Through the Noise

All organizations and businesses need to communicate well in order to sell their mission or vision and today we speak with John Truran who makes this happen with the Keppler Speakers Bureau. If you're throwing a tremendous amount of resources, time, and money into hosting a meeting or conference, it's essential to have a keynote speaker that will i nspire, impress, and energize your audience. Kepp...

If the idea of running 87 marathons, including one in every state and on every continent sounds daunting, maybe you should leave that to Running Brooke whose impressive athleticism is raising money for the children of Alexandria. While many school systems have eliminated recess and gym in favor of studying for tests, children are suffering from a loss of physical activity built into their day, and...

We talk with Victor Van Rees about his work with EFX Media in the ever-evolving world of communications. Even with long-standing relationships in the field of government contracting, persistence is an essential ingredient to securing future contracts. Join us for an inside perspective on working with a variety of federal agencies and hear some of his secrets to success that are applicable to anyon...

"You gave me my life back!" When that's a phrase consistently uttered by the people you serve, you know you're doing something wonderful. Today we had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Corcoran of the Eye Bank Association of America -- an organization with the mission of restoring sight to people who have lost, or are losing, their vision. While uniting and accrediting all Eye Banks across the U...

As Tom Beers points out, not all economists are academics. Business economists work for companies, helping them navigate the complexities of the world economy. Comparing the members of his organization to investigators rather than grey-bearded old men teaching college students academic theory, they are immersed in analyzing and interpreting the socio-political events that shape our world. And if y...

On Through the Noise, we talk to many nonprofits that depend on the goodwill of the community to donate their time and skills in order to thrive. Volunteer Alexandria is the go-to organization to match your experience, availability, and goals with a nonprofit in Alexandria that would greatly benefit from your assistance. Volunteering is not only a wonderful way to meet like-minded people, it's an...

Today we sit down with Shannon Steene of Carpenter's Shelter and discuss causes of and solutions to homelessness and the concept of "powered by community." Like many organizations servicing those on the edge of poverty or homeless, Carpenter's Shelter relies heavily on a vast network of volunteers which fill a number of essential roles including security and cooking and serving three meals a day,...

Continuing our conversation on poverty eradication efforts from episode #87*, this week we sat down with George Jones, CEO of Bread for the City. During Mr. Jones' 20-year tenure at the helm of Bread for the City, the organization's budget has increased fivefold, as demand for its services continues to grow. BFC employs a ground-up approach to research and outreach by empowering a number of their...

Eating healthy is difficult enough for most. But for some, they need help. Whether it be financial or education, there is a solution. Amy Kurz is the COO of Martha's Table, where she leads administrative and business functions for the organization. Previously, Amy held a variety of positions at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. She is the board chair of Young Playwrights' Theater and...

John Trybus, APR is the director of Georgetown University's Center for Social Impact Communication (CSIC), the nation's leading educational resource on the role communication plays in advancing social change. His social impact experience spans organizations, industries and sectors having worked for chimpanzee expert Dr. Jane Goodall, the British Embassy and Waggener Edstrom Worldwide on behalf of...

Bryan is founder and Managing Partner of Whistle Stop Digital (WSD), leading a team in devising and implementing digital strategy for issue advocacy and PAC campaigns. The goal is always the same; Using a mix of both traditional and innovative tactics, the team works to bolster online communities, build trust in the campaign's efforts and empower stakeholders into action. Whistle Stop Digital is a...

Joan Parker is a true believer in the power of communities to create solutions to even their most vexing challenges. She joined Counterpart International as CEO in 2010 and hasn't looked back: across 27 countries, the team is coaching 3,500 organizations and transforming as many communities in terms of health, nutrition, education, good governance, and more. The Counterpart Network partners with s...

Dan Handerson from CIT Gap Funds introduced us to Shy Pahlevani in Episode #78, as part of our new segment called The Chain. CIT Gap Funds awarded Shy's company with an investment grant to continue growing this two-way communicaton mobile app used by universities to maintain campus safety and help students report suspicious activity. A victim of crime himself, Shy Pahlevani understands the magnitu...

Over a million people worldwide have Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. This alliance of organizations is looking to eradicate this disease. Lisa joined the TS Alliance in 2012 but her original introduction to the organization was in 2006 when her son was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). In her current role at the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance she works closely with both private and corpora...

How do you seperate yourself when you are competing with everyone around the world? And how do you navigate yourself through all the "research" that's available online? How can you seperate the real scientists from all the rest? Chris Abraham is a leading expert in digital: online reputation management (ORM), Internet privacy, social media marketing, and digital PR with a focus on blogger outreach...

A foundation is a non profit that grants money to other organizations. There are both private foundations and public foundations. But why do they do this? Allison Carney is the community manager for the Council on Foundations, where she is responsible for launching and growing their online member community. Previously, she worked with all types of nonprofits developing their communications strateg...

There comes a point in everyone's life where they must discuss the L word: Life Insurance. Today's generation is the first to have a future possible without a pension and with staggered paychecks. They must be looking for alternate solutions for the future. Jason Howell is a former U.S. Congressional candidate with over 20 years experience in finance. He now focuses his talents on financial planni...

Today's startup world has many more resources at its disposible then ever before. After friends and family there are accelerators, seed investors, kickstart, and angel investors. Dan joined CIT GAP Funds in 2013 and is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, deal structuring, and investing. He comes to the GAP Funds with 18 years of experience driving growth in software and technology compan...

Until 1972, this wasn't an issue for nonprofits. Before then, they were exempt. However, now nonprofits have two options. They can stay in the state tax system or they can turn to UST for help. As the Executive Director of UST, Donna Groh is responsible for the effective management of the Trust and manages relationships between UST, its service providers and its partners to assure the Trust is mee...

The pen truly is mightier then the sword. Writing is a powerful art when done correctly. Grant writing for example has the power to raise money for non profits that are in need of grants. Katherine Metres is the president of her company Your Edge for Success (YES) LLC, which provides award-winning writing to get you to YES. Katherine is a former executive director and U.S. diplomat who has won $3M...

Puppies and paintbrushes: therapy comes in many forms. This project offers active duty and military veterans a safe space to access art supplies that they can use to express themselves. It also offers a space to meet others with shared experiences and begin or continue the healing process from trauma.   Kristin Beck is the subject of a CNN documentary called "Lady Valor" which shows the dichotomy...

Face to face fundraising is still the most effective form of fundraising. Telling a story about how the funds are needed and how they will be used are important elements in the art of fundraising for associations, not to be left out in the age of social media. John H. Graham has been the President and CEO of ASAE since 2003, and he has been involved in associations for more than 40 years. He previ...

For years many have been working to help those in the Ukraine and other countries that are in need of medical supplies and more. They have been working to help over 59 different foreign countries. John L. Kachelman, Jr. is Chairman of the Advisory Committee of PartnerSHIP for Impact, and President of Life Resources International, where he has coordinated humanitarian efforts in 23 countries. Lectu...

The way we communicate is constantly changing.  Where were podcasts five years ago? Today we live in a data driven world. This has revolutionalized the way we communicate. Leigh Kessler mixes more than 10 years of agency and client-side branding and qualitative research for some of the best known brands in the world including Microsoft, McKinsey and Co. Johnson & Johnson, GE, Democracy Corps, Kraf...

Once upon a time development was a pretty small universe in terms of who was working in it. Now major companies and billionaires are starting to invest and donate to development around the world. Alan Robbins is Partner and Global Head of Membership & Alliances for Devex. He was a member of the team that started Devex and is working closely with organizations through innovative partnerships as the...