The Nonprofit Insider Podcast

Imagine spending 15 years working for one nonprofit organization. Fifteen years of your time. Your energy. Your dedication. Now imagine having the chance to sit down with the version of yourself from Day One. What would you say? In my latest episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast Summer Fundraising Series , I sit down with Amy Lavender, Vice President of Development at Adelante Development Cente...

I spent 56 hours in Washington, D.C., attending the 2026 Points of Light Conference. Was it worth the investment? In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , I take you inside my experience attending one of the nation's largest gatherings of nonprofit and volunteer leaders. I pull back the curtain on my experience, including the atmosphere inside the conference and the people I met along th...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast, Swim sits down with volunteer engagement leaders Nicki Fiocco and Jerome Tennille for a conversation about service, volunteerism, and the future of civic engagement in America. As members of the 2026 Points of Light Conference Welcome Committee, Nicki and Jerome take listeners behind the scenes of the nation's largest volunteer-focused gathering an...

In our first "Summer Fundraiser Series", Swim sits down with Megan Laks of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angles. Megan is without a doubt one of my favorite people in the nonprofit space. In the episode she breaks down what fundraising actually looks like behind the scenes and why so many people misunderstand development work. Megan shares her journey into fundraising, from working with...

Burn Out in the nonprofit space is real...but the nonprofit space is not exclusively to blame. Plus, why the higher standards of the nonprofit space are causing the A.I. conversations to be so clunky. Listen to the episode on Apple here: https://bit.ly/Ep76TheNonprofitinsiderpodcastApple Listen to the episode on Spotify here: https://bit.ly/Ep76TheNonprofitinsiderpodcastSpotify And be sure to subs...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , Swim sits down with Severina Ware , a leader in people engagement and nonprofit strategy, for a conversation about ambition, intentionality, and career growth in the nonprofit space. Severina shares her perspective on what she’s seeing across the country when it comes to nonprofit professionals, and why volunteer leaders in particular may not be t...

How the recent news regarding César Chavez shows us the risks (and rewards) of naming a nonprofit after a person. Plus, the annual Points of Light conference is happening in DC this year. I discuss the cost it will take for me to attend and why some people outside the United States are skipping the conference altogether. Listen to the episode on Apple here: https://bit.ly/Ep74TheNonprofitInsiderPo...

I hate the lottery. Let’s start there. The average American household spends $665 per year playing state-run lottery games. In fact, Americans spent $105.26 billion on lottery tickets last year alone, making the lottery the most popular form of gambling in the United States . In today’s episode, I talk about why I despise state-run lotteries, why states should stop running them altogether, and why...

AMIRA, AMIRA, AMIRA. The name is making waves in the nonprofit space. And her book is on fire. In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , Swim sits down with Amira Barger , author of The Price of Nice: Why Comfort Keeps Us Stuck and 4 Actions for Real Change . Amira shares what she’s hearing from nonprofit professionals across the country, the emotional weight many people are carrying righ...

Episode 71: Kicking Off 2026 with Sara Keller (Nusenda Credit Union Foundation) We’re kicking off 2026 with a powerful conversation about philanthropy, leadership, and community impact. In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , Swim sits down with Sara Keller, Executive Director of the Nusenda Credit Union Foundation, to explore how New Mexico’s largest credit union has spent the past dec...

Faiza Venzant, CVA , Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) and Principal Investigator with the Assessing Diversity and Equity in Volunteer Inclusion project. With over 25 years of leadership experience in volunteer engagement, Faiza brings both a global and deeply personal perspective to the nonprofit sector. In one of the final interviews of the ye...

In this episode, Swim sits down with Dana Litwin, CVA , an internationally recognized consultant and speaker, to talk candidly about the current state of nonprofits in America. Dana brings her trademark honesty and humor to a conversation that touches on layoffs, financial pressures, and what she’s hearing from nonprofit leaders across the country. Dana also dives into the growing “second job” phe...

