We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

"You don't manage volunteers. You have to inspire them." Jeff Byard figured that out after 14 years in Alabama emergency management, six years as a senior leader at FEMA overseeing 185 presidential disaster declarations, and now as Chief Programs Officer at Team Rubicon — the disaster response organization with 200,000 Greyshirts deployed across the country and around the world. In...

Trust is not a soft skill. It's the whole job. Today we're bringing you something special: Aila Malik 's live keynote from the We Are For Good Summit, followed by a real-time coaching Q&A with our community. Aila has spent nearly a decade working alongside nonprofit leaders at their most defining moments: leadership transitions, burnout, mergers, and organizational inflection po...

Sara LaBarge grew up on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin, won a Gates Millennium Scholarship as a teenager, and went on to lead strategic partnerships at Native Forward Scholars Fund — the largest direct scholarship provider to Native students in the country. When MacKenzie Scott called (twice), their organization was ready. This conversation is about what that readiness actually looked like...

Meet Eliza Blank , the new CEO of The Farmlink Project 👋  We’re exploring what happens when a founder-CEO mindset collides with one of the most urgent food systems problems of our time. Eliza bootstrapped and scaled The Sill from a single idea to 12 stores across seven markets and $25M raised. Now she's applying that same startup lens to Farmlink, which rescues and redistributes over a milli...

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Afdhel Aziz , founder of Good is the New Cool , to unpack why the way most nonprofits tell their story is quietly killing their impact, and what the new playbook looks like. Afdhel has spent 30+ years advising brands like Disney, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Adidas on purpose-driven storytelling. But his most urgent work right now is closing the hope gap...

In this Working Session, Jon and Becky are joined by digital strategist Josh Burns to rethink how nonprofits approach online giving — moving beyond quick wins and into strategies that actually build momentum. Together, they explore why so many organizations feel stuck growing digital revenue and how a shift toward relationship-first thinking can unlock more sustainable, long-term results. From und...

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Nicole R. Smith, CVA , Executive Director of AL!VE (Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement) , to talk about what it really looks like to treat volunteers as a strategic powerhouse, not an afterthought. Nicole has spent her career championing the people who champion volunteers, and she's here to close the gap between organizations th...

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with j acob adams , founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab , to talk about what it looks like to challenge the nonprofit status quo. Instead of chasing scale and perfect metrics, Jacob is focused on something different: authentic partnerships, radical transparency, and building trust.  Together, they explore why nonprofits can’t always control outcomes—...

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Carmen Patlan , Executive Director of the Center for Immigrant Progress (CIP), to highlight how her organization is supporting immigrant families through a comprehensive, community-centered model. CIP is advancing immigrant rights by connecting legal protection, health equity, civic engagement, and advocacy to help families live with dignity, sa...

Today we're sitting down with Chidi Asoluka — founder and CEO of NewComm — to ask a question every nonprofit leader should be wrestling with: who actually gets to design change? At NewComm, high school students manage real budgets, design real projects, and build networks most people don't access until much later in life. The lessons Chidi has learned building it are for every leader in...

This one is a grounding exhale. Today, we’re bringing you a powerful conversation from the We Are For Good Summit with our friend Seth Godin — it's for anyone carrying the weight of leadership in uncertain times. Because here’s the truth: uncertainty isn’t a season anymore. It’s the environment. And if you’re feeling the pressure, the risk, the emotional toll of caring deeply about work that...

Meet Amir Samandi 🌎, founder of Students of Service (SOS) in San Antonio. In this episode, Amir shares how one study abroad experience sparked a bold vision: to equip young people to become global citizens through service and international learning. What started as a leap of faith is now a thriving nonprofit shaping the next generation of empathetic, purpose-driven leaders. This conversation is e...

Today, Jon and Becky sit down with Analía Weber , Development Director at The Family Center / La Familia , to explore a bold paradigm shift for the nonprofit sector. One that begins with how we speak about ourselves. Analia’s journey into fundraising didn’t follow a traditional path. A lifelong dancer and arts leader, she pivoted careers at 39 and stepped into nonprofit development with heart, cou...

What does it really take to lead with courage in the nonprofit sector—especially when growth, complexity, and crisis collide? In this powerful conversation, Jon and Becky sit down with Glennda Testone, CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab and co-host of Nonprofits Are Messy , to explore what it means to lead with integrity, accountability, and heart. With more than 14 years as Executive Director of...

Meet Leona 🤝, founder and CEO of Catalyst Exchange . Leona’s vision is bold and timely: to transform how nonprofits and schools build capacity—so leaders aren’t trying to change the world with a shovel and a dream. Through flexible funding, trusted expertise, and community-centered partnerships, Catalyst Exchange is strengthening the systems and people behind lasting impact. In this conversation,...

Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset and strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the full series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 12 / Boards Are Culture Carriers In this final episode of the 12 Shifts series, Jon and Becky close things out with...

Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts Shift 11 / Story as Infrastructure In today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Fou...

Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts Shift 9 / Merge to Multiply In today’s episode, Jon and Becky explore why collaboration is becoming a defining strategy for nonpro...

Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts Shift 9 / Trust Is the Work Now In today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Abby Falik , Co-Founder & CEO of The Flight Sch...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 8 / Creators Are Your Amplifiers In today’s episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Kathryn Baccash, Senior Director of Comm...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 7 / Volunteers as Core Capacity In today’s episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Jennifer Sirangelo, President & CEO of...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 6 / Modernize Individual Giving for Today’s Donor In today's episode, Jon and Becky welcome back Dana Snyder (Positi...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 5 / Beyond the Prompt: AI Fluency is the New Digital Literacy for Nonprofits  AI is everywhere right now and for a lot of...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 4 / Capacity is the Strategy. Stability isn’t something you earn once you’re “big enough” or “finally staffed up.” It’s s...

Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts . Shift 3 / Build for Health (People + Systems) People Leave™ — and in 2026, the pace and intensity of transition is accelerating...