Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

All of us have people who inspire us. We need people in our lives who inspire us. My guest today will not only inspire you, but has written a book about people who will inspire us all. My guest today is Jean Case. Jean is the Chairman of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Foundation. She is a philanthropist, investor and an internet/impact investing pioneer who advocates for the importance of embracing a more fearless approach to innovate and bring about transformational breakthroughs.  She has just written a new book entitled: Be Fearless. Jean set out to investigate the core qualities of great change makers, past and present, from inventors to revolutionaries, she found five surprising traits all had in common. Enjoy today’s show.

What a year last week has been, right? The world has undergone a change that most people have never seen in their lifetime! In times like these, it can be difficult to see anything positive. That’s why Rob has dedicated this episode to talking with nonprofit leaders from around the country about what they are doing to keep moving forward in their local communities and how they are staying hopeful in such dark times. Mark Kennedy Shriver, Beth Kanter, David Rivel, Kate Rubalcava, and Carly Fiorina join Rob today with a plethora of diverse nonprofit leadership experience between them. Mark is the Senior Vice President of US Programs and Advocacy for Save the Children. Beth is an internationally-acclaimed master trainer, blogger, speaker, and best-selling author. David is the CEO of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, New York City’s largest social service organization. Kate is the CEO of the Utah Nonprofits Association and serves on the board of the National Council of Nonprofits. Carly is a former presidential candidate and former CEO of Hewlett Packard, eventually starting her own nonprofit, the Unlocking Potential Foundation. Across the country, these nonprofit leaders are seeing uncertainty in the communities that they are working to support. There’s a lot of fear and anxiety right now, and it’s going to take a lot of creativity to respond to these problems to make sure that no one gets left in the wake of the ongoing spread of COVID-19. More than ever, this is a time to band together and help those who don’t have the resources to support themselves. Whatever crisis you are facing during this time of uncertainty, hopefully, you can take something from this incredible group of leaders and use it to guide you through these unprecedented times. Links to Resources: Check out one of the links below to see how you can make a difference today!Utah Nonprofits Association Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services National Council of Nonprofits Unlocking Potential Save The Children If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Not enough can be said about the impact that arts education can have on developing motor skills, the ability to be creative, visual spacial skills, and building confidence. Ellen Weinstein and Traci Lester, National Dance Institute (photo credit Eduardo Patino, NYC) Rob’s guests today have chosen to invest in the next generation through the art of dance. Ellen Weinstein and Traci Lester both work at the National Dance Institute in New York City with a simple goal: change kid’s lives with the power of dance. Ellen began teaching and choreographing for the National Dance Institute (NDI) in 1985, and after 10 years was named Artistic Director of the in-school program, which serves nearly 6,000 kids throughout NYC. Traci joined the National Dance Institute in 2016 as the Executive Director, previously serving at LSA, a neighborhood-based non-profit which delivers a holistic model of human services in NYC. Through dance, poetry, literature, and other arts, teachers are able to engage emotion, and when emotion is engaged, true learning can take place.  The National Dance Institute, or NDI, was founded in 1976 by Jacques d’Amboise with the hope that every child can have an education in the arts. He believed that the skills that children learned from the program could help them conduct the choreography of their own lives, rather than train professional dancers. As of right now, the NDI is in 44 schools throughout NYC, 13 associate programs across the country, as well as 2 international programs in Shanghai and Beirut. Through these incredible programs, over 2 million children from around the world have been impacted by the NDI. If you would like a program at your school or to volunteer, please reach out: info@nationaldance.org Learn more about NDI here: https://nationaldance.org/ If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Dr. David N. Hempton, the dean of the Harvard Divinity School Rob is joined today by Dr. David N. Hempton, the dean of the Harvard Divinity School. David is an award-winning author and a social historian, with special interests in religious and political culture, secularization and religion, as well as identity and conflict. From Belfast, Northern Ireland, David began to dive deep into his interests while studying at University, eventually making a shift to Boston University in order to join the professor’s program. After that, he made his way to Harvard and for the past eight years, he has served as the dean of the Divinity School. Harvard Divinity is non-sectarian and non-denominational with over 400 students from a diverse set of geographical and religious backgrounds. From this group of impressive students, about a quarter go into church ministry of some form, another quarter into academic life, and all of them are looking to incorporate a greater sense of purpose in what they do. Rob discusses with Dr. Hempton the data showing that many millennials are leaving institutional religion for the nonprofit sector. David hopes that these students can still leave with great respect for religious traditions as a whole, especially those other than their own. Through tolerance and understanding, these students can go on to become the future leaders of the nonprofit sector and the world as a whole. Links to Resources:Dr. David N. Hempton The Harvard Divinity School If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Most often on this show, Rob features leaders in the nonprofit sector, such as Executive Directors/CEO’s of Nonprofits, Authors, and Researchers. This episode features guests from the donor side of things. Nancy Rauch Douzinas and Dave Kapell of The Rauch Foundation Joining Rob on the show is Nancy Rauch Douzinas, President of the Rauch Foundation and Dave Kapell, a consultant to the Foundation. The Rauch Foundation, a Long Island-based family foundation that invests in ideas and organizations that spark and sustain systematic change in our communities. The foundation was founded in 1961 and remained an unstaffed foundation until 1991 when Nancy became the President. The Rauch Foundation was able to gain notoriety by conducting an annual indicators report and special analysis of the entire region, gaining the full support of the governor of New York. Today, Nancy and Dave will share some important insights about how they are working to transform transportation in New York City with a $2.6 billion dollar project.  The Rauch Foundation’s hallmark achievement is its involvement with the Long Island Railroad, America’s busiest commuter railroad. The railroad on Long Island serves as the vascular system for the lives of everyone in the region. That’s why they decided to support the construction of a new rail station on the east side of Manhattan, thus creating a substantial saving of commute time for those that work on the east side. It is important to remember the vital role that foundations play when creating massive change in the community. Through the formation of The Right Track for Long Island Coalition and a partnership with the governor, The Rauch Foundation is making a difference that will impact millions of lives. “Foundations have the power of speaking truth to power.”  This episode is sponsored by Karma Payments. Links to Resources:Support effective change in the New York Community with The Rauch Foundation. If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Every little swimmers’ goal is to stand on that podium at the Olympics, but it all starts with that first jump in the water and someone to show you how. Elizabeth Beisel, three-time olympian swimmer and 2016 USA swim team captain Rob’s guest today is Elizabeth Beisel, a three-time olympian swimmer and the 2016 USA swim team captain. During her career, she won two Olympic medals and multiple world championships. Jumping into the pool for the first time at the age of five, it only took Elizabeth ten years to become an olympian. Over her grueling career, she learned that once you step on the blocks, it’s all about your mentality when you want to take it to that next level. Since retiring, she has turned her attention towards the nonprofit sector while continuing to keep her focus on swimming. Elizabeth was recently selected to serve on the USA Swimming Foundation board of directors.  The USA Swimming Foundation provides grants to local clubs, and has donated $3 million in the past several years. Their hope is that they can remove the financial barrier that might stand between low-income families and learning how to swim. To do this, they must fundraise, which mostly consists of donors who are in or around the sport. Elizabeth knows that maintaining their donor and volunteer base is vital to maintaining a successful and stable nonprofit. Links to Resources:Check out the USA Swimming Foundation to make a difference! If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

