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The Charity Charge Show

The Charity Charge Show

By Charity Charge

The Charity Charge Show is a podcast featuring nonprofit and social impact leaders from across the country discussing social good, fundraising, innovating, and much more!
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Testimonial Tuesdays - Villa Montessori School

The Charity Charge ShowSep 17, 2019

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EP 102 Lisa Van Dusen | Executive Director, Palo Alto Community Fund

EP 102 Lisa Van Dusen | Executive Director, Palo Alto Community Fund

In Episode 102 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Lisa Van Dusen, Executive Director of Palo Alto Community Fund, whose mission is to focus on the unique needs of our community and channel charitable giving of local donors to effective organizations that improve the quality of life for everyone in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

Stephen and Lisa Van Dusen talk about innovating quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic and trust based philanthropy.

Van Dusen has dedicated her career to helping build thriving communities through philanthropy, advocacy, entrepreneurship and media, bringing more than 30 years of cross sector experience to the Palo Alto Community Fund.

Previous to joining the Palo Alto Community Fund, Van Dusen was Chief Relationship Officer at Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2) where she led innovation and learning initiatives that deepened awareness, engagement and giving to address social and environmental challenges in Silicon Valley and globally.

Her accomplishments include expanding and diversifying SV2’s donor community, introducing field-leading impact investing and spearheading advocacy program offerings.

Van Dusen, who has lived in Palo Alto for 35 years, has held a variety of professional and civic leadership positions, including launching two groundbreaking local media ventures—Cable Communications Cooperative of Palo Alto (Cable Co-op) and Palo Alto Online.

She revived and co-led Leadership Palo Alto and created and hosted First Person, a video interview series featuring Silicon Valley trailblazers. In addition to her experience as a social entrepreneur, Van Dusen brings expertise in sales, marketing and communications with the Palo Alto Weekly and other organizations.

She has served on a variety of nonprofit boards including, Palo Alto Art Center, Planned Parenthood (Golden Gate), WINGS Guatemala and in numerous civic leadership roles. She has been recognized extensively, including as a Silicon Valley Women of Influence, TEDx speaker, Leadership Midpeninsula Senior Fellow and California College of the Arts Leading by Design Fellow.

Lisa Van Dusen on trust based philanthropy:

In June 2019, our board signed off on a strategic plan that was committing to trust based philanthropy meaning that instead of the dollars that were raised each year going into our endowment that the default would be for the funds to go out the door and pass through grants to nonprofit organizations in our community.

Our donors could still specify if they wanted their contribution to go to our endowment but the default would be to get the money out to the organizations making a difference in our community.

We believe this would lead to a deeper connection and knowledge exchange with our community, organizations, and other leaders, to connect us with what is going on. I also see it as investing in ourselves as an organization, which I think is really significant.

We had great support for this initiative and met our three year plan goal in the first year. Trust base philanthropy is at it's core saying, "here is money, we trust you as an organization to know how to deploy it best." If that is to pay your staff, then that is what you should do, or it's to keep your lights on, use the money for whatever you need.

With our strategic plan we are fundamentally choosing, who we who we are betting on as an organization, and trusting them to do what they need.

Nov 08, 202238:41
EP 101 Georges Benjamin | Executive Director, American Public Health Association

EP 101 Georges Benjamin | Executive Director, American Public Health Association

In Episode 101 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of American Public Health Association (APHA), whose mission is to improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status.

Stephen and Georges Benjamin talk about what APHA learned from the COVID pandemic, APHA's role in shaping American healthcare policy over the past 150 years, and the importance of having financial reserves in place.

Georges C. Benjamin is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today.

From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not available and when the healthy choice is not the easy choice. As executive director of APHA since 2002, he is leading the Association’s push to make America the healthiest nation.

Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of American Public Health Association, on the importance of having financial reserves:

We try to be fiscally conservative and have multiple revenue streams and live with in our resources each year. Of course COVID is stressor on those financial goals. That's one of the reasons we have reserves is so that you can go into them when times are hard. The last couple of years, we've had to go into reserves a little bit, because times are hard.

But we were able to do that because every year we were able to take any surplus revenues that came in and put them in the bank. Having a good savings account is important. However, I also think it's important that people figure out what's important for you to do and focus your mission - then put your resources behind that focused mission.

For us, if it hurts people or kills people, the public health community has a role in it, but we can't solve all the problems. Instead we try to solve the problems that we think are important for us directly and then we partner with others who have the strength to tackle other problems.

We don't really care who gets the credit, we care that the mission gets done. We hold ourselves accountable to the mission getting done as our main measure of success.

Oct 27, 202236:18
EP 100 Grant Trahant | Founder of Causeartist and ReFiJobs

EP 100 Grant Trahant | Founder of Causeartist and ReFiJobs

In Episode 100 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Grant Trahant, Founder of Causeartist and RefiJobs. His mission is to show that everyone — from shoppers and professionals to entrepreneurs and investors — can change the world by making decisions that benefit the people and places around them.

Interested in listening to the full episode and hearing more from other nonprofits? Check out more episodes here.

Stephen and Grant Trahant talk about what it takes to build a business or nonprofit from the ground up, reflect on what Stephen's learned from 100 conversations, and the unifying power of listening to and spending time with others.

Since 2013, Causeartist has been read in 150+ countries. Over this time Grant has interviewed 700+ social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and impact ventures from around the world.

The mission has always been to highlight innovations within ethical fashion, regenerative farming, climate tech, fair trade products, impact investing, and sustainable travel.

He also hosts the Disruptors for GOOD podcast and the Investing in Impact podcast.

Connect with Grant on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Grant on listening to others and seeing what truly unites us:

One advantage I get from talking to people around the world is that I experience that no matter where you are, no matter where you live, people still want the same thing for themselves, for their communities, and for their kids.

Whatever it may be their level of passion is the same. Whether they're from India, Southeast Asia, Delaware, Toronto, or Mexico City, wherever it may be, everybody's problems are pretty similar.

It could be dealing with mental health or dealing with economic issues, although different places approach problems and issues differently there are always people trying to solve them.

We're unified in trying to solve problems together on all continents and cities around the world.

About Causeartist

causeartist – [cause-artist] noun. a person who uses their talents and skills to impact the world.

Since 2013, Causeartist has been read in 150+ countries. Over this time I have interviewed 700+ impact entrepreneurs, impact investors, and impact ventures from around the world.

Causeartist is a global community of social entrepreneurs, builders, creators, and conscious consumers, who believe business can positively impact the world.

Oct 12, 202236:55
EP 99 Vicki Burkhart | CEO, The More Than Giving Co.

EP 99 Vicki Burkhart | CEO, The More Than Giving Co.

In Episode 99 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Vicki Burkhart, CEO of The More Than Giving Co., whose mission is to give nonprofits with visionary leaders and compelling missions an affordable, on-demand staffing solution to supplement the bandwidth and skillsets of their volunteer force.

Stephen and Vicki Burkhart talk about More Than Giving's work with nonprofits to provide the staffing they need, the importance of a living strategic plan, and the four critical things for nonprofit success.

Vicki Burkhart is founder and CEO of the More Than Giving Company. She has 30+ years of experience in the nonprofit arena as an Executive Director, nonprofit executive and consultant.

After earning a B.A. and M.Ed. from Penn State, Vicki advanced to hold leadership positions in development and donor relations, including serving as the VP of Advancement at the MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine. At the same time, she was serving several nonprofits as their Executive Director.

Collectively, these roles gave her extensive, hands-on experience with major gift cultivation (including personally closing multimillion-dollar gifts), board development and strategic planning, membership development, organizational development, and volunteer management.

In 1999, Vicki founded More Than Giving with the goal of delivering innovative solutions to help more volunteer-driven nonprofits achieve sustainability and growth.

