Season 1 Episode 7: Purpose Meets Profit: Lessons from the Nonprofit World for Business Growth
August 21, 2025
In this episode, Brandon Smith and Aleisa Howell explore what the nonprofit world can teach us about redefining success beyond just revenue and margins. Aleisa shares surprising insights on how impact-focused metrics, mission-aligned financial strategies, and values-driven leadership can unlock sustainable business growth. Whether you're a business owner or leader, you'll walk away with practical ways to measure what truly matters without sacrificing profitability.
In this episode, we discuss:
- 00:00 Introduction to Nonprofits and Guest Aleisa Howell
- 02:46 The Core Challenge: Securing and Managing Resources
- 04:22 Operating Like a Business and Managing Profitability
- 06:19 Financial Metrics, Storytelling, and Donor Perception
- 10:26 The Role of Watchdog Agencies and Data Transparency
- 12:26 Diversifying Revenue Streams (Philanthropy, Programmatic, In-Kind)
- 16:29 Navigating Regulations, Compliance, and Fiduciary Duty
- 20:51 The Importance of Internal Controls
- 27:05 Measuring and Communicating Organizational Impact
- 34:25 Technology, Public Data, and Using the Form 990 as a Marketing Tool
- 37:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
About our guest Aleisa Howell
Aleisa Howell is a Partner with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC, who specializes in the not-for-profit and governmental practice. She serves on the Georgia Society of CPA's Not-For-Profit Task Force and as a technical reviewer and committee member for the National Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) in the CAFR certificate of excellence in financial reporting program.
Learn more about Aleisa and her expertise here.
About our host Brandon Smith
Brandon Smith, CPA, is a Partner based in the Atlanta office and the Advisory Practice Leader. Learn more about Brandon and his expertise here.
Learn more about our Nonprofit services here