Episode 68: Nonprofit Wage Penalty, Side Hustles & Second Jobs Have you ever had a second job while working at a nonprofit? You and me both. In 2017, 19% of Americans had two or more jobs during the year. That number has more than doubled in the eight years since. And a growing number of workers are taking on side hustles to bring in extra cash or separate themselves in an ever-competitive mar...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , Swim Karim tackles three hot-button topics that have the sector buzzing: 🧨 “Is everyone getting laid off?” Swim breaks down the wave of leadership layoffs sweeping across the nonprofit sector and what it means for morale, mission, and the myth of job security. 💰 “Should your nonprofit take dirty money?” From corporate donors with shady reputatio...

Follow Swim on Instagram here: https://bit.ly/TheNonprofitInsiderPodcastInstagram Let’s get this out the way early. 2025 will likely be the most political hurricane season since Hurricane Katrina hit NOLA in 2005. The devastation is Kerrville, TX could potentially mark the start of what will be a treacherous hurricane season. Let me also say this: Nonprofits, continue to be on edge. And it’s not d...

In this personal and powerful solo episode, host Swim Karim shares how working in the nonprofit sector led to $20,000 in student loans being completely forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. 🎙 What you’ll hear in this episode: A behind-the-scenes look at Swim’s PSLF journey—from paperwork to payoff What nonprofit workers need to know about eligibility (and why now is...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , I have a one-on-one with Pat Addabbo . Pat is the Executive Director of Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) . Under his leadership, OAS has tripled its revenue, expanded its reach, and become a leader in adaptive recreation—providing life-changing outdoor experiences for people of all abilities. Tune in as we discuss: Pat’s journey from Warren Wilson Col...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , we’re joined by Niila Hebert , Executive Director, and Polly Roach , Director of Partnership and Evaluation at the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) . With over two decades of sector leadership between them, Niila and Polly take us inside one of the nation’s most respected organizations in the volunteerism space. Together, we unp...

Episode 62: AmeriCorps NCCC Is Being Dismantled – A Rapid Reaction In this unfiltered and urgent episode, host Swim Karim delivers a rapid reaction to the breaking news that AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is being dismantled—directly affecting 1,500 young adult participants and potentially signaling broader cuts within national service programs. 🎙️ In this episode: A real-time...

In this episode of The Nonprofit Insider Podcast , we’re joined by Camille Ridley , a nonprofit powerhouse with over 20 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, and event production. As the Vice President of Marketing & Development at UCP of Central Arizona , Camille leads major donor strategies, corporate partnerships, and brand-building efforts to drive nonprofit growth. Tune in as we...

Episode 60: Getting Fired from a Nonprofit, Part II Getting fired sucks. In part two of our Getting Fired series host Swim Karim shares more insider stories from listeners about what happens before, during, and after getting let go. Plus, in today’s Five Fast Minutes, he shares his own personal story that almost left him without a job. Note: This is the first part of at least a two-part series on...

In this engaging episode, Jenn takes us on a personal journey from her early days at Warren Wilson College to her transformative experiences with AmeriCorps, and ultimately into the dynamic world of nonprofit fundraising. She opens up about how these formative chapters shaped her passion for service and provided the foundation for her career in the sector. During our conversation, Jenn dives into...

Episode 58: Getting Fired from a Nonprofit, Part I & The Trump Administration Effect is real Getting fired sucks. In this raw and uncut episode, host Swim Karim tackles a subject that many shy away from—getting fired in the nonprofit sector. While getting fired isn’t often discussed publicly in the industry, it’s a reality that affects many, sometimes with devastating consequences. Note: This...

Jessica Pang-Parks is a volunteer engagement thought leader who helps organizations build trust, create impact, and inspire belonging. She is the recipient of the 2021 Alison Caird Young Leader Award in recognition of her leadership and excellence in volunteer engagement and the recipient of the 2023 VMPC Exemplary Leader Impact Award in recognition of her contributions to the field as a mentor, l...

Episode 56: RTO Mandates, & why nonprofits should avoid them at all cost In this eye-opening episode, host Swim Karim dives into the rising wave of RTO (Return-to-Office) policies and explains why nonprofits have a critical responsibility to offer hybrid or remote work models. Drawing from industry data and firsthand nonprofit experiences, this discussion sheds light on the challenges and oppo...