There are so many different challenges facing the nonprofit sector today. One of those is how nonprofit organizations can recruit and retain millennials for the long haul. Rhea Wong, host of the Nonprofit Lowdown Podcast Studies show that millennials are seeking a better work-life balance, which has led to a movement towards the “gig-based” economy when it comes to nonprofits. While compensation is important, the millennial generation is especially value-driven, looking to really make a difference with their lives where they work. That’s why many of them are making the move into the nonprofit sector. However, one of the challenges facing the nonprofit sector when recruiting millennials is the fact that nonprofit organizations usually do not pay as well as for-profit companies. So how are nonprofits going to respond to this changing environment? Rob’s guest today is Rhea Wong, someone who has felt the wear and tear of the high-responsibility, low-pay culture of the nonprofit sector. Rhea has over a decade of experience as an Executive Director, focusing on scaling up nonprofits in the education management industry. She also hosts the Nonprofit Lowdown Podcast. Rhea has made a switch over to the consulting side of the sector, helping nonprofits increase their impact on communities, as well as helping the sector as a whole move into the modern-day world. It is important to have a happy and healthy work-life balance, and if the nonprofit sector hopes to continue recruiting the best and brightest of this next generation, then it needs to be able to raise the resources necessary to support that balance for its employees. Links to Resources: Check out Rhea’s work and her podcast on her website: https://www.rheawong.com/ If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Mark Kennedy Shriver, President of Save the Children Action Network and Senior VP of US Programs and Advocacy of Save the Children Many politicians will say that children are our future, but when push comes to shove, how many really invest what is needed to make that future a reality? Rob’s guest today, Mark Kennedy Shriver, has dedicated his life to this cause. Mark has had a successful career up to this point, serving as a Member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 8 years. After working in the government, Mark decided to become involved in the nonprofit sector. In 2003 he dedicated himself to the organization, Save The Children. Since 2014, he has served as president of Save The Children Action Network as well as the Senior VP of US Programs and Advocacy of Save The Children. From his experience in the government sector to the nonprofit sector, Mark has continued to serve his community and his country by making it his personal goal to get everyone to invest in the future of our children. Save The Children first opened its doors in England back in 1919 and eventually made its way to the US in the 1930s with the goal of helping those children affected by the Great Depression. With a focus on the needs of children before, during, and after disasters, Save The Children has had great success at the legislative level by getting government leaders and corporations to invest in making an impact. Slowly but surely, they are creating a movement across the country with the hope of reaching every child in need. Links to Resources: Go to Save The Children to make your impact! If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