Vicki on the four critical things for nonprofit success

There are four things that I think are critical to a successful nonprofit:

  1. A strategic plan - It's usually the first thing I ask for when I engage with a new client. All of the organizations that I lead, as an Executive Director have active strategic plans. By active I don't mean strategic plans that you do and put on the shelf and look at you know once a year. I mean, strategic plans that actually navigate the direction and path for the nonprofit, where you make decisions based on your plan, you look at revenue generation and leadership succession based on your plan. The strategic plan is a document that I think no matter how large or small the nonprofit is, is critical to that success.
  2. Finding the right board - I intentionally use the word right because boards that I have worked with evolve, just like the nonprofit evolves. The founding board may be replaced by what I like to call the transition board a few years in, this transition board can then allow you to start separating operations from corporate responsibility. It defines the role of the board and the board's committees a little bit more and that of what staff does. Then the transition board shifts as the organization matures and starts to move into a more corporate board. It's important for nonprofit organizations to spend time finding the right people to sit on each of these boards. For the founders board looks very different than a corporate board.
  3. Maintaining and building capacity - It's important that a nonprofit has the people and resources to support the growth of the organization. This gets back to, our paradigm shift in staffing and being able to have the right technology in the right infrastructure needed to support the growth of the organization.
  4. Internal support - With the right internal support your professionals and your volunteers can focus on the work that they need to do. That's where you want someone who's sitting on your board making visits to prospective donors and you don't want them sitting in the office just doing light bookkeeping or sending out acknowledgement letters. Organizations really have to look at, if you get this much of volunteer time, how can that best be used?
Sep 28, 202230:24
EP 98 Nancy Long | Executive Director, 501 Commons

EP 98 Nancy Long | Executive Director, 501 Commons

In Episode 98 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Nancy Long, Executive Director of 501 Commons, whose mission is to serve nonprofits as experts, innovators, and partners.

Their passion is to amplify the strengths of nonprofits—so ALL people and communities flourish. Stephen and Nancy Long talk about the resilience of nonprofits during the COVID-19 pandemic, 501 Commons recent reports regarding nonprofit employee compensation, and common mistake nonprofits make with grants.

Nancy Long is the Executive Director of 501 Commons. 501 Commons addresses the national problem of nonprofits having limited access to the expertise they need to optimize their organization. The organization provides consulting, contracted services, and other forms of support.

This allows organizations to have the technology, data, management, fundraising, finance, and human resources expertise they need.

Before becoming executive director of 501 Commons, Nancy worked in health care as the Vice President of Strategy and Organizational Development at Group Health Cooperative. Nancy was on the health care reform policy staff for the Washington Health Services Commission.

She served as the Director of Marketing for the Basic Health Plan. She developed groundbreaking research to promote health insurance to diverse communities and implemented community-based outreach that resulted in unprecedented participation and diverse enrollment.

As the Director of Quality for the Washington State Hospital Association, she represented hospitals on regulatory matters and led a quality of care research project with rural hospitals.

As the Director of Marketing & Community Services at Pacific Medical, she led the effort to create the Cross-Cultural Health Care Program, which has done breakthrough work on culturally and linguistically accessible health care.

Nancy has a BA in social psychology (University of Texas), and a master’s from the Evans School (University of Washington), where she was also a lecturer, teaching nonprofit leadership and management.

Sep 14, 202233:04
EP 97 John Lux | Executive Director, Film Florida

EP 97 John Lux | Executive Director, Film Florida

John LuxIn Episode 97 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to John Lux, Executive Director of Film Florida, a not-for-profit entertainment production association for Florida's film, TV, production & digital media industry.

Stephen and John Lux talk about John's unique career path, Film Florida's mission to support the film industry in Florida, and the challenges in showing value to individual members in a large membership based organization.

John has been the Executive Director for Film Florida since June 2016 and manages the day-to-day operations of the organization after spending 20 years working in the industry.

John is responsible for Film Florida operations, marketing, membership recruitment and finance. In addition to his other responsibilities for Film Florida, John is a social media enthusiast and has been handling the Film Florida social media strategy and day to day management of the website since 2014.

In previous roles John has been responsible for operations, finance and marketing positions including day-to-day operations (including all project proposals and budgets), finance (POs, APs, ARs, cash flow planning, etc.), and marketing strategies (social media, award submissions, press releases, communication with media, etc.).

John started in operations for the Walt Disney Company and helped Orlando-based IDEAS transition from Disney to an independent corporation and was instrumental in the transformation and growth of the company for 18 years.

After graduating from Purdue University, John worked in the live entertainment industry managing a staff of 300+ for an outdoor music and entertainment venue in the Chicago area before moving to Florida to join Disney where he received Disney’s rare and highly respected Partners In Excellence award.

His strong Chicago roots are reflected in his undying passion for college football, especially his alma mater, the Purdue Boilermakers and his home town teams, Blackhawks, Bears, Bulls, White Sox, Cubs and Northwestern University.

Aug 31, 202234:41
EP 96 Jeff Mazur | Executive Director, LaunchCode

EP 96 Jeff Mazur | Executive Director, LaunchCode

In Episode 96 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Jeff Mazur, Executive Director of LaunchCode, whose mission is offering free tech education and job placement opportunities to bring new people from all backgrounds into the tech field and reshape the way employers think about hiring. Stephen and Jeff Mazur talk about LaunchCode's impact on providing people with the skills to enter a career in tech, creating a sustainable revenue stream to facilitate growth within a nonprofit, and the importance of embracing a learning mindset.

Jeff Mazur is an experienced executive with a proven record of leading nonprofit organizations through growth and strategic change. Presently heading LaunchCode, a high-impact workforce and economic development organization with an acute focus on helping regions flourish via technology education, civic partnership and corporate engagement.

Jeff Mazur on embracing a learning mindset:

What I've learned is that the longer I do this work, the less and less I know, and that that's actually a good thing that I should want to be true. I want to be comfortable with not knowing as a leader, because as we do more, and as we grow, there are new things that I ultimately am responsible for making decisions about that are entirely unexplored in the prior history of the organization and my tenure with it. So I don't know the answers to those new things but that's okay. Learning the answers and coming up with what we think as a team would be the best solutions is the highest order work that I can do in the organization. That was honestly somewhat surprising to discover, because the assumption might be "Well, in the first year, you're going to find some things that you never did before. In the second year, you're going to kind of get it down. Then the third or fourth or fifth year it's all old hat" And But I've found that not to be true. If it were true, it would be a signal to me that I, and we as leaders, weren't pushing the organization to do enough new things or to change itself and evolve or figure out how to test the edges of the space that we work in.

Aug 17, 202234:09
EP 95 Stella Kafka | Executive Director, American Meteorlogical Society

EP 95 Stella Kafka | Executive Director, American Meteorlogical Society

In Episode 95 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Stella Kafka, Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), whose mission is to advance the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society. Stephen and Stella Kafka talk about the pros & cons of switching to a virtual meeting model, joining an organization from an outsiders perspective, and AMS's mission to use science to keep people safe.

As executive director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), a non- profit worldwide scientific and educational organization of amateur and professional astronomers, Stella Kafka utilized a combination of talent, skills, and scientific accomplishments that she now brings to her new role as AMS executive director. Kafka obtained her B.S. degree in physics at the University of Athens, Greece, and a master’s and Ph.D. in astronomy, with a double minor in physics and geophysical sciences from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. After completing her Ph.D., Stella held a series of prestigious postdoctoral positions and fellowships, first at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, where she received the National Optical Astronomy Observatory Excellence Award, then at IPAC/Caltech, and finally as a NASA Astrobiology Institute Fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Stella also brings with her a wealth of managerial experience. In addition to serving as the director of two research and mentorship programs for undergraduates while in Chile, Stella managed editorial, marketing, financial, business development, operations, and production aspects of journals at the American Institute of Physics (AIP). As a journal manager at AIP, Stella successfully oversaw the launch of a new journal and served as a liaison between publishing and research communities. On top of her research and management abilities, Stella brings an international perspective to her work. After growing up in Greece, she obtained a Proficiency Diploma in the French language (she has one in English, too), pursued higher education in the United States, and worked and traveled in South America (including Chile, Argentina, and Brazil). Stella is fluent in Greek and English and speaks Spanish and French. Stella enjoys interacting with people of every age and background and has honed her communication skills through mentoring students, classroom teaching, and lectures to professional and public audiences. And then, like all good communicators, she knows when to stop and listen.

Stella Kafka on in person meetings fueling powerful brainstorm sessions and problem solving:
At some point in trying to understand a solution to a problem, it requires a little bit of getting out of your comfort zone and discussing aspects of science that maybe you don't know very well. I find that is much easier when speaking in person than it is virtually. I think that COVID made us more efficient and more accessible in terms of utilizing different methods of communication and increasing inclusivity. However, we're still trying to replicate those in depth, in person experiences and online technology is just not there yet. I'm not really sure what the end result will be, maybe we will actually come up with some kind of visors and virtual working places that will bridge the gap we are currently dealing with. That is our challenge. Although we aren't all the way there yet, I really like the increased efficiency and the fact that we can actually do things much faster using virtual technology.

