering. My friend always says something his mom said to him: if everybody does a little, then everybody doesn't have to do a lot. Bringing the right folks around the table to accomplish a goal is so key, especially now, with all the financial restraints we're seeing and the pullbacks on grant funding. It's just the nature of where we are economically in our country. So now more than ever, it's important to step back and think across the board: who could I partner with on this, share resources with, and really push this across the finish line together?
Wendy: Well, let's talk about that. When a nonprofit has a big goal in front of it, how should it think about who needs to be at the table? Major donors, local government, small businesses, community partners, where do all those people fit in? How does a leader decide who to approach first?
Bradley: It's a great question. As you mentioned, I'm the president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Foundation board, and we're going through a strategic planning exercise with a wonderful facilitator. The staff asked, who should be there? Should we invite all the board members? No. Should we invite all the staff? No. I always think of it like a meeting. Do you really need everyone gathered around the table? No.
And this is advice that was given to me. I had a stint in political affairs and political consulting, and I had a great opportunity to learn how all of that really functions behind the scenes, out of plain sight. One piece of advice really stuck with me, and I think we can all connect with it in the nonprofit world: if you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice.
Wendy: That's a good way to put it. I've not heard that before, and I love that.
Bradley: Think about it. If I want money, and I call you and say, "Wendy, I really need $5,000. I've got this great initiative, and I know you've got the money," what are you probably going to do? You're going to say, "Actually, why don't you call so-and-so?" You're probably not going to take it into consideration.
Whereas if I call you and say, "Hey Wendy, I'm pulling together this incredible campaign. We're going to engage youth around healthy living and wellness. What do you think about that? You're an expert," you'll say, "Well, I think you should do this, and you should do this." And I'll thank you for that advice. Then when it comes time to start fundraising for it, you're more than likely going to think, "Man, I valued Bradley asking me for advice and including me in the conversation and making me part of this initiative. I'm going to call him and see if I can offer him a check. I've got a little bit of money in a budget, or some grant funding I need to distribute." And I'm telling you, it happens more times than you think.
I work with nonprofits in my strategic advisory business and sit on several nonprofit boards, and for some reason they always throw me in the middle of development. Why do they do that to me? But I enjoy it. I think there's a very delicate art to development and fundraising. And I hate the word fundraising. I know that's what it is, but I like to think of it as donor development, advancing the mission through investing in the organization or in its mission. I know it's just a matter of words and how you frame it in your mind.
That's where I think we go wrong in the nonprofit world. "I know Wendy has money, so I'm going to call Wendy and ask her for $10,000." But what if you're asking her to support a youth wellness initiative for teenagers, and she doesn't have children of her own, or she's not passionate about it, but she loves animals? She's not going to give me money. She's going to give money to the animal shelter.
So another key area for nonprofits is alignment. When you bring donors or prospective donors to the table and start engaging them, make sure the ask fits their giving purview. I came from corporate America, and I ran a multimillion-dollar philanthropic budget for about five and a half years. We changed our purview all the time. One quarter it was STEM education, one quarter it was water and the environment, one quarter it was workforce development. So it was very easy for me to say, "Wendy, while I love you dearly and I love your organization, my purview is currently focused on workforce development, and you're doing environmental work." No big deal.
So make sure you know whether the business or foundation you're seeking funds from is aligned, because those purviews change. Priorities and initiatives shift based on need and on leadership. Sometimes you get a new leader with a totally different passion. Don't take for granted that you're automatically going to get that renewal or keep receiving those funds just because you've done it year after year.
Wendy: Right. Going back to who you bring to the table and who you talk to first, I think everything is about developing a relationship. I know it's key to listen to what they're saying about their purview, but if you're bringing everyone to the table for a common cause, what else should we be listening for to help the collaboration process?
Bradley: Bear with me, because I'm actually getting ready to do this for two of my clients. Visualize the detective's story map, the web with the strings and the connections. We're relationship mapping.
Wendy: I love it.
Bradley: It's so vital. I'm on another board where I'm just a board member, but I'm on the development committee, and I never ask the board members to ask for money. I never say, "Go ask for the money." I say, "If you could simply introduce that person to our development team." So I think it's really important to inventory your donors and who they know. Look at other board makeups of companies and banks. Look at their boards of directors and their bios. Look at the other boards they sit on, and really get to know the potential donor and the decision-maker who's going to decide on the funding, the partnership, or the program.
Again, it's all about alignment: what their alignment looks like and what they're passionate about. If they're on the board of the YMCA, you can bet they're probably invested in positive youth development and health and wellness. If they're on the board of the YWCA, you can bet they're probably invested in empowering women. So do your research. I don't want to say we've gotten a little lazy in that department, but it matters.
