You Are What You Give

What happens when you care so deeply that you want to help everyone? For Morgan DeNicola, that question isn't theoretical. It's personal. After a life-changing visit to an orphanage in Africa, Morgan returned home convinced she couldn't simply go back to business as usual. That experience led her family to establish the DeNicola Family Foundation, where she now works to inspire a new generation of...

Most organizations don't fail overnight. They drift. Not because they stop caring. Not because they lose passion. But because they slowly move away from the very mission they were created to serve. In this episode of You Are What You Give https://givewithus.com/ , Avi sits down with Becca Spradlin , founder of On Mission Advisors, to explore one of the most overlooked risks facing nonprofits, mini...

Dr. Bob Woodson spent decades challenging assumptions about poverty, charity, and what creates real change. In light of his recent passing, this conversation - recorded two months to the day before his passing - carries even greater weight — not simply as a discussion about giving, but as a reflection on the ideas and principles that shaped his life’s work. In this episode of You Are What You Give...

What happens when a charity you believe in collapses almost overnight? Not just financially — but in trust. In this episode of You Are What You Give , Avi sits down with Yael Simon to explore what happens when philanthropy goes wrong — and what responsible giving actually requires from both donors and nonprofit leaders. Within weeks of stepping into a nonprofit leadership role, Yael found herself...

Most nonprofits are focused on finding new supporters. But what if some of the most important people you need to reach… are already part of your story? In this episode of You Are What You Give , Avi sits down with Jennifer Cunningham, an expert in alumni engagement, to explore a missed opportunity across the nonprofit world. Because “alumni” isn’t just a university concept. It includes former volu...

You see a need. Someone who could use help. A situation where something isn’t right. And then comes the moment that defines everything: Do you step forward… or do you move on? In this episode of You Are What You Give , I sit down with Victoria Hearst to explore a different kind of giving — one that doesn’t wait for a campaign, a request, or a clear path forward. Victoria’s approach is simple, but...

You don’t have a volunteer problem. You have a volunteer experience problem. In this episode of You Are What You Give , I sit down with Karen Knight, consultant and strategist focused on helping nonprofits engage volunteers the right way. Because most organizations aren’t struggling to find people who care. They’re struggling to keep them. Karen has seen the same patterns across organizations of e...

There’s a problem most of us never see. Children sleeping on floors. No bed. No place to rest. It’s called bedlessness . In this episode of You Are What You Give , Luke Michaelson shares how one small moment turned into a movement that has changed over 370,000 lives . Not by trying to solve everything, but by focusing on one clear, tangible need. Build beds. This conversation is about more than be...

Volunteer travel has become incredibly popular. But not all service trips are created equal. Some experiences unintentionally center the volunteer instead of the community. Others leave participants inspired but unsure whether their efforts truly made a lasting difference. In this episode of You Are What You Give , Avi Zimmerman speaks with Erin Hempen , founder of With Change in Mind https://www....

Iran is not its regime. In this episode, Avi Zimmerman speaks with Iranian-American activist Zolal Habibi about the fight for a free Iran, the difference between the regime and the Iranian people, and why many Iranians insist their future must be shaped by the people, for the people . Recorded during an active regional conflict - from Israel, where the interview was briefly interrupted by an air-r...

Most people think nonprofit work runs on urgency: more need, more pressure, more fundraising, more hours. Heidi Johnson has spent 15+ years interviewing nonprofit founders and building organizations in the sector herself, and she argues something different: Joy is not a byproduct. It’s a power source. In this episode of You Are What You Give , Heidi shares why service becomes “addictive” in the he...

What does it take to build a national nonprofit from a simple act of awareness? In this episode of You Are What You Give , I sit down with Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel https://www.leket.org/en/ , Israel's leading food rescue organization. What began with one person paying attention to surplus food has grown into a nationwide operation that rescues and redistributes millions...

What would make someone voluntarily donate a kidney? Not for publicity. In this episode of You Are What You Give , I sit down with Dr. Zev Gershon - a physician, attorney, a rabbi and generous philanthropist - to explore what it means toi give withoiut losing anything. We discuss: Why he chose two demanding professions — medicine and law Whether certain careers are inherently “giving” The moment h...

