We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
The We Are For Good Podcast is a show for nonprofit professionals and everyday changemakers, hosted by Jon McCoy and Becky Endicott. Each episode features conversations with innovative leaders in social impact, covering fresh mindsets, practical skills and inspiring stories. The goal is to help listeners work smarter, build healthier organizational cultures and accelerate collective impact. Beyond the podcast, We Are For Good is a storytelling and learning community offering media, purpose-driven activations and global gatherings for for-good leaders.
Episodes
749. Stewarding a 160-Year Legacy: How to Honor History While Driving Change - Archana Jayaram, Brooklyn Community Services
Archana Jayaram stepped in as CEO of Brooklyn Community Services just as one of New York City's oldest nonprofits entered its 160th year. Her first move wasn't a bold new vision. It was a question: "What do you need?"Founded in 1866, BCS now serves more than 14,000 Brooklynites a year across housing, mental health, education, and workforce development. Archana shares how she&ap
748. How One Founder’s Lived Experience Created 116,000 Anchors - Ali Borowsky, Find Your Anchor
A note before you listen: This episode discusses suicide and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. Outside the U.S., visit findahelpline.com to find support near you. Ali Borowsky used to design for the NHL Winter Classic. Now she designs something far more personal:
747. How One $14,410 Fundraiser Became a Global Movement - Jeremy Vallerand, Atlas Free
Jeremy Vallerand and a few friends turned a Mount Rainier climb into a fundraiser: $1 for every vertical foot, $14,410 total. It was supposed to be a one-off. It wasn't.Today, Atlas Free is a global network of 160+ organizations in 67 countries fighting sex trafficking, still fueled by the community hikes and climbs that started it all. 🩵In this Possible in Practice episode, you'll hear:
746. 1 in 2 American Adults Struggle with Social Connection. Nonprofits Are Part of the Solution. - Aaron Hurst
1 in 2 American adults is struggling with social connection, and fewer than 20% are thriving. Aaron Hurst, the social entrepreneur behind the Taproot Foundation and the pro bono movement, says that's why volunteering and giving are collapsing, and why nonprofits hold the key to reversing it.Guest co-host Susan McPherson, author of The Lost Art of Connecting, joins us to dig into the U.S. Cham
745. 3 Case Studies on Using Data + Storytelling to Grow Your Org's Impact - Urina Harrell
A pandemic relief territory that grew 39% while every area around it went red. A fund that deployed capital fast and couldn't prove what it did. A 55-year-old nonprofit still running on paper.Urina Harrell, founder of Vox Pop Branding, walks through all three — what was broken, what she built, and what happened next. 🩵In this episode, you'll hear:Case study 1 — Long Beach: Why workshops
744. Make the Problem Bigger: A Different Way to Build Community - Greg Tehven, Emerging Prairie
Greg Tehven runs a $5.5 million nonprofit with 40 teammates in Fargo, North Dakota — and his advice to leaders is to stop working on problems they can solve alone.That instinct built Emerging Prairie into the heartbeat of a region's entrepreneurial ecosystem, launched Grand Farm, and turned TEDx Fargo into an event 1,000+ people build their year around. Guest co-host Stacy Huston, CEO of SixD
743. Unlock the Full Potential of Your Peer-to-Peer Program - Victoria Vighetto, ZERO Prostate Cancer
When ZERO Prostate Cancer's peer-to-peer program started slipping, Victoria Vighetto didn't tell her field staff to make more calls. She walked the constituent journey herself — and found the problem sitting in an email.The call-to-action button was too far down. The sends were landing at the wrong time for open rates. Registration was where people were falling out. 🩵In this Possible in
742. Money Is Medicine: Decolonizing Wealth and the Future of Philanthropy - Edgar Villanueva
An elder told Edgar Villanueva that the medicine that had chosen him was money. One sentence — and it turned an angry, burned-out program officer into the person rewriting how philanthropy thinks about wealth.Edgar is the founder and CEO of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and the author of Decolonizing Wealth, now in its second edition. His work has helped move nearly $1 billion toward the communi
741. Fundraising Problem or Distance Problem? The Reframe That Raised $1M - Connie Lewin
