We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

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 nonprofits seeking to protect mission and scale impact — and why the funding side of mergers and partnerships doesn’t get nearly enough airtime.They’re joined by Ananya Poddar, Senior Associate at SeaChange Capital Partners, to unpack what it really takes to resource nonprofit collaboration — from shared infrastructure and strategic alliances to program transfers and full-scale mergers. Ananya shares insights from the SeaChange–Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration, including why neutral third-party support is often the missing ingredient, how leaders can build trust with funders and partner organizations, and what becomes possible when collaboration is treated as a fundable priority.Episode Highlights: Introduction to Nonprofit Collaboration (01:52)SeaChange-Lodestar Fund for Nonprofit Collaboration (5:40)Forms of Collaboration (07:00)Building Trust with Partners (10:50)Technical Assistance Funding (15:18)Case Study: She's the First & Girl Rising Merger (16:23)Cost Savings Example: Detroit Human Services Merger (20:10)Case Study: Philly Food Rescue Program Transfer (21:22)Motivations for Partnerships (23:57)One Good Thing / Homework: Make yourself familiar with what opportunities exist. (29:00)Dive Deeper: She’s The First Girl RisingEpisode 653: Nonprofit Mergers Aren’t a Last Resort—They’re a Strategic First Choice, She's The First and Girl Rising: Listen on Apple / SpotifyEpisode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/680Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

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, for a grounding and expansive conversation on why trust is no longer a byproduct of good leadership — it is the work.As institutions fracture, technology accelerates, and certainty feels harder to come by, Abby invites nonprofit leaders to rethink trust as a core leadership practice rooted in authenticity, courage, and inner alignment. Together, they explore what it looks like to lead without false certainty, release performative control, and build organizations that are worthy of trust — from the inside out.Abby shares wisdom from her lifelong work in leadership formation, her experience building trust-based systems, and the guiding principles behind The Flight School to help leaders move from fear to flourishing. This episode is both a call inward and a call forward for leaders navigating rapid change while trying to stay human.Episode Highlights: The Importance of Trust in Leadership (02:30)Trust as Core Work in a Fractured World (05:18)Warning Signs of Losing Trust in Organizations (12:29)Building Trust in Leadership (15:48)Leading with Hope in Uncertain Times (18:13)The Role of the Next Generation in Trust (21:51)Abby’s One Good Thing (24:31)Dive Deeper: Comfortable with Uncertainty / Purchase HereEpisode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/679Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

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 Communications & Marketing at To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), for a powerful conversation about why creators aren’t just marketing channels — they’re relationship-driven partners who can extend trust, credibility, and impact far beyond what organizations can do alone.Together, they unpack how TWLOHA has spent nearly two decades cultivating creators as collaborators rather than megaphones — prioritizing friendship over transactions, community over control, and long-term trust over short-term reach. Kat shares how creators function as core capacity inside TWLOHA’s storytelling ecosystem, how relationship-first partnerships have amplified their suicide prevention work, and why letting go of rigid expectations is often the unlock nonprofits are missing.If you’re ready to rethink influence, move from staff-led to community-led storytelling, and build creator partnerships that actually scale trust in 2026, this episode is for you.Takeaways: Why creators should be treated as a core capacity, not a campaign add-onHow to build relationship-first creator partnerships rooted in trust and shared valuesWhat it really means to give up control without losing your messageHow creators help nonprofits scale impact through borrowed trustWhy community depth and engagement matter more than audience sizeEpisode Highlights:Creators as a Core Capacity, Not a Nice-to-Have (2:15)Relationship-First Creator Partnerships (4:40)Borrowed Trust: Scaling Impact Through Creators (6:50)Giving Up Control to Build Real Influence (12:40)Why Community Depth Matters More Than Audience Size (21:30)One Good Thing: Create Something Yourself to Build Empathy (29:30)Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/678TWLOHA Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

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 Points of Light — the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizing nearly 4 million volunteers across 32 countries.Together, they explore why many nonprofit leaders are leaving capacity on the table — and how shifting from “volunteers as a nice-to-have” to “volunteers as core infrastructure” can accelerate strategy, deepen belonging, and drive sustainable growth. Jennifer shares practical examples (including a “board recruitment sprint”), how to spot the gaps volunteers can fill beyond program delivery, and why the volunteer experience must be digitally enabled to fit real life. You’ll also hear why the simplest lever still matters: people volunteer because they’re asked — and that invitation is fully in your control.If you’re ready to treat participation like a strategy (not an afterthought) and build a volunteer engine for 2026, this one’s for you.Episode Highlights:Volunteers as Strategic Plan Accelerators (3:10)The “Board Recruitment Sprint” + Activating Volunteer Leaders (9:20)What’s Driving a Rise in Volunteer Interest + How to Respond (15:40)Building Volunteer Infrastructure on a Lean Team (22:30)Designing a Digitally-Enabled Volunteer Experience (30:10)One Good Thing: Craft the Invitation That Gets People to Say Yes (37:45)Dive Deeper: pointsoflight.org - Sign up for Points of Light's monthly newsletter, packed with resources, trainings, and webinars.Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/677Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

