The Unfiltered Non-Profit: Leaders Share It All

With AI shaping how we work, many nonprofit leaders are asking: what does this mean for the future? At the OTUS Nonprofit Exchange, Cherry Chan shared a grounded perspective—starting with a simple but powerful question from her 12-year-old daughter: “If AI is doing all of this… what am I going to do?” Her answer? We don’t have all the answers—but AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to change ho...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan sits down with Lana Hann, Executive Director of Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka, for a deeply personal conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it really means to support the people behind a mission-driven organization.  Lana shares the experiences that shaped her career in the nonprofit sector — from losing someone close...

$30 million raised—and Krystal Valencia still says fundraising isn’t the answer.  Krystal is the founder and CEO of Rental Rescue, a nonprofit that steps in when affordable rental buildings are at risk of being lost. Instead of starting with grants or campaigns, Rental Rescue started with financial modeling during COVID—nights and weekends spent learning capital stacks, understanding cash flow, an...

In this episode of the  Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast , Cherry sits down with  Melissa Ray , Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of  Concord  in  the City Community Ability Initiative . Melissa shares how the organization supports adults with developmental disabilities through programs focused on independence, life skills, job skills, and community connection. She also explains the gap many fami...

What actually makes fundraising work?   Is it hiring one strong fundraiser?   Is it a better gala?   Is it sending more emails?   In this episode of  The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast , Cherry sits down with  Sam Laprade , a fundraising leader with  30 years of experience  helping charities strengthen fundraising, build better systems, and hire the right talent.   This conversation is full of pract...

In this episode of  The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast , Cherry sits down with  Adam Joiner ,  CEO  of the  Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa —an organization with  100 years of history  and a big mission: creating safe, supportive spaces where kids and youth can grow into who they want to be.   Adam's story  is  the kind you  don't  hear every day. He first walked into the Club at  nine years old ,  ne...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast,  we're  joined by Deepa Chaudhary, founder of Grant Orb AI, to talk about what really drives grant success — and why so many nonprofit leaders feel stuck in an endless cycle of funding pressure.   Deepa brings a rare perspective to the conversation.  She's  worked on both sides of the grant table: writing applications inside nonprofits under  re...

In this episode, we sit down with  Claude-Paul Boivin  to talk honestly about the path into nonprofit leadership — and what it really takes to lead well once  you're  there.   Claude-Paul shares how his career  didn't  follow a straight line, and how early exposure to public service helped shape his understanding of impact, responsibility, and decision-making. As the conversation unfolds, he refle...

In this episode of the  Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast ,  our conversation with  Angela Fenton , former board Chair of  P leo,  went well beyond board mechanics.  What really surfaced was the  hidden cost of instability  — not jus t  to  organizations, bu t  to  the people leading them. Angela spoke candidly about Executive Directors living in a constant cycle of "we have funding / we don't have fun...

  This episode of  The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast features an honest, open conversation with Traci Spour -Lafrance , Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation — the team supporting 33,000 people across 155 communities , including 12,000 kids and youth . Traci walks us through what it really looks like to keep programs running at that scale, especially when funding shifts and...

Every nonprofit wants to build something that lasts — but sustainability can feel like a moving target.   In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast , Cherry Chan sits down with Melissa Shahin , Chief Strategy Officer at AFMC, to talk about what sustainability actually looks like when strategy meets execution.   Melissa shares how AFMC shifted from being heavily grant-funded to running a...

  In this Unfiltered Nonprofit conversation, Cherry sits down with Tara Shannon, Executive Director of the Ottawa Festival Network (OFN), which represents more than 100 festivals across arts, music, and culture. A lifelong entrepreneur and artist, Tara brings a rare 360° view— she's built private companies (including scaling to 120 employees), founded Willow Sound Records in 2014, wrote You in the...

What if the secret to securing major gifts and building stronger donor relationships isn't about having the biggest database or slickest pitch—but about simply listening?   In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast , Cherry Chan sits down with Chris McGarvey , CEO of the Canadian Nurses Foundation , to unpack nearly 30 years of nonprofit fundraising leadership. Chris shares how listening...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry sits down with Vaia Dimas , Executive Director of the Almonte General Hospital–Fairview Manor Foundation . With 20 years in fundraising, Vaia shares how small teams can punch above their weight by getting disciplined, streamlining events, and collaborating—even with "competitors." She explains why hospital equipment isn't government-funde...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan talks with Nicole Thibeault, former National Executive Director of Canadian Parents for French, about the strategies that helped her achieve nonprofit revenue growth and long-term sustainability. Over 10 years, Nicole successfully doubled organizational revenue by diversifying funding streams, charging modest fees for programs, and t...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, host Cherry Chan sits down with Peter Costello, Executive Director of Eden Food for Change, to discuss a powerful example of nonprofit revenue generation in action. Eden, originally a traditional food bank, now generates 42% of its operating budget through an innovative commercial kitchen model. By launching a social enterprise for nonprofits th...

Innovative Funding from the Ottawa Community Land Trust In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan speaks with Mike Bulthuis, Executive Director of the Ottawa Community Land Trust (OCLT), about how his organization is rethinking nonprofit fundraising. Founded in 2021, OCLT is part of a growing network of community land trusts in Canada working to preserve and expand affordabl...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan speaks with Hailey Hechtman, Executive Director of Unsinkable, a national nonprofit mental health organization founded by Olympian Silken Laumann. Hailey shares how Unsinkable launched a national campaign, Fragments: Stories That Heal, using in-kind contributions and partnerships instead of large funding. The campaign featured: 25 bi...

In this episode of The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Erin Benjamin, President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, to talk about what it really takes to build something from nothing. Erin launched the association in 2014 with no staff, no logo, and no office—and today, it has over 400 members nationwide. We dive into what industry advocacy actually looks like behind the...

What happens when the demand for your services grows faster than your funding? In this episode of The Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Michelle Crogie, Executive Director of PLEO (Parents' Lifeline of Eastern Ontario), to talk about the real challenges of leading a high-impact nonprofit through growth, heartbreak, and hustle. From securing grants to launching events, we explore real-w...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, I sit down with Caitlin Morrison, Executive Director of the Matthew Perry Foundation, to talk about the bold, love-fueled journey behind Matthew Perry House — a groundbreaking initiative offering long-term recovery housing and support for people struggling with substance use. We explore how Caitlin and the Matthew Perry Foundation, along with a...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, we speak with Nick Neuheimer, CEO of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, about his path into nonprofit leadership and why he helped start the Ottawa Association Executive Network (OAEN). Nick shares how he moved from a career in economics to association management, eventually becoming a CEO and earning his Certified Association Executive(C...

Welcome to the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast. Today, we are  joined by Emily Jones, co-founder of Connected Canadians, a nonprofit that has successfully turned corporate training into a sustainable revenue stream while helping seniors build digital literacy skills. What started as a self-funded initiative quickly evolved when Emily and her team recognized the need for a more reliable funding model....

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, host Cherry Chan sits down with Rob Henderson, President & CEO of BioTalent Canada, to discuss how he successfully transitioned his nonprofit from government dependency to financial sustainability. Rob shares the hard decisions, bold strategies, and entrepreneurial mindset that helped BioTalent Canada diversify its revenue and thrive. Overcoming...

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, we sit down with Jessie Card, Executive Director of Youth Ottawa, to discuss how nonprofits can move beyond grant dependency and adopt a social enterprise mindset. Under Jessie's leadership, Youth Ottawa transformed its funding model—growing from 0% earned revenue in 2018 to 18% of total revenue generated through paid programming with school boa...