Aug 03, 202233:34
EP 94 Katie Appold | Executive Director, Do More Good & Nonprofit Hub

EP 94 Katie Appold | Executive Director, Do More Good & Nonprofit Hub

In Episode 94 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Katie Appold, Executive Director of Do More Good & Nonprofit Hub, whose mission is to create and curate content to help nonprofits do more good. Stephen and Katie Appold talk about Cause Camp (September 14-15, 2023), the struggles nonprofits are facing transitioning to a digital fundraising model, and creating great nonprofit boards.

Katie’s nonprofit career includes a variety of leadership roles for human service, foundation, and publishing-related nonprofits as well as many volunteer roles. Under Katie’s leadership, nonprofit organizations have developed new programs related to free healthcare, affordable and accessible housing and literacy programs for K-12 students. In her first Executive Director role, Katie increased the annual revenue of the organization she led by 300% and received the top grant prize in the nation for affordable housing through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. Today, she leads Do More Good, the parent organization of Nonprofit Hub and Cause Camp which collectively serve more than 50,000 nonprofits throughout North America. Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in business administration and a masters degree in nonprofit leadership. Katie is the past board president of Gracious Grounds, a housing organization serving individuals with disabilities. She is an active member of the Grand Rapids Young Nonprofit Professionals, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Cause Network, the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Katie Appold on the struggles nonprofits are facing in transitioning to a digital fundraising model and Cause Camp:

I would say the largest challenge that we're seeing organizations face is a transition to majority digital communication and fundraising. Pre-pandemic in person events like galas, golf outings, and one on one coffee meetings with donors were still happening. Thankfully, those things are coming back, and they're coming back strong, which is wonderful. But over the two years when the pandemic was at its peak, people really had to communicate digitally, and nonprofits had to raise their support digitally. So we're seeing a lot of organizations who are doing the right things, but they need to tweak and perfect and test and learn how to do them better.

Our solution is that we've built this year's Cause Camp's speaker list to address a lot of those issues that we see nonprofits facing. This year we have Dana Snyder, the gal who was the driving force behind Movember, talking about how you can take your mission and make it an online movement. We will also have Nathan Hill talking about how you can communicate to donors why they should give to your mission digitally? Because if you have no other way to connect with a donor other than email, it's crucial to know what you can say and do in that email to 1) make them open it and 2) connect with them in your message. Chris Hammond will also be talking about how nonprofit leaders need a strong personal network to build a strong organization, which I think is something that is often overlooked. Chris is going to talk about how to create that personal network digitally using tools like LinkedIn and connecting with people via text and email to keep relationships strong. Additionally, we have Mark Ostach, who's talking about hybrid work environments for nonprofits and how to make teams thrive.

Jul 20, 202224:26
EP 93 Erin Mote | Executive Director, InnovateEDU

EP 93 Erin Mote | Executive Director, InnovateEDU

In Episode 93 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Erin Mote, Executive Director of InnovateEDU, whose mission is to eliminate the opportunity gap by accelerating innovation in standards aligned, next generation learning models and tools that serve, inform, and enhance teaching and learning. Stephen and Erin Mote talk about creating expertise throughout organizations by including diverse leaders in discussions, giving and receiving social capital to uplift others, and finding the 80% that we have in common to move missions forward without getting stuck on trying to agree 100%.

Erin Mote is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of InnovateEDU. In this role, Erin leads the organization and its major projects including technology product development, work on data interoperability and data systems, and an urban education Fellowship for new educators. She leads the organization’s work on creating uncommon alliances to create systems change - in special education, talent development, and data modernization. An enterprise architect, she created, alongside her team, two of InnovateEDU’s signature technology products - Cortex, a next-generation personalized learning platform, and Landing Zone - a cutting-edge infrastructure as a service data product.

Erin is also the co-founder of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School with her husband Dr. Eric Tucker. She is a recognized leader in technology, mobile, and broadband and has spent much of her career focused on expanding access to technology in the US and abroad. She has led ground-breaking initiatives, including scaling wireless communications to the developing world, developing global and national strategic technology plans, and working with the country’s leading technology companies. Erin has served in an advisory capacity to the White House/OSTP’s US Ignite Initiative, the Obama Administration’s Global Development Innovation Policy, the State Department’s TechCamp program, and the Obama Administration’s intra-agency process for Rio 2.0 and Rio+20. Erin served as the founding Chief of Party for the USAID Global Broadband and Innovations Alliance – a $19.5 million global technology expansion project. Erin has served in senior positions with CHF International and Coulter Companies after starting her career as the Director of External and Strategic Relations for Arizona State University. A recognized leader in alliance building, Erin serves in an advisory capacity for several leading international organizations including Digital Promise, SXSWedu Launch, XPrize, and the Barbara Bush Foundation. She is an Aspen Institute Socrates scholar and a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan.

Erin Mote on creating expertise throughout organizations:

We also believe it's really important to create expertise. Oftentimes one of the things that we'll do is sponsor other leaders to be able to participate in conversations so that it's not always the CEO of an organization that we're inviting to the table. We might invite somebody who's more junior or somebody who hasn't yet had that opportunity to share their voice. This particularly impacts women and people of color. One of the things that we do is stipend folks to participate in some of our projects where we'll be working on large scale infrastructure. We provide a stipend because usually they can only get permission to participate because they're bringing revenue into the organization. It's important for us to always be asking, "how do we expand the social circle we operate in to further increase our alliance building work?"

Interested in listening to the full episode and hearing more from other nonprofits? Check out more episodes here [maxbutton id="3" url="https://www.charitycharge.com/charity-charge-podcasts/" text="Charity Charge Show" ]

Jul 06, 202235:01
EP 92 Terry Beswick | Executive Director, GGBA

EP 92 Terry Beswick | Executive Director, GGBA

In Episode 92 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Terry Beswick, Executive Director of GGBA, whose mission is to champion opportunity, development, and advocacy for our LGBTQ+ & Allied business community. Stephen and Terry Beswick talk about Terry's career in activism and the importance of listening to diverse communities so that strategies are informed by a wide range of lived experiences.

Terry Beswick (he/him) has been executive director of the GGBA since October 15, 2021. At the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, he advocated for HIV/AIDS research and treatment with ACT UP, Project Inform, the Human Rights Campaign and the White House Office of HIV/AIDS Policy. After the advent of effective treatments for HIV, Beswick worked as a journalist for the Bay Area Reporter and other LGBTQ community publications. More recently, he spearheaded a successful campaign to preserve the Castro Country Club for the queer recovery community in San Francisco, co-founded the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and co-chaired the LGBTQ Cultural Heritage Strategy. Beswick was a Community Grand Marshal for the 50th Anniversary San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Parade and Celebration in 2020 and served as Executive Director of the GLBT Historical Society from 2016 to 2021.

Terry Beswick on creating sustainable change with a diverse community:

If there's anything that I've learned throughout my career, it's that the LGBTQ community is kind of a misnomer. Since we're a collection of different communities and subcultures and what brings us together are our gender and sexuality differences from the "Norm" and the experiences that we've had around that. Therefore, bringing all these different communities and cultures together to have impact on creating change is often a challenge. What I've learned is that listening and collecting people's ideas to navigate the differences of opinion and approach is always important to overcoming the challenge of community organizing. San Francisco is notorious for being extremely divided around the best approach to effecting change and I think that listening allows the space for any new idea to emerge from the people who are most directly affected. That way the affected communities feel ownership over the solution. Directing things from on high has never worked, in terms of creating sustainable change.

Interested in listening to the full episode and hearing more from other nonprofits? Check out more episodes here [maxbutton id="3" url="https://www.charitycharge.com/charity-charge-podcasts/" text="Charity Charge Show" ]

Jun 22, 202236:04
EP 91 David Street | Strategic Director of Next Gen Leadership, Bread for the World

EP 91 David Street | Strategic Director of Next Gen Leadership, Bread for the World

In Episode 91 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to David Street, Strategic Director Next Gen Organizing of Bread for the World, whose mission is to be a collective Christian voice urging our nation's leaders to end hunger at home and abroad. Stephen and David Street talk about the mission of Bread for the World, Street's work with adolescence and social media through his nonprofit P.E.N. (Promote, Enrich and Nurture) DMV, and the process of setting up a new nonprofit.

David Street is a native of Washington, D.C. and has over 13 years of grassroots organizing and engagement experience. He also serves as the Strategic Director of Next Gen Leadership for Bread for the World. Outside of his work in the organizing space, Street also serves as the Executive Director for P.E.N. (Promote, Enrich and Nurture) DMV, a non-profit that specializes in mentoring and social media training with high school students and aspiring leaders living in Washington, D.C. Street received his Bachelors in Political Science from North Carolina A & T State University and holds a Masters in Theology from Wesley Theological Seminary.