Most people think fundraising is about asking for money. In reality, it’s about something far more personal: Your posture. Your relationship with wealth. And whether you can sit across from a successful person with respect. Not suspicion, insecurity, or resentment. In this episode of You Are What You Give , I’m joined by J. Paul Fridenmaker , a longtime major-gifts leader and coach who has spent d...

This is the fourth and final episode in our How Texans Give miniseries, and we close it by stepping inside the human side of Congress . In this conversation, Avi Zimmerman sits down with Congressman Michael Cloud to talk about something rarely discussed in public life: how to serve without losing yourself. This conversation goes deeper than party lines, diving into the value system of selfless lea...

Most people assume that philanthropic foundations fund projects. Behind the scenes, they’re often funding people. This is Episode 3 of 4 in our How Texans Give miniseries. In this conversation, Avi Zimmerman sits down with Dr. Victoria Sarvadi , who together with her husband leads the Nathaniel Foundation . Victoria offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how foundations actually make decisions:...

In the first episode of our How Texans Give series, Avi Zimmerman is joined by Revis Daggett and Lashawn Wardlaw McIvor - two Texas ranchers, businesswomen, and community leaders , soon to launch their own podcast titled The Lone Star Ladies . This conversation explores giving as a way of life. From multi-generation ranching families and life shaped by the land, to small-town communities where peo...

In World War II, U.S. Army soldiers trained in Abilene, Texas before being sent to Europe, including units that would later help liberate Holocaust concentration camps. Decades later, that same land was purchased by Angel Poorman and her husband, Norman, transforming Camp Barkley into an international base for disaster response, leadership training, and community-centered giving through the United...

In this episode of You Are What You Give , Avi Zimmerman speaks with Cathy McMorris Rodgers , who represented Eastern Washington for 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, about leadership, trust, and the many forms of giving - including and beyond money. Cathy reflects on what she learned from decades in Congress: the people who inspired her, the role of values-driven business as a form o...

Why do Christians REALLY give to Israel? In this episode of You Are What You Give , Avi Zimmerman speaks with Heather Johnston - arguably the most innovative Christian partner to Israel - about calling, purpose, and why giving is often about living out identity before it’s about any specific need. This is a conversation about faith, responsibility, leadership, and long-term commitment. Why do Chri...

Some people break under trauma. Others turn it into light. After conducting dozens of funerals following October 7th, cantor and IDF reservist Tzvi Grinhaim was diagnosed with PTSD. Instead of shutting down, he transformed pain into purpose—bringing strength, joy, and presence to soldiers on the front lines and in recovery. After October 7th, Tzvi Grinhaim stepped into one of the most devastating...

Recorded in Jerusalem just weeks before his retirement, Coach Bruce Pearl joins You Are What You Give for a candid conversation about leadership, responsibility, faith, and giving. He shares the story behind publicly naming hostage Edan Alexander during Auburn’s Final Four run, why he believes we must “earn” the opportunities we’re given, and how he measures impact by asking what would happen if a...

Tila Falic’s public profile is growing, but her real story begins at home, where giving was a family lifestyle long before it became a headline. In this episode, Tila shares how she was raised to give with purpose, how she teaches her six children to turn kindness into action, and how October 7 reshaped her philanthropy. She explains why meaningful, mindful, and measurable giving matters, and how...

Episode 1: Rob Adams — From Hunger to Heroism: A Thanksgiving Promise Kept In this inaugural episode of 'You Are What You Give', host Avi Zimmerman engages with Rob Adams, founder of Thanksgiving Heroes, to explore the profound impact of generosity and community service. Rob shares his personal journey from experiencing food insecurity as a child to creating a nonprofit that delivers holiday meals...

Discover You Are What You Give — a weekly conversation exploring generosity, purpose, and the people whose giving reshaped their lives and communities. Hosted by Avi Zimmerman, giving coach and strategist, this show dives into the defining choices that reveal who we are and what we stand for. If you’re ready for honest conversations, powerful stories, and a fresh way to think about how you give —...