The Beacon

Nick DeLuna, Senior Portfolio Advisor and Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and 2026 Board President of the United Way of Greater Nashville Young Leader Society, joins Brian Hassett to discuss how nonprofits can build lasting relationships with younger professionals. Drawing from his experience as both a volunteer leader and advisor to philanthropic families, Nick explains why...

Rachel Hutchisson, Senior Advisor at Pyxera Global, explores how skills-based volunteering can help mission-driven organizations strengthen capacity beyond traditional volunteer roles. In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Rachel joins Del Martin to discuss how leaders can align professional expertise with real organizational needs, from strategy and technology to marketing and operations. The ta...

Ian Adair, CEO of the Seattle Police Foundation, makes a compelling case for attention-focused fundraising in a noisy world. In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Ian joins Dr. Stuart Gulley to discuss how mission-driven organizations can move beyond transactional messaging and hold donor attention through relational, value-based storytelling. The takeaway is practical: your board members, staff,...

Josh Newton, senior vice president for Advancement and Alumni Engagement at Emory University, joins host John Stephenson on The Beacon Podcast for a conversation on how advancement leaders are adapting to shifting donor expectations, rising competition and changing institutional priorities. Drawing on his leadership of Emory’s record-setting 2O36 campaign, which surpassed its $4 billion goal, Josh...

Shawn Olds makes a compelling case that AI adoption starts with leadership, not technology. In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Shawn, founder of Ike Papalua and former co-founder and founding CEO of boodleAI, explains why nonprofit leaders should engage AI directly, set responsible policies and focus on practical value. His message is clear: AI can strengthen nonprofit leadership, communicatio...

Strong boards do more than govern. They help shape culture, elevate leadership, and position organizations for lasting impact. In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Rodney Bullard joins host John O’Kane to discuss the qualities of effective boards, common warning signs of underperformance and how organizations can identify future board leaders. Rodney Bullard is CEO of The Same House, a public be...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Dr. Kent Keith, president of the Carlson Keith Corporation, former president of Chaminade University and former CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, joins host Dr. Stuart Gulley to reflect on leading a university through an existential crisis. His insight is direct. Organizations rarely fail overnight. They decline slowly until hard decisions c...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Cherian Koshy, vice president at Kindsight and author of Neurogiving, joins host Jeff Jowdy to explore what science reveals about generosity. The insight is clear. Giving is not driven by persuasion but by identity. When leaders align their message with how donors see themselves, trust strengthens and generosity follows. This has direct implications for donor...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Dr. Lilya Wagner, senior advisor with Lighthouse Counsel and author of the book “Leading Up,” explores how meaningful leadership often happens without formal authority. Drawing on more than three decades as an educator, coach and practitioner, Lilya challenges the assumption that influence flows only from the top. She offers practical insight into how mission...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Jeff Jowdy is joined by Dr. Brett Jacobson, president of the Southern Association of Independent Schools, to explore the signals shaping the future of independent education. Drawing on national trends and SAIS research, Jacobson examines shifts in the education workforce, changing expectations around loyalty and work-life balance, and the evolving public perc...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Dr. Dan Heist, assistant professor at Brigham Young University and co-founder of the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative, shares research-driven insight into how donors actually use donor-advised funds. Drawing on original data, he explains the trade-offs between DAFs and private foundations, addressing questions of donor control, administrative efficie...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, The Rev. Dr. Stuart Gulley joins Lighthouse Counsel President Jeff Jowdy for a wide-ranging conversation on what it takes to lead a campus with clarity, consistency and conviction. Drawing from three decades as a chief executive and his leadership at LaGrange College, Woodward Academy and Emory University, Stuart shares a simple but powerful discipline: Cast...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Mary Humann Judson, founder of Judson Advisory Group and former president of The Goizueta Foundation, shares a candid, experience-based perspective on how foundations think and make decisions. Drawing on decades of work across family foundations, corporate philanthropy and large institutional grant makers, Mary emphasizes a central truth: Every foundation is...

In this special episode of The Beacon Podcast, senior advisor Dr. Karen Baldwin sits down with fellow Lighthouse Counsel senior advisor Dr. Howard Cohen for an engaging preview of his newly published book Leading Volunteers. Drawing on more than five decades in higher education and nonprofit leadership, Howard explains why leading volunteers requires a different mindset than leading employees and...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Brian Flahaven, vice president for strategic partnerships at CASE, talks with host Dr. Bob Smith about the sweeping federal tax legislation known as HR 1 and how its major charitable giving provisions will affect higher education and other mission-driven organizations. Brian walks through the return of a charitable deduction for non-itemizers; new limits for...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, fundraising leader Roger D. Ali, chair of AFP Global, joins Jeff Jowdy to explore how community and belonging are reshaping philanthropy. He shares why retention-first fundraising, authentic storytelling, and thoughtful use of AI are key to stronger donor engagement and lasting impact. A fresh look at the future of nonprofit leadership and fundraising strateg...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Bill Stanczykiewicz, senior assistant dean for external relations at Indiana University’s Lily Family School of Philanthropy, talks with Lighthouse Counsel Senior Advisor Dr. Lilya Wagner about changes in tax laws and in donor motivation.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Bill Stanczykiewicz, senior assistant dean for external relations at Indiana University’s Lily Family School of Philanthropy, talks with Lighthouse Counsel Senior Advisor Dr. Lilya Wagner about the Fund Raising School and its role in the charitable sector and the resources it offers to those in fundraising and nonprofit leadership; where the charitable sector...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Birgit Burton, founder and CEO of the African American Development Officers Network, discusses the power of mentoring and its critical role in helping fundraisers reach their highest potential both for their own success and that of the organizations they serve. In her discussion with Lighthouse Counsel Senior Consultant Susan Hosbach, Birgit talks about how m...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Senior Advisor Lilya Wagner welcomes Art Taylor, president and CEO of AFP Global. In their discussion, Art talks about AFP and why members of the charitable sector should join, changes in the charitable giving landscape, how AFP has evolved to address those changes and what he hopes to accomplish during his tenure as CEO.

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel Content Coordinator Margaret Gardner talks with Alan Clayton about organizations that “get it” and excel at raising the money needed to make their mission a reality. In their conversation, the author of the book “Great Fundraising Organizations: Why and How The World's Best Charities Excel at Raising Money” talks about the research that hel...

In part 2 of our interview with entrepreneur and philanthropist Maxine Clark, special guest host Parker Middleton speaks with the founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop about: • The founding of her community impact organization, Delmar DivINe • The benefits of nonprofit organizations collaborating and sharing a central location • How “taking the call” resulted in a wildly successful partnership • The im...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, special guest host Parker Middleton speaks with visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop. In their discussion, Clark shares insights into her career, including: • How her mother influenced her lifelong passion for entrepreneurship and problem solving • Her community impact organization Delmar DivINe • How commun...


In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel President Jeff Jowdy speaks with Dr. Russell James, author of “The Storytelling Fundraiser,” about storytelling and behavioral economics and how they affect fundraising. In their conversation, Russell addresses: • Insights on the storytelling arc as it pertains to fundraising • How fundraisers can craft a compelling story • How storytellin...

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Lighthouse Counsel President Jeff Jowdy talks with Texas Tech’s Russell James about getting inside the mind of the planned giving donor. During their conversation, James answers questions including: • Why traditional fundraising methods don’t work for planned gifts • Fascinating research on how emotions and areas of the brain are triggered by planned gift sol...