David Street on starting a nonprofit:

It took me about a year to get my nonprofit off the ground; because I interviewed people who had already set up nonprofits, who were already in a similar space, and I just asked a whole bunch of questions. I did about 8-10 interviews with people who had small to medium sized nonprofits. I've been working in nonprofits all my life so I was able to tap into the vast set of knowledge that my colleagues have. I also did other types of research, along with bringing people together and asking questions. After this year of research, we then filed the paperwork and all the other legal aspects. Since we took the time beforehand we already knew what our mission was going to be and who from that advisory board during the planning process would transfer into the board of directors. In that time we also had acquired seed funding, so it wasn't just like we only existed on paper, we had actually acquired some funding from a couple of local churches. I would advise others to do their homework, reach out to people and don't just jump in there; figure out if you have a niche and if there isn't a niche, create one.

Jun 08, 202225:15
EP 90 Dr. Noeen Malik | CEO & Founder, Scientudio Inc.

EP 90 Dr. Noeen Malik | CEO & Founder, Scientudio Inc.

In Episode 90 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Dr. Noeen Malik, CEO & Founder of Scientudio Inc., whose mission is bridging the gaps in Global Welfare program under Endorse Hope, community wellbeing is at the forefront of what they're working towards together. Scientudio believes that a single action can make a difference in society, and collaborative actions can greatly impact the world. Stephen and Dr. Noeen Malik talk about her background and extensive experience working with nonprofits, along with Endorse Hope and Great Lakes Peace Center Global Welfare Campaign to contribute towards girl children's school retention through improved menstrual hygiene and sanitation management.

Dr Noeen Malik is a nuclear medicine scientist (expertise: drug discovery and PET/CT imaging), a published author, a business strategist, the Executive Director of Public Affairs at GIANT (Global Immunization Action Networking Team; with WHO-UN), California, and a Research Scientist in MIPS at Stanford School of Medicine. Recently, she founded a small pharma-consultancy firm, Scientudio Inc. Scientudio launched a hands-on business internship program designed to impart to students and early-career phase scientists the relevant skills-set to thrive in the industrial sector. As an executive director of public affairs and infrastructure committee member of GIANT, she works together with WHO/UN in collaboration with 20 countries globally to bring awareness about immunization/vaccines. The volunteer work she does includes human rights activism with Amnesty International, IRC, and IYC-UN and fundraising for SOS Children’s Village. Besides, her philanthropy venture, "Endorse Hope", which focuses especially on under-developed countries to support their efforts in building up their internal capacity. She is also a cartoonist designing the Science Myths Playing Deck: Concept and artwork, science illustrator & communicator. Being a scientist, her duties revolve around managing bench work to preclinical evaluations to cGMP production of clinical radiopharmaceuticals and facilitating the commercialization of innovations. In her spare time, she loves photography, cartooning, hiking, and kayaking.

Dr. Noeen Malik on Endorse Hope and Great Lakes Peace Center Global Welfare Campaign providing sanitary pads to girl children:

The problem there is that girls who are going to school cannot afford branded sanitary pads that are either reusable or disposable. What they have to do during their menstruation days is stay at home. With needing to stay home each month these girls get far behind in their curriculum. Sometimes schools do support them by providing extra teaching assistance, but of course, the teachers are also working on limited salaries so they cannot provide that much extra assistance. Then what happens is these girls ultimately either drop out of school to earn money or sit at home during their menstruation days and fall further behind in their education. This Global Welfare Campaign supports the Great Lakes Peace Center who actually distributes the sanitation kits from school to school. They teach the girls how to make their own homemade, hygienic reusable sanitary pads and these kits are good for one year, greatly supporting the girl's in their pursuit of education.

Interested in listening to the full episode and hearing more from other nonprofits? Check out more episodes here [maxbutton id="3" url="https://www.charitycharge.com/charity-charge-podcasts/" text="Charity Charge Show" ]

May 25, 202225:27
EP 89 Thomas Canavan | Executive Director, National Law Enforcement Museum

EP 89 Thomas Canavan | Executive Director, National Law Enforcement Museum

In Episode 89 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Thomas Canavan, Executive Director of National Law Enforcement Museum, whose mission is to honor the role of law enforcement, in service to society, by recognizing the sacrifices and valor of law enforcement, educating the community, and making it safer for those who serve. Stephen and Thomas Canavan talk about the effect of COVID-19 on the National Law Enforcement Museum and how CALEB (Community Alliances and Law Enforcement Bulletin Network) is bringing communities and law enforcement together.

Thomas Canavan is the Executive Director of the National Law Enforcement Museum and beginning in late 2019 began refocusing the Museum into what it is today…a place that honors the history and heroism of law enforcement officers. Thomas leads the Museum’s operations which includes exhibitions, education, outreach, and fostering strategic partnerships, all of which focuses on telling the story of American law enforcement.

Thomas is an accomplished non-profit professional with leadership expertise in developing exhibitions as well as educational and outreach programs that focus on building thriving communities. His experience includes establishing collaborative program environments; development and oversight of innovative educational programming; and cultivating strategic partnerships and alliances between local government, corporate sector, and nonprofit organizations. He holds a Master of Science, Arts Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art from the University of Maryland.

Thomas Canavan on using social media to bring communities and law enforcement together:

After the death of George Floyd, there was a lot of unrest around the country, and the relationship between communities and law enforcement, in certain places, was very strained. In this environment we as an organization we were thinking about our platform, and the connections that we have to the law enforcement community as a whole and wanted to see if it were possible to pull together best practices within that community on a national level. We ended up creating CALEB (Community Alliances and Law Enforcement Bulletin Network) a national bulletin board, where we invited people to post what works in their communities to see if we could make something positive happen. Once we had collected a lot of ideas, we saw that a lot of engagement was happening in other parts of the country. Overall we wanted to create a social media platform that was built and designed so that the law enforcement community and the public could come together to have a dialogue about what's working in their communities. We want to help pull all this information for the benefit of engagement with law enforcement who are really busy, working long hours in long stretches of days in a row. CALEB is a really great project and we're hoping that more people will hear about it and start to participate.

May 11, 202235:05
EP 88 Nora Super | Executive Director, Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging

EP 88 Nora Super | Executive Director, Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging

In Episode 88 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Nora Super, Executive Director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, whose mission is to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. Stephen and Nora Super talk about the importance of support for our aging population, being an effective leader through vulnerability, and creating policies aligned with the needs of those with lived experiences.

Nora Super is the executive director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging. In this role, Super provides strategic direction for two primary focus areas: Healthy Longevity and Financial Wellness. In 2020, Super launched the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care, which seeks to transform and improve the complex health and long-term care systems that people at risk for and living with dementia must navigate. Super is a respected thought leader, frequent speaker, and prolific writer on healthy longevity and the economic and social impact of global population aging. From 2014 to 2016, Super served as the executive director of the White House Conference on Aging, where she received wide recognition for her nationwide efforts to improve the lives of older Americans. She has also held leadership roles at the US Department of Health and Human Services, AARP, Kaiser Permanente, and USAging.

Nora Super on the importance of involving those with lived experiences in policy creation:
It's important to us to always make sure that we have people with lived experience as part of all the policy decisions we have. We make many policy recommendations and we want to make sure in all those conversations that we have someone who's living with dementia themselves or a caregiver of someone who's living with dementia to give us their real experience and feedback. This input stress tests the policies because sometimes people in government or research institutions think a policy will work on the ground but the people who are living with this may see issues we didn't so they will tell us, this makes a difference to them, or no. We get a lot of good feedback about what's too complicated, what's helpful, what they wish they had known earlier and those comments help drive our work.

Apr 27, 202247:31
EP 87 Robert Freiri | Executive Director, Gateway Center of Monterey County

EP 87 Robert Freiri | Executive Director, Gateway Center of Monterey County

In Episode 87 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Robert Feiri, Executive Director of Gateway Center of Monterey County, whose mission is to serve adults with Developmental Disabilities by fully supporting their individual rights and choices, and empowering them to live full and productive lives with dignity and independence within the community. Stephen and Robert Feiri talk about sustaining motivation through challenging times, breaking old habits to bring future successes, and the importance of a peer support system.

Robert Freiri is the Executive Director of Gateway Center of Monterey County. He has been a nonprofit Executive Director for 23 years including seven years as Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director and seven years as the Executive Director of Chamberlain’s Children Center. Robert has also been a Nonprofit Manager for 35 years.