Connie Lewin found the funders. She wrote the emails. She sent the proposals. The response was silence.With a $1 million goal for a small nonprofit in Rwanda and no established high-net-worth donor network, Connie had to quickly step into a leadership role and take responsibility for the organization’s goal to scale its impact and operations in three years.What finally moved the money wasn't
740. Start Before You're Ready: How Creative Futures Collective Grew from 10 to 3,500 Without a Roadmap - Jai Al-Attas
Jai Al-Attas started a record label at 16, sold it to Virgin Records at 24, and never went to college. So when he moved to LA and tried to get people from a reentry program and a homeless youth org into music industry internships, the question that kept coming back — "are these people in college?" — landed personally.He didn't have a plan. He had a chip on his shoulder and $1,800 he
739. The Simple Gratitude System That Doubled Donor Retention (From 33% to 66%) - April Thompson
April Thompson took a grassroots foster care nonprofit from 33% donor retention to 66% — and grew the donor file from about 100 to over 400 along the way.The system behind it was two touches: a personal voicemail within 48 hours, a handwritten note from a board member days later. Both logged in the CRM. That's it. 🩵In this episode, you'll hear:The "one-two punch" gratitude guid
738. The Storytelling Strategy That Turns Donors into Believers (And How to Build It) - Annie Wood and Max Kringen
The film ended and the room went silent. Then it roared. Over the next three years, hundreds of donors gave more than $300,000 to build one young woman a home of her own.That's what belief looks like when it shows up. Max Kringen and Annie Wood of Tellwell Story Co. have spent years studying how it gets built — and it isn't luck, and it isn't a bigger ask. 🩵In this episode, you&apos
737. How to Find and Activate the Right Influencers for Your Mission - Trevor Boffone
The right influencer for your mission probably isn't the biggest account in your city. It's more likely someone already following you, already talking about your cause, and already waiting to be asked well.Trevor Boffone had three months and zero dollars to activate creators for Mental Health America of Greater Houston's new provider-matching platform. His first list of 20 got him o
736. Meet the Nonprofit Building a Brand + Movement Around Unity - Adam Mizel, Us United
"There's so many brands for division in this country. Where's the brand for unity?"That question is why Us United exists. Adam Mizel spent more than 30 years in finance and entrepreneurship before his wife Tanya asked him the question that ended that chapter: What are you going to do? 🩵What he did was build a brand — hats, T-shirts, media, storytelling, leadership — and wrap a
735. Case Study: How a Grant Rejection Turned Into a $223,000 Yes - Katie Hannah, Momentum Leaders
Katie Hannah printed out the rejection email and brought it to the interview. "After careful consideration, our board of reviewers has determined that your application does not make the case for membership at this time."Most fundraisers file that away and move on. The Director of Development at Momentum Leaders sent one open-ended question instead — and it turned into a $223,000 yes for
734. The Planned Giving Multiplier: Why Your Most Loyal Donors Are Your Biggest Opportunity - Tony Martignetti
$1,500 in lifetime giving. A million-dollar gift in the will.Tony Martignetti calls it the planned giving multiplier — the gap between what a donor gives you while they're living and what they leave you when they're gone. It's often measured in the thousands. And the donors most likely to trigger it aren't your wealthiest. They're your most loyal. 🩵Tony has spent 29 years
733. The Creator Partnership Playbook Every Nonprofit Leader Needs - Patricia McLoughlin, The Anthem Awards
One in five adults now get their news from TikTok. Over 40% of adults under 30 do. That same feed is where younger donors are finding the causes they'll give to. Trust has shifted from institutions to individuals, and most nonprofits are still running the old playbook. 🩵Patricia McLoughlin is General Manager of The Anthem Awards, where she reviews more than 2,000 entries a year from 42 countr
732. Measuring What Matters: The 3-Step System for Measuring Your Impact - Ginneh Baugh, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been collecting data for 120 years. When an economist finally studied it, the case for support changed completely: young people who were mentored are 20% more likely to attend college and earn 15% more.Ginneh Baugh, Chief Impact Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, has spent two decades helping nonprofit leaders measure what actually matters. Her system is t
731. What the World's Most Effective Nonprofits Have in Common (And You Already Have It Too) - Scott Curran
