We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits 668. Merge to Multiply: How a Purposeful Sunset Expanded Community Impact - Desiree Lyons, Namaste Direct + Kate Flatley, Women's Justice Initiative
Sunsetting isn’t failure—it’s leadership.
In this episode, Becky sits down with Desiree Lyons, CEO of Namaste Direct, and Kate Flatley, Executive Director of the Women’s Justice Initiative, for an honest conversation about what it really looks like to put community at the center—even when it means changing or ending your own model. Together, they share how Namaste Direct made the difficult decision to sunset with integrity and why transitioning its economic empowerment program to WJI became a powerful unlock for greater, more sustainable impact for women in Guatemala.
This conversation challenges the idea that success in the nonprofit sector is always about scale and growth—and offers a practical look at how merging, evolving, and ending well can be an act of responsibility, courage, and mission-first leadership.
Episode Highlights:
- Kate’s Path to Guatemala and Law (02:04)
- Women’s Justice Initiative Mission and Impact (03:06)
- Namaste Direct’s Mission and Challenges (05:29)
- Turning Point: Rethinking Microfinance and Debt (09:36)
- Sunsetting and Succession: Strategic Decisions at Namaste (15:21)
- Reaching Out: Collaboration and Merger with WJI (20:55)
- Advice for Nonprofits: Mergers, Sunsets, and Impact (26:16)
- One Good Thing: Final Thoughts and Reflections (31:58)
- How to Connect and Closing Remarks (33:19)
www.weareforgood.com/episode/668
Thank you to our partners 🩵
Big gratitude to Givebutter, RKD Group, Whiteboard, and Sowen for their partnership in growing the Impact Uprising. If you’re searching for a new CRM, tech tool, brand partner, direct mail partner, or impact strategist— we’d love for you to start with our trusted recs. We’ve vetted them so you don’t have to. Head to weareforgood.com/recs to learn more.
//
Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com