Robert Feiri on sustaining motivation in challenging times:

I think that what always kept me going is the focus on our mission, to make sure that even if it's been a tough day or we didn't win that day, that we're still on track to succeed at our mission and meet the needs of our clients. For me, when it's been a rough day I make sure that before I leave, I'll walk into the residential facility and spend 20 minutes with one or two of the residents. That always reminds me why I'm here and why we all do the good work that we do. That's what recharges me more than anything so that I can be ready to go and hit the challenges the next day. In the end it's really about the people that you serve and if you're doing a good job with that, your batteries will stay charged.

Apr 14, 202221:50
EP 86 Jason Watters | CFO, GiveDirectly

EP 86 Jason Watters | CFO, GiveDirectly

In Episode 86 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Jason Watters, CFO of GiveDirectly, whose mission is letting donors send money directly to the world’s poorest households. They believe people living in poverty deserve the dignity to choose for themselves how best to improve their lives — cash enables that choice. Stephen and Jason Watters talk about GiveDirectly's innovations in technology to increase efficiency of donations from donor to recipient, the importance of financial transparency in the nonprofit sector, and being a respectful guest when working with countries, governments, and citizens to develop trust.

Jason holds a B.S. in Finance from Georgia State University and an MBA in Finance and Economics from the New York University, and joined GiveDirectly from a long string of Private Equity and Venture Capital backed technology companies, most recently Imbellus, Inc. and has served in a variety of CFO, COO, and Chief Innovation Officer roles. Jason started his career with a short stint at the US Department of the Treasury and a decade at McKinsey & Company.

Jason on GiveDirectly's commitment to financial transparency:
We make the claim, "90 cents of every dollar you give us goes into the hand of a recipient, unconditionally" and we've done an amazing job historically, providing transparency into that claim. However, about six months ago, in the context of the UN putting a call out to Elon Musk for $6 billion to help with a food program. There was a conversation about transparency, and proving that if Elon was to give $6 billion, it's not going to be run off by middlemen or spent on things other than what it was intended for. Elon Musk coined the term open source accounting which I think is a very good idea. This discourse sparked our team to ask ourselves the question, "Are we as transparent as we could be?" and ultimately, "Is there any reason that we wouldn't give audit rights to all of our stakeholders, donors, recipients, and governments we operate with to let them examine the books the same way that we would an investor?" After discussing internally it took 24 hours for the entire executive team to say, "Yes, we want to put all of our audit papers out publicly. We want to create a system where anybody can explore our transaction data and not only know where the 10% which doesn't go to recipients ends up." Now we're actively working on this open source accounting with our AWS partners to create a data exploration tool where anybody can go and look at how we spend our money, which recipients the money goes to, the salaries of the executive team and our staff, and what vendors we choose to do certain things. Also, should you happen to be a particular donor, we're shooting towards a world in which you can track your specific dollars, all the way through our system, to specific recipients on the other end. For example, we told you your money is going into Rwanda, so we want to show the 230 people that got your money and their stories of what they did with the money. This will also include accountability where we say, 1% of the money was lost to fraud, and one percent is pretty good, but still we didn't run that program perfectly. This will give donors the ability to make an educated choice on whether to give to us again, and whether to trust us with their money.

Mar 30, 202237:37
EP 85 Holly Wissmann | Director of Philanthropy, Breakthrough Central Texas & President, AFP Greater Austin Chapter

EP 85 Holly Wissmann | Director of Philanthropy, Breakthrough Central Texas & President, AFP Greater Austin Chapter

In Episode 85 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Holly Wissmann, Director of Philanthropy of Breakthrough Central Texas & President of AFP Greater Austin Chapter, whose mission is to facilitate ethical and effective philanthropy in Central Texas. The members of the Greater Austin Chapter represent a cross-section of professionals who serve the diverse nonprofit organizations of the Austin community. Stephen and Holly Wissmann talk about Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Austin Chapter's Philanthropy Day that is coming up March 24, 2022 along with AFP's commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) locally and globally and the paradigm shift happening in the non-profit sector from donor-centered to community-centered fundraising.

Holly Wissmann leads AFP's major gifts program and has helped grow the individual giving program from $500,000 to $3 million annually, serving more than 2,600 students on their path to becoming first-generation college graduates. Having experienced the transformative impact of higher education on her own family, Holly is honored to have the opportunity to pay forward that gift every day, serving on a team dedicated to educational equity and partnering with students and families to realize their college dreams. Prior to joining the Breakthrough family in 2013, Holly served for seven years at ZACH Theatre, where she was on the team responsible for the Topfer Theatre Capital Campaign. A proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Terry Scholar alumna, she holds a B.B.A. in Marketing and B.A. in Dance and serves on the Terry Foundation Alumni Advisory Board. In her 11 years as an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Holly has served in a variety of volunteer and leadership roles, including Philanthropy Day Chair and current President of the Greater Austin Chapter. In her personal time, she performs with East Austin-based, AZTLAN Dance Company, her artistic home for 16 years, and loves spending time with her partner, Fabian, and their fur babies, Xochi, Xico, and Ivan.

Mar 16, 202227:16
EP 84 Janet Torres | CEO, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

EP 84 Janet Torres | CEO, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas

In Episode 84 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Janet Torres, CEO of Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, whose mission is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through holistic literacy services. Stephen and Janet talk about the importance of connecting with staff members while working remotely and why radical vulnerability is a key leadership skill.

Janet Torres works as Chief Executive Officer at The Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Janet is a proven leader with an outstanding track record of public service, business and programmatic acumen, and the ability to bring people together. With over 20 years of public service as a legislative attorney, policy advisor, she has held various senior management positions in government/community engagement with global nonprofits such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, The New York Botanical Garden, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and most recently as Executive Director of The Kindness Campaign. Torres holds a B.A. in Political Science, Economics and Public Administration from Fordham University, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Janet Torres on why vulnerability is an important leadership skill:

I find that as a leader, I think you're always tempted to say, "I'm fine, everything's great." To give this outward impression of strength and that you know what you're doing. Even though sometimes you're really thinking, "I'm terrified. I don't know if I'm making the right decision or I'm just going to make a decision because I'm going to have to make a decision." What I think is important when talking about self care and burnout is that I've started practicing radical vulnerability with my board and my team, where it's okay for me to say, "You know what, I'm feeling burnt out." or "You know what? I may not have all the answers and I get scared too sometimes." That's been a game changer for us. It's scary to do because sometimes I think leaders may be afraid to be vulnerable since they're thinking that doing so will end with people respecting them less because they admit they don't have all the answers. I disagree with that. I've found that radical vulnerability as a leadership skill has actually benefited me and has humanized me to my staff and my board members; which then allows me to empathize and work with them more closely because they're open to being vulnerable in return.

Feb 16, 202249:37
EP 83 Rebecca Powers | Author & Founder, Impact Austin

EP 83 Rebecca Powers | Author & Founder, Impact Austin

In Episode 83 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Rebecca Powers, Author of Trust Your Cape & Founder of Impact Austin, whose mission is to cultivate and expand the knowledge, passion, and generosity of their members to make a positive impact by developing strong relationships and leveraging the power of collective giving. Stephen and Rebecca Powers talk about her new book Trust Your Cape that chronicles her journey of starting, building, leading and then letting go of Impact Austin.

In 2003, Rebecca Warren Powers lost her brother and, as a result, founded Impact Austin, a collective giving organization that brings women and their financial resources together to make a profound impact in Central Texas. Rebecca has received multiple awards recognizing her leadership and speaks nationally along with mentoring women in cities across the US as they form their own collectives. Rebecca is well-known in Austin, Texas, for her philanthropic passion and empowering women to help others. She graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1976 and worked as a sales rep for IBM for 14 years before retiring to raise her children. Rebecca and her husband live in Austin, Texas. They have two grown children, a wonderful son-in-law, and one perfect grandson.

Rebecca on what she learned when letting go of Impact Austin:

I always said that the day, the pain of running Impact Austin, was more than the joy that I got from it was the day it was time for me to retire because that meant what I loved doing and what I was good at doing was no longer what Impact Austin needed. When I did step down it was time for us to hire someone because no one was going to do what I did as the founder for free and work all those hours which meant that we became a different kind of organization, we had an employee, and that transition was messy. We had several missteps in that and it was hard for me to let go of my baby, but it was never my intention for Impact Austin to be "Rebecca's Impact Austin"; it needed to be the community. However, it was hard for me to let go of it when I didn't feel like it was able to blossom and fly on it's own. In hindsight, I should have let go a little easier than I did. Luckily I always had good people around me who called me to attention, and that's what you need is for people who are tough saying, "This isn't your place anymore. This is what we need, and this is how we're going to move forward." I was grateful for the people who told me that. Now I know Impact Austin is thriving without me because there are members now who are like, "I've heard of Rebecca Powers but I'm not sure I've ever seen her or if I just know the name." Which to me is like, "Yay, I'm not seen as an influence, and keeping my thumb on the organization." But it's hard to let go of your baby, I think it was harder to let go of Impact Austin than to let each of my kids go off to college.