With a couple of the clients I work with, we do some fun development, and no matter what, whether we're asking for a renewal or asking for money for the first time, I always like to create the space for feedback. I don't care if it's a dear friend of mine who runs the program. I want to say, "I'm giving you a platform. I genuinely want your feedback from your perspective. Was this a good investment?" Maybe yes. Maybe no. And if it wasn't, please tell me, because we can't improve the event or the initiative or make the program better if you don't give us that candid feedback. You're a donor. You're invested in this.
I work with so many community organizations, and it's so inspiring to me. People go out and ask for sponsorships at all these different levels, but the businesses in our communities and around our states really do keep these community organizations going.
Wendy: They do.
Bradley: I think about that as someone who used to give away millions of dollars in my previous position. We invested in our communities, and I can't even describe that feeling, knowing we were genuinely investing in our community organizations. Without our $50,000 contribution to the park, it wouldn't have been built.
So on the flip side, if you're the one giving the funds or creating the grant opportunities, think about that. You're creating such an impact. You're investing in the community and getting these initiatives off the ground. One of my clients puts on a national USA Cycling event here in Charleston, West Virginia, where I live, and it's awe-inspiring. The event only happens because the community comes together: small businesses, large companies, even nonprofits give to it, to create this huge national race platform focused on outdoor recreation and bringing these opportunities to West Virginia. Whether you're receiving funds or giving them, step back and sit with that for a minute, because it's so impactful. I think about it all the time. We're all in this together.
Wendy: Absolutely. The for-profit small businesses partnering with the nonprofits are what create the community. That's all there is to it. I know a lot of people think of going to the bigger names for their grants, but talking to the small businesses in your community can be so much more valuable.
And I think it's interesting you talked about sponsorships, because so many people go with the packages they create, and I'm more interested in the partnerships that can be created. Putting a logo on your social media or on the table they bought is nice and all, but there can be more of a partnership. What are some of the things community partners and nonprofits bring to the table that they could partner better on?
Bradley: I love putting together a branded partnership. When I worked in corporate America, it was for a major water utility, so we were in the environmental and public health space, and we had goals. Rather than creating my own program for a public education campaign around drinking water and proper hydration, it was easy for me to go to the YMCA, where I sit on the board, and say, "Hey, CEO Sarah, why don't we sit down and talk about how we can promote proper hydration and trusting the tap? We're very proud of the water quality reports we put out every year. Let's work together on a program."
She needed bottle filling stations for the YMCA. So what could I do as a corporate partner? I could purchase the bottle filling stations for the facility for the public to use. And then we could do some branded wall space, with decals and real education on the walls for the folks coming by to use them. That's just one of many examples.
I sit on boards, and I have many friends who run nonprofits. I know firsthand the hard work they put in, and how cash-strapped and budget-restrained they are. So if you're in the seat where you have the ability to give, running a big corporate budget or a foundation, think about something in your wheelhouse that you have a goal around and work in tandem with a nonprofit on it. They have the staff and the resources to execute.
Another great example is the United Way. I love my United Way. At the water utility, our mascot was a duck. We have a large statewide festival here, and we wanted to bring back a great rubber duck race, with environmental stewardship education around dropping the ducks in the waterway near our source water and the water treatment plant downstream, all the things we as a company wanted to promote. The United Way was the steward of our funding. They used it partially to fund some of their programs, and also to execute the event: closing the streets, getting the ducks, and coordinating with all the different partners.
And that's the other thing. I always challenge nonprofits to think about whether their corporate partners can help them with in-kind support. At the water utility, we worked with subcontractors. I called all of them and said, "Listen, it's post-COVID, the United Way is looking for support. They do great work, and we're valued partners with them. If you could please step up." Every single subcontractor stepped up and did something.
Wendy: I love that.
Bradley: So I challenge you, if you're in that corporate giving seat, think outside the box about the extra value you can add beyond what's in your budget. You have vendors, subcontractors, and people you work with. And the reality is, Wendy, sometimes people just aren't asked.
I work on development committees for nonprofits, and you wouldn't believe how many times I hear people say, "Do you know why I don't give? I was never asked. No one ever engaged me. No one ever asked me what I thought about the work. No one ever invited me to an event."
Wendy: Yep.
Bradley: I'm a big donor stewardship and donor development person. I used to chair the gala for the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, the largest arts and science center in the state. And I was always huge on asking, what does our donor development look like? Are we handing out 20 tickets to this gala every year to show off this gorgeous arts and science center we've created for our youth, in hopes of sparking some inspiration in a potential donor? Because they might come back and say, "I want to name one of the summer camps," or "I want to make Engineering Day my engineering firm's event." You always have to have that donor stewardship mindset in the nonprofit world.