Scott Curran has helped former presidents, Fortune 500 companies, and street-corner nonprofits turn good intentions into real impact. After a decade as general counsel of the Clinton Foundation and ten years building Beyond Advisors, he kept noticing the same thing: the world's most effective changemakers and the hometown hero nobody's heard of have the exact same nine things in common.S
730. Capacity Is the Strategy: How to Make Your Org More Sustainable - Brooke Richie-Babbage, Chidi Asoluka, and Casey Lardner
Most nonprofit leaders treat capacity like a fuel tank — something you deplete and refill. Brooke Richie-Babbage makes the case that capacity is something you design, and that the strain you're feeling is information about that design, not about your dedication.She's joined by two leaders who've rebuilt theirs in public: Casey Lardner, Executive Director of Genspace, the world'
729. The 4-Step Formula to Get Your Mission Seen by Media, Partners, and Donors - Jenn DeBarge Goonan
Jenn DeBarge Goonan has sent thousands of pitch emails to editors, producers, and partners. She's distilled what works into four steps — and they work whether you're chasing press coverage, a corporate partner, or a major donor meeting.Jenn launched Lululemon into the U.S. market, built campaigns for Ben & Jerry's, and now runs JAG Communications, where she's spent 20 years
728. How to Tell Stories That Fill the Hope Gap: 3 Lessons from 8 World-Changing Leaders - Jon and Becky
The gap between hope and despair has grown from 4% in 2010 to 27% today. That's the "hope gap" — and it's the reason Jon and Becky spent 10 episodes sitting with eight change leaders who are filling it, one story at a time. 🩵In this series finale, they pull out the throughlines: what actually made these missions land, and what any nonprofit can copy starting Monday.In this epis
727. Working Session: The Automation Playbook That Added $200K at Year End - Rachel Bearbower
One client reclaimed 15% of their lapsing donors and added $200,000 by year-end. No new campaigns. No bigger team. Just a stewardship system running quietly in the background. Rachel Bearbower built it.As founder of the Nonprofit Automation Agency, Rachel has helped clients climb from 35% to 50% donor retention in a single year, recover nearly $20,000 in lapsed gifts in 90 days, and hand 20+ hours
726. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: Turning County-Level Wins Into National Change - Hannah Fried, All Voting Is Local
Most of us picture democracy being decided on Election Day. Hannah Fried spends her life on the part nobody watches — the quiet, local decisions made months and years before a single ballot is cast.Hannah is co-founder and CEO of All Voting Is Local, a national nonprofit working year-round in eight states to remove voting barriers for Black, Brown, and Native American communities. She and her co-f
725. How to Fund, Storytell, and Scale What Feels Unsolvable - Sam Teicher, Coral Vita
Half the world's coral reefs have died since the 1970s. That's the kind of number that makes a person feel too small to matter. Sam Teicher has built his whole approach around refusing to let it. Sam is the co-founder and Chief Reef Officer of Coral Vita, a company that grows coral in land-based farms and plants it back onto dying reefs. He could have built a nonprofit to do it. He built
724. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: The Fight to Hold Big Tech Accountable - Imran Ahmed, Center for Countering Digital Hate
A 52-year-old man who'd spent too long online reading conspiracy theories walked up to Imran Ahmed's colleague — a member of parliament and mother of two — and killed her, screaming internet slogans as he did it. That was the moment Imran realized the online world and the offline world had quietly become the same world.Imran Ahmed is the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digit
723. How American Express Is Building the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders (and What It Means for Yours!) - Madge Thomas
Madge Thomas leads a leadership academy most nonprofit professionals have never heard of — one that's quietly spent nearly two decades and $100M+ training over 165,000 nonprofit leaders worldwide. As president of the American Express Foundation and head of corporate sustainability at American Express, she's built it on a deceptively simple premise: invest in the leader, not just their pr
722. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: Storytelling That Turns Crisis Into Action - Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli, The REACH Institute