Feb 03, 202241:21
EP 82: Kim Langbecker | Executive Director, Sacred Fire Foundation

EP 82: Kim Langbecker | Executive Director, Sacred Fire Foundation

In Episode 82 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Kim Langbecker, Executive Director of the Sacred Fire Foundation, with the mission to ensure the continuance of Indigenous wisdom traditions and to expand awareness of how and why these worldviews and their embodied values are crucial to modern society. Stephen and Kim discuss her unique background, working with indigenous communities, and her hopes for a post-pandemic world.

Kim Langbecker has more than twenty years of experience working in the social sector as an Executive Director, Event Producer and Strategic Development Consultant. Her ED experience includes Terra Conservation Initiative, and two non-profits which she founded: Indigenous Land Rights Fund and Journey to the Heart. Prior to her work in the world of social change, Kim enjoyed nearly 20 years in the music business as a promotion executive, working with five major labels. No matter where her journey has taken her and for as long as she can remember, she has been drawn to Indigenous cultures. Kim believes very strongly that now more than ever we have much to learn from our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Kim lives with her partner and a variety of wild creatures who frequent their home in the hills above Santa Fe, NM.

Jan 19, 202225:54
EP 81 Brad Voss | Executive Director, Made in the Streets

EP 81 Brad Voss | Executive Director, Made in the Streets

In Episode 81 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Brad Voss, Executive Director of Made in the Streets, whose mission is to love and serve children from the streets of Nairobi, Kenya - meeting their physical, emotional & spiritual needs; loving them fully; equipping them to earn a living & sending them out to a new life. Brad and Stephen talk about fundraising, seeing donors as a customer, and the benefits and drawbacks of running an NGO in Kenya from an office in Texas.

Brad comes to MITS with twenty years of valuable experience as a youth minister, preacher, consultant, and leader. Brad is passionate about developing the natural skills and talents of his team, so that together they can achieve their mission to love and serve street kids, in Kenya, across Africa, and around the world. Brad lives in North Richland Hills, TX, with his wife, Shannon, and their two children, Phoebe and Judson, where they all play an active role in their local church, schools, and community. Brad is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, where he earned two degrees: a BS in Communications and a MA in Religion.

Jan 05, 202233:60
EP 80 Jim Starr | President and CEO of America’s Charities

EP 80 Jim Starr | President and CEO of America’s Charities

In Episode 80 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Jim Starr, president and CEO of America’s Charities, which inspires employees and organizations to support the causes they care about. Stephen and Jim discuss corporate giving and new trends in fundraising.

An accomplished leader with more than 30 years of experience and a proven track record in the nonprofit and healthcare sectors, Jim has served in national and field executive leadership roles with multi-million dollar revenue and expense targets. He also brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, business development, and partnerships. Prior to joining America’s Charities, Jim served the mission of the American Red Cross in a variety of senior leadership roles that touched every aspect of Red Cross services. Jim holds an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a BA in Organizational Communications from George Mason University.

Dec 22, 202134:58
EP 79 George Weiner | Founder and CEO of Whole Whale

EP 79 George Weiner | Founder and CEO of Whole Whale

In Episode 79 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to George Weiner, Founder and CEO (or Chief Whaler) of Whole Whale, a digital agency that leverages data and tech to increase the impact of nonprofits and for-benefit companies. George and Stephen discuss digital advertising and its benefits for nonprofits, plus the 2021 Nonprofit Advertising Benchmark Study.

Prior to Whole Whale, George was the CTO of DoSomething.org. Over the course of 7 years, he managed the platform overhaul of DoSomething.org twice (winning a Webby Award) and helped to build a community of over 1.5 million young people taking action. Realizing that much of DoSomething’s success was owed to smart, lean use of many democratized tech tools (including Google Analytics and the Google Ad Grant), George founded Whole Whale with the goal of helping nonprofits both storied and start-up to move their missions forward with the tools at hand. He is also the co-founder of Power Poetry, the largest teen poetry platform in the U.S, a safe, creative, free home to over 500k poets.

Dec 08, 202126:42
EP 78 Brandolon Barnett | Author & Director at Salesforce.org

EP 78 Brandolon Barnett | Author & Director at Salesforce.org

In Episode 78 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Brandolon Barnett, Author of Dreams Deferred and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Industry Solutions for the Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud. They discuss Brandolon’s new book, the Great Resignation, and breaking down existing silos of work and social responsibility.

Brandolon is also the Founder of Democratize Ventures, a project which helps entrepreneurs of color in DC & New York through mentorship, product advice, and annual angel investments. He also holds an MA in International Studies with a specialization in International Economics from the University of London SOAS. Previous roles include NGO and foundation work managing programs in the realm of environmental sustainability, cultural heritage, and economic development in major US markets and on the ground in 5 countries.

Nov 10, 202135:60
EP 77 Nancy Kriegel | Executive Director, Yad Chessed

EP 77 Nancy Kriegel | Executive Director, Yad Chessed

In Episode 77 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Nancy Kriegel, Executive Director of Yad Chessed, with the mission to provide emergency financial assistance to Jewish people in need while preserving the dignity of each client. The funds they distribute for food, medical expenses, shelter and other essentials, as well as their guidance, help alleviate economic distress and move each client toward a more hopeful future.

Nancy J. Kriegel joined Yad Chessed as Executive Director in December of 2019. Prior to her current role, Nancy worked at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) in senior positions overseeing efforts to strengthen area Jewish Day Schools. Previous to CJP, Nancy was a founder and co-president of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education. Before dedicating her career to Jewish communal service, Nancy was a practicing attorney with degrees from Boston College Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. Nancy lives in Sharon, MA, with her husband and has three young adult children.

Oct 27, 202145:29
EP 76 Karen Lee | CEO of Pioneer Human Services

EP 76 Karen Lee | CEO of Pioneer Human Services

In Episode 76 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Karen Lee, CEO of Pioneer Human Services, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit social-enterprise organizations in the United States. Pioneer provides career paths and living wage jobs for a population many disregard. There they believe every person has value and potential and their work is centered on helping them realize both.

Under Karen’s leadership, Pioneer successfully operates several revenue-generating businesses that provide living wage jobs to mission-related employees and help fund its mission of empowering people who have been involved in the legal system to build healthy, productive lives. Headquartered in Seattle, Pioneer serves over 10,000 people a year through its diversion, treatment, housing and job training programs. Karen is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Oct 13, 202140:04
EP 75 Stephanie Gripne | Founder & Executive Director, Impact Finance Center

EP 75 Stephanie Gripne | Founder & Executive Director, Impact Finance Center

In Episode 75 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Stephanie Gripne, Founder and Executive Director of the Impact Finance Center. The IFC is a multi-university nonprofit academic center that identifies, trains, and activates individuals and organizations to become impact investors, helping them better align their assets with their values. Stephen and Stephanie talk about educating investors and rethinking nonprofit finance.

Dr. Stephanie Gripne is an academic entrepreneur, impact investor, researcher, educator & the creative force behind Impact Finance Center, Impact Investing Institute, Investor Clubs, Impact Investing Giving Circles, and Who’s Who in Impact Investing and the vision to catalyze the National Impact Investing Marketplace to catalyze $1T of investment. Stephanie founded Impact Finance Center in 2012. Stephanie sets the vision and provides leadership for the entire organization while focusing on business development, client engagement, and industry thought leadership through her research, writing, and speaking.

Sep 29, 202133:51
Ep 74 Kenzie Ferguson | VP, Foundation & Corporate Social Responsibility, Delta Dental of California

Ep 74 Kenzie Ferguson | VP, Foundation & Corporate Social Responsibility, Delta Dental of California

In Episode 74 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks about corporate social responsibility and thinking like a VC with Kenzie Ferguson, Vice President, Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility for Delta Dental of California and the Vice President of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies. Its mission is to increase access to oral health care, fund oral health education and support organizations that serve vital needs in our communities. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Prior to joining Delta Dental, Kenzie was consulting with nonprofits and women-owned small businesses in Morocco and France and was TE Connectivity’s first Director of Corporate Social Responsibility. Kenzie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, a Master of Business Administration degree from Nyenrode University, and is a PhD student at the International School of Business in Paris.

