The Hidden Drivers of Nonprofit Growth with Karen Mozenter

Non-profit leadership is transforming, and forward-thinking executives are finding new ways to grow impact, attract resources, and run their organizations like businesses. In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Karen Mozenter, CEO of Jewish Family Services in Columbus, Ohio, and a leader who has spent nearly a decade scaling a human services agency through entrepreneurial thinking, strategic relationship-building, and community-driven innovation. Karen shares why nonprofits are far more business-savvy than people realize, how her organization leverages board members and relationship mapping to open doors with companies and donors, and why every staff member, from the receptionist to the senior leadership team, plays a critical role in telling the organization's story. From navigating a rapidly changing funding landscape to building a fee-for-service workforce development model that competes with the private sector, this conversation reveals how mission-driven leaders can think like salespeople, create real economic impact, and grow sustainably, even when the rules keep changing. Key takeaways: Why nonprofits must think and operate like businesses to survive in today's funding environment How relationship mapping with board members and staff unlocks doors to companies, donors, and community leaders Why every person in your organization is part of your sales and growth strategy Episode highlights: (00:00) Introduction (01:38) Karen’s unconventional career path to nonprofit leadership (02:26) What Jewish Family Services does and who they serve (04:02) What people get wrong about the nonprofit world (05:04) Why everything a nonprofit does is sales (06:21) How board members become champions and open doors (10:13) Empowering every staff member to be part of the mission (14:07) Building a value proposition that competes with the private sector (15:03) Pivoting to a fee-for-service model as grants dry up (20:46) Using storytelling and community education to build brand awareness Connect with the team: Karen Mozenter on LinkedIn:   / karenmozenter   Explore Jewish Family Services: https://jfscolumbus.org/ Lee Brumbaugh on LinkedIn:   / lee-brumbaugh-7835512b   Sales Xceleration on LinkedIn:   / sales-xceleration   Explore Sales Xceleration: https://salesxceleration.com/