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 Equation) and Mike Duerksen (BuildGood) — for a practical, honest conversation about what’s changing in donor behavior and what to do about it in 2026.Together, they unpack why the donor journey is no longer linear, why friction in your systems is more expensive than ever, and how monthly giving becomes a risk-mitigation strategy for stability. You’ll hear how the first 90 days create “memory structure” for donors, what Mike calls the “forgotten copy” that can make or break trust, and why making generosity visible again can help restore it as a social norm — at home and in your community.If you’re ready to remove friction, build trust faster, and create an individual giving strategy that fits how donors actually live and decide in 2026, this one’s for you.Episode Highlights:Today's Shifts in Donor Behavior (3:00)Designing a Donor Journey (10:30)Auditing Individual Giving: First 90 Days, Donor Needs & Team Focus (17:30)Case Studies (23:50)Mike and Dana's Playbooks + How to Activate Today (28:20)Dive Deeper: The Monthly Giving Summit (Feb 25, 1:00PM - Feb 26, 4:00PM EST)The StoreHomeboy IndustriesBuild Good Fundraising PodcastEpisode Shownotes: weareforgood.com/episode/676Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday, and Elizabeth Kelly, Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic, dive deep into the essential topic of AI fluency for nonprofits. They discuss how understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations can transform organizations without overwhelming them. The conversation emphasizes building AI fluency as a core skill, using practical examples of how nonprofits can enhance workflows and scale services. They also address critical factors like privacy and ethical AI use, ensuring that technology supports nonprofits' missions responsibly.

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 something you design on purpose—or you pay for it later in burnout, panic fundraising, and house-of-cards vibes.In this episode, Brooke Richie-Babbage is back to flip the script on what capacity really means. Capacity is about changing the conditions under which your work happens, so the how of the work gets easier, less fragile + way more sustainable.We’re talking broken mugs, creaky floors, cash cliffs, “build years” vs. “growth years,” and why “stability is a leadership choice” might be the most freeing (and challenging) mindset shift you make in 2026. If you’ve ever thought, “We’ll feel stable when we finally _______,” this episode’s your loving interruption.You’ll walk away with clarity + next steps to build real capacity, including how to:Redefine capacity + stability as design problems, not personal failuresNarrow priorities + clean up decision-making so everything stops bottlenecking at the leaderBuild stability through simple financial + operational rhythms (not just more hires)Episode Highlights:Understanding Capacity and Its Importance (02:59)Defining Capacity: Reducing Fragility (05:43)Designing for Stability in Organizations (08:24)Shifting Mindsets: From Growth to Depth (11:28)The Role of Community in Capacity Building (14:28)Practical Steps to Build Capacity (17:02)Real-Life Examples of Capacity Building (19:40)Dive Deeper: Episode 614: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/614Episode 464: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/463Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

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. In this episode, Naomi Hattaway, interim leader and organizational health builder, shares what it actually takes to build nonprofit health through uncertainty before someone resigns. We talk about the hidden fragility that uncertainty exposes (founder dependency, undocumented roles, disengaged boards), and the practical foundations that help teams stay aligned when everything feels on fire.You’ll walk away with concrete tools for transition readiness, including how to:Treat turnover as normal — not a crisis — so you plan for departures instead of getting blindsidedBuild real financial resilience with reserves and budgets that account for searches, interims, and transition supportCreate simple documentation so critical knowledge isn’t trapped in one person’s headGrow “endings literacy” by talking openly about departures, loss, and what it means to leave wellCenter humanity in hard moments with grief-aware practices, dignified layoffs, and stay interviews Because healthy systems don’t stop people from leaving — they make it possible for people to leave well.Episode HighlightsUnderstanding Uncertainty in 2026 (02:06)Proactive vs Reactive Approaches (05:39)The Importance of Infrastructure (07:54)Endings Literacy: Navigating Transitions (13:30)Creating a Culture of Grief and Loss (22:00)Leaving Well: The Art of Transition (28:26)Human-Centered Change in High-Stress Environments (31:25)Naomi’s One Good Thing (35:07)Dive Deeper:Naomi's WebsiteTransition Archetype QuizEpisode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/673Save your free seat at the We Are For Good Summit 🩵It’s a free, one-day virtual gathering for changemakers to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year. Expect 20 speakers across 3 tracks - plus live workshops, working sessions, and round-table conversations. Lean more + register today!//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 Say hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

In this engaging discussion, Susan McPherson, founder of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting, dives into the essential shift from mere communication to genuine connection, particularly for nonprofits. She shares alarming statistics about loneliness and emphasizes how nonprofits can lead the charge in rebuilding social ties. Susan critiques the limitations of chatbots in fostering real relationships, advocates for vulnerable leadership, and offers practical steps like local gatherings and skills-based volunteering to enhance community bonds.

Ori Carmel, Founder and CEO of Soin, dives deep into the challenges nonprofits face with data overload and performative metrics. He advocates for shifting focus from excess data to meaningful outcomes that drive mission impact. Ori shares his insights on asking better questions, stakeholder mapping, and triangulating qualitative and quantitative data. His practical frameworks aim to help organizations clarify their mission and strengths, ensuring that their metrics truly reflect their goals—making data both actionable and human-centered.