Sep 15, 202134:27
Ep 73: Marc Pollick | Founder & President, The Giving Back Fund

Ep 73: Marc Pollick | Founder & President, The Giving Back Fund

In Episode 73 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Marc Pollick, Founder & President of the Giving Back Fund. The Giving Back Fund (GBF) is a national nonprofit organization that encourages and facilitates charitable giving by professional athletes, celebrities, high net worth individuals, existing nonprofit organizations, corporations and others who truly desire to give back. They provide philanthropic consulting, management and administrative services while operating as a flexible, convenient vehicle for establishing individual foundations and fiscally sponsored projects under a governance structure like that of a community foundation. Stephen and Marc talk about Marc’s journey from Holocaust scholar to founding the Giving Back Fund and how nonprofits can search for efficiencies in their field.

Marc Pollick is an internationally recognized speaker, writer and consultant on philanthropy and charitable giving, who has guided the philanthropic efforts of an impressive clientele of celebrities, professional athletes, high net worth individuals and corporations. Prior to entering the philanthropic world, Marc had an extensive career in academic Holocaust Studies, working with 1986 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Elie Wiesel. He was Founding Executive Director of the Zachor Institute for Holocaust Studies and founded The Elie Wiesel Institute for Humanitarian Studies.

Sep 01, 202144:18
Ep 72 Ken Tsunoda | VP of Development & Network, TechSoup

Ep 72 Ken Tsunoda | VP of Development & Network, TechSoup

In Episode 72 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Ken Tsunoda, Vice President of Development and Network for TechSoup. TechSoup equips changemakers with transformative technology solutions and skills they need to improve lives globally and locally and their mission is to build a dynamic bridge that enables civil society organizations and social change agents around the world to gain effective access to the resources they need to design and implement technology solutions for a more equitable planet. Ken and Stephen talked about TechSoup’s Direct Public Offering (DPO), an opportunity for individuals and funds to be part of the growth of TechSoup. More information about the DPO can be found at techsoup.org/investor by emailing invest@techsoup.org

Ken was previously General Manager of NGOsource, the game-changing service that revolutionizes global philanthropy for U.S. grantmakers. A project of the Council on Foundations and TechSoup, NGOsource is an online service that certifies NGOs as equivalent to U.S. public charities through a process called equivalency determination. Ken’s career has included management roles in non-profit organizations, VC-backed technology start-ups and leading global firms. Prior to TechSoup Global, he served as Executive Director of Sager Family Foundation, which incubated start-up social ventures in conflict areas, including Rwanda, the West Bank, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ken earned a B.A. with honors in Physics from Harvard University, and an M.P.P. degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Aug 19, 202133:43
Ep 71 Jonathon Nevett | President & CEO, Public Interest Registry

Ep 71 Jonathon Nevett | President & CEO, Public Interest Registry

In Episode 71 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Jonathon Nevett, President & CEO of the Public Interest Registry (PIR), with the mission to empower, through the Internet, those who are dedicated to improving our world. As long as you have a mission, PIR can help you make it go live online. Stephen and Jon talk about why your nonprofit should have a “.org” domain and how PIR works to maintain the trust that a “.org” conveys. If you see a fraudulent use of a dot-org URL, please report it to abuse@pir.org

Jon Nevett is a veteran of the domain name industry. He co-founded Donuts Inc. in 2010 and helped to raise in excess of $150M to form a registry of over 240 Internet domain extensions. Jon is also a founding Board member of the Domain Name Association, the domain name industry’s trade association. Previously, Jon served as Senior Vice President at Network Solutions, where he was responsible for policy, government affairs, registry relations, and the corporate ethics office.

Aug 05, 202130:19
EP 70: Baron Jay Littleton | Founder & President of the Baron Jay Foundation

EP 70: Baron Jay Littleton | Founder & President of the Baron Jay Foundation

In Episode 70 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Baron Jay Littleton, President and Founder of the Baron Jay Foundation, with the mission to motivate and empower economically disadvantaged individuals — especially youth — to become productive and contributing members of society. They discuss the power of mentorship and Mr. Littleton’s decision to start his own foundation.

Baron Jay Littleton founded the Baron Jay Family Foundation in 2004 to give back to disadvantaged communities in ways that can truly make a difference. He is committed to using his business savvy, experience as a motivational speaker, and celebrity image as a positive role model to uplifting disadvantaged youth, especially in urban America and in Africa. Mr. Littleton believes that computer literacy – along with English skills development and financial literacy – are keys to closing the global digital divide.

Jun 30, 202135:28
Ep 69: Daniella Genas | Founder of She’s The Boss

Ep 69: Daniella Genas | Founder of She’s The Boss

In Episode 69 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Daniella Genas, Founder of She’s The Boss, a business advisory service that equips ambitious entrepreneurs with the tools, guidance and accountability to build profitable, sustainable, systems driven businesses. Daniella and Stephen discuss how social enterprises and nonprofits can benefit from strategic planning and thinking like a start-up.

Daniella launched her first successful business in 2007 and her second business in 2014. She sold both businesses in 2015. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavours, Daniella lists University Lecturer, Charity Trustee and Visiting Industrial Fellow as roles in her portfolio career. She has an MBA (Advance Strategy & Innovation) and Masters in Enterprise, in addition to her entrepreneurial experience and formal business training.

Jun 24, 202139:20
EP 68 Lisa Newcomb | Executive Director, Quest Therapeutic Services

EP 68 Lisa Newcomb | Executive Director, Quest Therapeutic Services

In Episode 68 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Lisa Newcomb, Executive Director of Quest Therapeutic Services, whose mission is to provide exceptional pediatric therapy services to enhance the lives of children with disabilities in the Delaware Valley. Stephen and Lisa talk about insurance gaps, how to plan for an unexpected pandemic, and how Charity Charge is helping NGOs feel get away from feeling "less than" in banking relationships.

Quest Therapeutic provides a range of therapy services, including early intervention, occupational and physical therapy, and hippotherapy, also known as equine-assisted therapy, in which the therapist uses the horse as part of an overall treatment plan to achieve specific functional goals, such as improving postural control, balance, sensory integration, and/or walking.

Lisa Newcomb joined Quest Therapeutic Services as the Executive Director in February, 2017. Lisa has held numerous positions in the non-profit sector over the past twenty years, both professionally and as a volunteer. Prior to her arrival at Quest, Lisa was the Executive Director at the Melanoma International Foundation for over a decade, managing events, donors and corporate relationships. She volunteered for Make-A-Wish and served on various boards like The Giving Tree.  Lisa is passionate about serving her community, loves to read and enjoys spending time with her husband and three grown children.

Jun 16, 202136:14
EP 67 Claas Ehlers | CEO, Family Promise

EP 67 Claas Ehlers | CEO, Family Promise

In Episode 67 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Claas Ehlers, CEO of Family Promise, whose mission is to help families experiencing homelessness and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response. Claas and Stephen talk about how homeless prevention and diversion make fiscal sense, how anyone can use their special skills as a volunteer, and Family Promise's transition from their founder as CEO to Claas in 2016.

A graduate of New York University, Claas worked in video production, publishing, business development, and advertising while also teaching English as an adjunct professor at two local community colleges. From his work with low-income students, he saw first-hand the struggle of families to change their economic circumstances.

In 2002, he was able to align his passion for social justice with his career, joining Family Promise to lead a project to diversify the faith groups involved in its programs. In January of 2016 became the second president in the organization’s 28-year history. Outside of work, Claas’s interests include running, hiking, the New York Mets, music, and cooking. He lives in Mountainside, NJ with his wife, Ellen Pluta, a professor at Stern School of Business at NYU and has three children: Arabella, Luke, and Colette.

Jun 07, 202147:58
EP 66 Tim Kachuriak | Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter

EP 66 Tim Kachuriak | Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter

In Episode 66 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Tim Kachuriak, Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter, whose mission is to decode what works in digital fundraising and then equip nonprofits with that knowledge to fulfill our vision to unleash the most generous generation in the world.NextAfter combines the perpetual learning of a fundraising research lab, the practical application of a digital-first agency, and the rigorous instruction of a training institute.

Tim started in the digital advertising before he transitioned into the digital fundraising field. He is the author of multiple books on nonprofit fundraising, has trained organizations around the world in fundraising optimization, and is a frequent speaker at international nonprofit conferences. Tim is also the co-founder and board member for the Human Coalition, a member of the board of directors for Open Doors USA, an Advisory Board Member for the SMU Digital Accelerator, Advisory Board Member for Kids Prosper Kids, and an Advisory Board Member for the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact. He lives in Prosper, TX with his wife Rebecca and their four children.