There are 12 million kids in the U.S. with a mental health concern, and four out of five never get treatment — not because the care doesn't exist, but because it takes an average of 15 years for proven research to reach the providers families actually visit.Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli has spent her career closing that gap. As CEO of The REACH Institute — and its very first employee 19 years ago
721. Four Leaders on Mergers, Burnout, and Radical Honesty with Funders - Stacy Huston, Lindsey Fuller, Tammy Tibbetts, and Becky Straw
The traditional nonprofit playbook is full of defaults nobody voted for: merge only when you're desperate, expect your team to run on empty, soften your mission to stay safe, and treat funders like they're doing you a favor. At the We Are For Good Summit, four leaders sat down to throw all of that out. 🧠Hosted by Stacy Huston, CEO of SixDegrees.org and a social impact strategist working
720. Stories to Fill The Hope Gap: Why Celebration Is the Story That Changes Everything - Colby King, Kiki Arts Collaborative
The Kiki and ballroom scene, built by Black and brown LGBTQ+ youth of color in New York City, has been creating art, designing fashion, performing, and building community for over 20 years.Meet Colby King 👋 He’s the founder of Kiki Arts Collaborative, an economic development platform turning ballroom artistry into sustainable careers in arts, culture, and media through creative mentorship, job tra
719. Consistency Over Intensity: The Science of Sustainable Giving - Dr. Sanjay Bindra, GOSUMEC Foundation USA
Dr. Sanjay Bindra is a practicing cardiologist who built a $2.5 million endowment at a zero-staff nonprofit in less than four years, with no campaigns and no urgency emails. Then he studied why it worked. The result: the GIVE Study, a 12-month real-time look at how small nonprofits can achieve sustainable recurring giving through trust, behavioral design, and strong governance. In this episode, yo
718. Stories to Fill The Hope Gap: How Hip Hop Therapy Is Rewriting What Healing and Storytelling Look Like - J.C. Hall
An 85% graduation rate against a district average of 60% — at a second-chance school in the South Bronx where the primary healing tool isn't a worksheet or a clipboard. It's a professional recording studio. 🎙️J.C. Hall is a licensed clinical social worker, a hip hop artist, and a 2024 David Prize winner (one of just five awarded across New York City). At Mott Haven Community High School,
717. The Funding Landscape Is Shifting. Here's What Nonprofits Need to Know - Hala Hanna, MIT Solve
"Crisis creates clarity, and philanthropic funding is the best risk capital we have." That's how Hala Hanna reads the moment we're in, and as Executive Director of MIT Solve, she has the data to back it up.MIT Solve has spent a decade brokering the relationship between companies, funders, and the early-stage innovators closing equity gaps in health, learning, climate, and econo
716. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: How Story Becomes the Strategy to Shift Culture - Ai-jen Poo, Caring Across Generations
As Co-Founder of Caring Across Generations and President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo has spent decades working at the intersection of policy and culture — because she knows you can't change one without the other. A MacArthur Fellow, Time 100 honoree, and author of The Age of Dignity, she's now launching a million-care-conversations campaign and a new production
715. Working Session: The Email Infrastructure Every Nonprofit Needs - Katelyn Baughan
Most nonprofits treat email like a megaphone. They show up loud when they need donations and go completely quiet in between. Katelyn Baughan has worked with UNHCR, Amnesty International, the Trevor Project, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and she has seen this pattern cost nonprofits thousands in unrealized donations.Her fix: stop thinking about campaigns and start building infrastructu
714. Stories to Fill the Hope Gap: The 3 Part Formula Behind Sesame Street’s Storytelling - Scott Cameron
Scott Cameron is a two-time Emmy Award-winning creative leader who has spent his career executive producing international adaptations of Sesame Street, bringing this iconic brand to audiences in 190 countries and 31 languages. He joins us for this special episode to talk about what 57 years of research-driven storytelling has taught him about how story actually changes people. 🌟In this episode, yo
713. The Case for Playing the Long Game in Philanthropy - Matthew Oh, FOREFRONT Charity
Matt Oh was an engineer with a stable career and a 9-to-5 when a mission trip to India stopped him in his tracks. He saw something he couldn’t unsee — women and children spending 10 hours a day walking to collect dirty water.In 2015, he founded FOREFRONT Charity with a few college friends and one water well. Today, more than 100,000 people across India, Kenya, and East Africa have been impacted th
