The Charity Charge Show - Nonprofit Podcast

Charity Charge
  • 4.9 (45)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Weekly

Scaling a mission requires more than passion, it requires high-discipline leadership, financial innovation, and strategic resilience. Hosted by Stephen Garten, The Charity Charge Show goes behind the scenes with nonprofit CEOs, social impact innovators, and community leaders. From the TGR Foundation to the Sierra Club, we deconstruct the operational models, fundraising breakthroughs, and "durable skills" driving real-world impact. Power your mission with actionable insights from the front lines of the nonprofit sector.

  1. Unlocking Play: How Volo Kids is Bringing Youth Sports to Thousands of Kids w/Jen Rifkin

    19h ago

    Unlocking Play: How Volo Kids is Bringing Youth Sports to Thousands of Kids w/Jen Rifkin

    In the social impact sector, scaling an organization nationally while maintaining deep community trust is one of the hardest balancing acts to pull off. It requires an unshakeable operational foundation, a clear mission, and creative revenue models that move beyond traditional grant dependency. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sits down with Jen Rifkin, Executive Director of the Volo Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to removing economic, gender, and racial barriers to youth sports. Jen shares her inspiring journey from volunteer coach to national executive leader, breaking down the operational "special sauce" behind their 12-state expansion. She also reveals how their unique, symbiotic partnership with a for-profit adult sports league offers a brilliant blueprint for sustainable nonprofit funding. Show Notes: Key Takeaways Build a Replicable Operational Formula: Rapidly scaling a national footprint requires a standardized core program structure—what Jen calls a "cookie-cutter" framework—that can be easily deployed anywhere while leaving room for local market adaptation.Leverage Hybrid Corporate Partnerships: Volo Kids sustains its growth through a powerful relationship with Volo Sports, a for-profit adult leagues provider. Guided by the slogan "We play so the kids play free," a portion of adult registration revenue offsets the foundation's core operational costs, allowing donor and grant funds to go directly to youth programming.Move at the Speed of Community Trust: Entering a new city shouldn't involve a prescriptive "we know what's best" mentality. Lasting impact is built by attending local neighborhood meetings, listening to schools, and collaborating with local municipalities to fill genuine gaps.Prioritize Relational Fundraising over Transactional Grants: In a hyper-competitive funding climate where grant dollars are stretched thin, organic word-of-mouth advocacy from volunteers, coaches, and corporate partners remains the most effective tool for unlocking new donor relationships.

    21 min
  2. From Acquisition to Adoption: How TechSoup and GTIA Are Empowering Nonprofits Through AI

    May 20

    From Acquisition to Adoption: How TechSoup and GTIA Are Empowering Nonprofits Through AI

    In the social impact sector, being "scrappy" is often badge of honor. Nonprofits routinely stretch every dollar to ensure maximum funding goes directly to their programs. However, when it comes to technology, this efficiency-first mindset can accidentally lead to underinvestment, disjointed tools, and missed opportunities. On a recent episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sat down with Adam Eads, Director at TechSoup, and Kelly Ricker, Chief Operating Officer at the Global Technology Association for IT Channel Leaders (GTIA). They discussed a powerful new grant collaboration designed to change the narrative around nonprofit technology. By funding the enrollment of 100 new organizations into the TechSoup Plus platform, GTIA and TechSoup are helping social entrepreneurs bridge the gap between simply having access to software and truly adopting it—with a specific focus on navigating the rapidly changing landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Key Takeaways Acquisition vs. Adoption: Securing a software discount is only step one. True digital transformation requires ongoing education to help staff effectively integrate and use those tools to advance their mission.The 1% Philanthropy Gap: Less than 1% of global philanthropic funding is currently directed toward technology. Foundations must begin viewing operational tech investments as essential infrastructure rather than compliance-heavy "overhead."AI is a Mindset Shift, Not an IT Problem: Successfully implementing AI isn't about transforming nonprofit leaders into computer scientists. It is a change-management exercise focused on small, daily operational wins that free up time for community work.Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Learning: Because every nonprofit operates at a different stage of digital maturity, technology training cannot be one-size-fits-all. It must be modular, bite-sized, and meted out exactly where the organization stands.

    28 min
  3. Opening 1 Million Doors: Igniting Potential through Mentorship with Heather Wathington

    May 13

    Opening 1 Million Doors: Igniting Potential through Mentorship with Heather Wathington

    In a world where 70% of jobs are found through someone you know, "social capital" is more than just a buzzword—it’s a gateway to the future. But for many first-generation students in under-resourced communities, those networks are often out of reach. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Grayson Harris sits down with Heather Wathington, CEO of iMentor, to discuss their ambitious new campaign: Open Doors, Ignite Possibility. Heather shares how iMentor is working to mobilize a movement of mentors, corporate partners, and communities to open 1 million doors for students by 2035. From the profound impact of social capital to the simple power of a listening ear, this conversation is a masterclass in how relationship-driven support can improve the human condition. Show Notes: Key Takeaways Social Capital is the Great Equalizer: Success isn't just about what you know, but who you know . iMentor focuses on building "social capital" for students, helping them access the networks and professional knowledge required to navigate convoluted career pathways.The "Everyday Mentor" is the Best Mentor: One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to be a corporate mogul or a community leader to mentor. Heather emphasizes that students simply need an advocate—someone willing to listen, offer patience, and believe in their limitless potential.Long-Term Relationships Yield the Highest ROI: iMentor prioritizes sustained, years-long relationships over transactional interactions. Trust and confidence are built over time, providing a stable foundation for students as they transition from high school to post-secondary life.Mentorship as a Lifelong Practice: The goal isn't just a one-time connection . iMentor aims to instill a culture of mentorship where students learn to seek out mentors at every stage of their career and eventually "pay it forward" to the next generation.

