Interview with Neil Gordon

Nonprofits, Craft Your Silver Bullet

Nonprofit Guidance
December 02, 2025•0 min read

I had the pleasure of speaking with persuasion expert and bestselling author Neil Gordon, author of The Most Powerful Sentence of All Time: A Fable About Persuasion.

Neil shared powerful insights about how nonprofit leaders can use their mission statements internally to guide their work, but when trying to reach new supporters, they should instead define the problem people care about and craft what he calls a “Silver Bullet” sentence to inspire action.

💡 If you’ve ever struggled to explain what makes your nonprofit’s work so compelling, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

See the video here:

Neil Gordon interviewnonprofit messagingSilver Bullet sentencenonprofit communication tipshow to explain your nonprofitnonprofit storytellingmission statement vs messagingnonprofit marketing strategies
Michele Whetzel has worked in the nonprofit arena for more than 20 years, also leveraging insights from the 60+ nonprofit experts she interviewed for her award-winning book "So, You Want to Start a Nonprofit, Now What?" She channels this collective knowledge to help startup and small nonprofits launch and continue on a successful path. Michele has founded multiple charitable organizations from the ground up and shares real-world lessons learned through that process in her newest bestselling book "Nonprofit Setup Simplified." It is a practical guide to getting a 501(c)(3) set up and running efficiently and with confidence. She has served on more than a dozen boards in roles ranging from treasurer to board chair, and has led key committees including social, event, annual campaign, grant, and governance committees. Through her company Your 501 Guide Nonprofit Services (www.501Guide.com), Michele provides expert support to emerging and existing nonprofits. Her mission is to empower nonprofit founders and leaders with the tools, transparency, and ethical practices needed to build a lasting impact.

Michele Whetzel

Michele Whetzel has worked in the nonprofit arena for more than 20 years, also leveraging insights from the 60+ nonprofit experts she interviewed for her award-winning book "So, You Want to Start a Nonprofit, Now What?" She channels this collective knowledge to help startup and small nonprofits launch and continue on a successful path. Michele has founded multiple charitable organizations from the ground up and shares real-world lessons learned through that process in her newest bestselling book "Nonprofit Setup Simplified." It is a practical guide to getting a 501(c)(3) set up and running efficiently and with confidence. She has served on more than a dozen boards in roles ranging from treasurer to board chair, and has led key committees including social, event, annual campaign, grant, and governance committees. Through her company Your 501 Guide Nonprofit Services (www.501Guide.com), Michele provides expert support to emerging and existing nonprofits. Her mission is to empower nonprofit founders and leaders with the tools, transparency, and ethical practices needed to build a lasting impact.

LinkedIn logo icon
Youtube logo icon
Back to Blog