712. Stories to Fill The Hope Gap: How Art is Healing Veterans - Richard Casper, CreatiVets
This episode includes themes of combat trauma, mental health, and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.Meet Richard Casper 👋 Richard is a Marine Corps veteran, Purple Heart recipient, CNN Hero, and co-founder of CreatiVets, a nonprofit that helps wounded veterans heal from PTSD and TBI through
711. How Fiscal Sponsorship Is Rewriting Who Gets to Lead Change - Vincent Jones
What does it actually mean to fund community power? Not a one-time grant, not a single big donor relationship, but real, sustained infrastructure for the leaders closest to the problems. Vincent Jones has spent three decades figuring that out.Meet Vincent Jones 👋 He is the CEO of Beyond Impact, formerly known as Tides Advocacy, a national 501(c)(4) intermediary that serves as fiscal sponsor, funde
710. Stories That Fill the Hope Gap: Closing the Hope Gap with Story - Afdhel Aziz
There is a growing gap in our world between hope and despair. And storytelling might be the most powerful tool we have to fill it.Welcome to Stories That Fill the Hope Gap, a 10-part limited series created in partnership with Good is the New Cool and We Are For Good. Every Wednesday for the next 10 weeks, we are bringing you a changemaker who is using story to cut through noise, build connection,
709. Working Session: Fundraising as a Team of One: What to Do When You Don’t Have Time for Everything - Christina Martin Kenny
Meet Christina Martin Kenny 👋 She is a career fundraiser and the founder of Guava Tree Strategies. She has been a fundraising team of one more times than she can count, and she literally wrote the handbook on surviving it: The Solo Fundraiser Survival Guide.In this Working Session, she is bringing the entire playbook to help you figure out what to prioritize, what to let go of, and how to actually
708. Working Session: How to Build a Story Engine for Your Nonprofit - Amanda Green
Meet Amanda Green 👋 She is a journalist turned Communications Consultant with more than 20 years of newsroom and public relations experience, including 12 years in TV newsrooms. She is the founder of In Your Voice Media Works, where she helps cause-led organizations build their own internal newsrooms: the systems, the workflows, and the editorial instincts that turn scattered content into a sustai
707. How to Break Philanthropy Out of Hypothesis Mode - Casey Lardner, Ph.D., GenSpace
Is philanthropy stuck in hypothesis mode?In science, there are two kinds of research: hypothesis-driven, where you predict the outcome before you run the experiment, and exploratory, where you map the landscape and stay open to what you find. The biggest breakthroughs almost always come from the second.Meet Casey Lardner 👋 She is a neuroscientist and the Executive Director of Genspace, the world&a
706. How to Turn Around a Nonprofit From the Inside Out - Marisol Pineda Conde + Lindsey Fuller, The Teaching Well
Meet Linsey Fuller and Marisol Pineda Conde 👋 Together, they have spent five years turning around an organization that started with one month of runway, rebuilding it from the inside out with new curriculum, new revenue streams, new systems, and a set of staff blessings that are rewriting what it looks like to actually live your values as a leader.The wellness stipend. The physical health screenin
705. Working Session: How to Keep More Monthly Donors + Increase Generosity - Dave Raley
Meet Dave Raley 👋 He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Sustainable Giving, author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving, and one of the most trusted voices in the recurring giving space. He has worked with thousands of nonprofit leaders to grow their monthly giving programs. In this Working Session, he is tackling two of the most overlooked opportunities in monthly giving: reducing churn and up
704. How Special Olympics is Using AI + Technology to Scale Belonging - Nathan Cook
Meet Nathan Cook 👋 He is the Chief Information and Technology Officer at Special Olympics International, where he is using technology to do something remarkable: help a movement that serves 5 million athletes across 172 countries finally operate as one. He is building a digital center of excellence, co-creating AI tools with athletes, and asking a question that should reshape how every nonprofit t
703. People Power: How to Turn Volunteers Into Core Capacity - Sara Lomelin, Nicole Stewart, Nicole R. Smith, CVA, and Susan McPherson
