From Crisis to Credibility: Nonprofit Growth Lessons

How do you lead when everything feels uncertain? Carina Santa Maria, CEO of Shelter Youth and Family Services, shared a bold, forward-thinking approach to nonprofit leadership in challenging times. From weathering funding impasses and the pandemic to rethinking donor relationships and pioneering new models of care, Carina proves that crisis can be a catalyst for transformation.

Shelter-Inc.org, based outside Chicago, has served vulnerable youth and families for 50 years. Yet Carina candidly shares that despite its legacy, the organization has had to reinvent itself multiple times. Whether navigating Illinois’ state budget freeze or pivoting during COVID-19, the common thread has been resilience backed by strategy. “We had to pivot and find the resources to make sure those services were delivered,” Carina says.

But this conversation is about more than survival—it's about rising. Carina reveals how she and her team moved away from event-based fundraising and focused on cultivating deep donor relationships. The result? A record-setting $1.8 million raised in one year—without galas or trivia nights. This change didn’t come easy, but it paid off with greater mission alignment and long-term investment from supporters.

Carina also discusses the organization's next bold chapter: building Illinois’ first DCFS-approved group home for child victims of human trafficking. What began as a donor’s $50,000 trust experiment has blossomed into a $5 million initiative. “He told me, ‘I don’t care if it works. I just want to see you think outside the box,’” Carina shares. It’s a stunning example of what’s possible when leaders are trusted and supported to innovate.

The episode touches on advocacy, trauma-informed storytelling, and building credibility through impact rather than sentiment. Carina makes a compelling case for nonprofit leaders to demand their place at decision-making tables and challenge outdated narratives that nonprofits are less strategic than their corporate counterparts.

For nonprofit professionals, this conversation is both a challenge and a blueprint. Carina reminds us that strategy, communication, and vision can carry organizations through uncertainty—not just intact, but stronger.

 00:00:00 Welcome
 00:01:27 What Shelter Youth and Family Services does
 00:02:37 Navigating 24/7 operations and community needs
 00:03:50 Impact of state and federal policy on services
 00:04:44 Surviving Illinois' budget impasse and COVID
 00:06:38 Managing donor fatigue and funding volatility
 00:07:53 The importance of donor communication
 00:09:43 Leveraging board and stakeholders as advocates
 00:11:26 Advocacy and public perception of trafficking
 00:12:59 Systems change as financial strategy
 00:13:53 Transitioning from events to major gifts
 00:17:08 Donor trust leading to bold innovation
 00:20:25 Trauma-informed storytelling vs. strategic impact
 00:24:10 Educating partners and demanding a seat at the table
 00:26:20 Saying no and owning nonprofit leadership 

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