A friend of mine said it to me just yesterday: you've got to take care of your donors. You can't just call them when you need money. If you have an event, give them a couple of free tickets. Or for crying out loud, have a donor appreciation luncheon. If all you can afford is pizza, invite them into your office or to a picnic, and bring some of the folks who've been impacted by their dollars to talk with them, so they can see firsthand what they've done. If it's an educational setting, take them boots on the ground and give them a tour. Think through any way you can show the value they're adding, because they are adding value. They're giving of their treasures, and that matters. Nothing hurts worse than donating your hard-earned money to an organization and not feeling valued.
Wendy: Absolutely. It's all about relationship building. So for those listening, if someone is ready to take this challenge on and build a true partnership this year, what's the first step they should take this week? Where would you tell them to start?
Bradley: I would look at my goals. What are you looking to do? I'm a big-three guy. I don't think you should have more than three goals, or three big initiatives or programs. When you get more than that, you start to get off the rails a little.
And it's a beautiful time. It's Q4. Here's the inside baseball: some companies are looking at the end of the year and have to spend down some budget line items, and they can pull things forward. And most budgets for 2027 are being set in the fourth quarter too. So if you're not making that outreach now to say, "Hey, I'm raising my hand. We might want to partner. Maybe include me in your 2027 budget," now's the time.
Wendy: Right. And that could go for donors, community partners, or other nonprofits you want to collaborate with, because they're creating their budgets right now. So now is when you want to look at those goals, figure out who you're going to align with, and start having these conversations.
Bradley: And do the research. Write down the companies, the small businesses, and the foundations in your community. Notice that this foundation is focused on health and wellness and that one is focused on workforce development. There's nothing wrong with an introductory call. There's nothing wrong with saying, "Wendy, I noticed you're focused on workforce development. Would you be open to a conversation about potential ways we could partner in the future?" That doesn't mean we're inking a deal today or that you're sending me a check today.
Wendy: Exactly.
Bradley: It just means we're opening up dialogue. I say this word all the time and I love it: remain curious. Be curious about what a partnership could look like and how you might work together.
At my former company, we had a CEO who absolutely loved one nonprofit focused on clean drinking water. Guess what? She retired, and we got a new CEO. Guess what she loved? The United Way and positive youth development. So we stopped our partnership with the clean drinking water nonprofit and switched it over to the United Way. She left, and we got another gentleman. Guess what he loved? The Red Cross.
Wendy: It changes.
Bradley: You never know when it's going to change. So keep an open mind, look at what other folks in your service area are focused on, and then make that email, call, or text and say, "I'm curious about a potential partnership opportunity. Would you be open to talking?" Tell them the two or three goals you have and see if there's room to work together.
And I'm wearing both hats here. There's nothing more deflating than being left out on a limb by a potential donor or funder. If you don't have the budget, let the nonprofit know: "We really don't have the budget right now, but we'll keep you in mind." Don't ghost. That hurts. Don't make me keep writing, "Hey Wendy, following up again. Hey Wendy, just circling back." Just say kindly, "Bradley, thank you so much for your time. I love what you're doing, but unfortunately we don't have the budget right now. Maybe we revisit this in the future." I'm going to take that email and say, "I absolutely appreciate your time, and I look forward to seeing you again." I'm not even upset, because that's just how things are. If you don't have the budget, you don't have the budget. If it's not in your giving purview right now, that's okay.
Wendy: And to what you said, people's priorities change. So stay in touch and maintain that relationship, because you never know. They might come back next year and want to do this, because now it's what's important to them.
Bradley: And you're on their radar. They might have $25,000 they can invest in your organization, and you're going to say, "That was the best phone call and the best email I ever sent, introducing ourselves last year."
Wendy: Absolutely. Bradley, thank you so much for joining me today and talking about this. How can people get a hold of you if they want to talk to you? Because you're just as charming as ever, and I'm sure they'd love your advice.
Bradley: Stop it. LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn. I'm Bradley Harris on LinkedIn, or on my website. And I always like to tell the story: my website is theBradleyHarris.com, like The Ohio State University. The only reason is that the gentleman who owns bradleyharris.com tried to charge me something like $6,000 for it, and theBradleyHarris.com was $9.99.
Wendy: It makes sense. I did the same thing with this podcast.
Bradley: So to the other Bradley Harrises, I don't feel like I'm the only one. But theBradleyHarris.com, shoot me an email. I'd love to chat, and I'd love to partner. I'm on three volunteer nonprofit boards myself that I absolutely adore, and I'm very aligned in my board work and my board giving. I always love to hear what other people are doing. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I love it when people take something I'm doing and try it. If it's a shared best practice and it's working, why not try it here? There's no harm in that.
Wendy: Love it. Well, thank you again so much for joining us. And thanks, everybody, for listening. We will see you next week.
Bradley: Thanks, Wendy.