We're living in the loneliest moment in modern history. And at the same time, people have never been hungrier for hope, for joy, for meaningful connection. Your volunteers are at the center of that tension. And if you're not treating people power as a strategy, you're leaving your mission's most powerful asset on the table.Recorded live at the We Are For Good Summit, this conve
702. Working Session: Planned Giving Without the Overwhelm - Pedro J. Rivera
Meet Pedro J. Rivera 👋 In 30 years at the intersection of law, philanthropy, and fundraising, he has launched three planned giving programs and raised $150 million for nonprofits and universities. In this Working Session, he's here to give you a clear entry point into planned giving, no matter where you're starting from.In this Working Session, you'll hear:How to talk about legacy g
701. 93% of Funding Gone Overnight: A Case Study in Crisis Leadership - Jennifer Rupp
At 4am on April 3, 2025, Jennifer Rupp's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. 93% of Michigan Humanities' budget. Gone overnight. What happened next is a story about crisis leadership, radical transparency, and why connection isn't a soft strategy. It's the only strategy. 🙏In this episode, you'll hear:What Jennifer did in the first 24 hours after losing 93% of her budget, and
700. What 700 Episodes Have Taught Us About Generosity - Jon and Becky
700 episodes felt like the kind of moment that deserved more than a LinkedIn post and a few dancing emojis. So we sat down to talk about what this journey has taught us about generosity, the stories that haven't left us, and what we're still learning.We're so grateful you're here. Come celebrate with us. 🩵-Jon + BeckyEpisode Highlights:Two powerful stories of generosity we are
699. How to Build a Mission That Outlasts You - Jeremy Bouman, RISE
Meet Jeremy Bouman, Founder of RISE in Omaha 👋. Today, RISE operates in seven Nebraska prisons with a 90% graduate employment rate and a recidivism rate a third of the state average. And Jeremy has spent the last decade building a leadership team, a sabbatical policy, and a succession plan designed to outlast him.In this episode, he breaks down exactly how, including the internal leadership academ
698. Contagious Culture: Why Better People Build Better Organizations - Kyle S. King
Kyle S. King started his nonprofit journey as a college junior, raised $100K, and never stopped. Eight books, a publishing company, a keynote career, and the Growth Alliance later — he's spent over a decade helping mission-driven organizations do the deeper work first: aligning leadership, tightening operations, and sharpening the stories that actually move donors to act. 💪In this episode, yo
697. How Team Rubicon Built a Movement of 200,000 Volunteers - Jeff Byard
"You don't manage volunteers. You have to inspire them."Jeff Byard figured that out after 14 years in Alabama emergency management, six years as a senior leader at FEMA overseeing 185 presidential disaster declarations, and now as Chief Programs Officer at Team Rubicon — the disaster response organization with 200,000 Greyshirts deployed across the country and around the world.In th
696. Building Trust: The 3 Layers Every Nonprofit Leader Needs - Aila Malik
Trust is not a soft skill. It's the whole job.Today we're bringing you something special: Aila Malik's live keynote from the We Are For Good Summit, followed by a real-time coaching Q&A with our community.Aila has spent nearly a decade working alongside nonprofit leaders at their most defining moments: leadership transitions, burnout, mergers, and organizational inflection point
695. How to Build an Organization Ready for Its Biggest Moment - Sara LaBarge
Sara LaBarge grew up on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin, won a Gates Millennium Scholarship as a teenager, and went on to lead strategic partnerships at Native Forward Scholars Fund — the largest direct scholarship provider to Native students in the country. When MacKenzie Scott called (twice), their organization was ready. This conversation is about what that readiness actually looked like
694. Stop Scaling. Start Solving: What the Nonprofit Sector Gets Wrong About Growth - Eliza Blank
Meet Eliza Blank, the new CEO of The Farmlink Project 👋 We’re exploring what happens when a founder-CEO mindset collides with one of the most urgent food systems problems of our time.Eliza bootstrapped and scaled The Sill from a single idea to 12 stores across seven markets and $25M raised. Now she's applying that same startup lens to Farmlink, which rescues and redistributes over a million
693. Despair Is Paralyzing, Hope Is Galvanizing: Afdhel Aziz's Three-Step Playbook for Stories That Move People to Action