    25 min
  4. How American Humane Protects 1.7 Billion Animals a Year (And Runs Like a Business)

    May 6

    How American Humane Protects 1.7 Billion Animals a Year (And Runs Like a Business)

    American Humane Society protects over 1.7 billion animals annually across 91 countries. Dr. Robin Ganzert has led the organization since 2010, when she stepped in during a financial crisis and a period of mission drift. What she built since then is a case study in what nonprofit discipline actually looks like. On the Charity Charge Show, Dr. Ganzert walked through the financial reckoning she inherited, why she tells every local organization to stop duplicating services, and how a documentary narrated by Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep became one of their most effective outreach tools.

    36 min
  5. The DonorsChoose Revolution: Turning Classroom Needs into National Insights

    Apr 22

    The DonorsChoose Revolution: Turning Classroom Needs into National Insights

    In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Stephen Garten sits down with Kristina "Steen" Joye Lyles, Executive Vice President of Impact for DonorsChoose. Since its founding in 2000, DonorsChoose has revolutionized philanthropy by creating a transparent, direct-to-classroom funding model. Steen shares her journey from lawyer to educational advocate, the organization's evolution over 26 years, and how they are leveraging two decades of data to prove that resource equity is the key to unlocking student potential. Show Notes and Key Takeaways The Origin Story: Founded by a Bronx history teacher named Charles Best who saw the need for a transparent way for the public to support specific classroom needs.A Unique Model: Unlike traditional nonprofits, DonorsChoose does not just send cash. They fulfill specific wish lists ranging from crayons to drones and ship resources directly to schools.The Power of Data: With over 1 million teachers on the platform, DonorsChoose uses real time classroom data to track trends like mental health needs and the digital divide.The I See Me Initiative: A groundbreaking effort launched in 2018 to support teachers of color and ensure students see themselves reflected in their educators and learning materials.Resource Equity: A spiky but core belief that depriving a classroom of resources is the most effective way to ensure a child does not reach their full potential.

    30 min
  6. How The Boat Company Built a Nonprofit That Funds Itself Through Mission-Based Travel

    Apr 16

    How The Boat Company Built a Nonprofit That Funds Itself Through Mission-Based Travel

    Most nonprofits rely heavily on donations to survive. The Boat Company took a different path. For more than 40 years, this Alaska-based organization has operated as the only nonprofit cruise line in the world, using earned revenue from mission-driven travel to fund conservation efforts across Southeast Alaska. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Executive Director Hunter McIntosh breaks down how the model works, what “mission-based travel” actually means, and the lessons learned from running a nonprofit for decades without relying on traditional fundraising. Show Notes  The origin story behind the world’s only nonprofit cruise line  How mission-based travel evolved from traditional ecotourism  The Boat Company’s earned revenue model vs. donation reliance  Partnerships with environmental organizations and local nonprofits  What guests experience on small-ship conservation-focused trips  Real-world impact, including $30M+ reinvested into conservation  Leadership lessons from 30+ years in the nonprofit sector  Advice for new nonprofit founders on funding, operations, and growth

    37 min
  7. How Childhelp Is Working to Eradicate Child Abuse in America

    Apr 13

    How Childhelp Is Working to Eradicate Child Abuse in America

    Child abuse is one of the most difficult and complex issues facing society, yet it remains largely hidden behind closed doors. For more than six decades, Childhelp has been at the forefront of addressing this crisis, building some of the most widely used programs, policies, and prevention models in the United States. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten sits down with Michael Medoro, COO of Childhelp, to explore how the organization has evolved into a national leader in child protection. From pioneering legislation to operating the only 24/7 national child abuse hotline staffed by professional counselors, Childhelp has directly impacted more than 15 million children and continues to expand its reach. This conversation goes beyond awareness. It digs into prevention, collaboration across nonprofits, and what it actually takes to break cycles of abuse at scale.

    27 min
  8. How Gratitude Network Helps Nonprofits Scale Their Impact

    Apr 8

    How Gratitude Network Helps Nonprofits Scale Their Impact

    Most nonprofit leaders don’t start with a business playbook. They start with a mission. A personal story. A deep conviction to solve a problem that matters. Then reality hits. Fundraising, financial management, board dynamics, hiring, systems. Suddenly, they’re not just a mission-driven leader, they’re running a full-scale organization. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten sits down with Lauren Reilly, Executive Director of Gratitude Network, to unpack how nonprofits can build the operational strength needed to scale their impact. Gratitude Network is a nonprofit accelerator focused on organizations serving children and youth. Through executive coaching, strategic tools, and a global peer network, they help nonprofit leaders turn passion into sustainable growth. The results are hard to ignore. Organizations in their program are scaling impact 5x and revenue 3x, with 95% still operating long-term. Here’s the full breakdown.

    22 min
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4.9
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

Scaling a mission requires more than passion, it requires high-discipline leadership, financial innovation, and strategic resilience. Hosted by Stephen Garten, The Charity Charge Show goes behind the scenes with nonprofit CEOs, social impact innovators, and community leaders. From the TGR Foundation to the Sierra Club, we deconstruct the operational models, fundraising breakthroughs, and "durable skills" driving real-world impact. Power your mission with actionable insights from the front lines of the nonprofit sector.

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