Jun 01, 202135:40
EP 65 Marc Rand | Executive Director, American Nonprofits

EP 65 Marc Rand | Executive Director, American Nonprofits

In Episode 65 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Marc Rand, Managing Partner of Community Capital Advisors and Executive Director of American Nonprofits. Their discussion covers a range of issues in nonprofit finance, including credit unions, community foundations, and donor advised funds.

Marc Rand began his career in commercial banking, mostly international banking. After a few years of this, he did a “little soul cleansing” by joining the Peace Corps, where he helped open credit unions in western Romania. He is the former Program Director for or Loans and Affordable Housing at the Marin Community Foundation, where he developed one of the nation’s first donor development strategies connected to impact investing.

May 26, 202139:34
EP 64 Gabrielle Magid | Founder & CEO, Stronger Than Stigma

EP 64 Gabrielle Magid | Founder & CEO, Stronger Than Stigma

In episode 64 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Gabrielle Magid, Founder and CEO of Stronger Than Stigma, with a mission to empower, inspire, and support those struggling with mental health issues and the people who care about them.

In 2013, Gabrielle Magid, then a student at The University of Florida, noticed that despite free counseling being offered on college campuses, students weren’t going. Students struggled alone and in silence. Back then, just talking about the subject of mental health was brave. Then it became trendy. But young people needed more than talk. They needed action and advocacy. Stronger Than Stigma was born from these beliefs. Gabrielle graduated from the University of Florida. The day after her graduation, Stronger Than Stigma was granted 501(c)3 status from the IRS.

May 18, 202154:48
EP 63 Rachel Hand | Executive Director, Family Promise North Shore Boston

EP 63 Rachel Hand | Executive Director, Family Promise North Shore Boston

In episode 63 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Rachel Hand, Executive Director at Family Promise North Shore Boston, one of more than 200 affiliates of Family Promise with the mission of housing families and helping them get back on their feet.

Rachel Hand joined Family Promise North Shore Boston as the Executive Director in January of 2019. She spent the previous decade working in the field of homeless services. Her prior jobs include on-the-ground direct service with individuals experiencing homelessness, intake coordination and case management for recently housed individuals, and working to assess and place individuals and families into permanent supportive housing for the City of Cambridge.

May 11, 202159:33
EP 62 Julia Warren | Founder & Executive Director at Celebrate RVA

EP 62 Julia Warren | Founder & Executive Director at Celebrate RVA

In episode 62 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Julia Warren, Founder & Executive Director at Celebrate RVA, with the mission to give disadvantaged children a memorable birthday celebration in a safe and fun environment.

She currently serves as the Executive Director and is a firm believer in the power of a celebration and how joy can impact a child’s heart. Passionate about creating meaningful impact, Julia also works closely with corporate and small business sponsors to help create a culture of community, giving, and philanthropy. She has been named as one of STYLE Weekly’s 2019 Top 40 Under 40, The Prospect’s 20 Under 20, The Law Firm of Allen & Allen’s 2015 Hometown Heroes, and Richmond Inno’s Top 25 under 25. 

Apr 28, 202139:08
EP 61 Chad Hickey | Founder & CEO at Givsly

EP 61 Chad Hickey | Founder & CEO at Givsly

In episode 61 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Chad Hickey, Founder & CEO of Givsly, whose mission is to inspire and develop new ways professionals can give back by connecting for-profits.

Headquartered in New York City, Givsly is a for-purpose company built around the belief that as the world around us evolves, so should our options to create social impact. While business professionals juggle many day-to-day tasks, creating social impact should not be perceived as an additional burden. Instead, Givsly develops new ways of creating impact by thinking differently about how your current everyday tasks and resources can give back. Givsly introduces a portfolio of ways for professionals to give back while doing business. Partners can utilize meeting time to raise money for nonprofits through the Givsly platform or get out in the community with clients through planned Givsly experiences. Whichever path you choose, Givsly strives to make social impact simple but impactful.

Feb 25, 202124:04
EP 60 Brian Davis | President at BryteBridge.

EP 60 Brian Davis | President at BryteBridge.

In episode 60 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Brian Davis, President of BryteBridge, which also runs Charity Net USA.

After a 20-year career in financial services, Brian Davis took over as President of BryteBridge, including CharityNet by BryteBridge, in November 2019. He saw the potential to leverage his expertise building, growing, and leading businesses to support nonprofit organizations in their foundational years, through BryteBridge. Since joining BryteBridge, Mr. Davis has expanded the team by 36% and focused on providing continuing services to nonprofits throughout their lifecycle, with a particular emphasis on the early years of their existence. To support his aims of finding solutions to the challenges faced by nonprofits, he commissioned additional research, which led to BryteBridge’s first report, The Essential Work of Emerging Nonprofits.

Feb 25, 202129:41
EP 59 Matthew Connelly | Chief Executive Officer at Good360

EP 59 Matthew Connelly | Chief Executive Officer at Good360

In episode 59 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen interviews Matthew Connelly, Chief Executive Officer at Good360 whose mission is to transform lives by providing hope, dignity, and a sense of renewed possibility to individuals, families, and communities impacted by disasters or other challenging life circumstances who, without us, would struggle to find that hope.​

Matt Connelly joined Good360 as Chief Executive Officer after having served on our Board of Directors for eight years, including the last four as Co-Chairman.  Matt is a transportation and supply chain industry veteran with a 32-year track record at UPS where he most recently developed the network strategy and design for the US transportation network and was responsible for the sourcing of purchased transportation.

Feb 18, 202152:17
EP 58 Lauren Isbell | CEO at Nevus Outreach

EP 58 Lauren Isbell | CEO at Nevus Outreach

In episode 58 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen interviews Lauren Isbell, CEO of Nevus Outreach, whose mission is dedicated to bringing awareness, providing support, and finding cures for people affected by congenital melanocytic nevi and related disorders. After attending her first conference in 2018, she served as a volunteer on the Fundraising Committee prior to being selected as the new CEO of Nevus Outreach in 2019.

Feb 04, 202126:56
EP 57: Charles Thomas | Executive Director of Outward Bound Adventures

EP 57: Charles Thomas | Executive Director of Outward Bound Adventures

In episode 57 of The Charity Charge Show Stephen speaks with Charles Thomas, Executive Director of Outward Bound Adventures whose vision is to ensure that youth from diverse communities will have access to nature, environmental education, leadership development, and preparation for careers in conservation.

Charles Thomas has worked at Outward Bound Adventures seasonally and part-time for nearly 20 years and then worked full-time as Executive Director for 16 years. During that time, he created several award-winning programs dedicated to enriching the lives of underserved urban populations, especially low-income inner-city families, by introducing them to the therapeutic value of spending time in wild places and open spaces.

Jan 14, 202129:22
EP 56: Beverly Hamilton | Interim CEO at 3 Day Startup

EP 56: Beverly Hamilton | Interim CEO at 3 Day Startup

In episode 56 of The Charity Charge Show Stephen speaks with Beverly Hamilton, Interim CEO of 3 Day Startup, whose mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible. Beverly brings over twenty years of leadership experience from across different industries. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from UT Austin and is a member of the International Ombudsman Association.

Dec 14, 202039:10
EP: 55 Joe Waters | Founder of Selfish Giving

EP: 55 Joe Waters | Founder of Selfish Giving

In episode 55 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Joe Waters, Founder of Selfish Giving whose mission is to help others find success in their cause-related goals. Joe Waters shows businesses and nonprofits how to build win-win partnerships that raise money and change the world. Joe writes the web's leading cause marketing blog, Selfish Giving, and is the author of two books on the subject. 

Dec 02, 202044:24
EP: 54 Andrew Glantz | Founder and CEO of GiftAMeal

EP: 54 Andrew Glantz | Founder and CEO of GiftAMeal

In episode 54 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen speaks with Andrew Glantz, Founder, and CEO of GiftAMeal, whose mission seeks to empower people to fight hunger in their community while supporting local businesses. In addition to GiftAMeal, Glantz serves on the Washington University in St. Louis Alumni Board of Governors and guest lectures at the university on the topics such as marketing, negotiations, and entrepreneurship.

Nov 20, 202029:31
EP: 53 Don Wettrick | CEO and Co-founder of StartEdUp

EP: 53 Don Wettrick | CEO and Co-founder of StartEdUp

In episode 53 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten speaks with Don Wettrick, CEO and Co-Founder of StartEdUp, whose mission is to empower students and teachers to actively change education through employing innovation and entrepreneurship in the classroom. Don Wettrick is known for his award-winning work as a middle school and high school teacher; educational and innovation consultant; and educational speaker.

Nov 13, 202024:36