In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Afdhel Aziz, founder of Good is the New Cool, to unpack why the way most nonprofits tell their story is quietly killing their impact, and what the new playbook looks like.Afdhel has spent 30+ years advising brands like Disney, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Adidas on purpose-driven storytelling. But his most urgent work right now is closing the hope gap -
692. Working Session: How to Grow Your Online Giving - Josh Burns
In this Working Session, Jon and Becky are joined by digital strategist Josh Burns to rethink how nonprofits approach online giving — moving beyond quick wins and into strategies that actually build momentum. Together, they explore why so many organizations feel stuck growing digital revenue and how a shift toward relationship-first thinking can unlock more sustainable, long-term results.From unde
691. The Volunteer Strategy Gap (And How to Close It) - Nicole R. Smith, CVA
In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Nicole R. Smith, CVA, Executive Director of AL!VE (Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement), to talk about what it really looks like to treat volunteers as a strategic powerhouse, not an afterthought.Nicole has spent her career championing the people who champion volunteers, and she's here to close the gap between organizations that
690. A Case Study in Building Trust and Authentic Partnerships - jacob adams, Inner Spark
In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with jacob adams, founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab, to talk about what it looks like to challenge the nonprofit status quo. Instead of chasing scale and perfect metrics, Jacob is focused on something different: authentic partnerships, radical transparency, and building trust. Together, they explore why nonprofits can’t always control outcomes—but
689. No Human Is Illegal: Reclaiming the Immigration Narrative - Carmen Patlan, Center for Immigrant Progress
In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Carmen Patlan, Executive Director of the Center for Immigrant Progress (CIP), to highlight how her organization is supporting immigrant families through a comprehensive, community-centered model.CIP is advancing immigrant rights by connecting legal protection, health equity, civic engagement, and advocacy to help families live with dignity, safe
688. Who Gets to Design Change? Power, Agency & Creating Sustainable Orgs - Chidi Asoluka, NewComm
Today we're sitting down with Chidi Asoluka — founder and CEO of NewComm — to ask a question every nonprofit leader should be wrestling with: who actually gets to design change?At NewComm, high school students manage real budgets, design real projects, and build networks most people don't access until much later in life. The lessons Chidi has learned building it are for every leader in t
687. The Path Forward: Leading With Purpose in 2026 - Seth Godin
This one is a grounding exhale.Today, we’re bringing you a powerful conversation from the We Are For Good Summit with our friend Seth Godin — it's for anyone carrying the weight of leadership in uncertain times.Because here’s the truth: uncertainty isn’t a season anymore. It’s the environment. And if you’re feeling the pressure, the risk, the emotional toll of caring deeply about work that ma
686. Learn, Serve, Explore: How Students of Service Is Shaping the Next Generation of Global Leaders - Amir Samandi
Meet Amir Samandi 🌎, founder of Students of Service (SOS) in San Antonio.In this episode, Amir shares how one study abroad experience sparked a bold vision: to equip young people to become global citizens through service and international learning. What started as a leap of faith is now a thriving nonprofit shaping the next generation of empathetic, purpose-driven leaders.This conversation is espe
685. Begin Again: Reclaiming the Nonprofit Sector as Essential, Not Supplemental - Analía Weber, La Familia
Today, Jon and Becky sit down with Analía Weber, Development Director at The Family Center / La Familia, to explore a bold paradigm shift for the nonprofit sector. One that begins with how we speak about ourselves.Analia’s journey into fundraising didn’t follow a traditional path. A lifelong dancer and arts leader, she pivoted careers at 39 and stepped into nonprofit development with heart, courag
684. The Courage to Disappoint: Trust-Based Leadership for Nonprofits - Glennda Testone
What does it really take to lead with courage in the nonprofit sector—especially when growth, complexity, and crisis collide?In this powerful conversation, Jon and Becky sit down with Glennda Testone, CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab and co-host of Nonprofits Are Messy, to explore what it means to lead with integrity, accountability, and heart. With more than 14 years as Executive Director of N