One of the most important parts of being a great leader is having an innate ability to solve both simple and complex problems. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard Rob’s guest on the show is Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard and a former presidential candidate. Carly started the Unlocking Potential Foundation, a nonprofit focused on providing leaders with the tools necessary to sharpen and strengthen their problem-solving skills. She saw the lack of investment in the nonprofit world and decided to invest her leadership experience into this sector. Throughout her career as a leader, Carly has often been faced with the problem of separating management from leadership. What she has found is that whether you’re working at the top or the bottom, in a for-profit or nonprofit, leadership is always the same; acting as a catalyst for positive change. After all, a true leader is focused on collaborating with others in order to create a positive impact. At Hewlett Packard, Carly was brought in to preserve what was working and reinvent what was not working. Coming into a company that had already been successful, Carly faced the challenge of sparking change in the face of the overwhelmingly powerful status quo. Being the first outsider, first non-engineer, and first woman to serve as CEO of the company, Carly faced a difficult amount of scrutiny. Through it all, she learned valuable leadership lessons. Enjoy the show. Links to Resources:Hewlett PackardUnlocking Potential Foundation If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org To be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/

Heather McLeod Grant, co-founder of Open Impact The challenges facing today’s society are so large that nonprofits alone cannot solve them. That is why it is so important for nonprofit leaders to collaborate with each other as well as with both the government and private sector, in order to take on these growing issues. Rob’s guest today, Heather McLeod Grant, is the co-founder of Open Impact, as well as an author, speaker, and consultant with more than 25 years of experience working to create systemic change. In her new book, Leading Systems Change, Open Impact conducted a research study in two counties in California. Her findings showed just how disconnected the nonprofits have been in that area, both horizontally and vertically. At the same time, their initial findings showed an appetite and momentum for change from the new leaders. Open Impact, a social impact advising firm, was able to bring together an incredibly diverse group of leaders and put them through six months of intensive leadership training. Through tracking different levels such as individual leadership, networking, and the systems that they were embedded in, they were able to see a massive rise in collaborations amongst different sectors. Enjoy today’s show. Links to Resources:James Irvine FoundationDownload Heather’s new book, Leading Systems Change, for free!Forces For GoodOpen Impact If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.orgTo be added to the monthly email update, go to http://nonprofitleadershippodcast.org/