683. Why Most Capacity Building Fails — and What Works Instead - Leona Christy, Catalyst Exchange
Meet Leona 🤝, founder and CEO of Catalyst Exchange. Leona’s vision is bold and timely: to transform how nonprofits and schools build capacity—so leaders aren’t trying to change the world with a shovel and a dream. Through flexible funding, trusted expertise, and community-centered partnerships, Catalyst Exchange is strengthening the systems and people behind lasting impact.In this conversation, Le
682. Shift 12 — Boards: You Are The Culture Carriers (How Boards and Staff Shape Leadership Together) - Nakia James-Jenkins
Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset and strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the full series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 12 / Boards Are Culture CarriersIn this final episode of the 12 Shifts series, Jon and Becky close things out with a
681. Shift 11 — Story as Infrastructure: How Narrative Shapes Culture + Drives Impact - Carolina García Jayaram
Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shiftsShift 11 / Story as InfrastructureIn today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Found
680. Shift 10 — Merge to Multiply: Scaling Impact Through Collaboration - Ananya Poddar
Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shiftsShift 9 / Merge to MultiplyIn today’s episode, Jon and Becky explore why collaboration is becoming a defining strategy for nonprofi
679. Shift 9 — Trust Is The Work Now - Abby Falik
Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shiftsShift 9 / Trust Is the Work NowIn today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Abby Falik, Co-Founder & CEO of The Flight School
678. Shift 8 — Creators Are Your Amplifiers: Build Trust Beyond Your Brand - Kathryn Baccash, TWLOHA
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 8 / Creators Are Your AmplifiersIn today’s episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Kathryn Baccash, Senior Director of Communi
677. Shift 7 — Volunteers as Core Capacity: Design Volunteer Systems for Growth - Jennifer Sirangelo
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 7 / Volunteers as Core CapacityIn today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Jennifer Sirangelo, President & CEO of Po
676. Shift 6 — The Modern Donor Journey: Modernize Individual Giving for Today’s Donor - Mike Duerksen & Dana Snyder
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 6 / Modernize Individual Giving for Today’s DonorIn today's episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Dana Snyder (Positive
675. Shift 5 — Beyond the Prompt: AI Fluency is the New Digital Literacy for Nonprofits - Woodrow Rosenbaum, GivingTuesday + Elizabeth Kelly, Anthropic
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 5 / Beyond the Prompt: AI Fluency is the New Digital Literacy for Nonprofits AI is everywhere right now and for a lot of no
674. Shift 4 — Capacity Isn’t Extra: Build Your Foundation for Sustainable Growth - Brooke Richie-Babbage
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 4 / Capacity is the Strategy.Stability isn’t something you earn once you’re “big enough” or “finally staffed up.” It’s some
673. Shift 3 — People Leave: Make Transition Readiness Part of Your Culture - Naomi Hattaway
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 3 / Build for Health (People + Systems)People Leave™ — and in 2026, the pace and intensity of transition is accelerating. I
672. Shift 2 — Communication to Connection: The Reconnection Era - Susan McPherson
Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.Shift 2 / Communication to Connection: The Reconnection Era Ever felt that ache of reaching out endlessly, yet still standing alo
671. Shift 1 — Metrics With Meaning: Make Better Decisions With Less Noise - Ori Carmel
Today's episode launches our 12-part series 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over the next twelve episodes we're unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts. Shift 1 / Metrics with Meaning: Make Better Decisions with Less NoiseFeeling buried under dashboards and drowning in
670. The Power of the Pause: A New Year Self-Sync + Reflection - Jon, Becky, and Lindsey Fuller
This episode is a year-end exhale.Becky + Jon are joined by the incredible Lindsey Fuller for a cozy, heartfelt conversation as we gently close out 2025 and look toward a more grounded, intentional 2026. Together, we pause to reflect, breathe, and reconnect with what really matters.Lindsey brings honest wisdom on navigating burnout, the constant noise of the world, and why hope and genuine communi
