You Are What You Give

Avi Zimmerman
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

You Are What You Give is a weekly conversation about generosity and the transformational ways it shapes who we become. Host Avi Zimmerman sits down with people whose giving changed lives — public figures, community leaders, philanthropists, and everyday heroes — to explore the moments that formed their purpose. Each episode goes beyond biography. These are honest, human conversations about choices, values, faith, leadership, and what it really means to lead a life worth living. Whether you’re looking to deepen your purpose, sharpen your giving approach, or simply connect with stories that matter, this show brings you into the rooms where those conversations happen. New episodes every week. Join a community learning to give more meaningfully, mindfully and measurably.

  1. Mission Drift Explained: How Good Organizations Lose Their Way

    6d ago

    Mission Drift Explained: How Good Organizations Lose Their Way

    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, ministries, foundations, and purpose-driven organizations: mission drift. Together they discuss: What mission drift actually isWhy good organizations are vulnerable to itHow funding can unintentionally pull organizations off courseThe role boards play in protecting missionWhy hiring for alignment mattersHow leaders can distinguish healthy change from unhealthy driftWhy defining failure may be just as important as defining success One of Becca's most practical insights is deceptively simple: Don't just define your mission. Define your drift. Because organizations rarely wake up one morning and decide to abandon their purpose. They simply make a series of small decisions that slowly move them away from it. If you're a nonprofit leader, donor, board member, founder, or anyone responsible for stewarding a mission, this conversation offers practical tools for staying aligned over the long term. To learn more about Becca's work, connect with her on LinkedIn or visit OnMissionAdvisors.com, where you'll find resources, her book Lead on Mission, and a free Mission Drift assessment. And as always, thank you to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible.

    39 min
  2. A Culminating Conversation With Dr. Bob Woodson: Poverty, Charity & What Actually Changes Lives

    May 25

    A Culminating Conversation With Dr. Bob Woodson: Poverty, Charity & What Actually Changes Lives

    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, Avi sits down with Dr. Bob Woodson — civil rights leader, founder of the Woodson Center https://woodsoncenter.org/, and longtime advocate for community-led solutions — for a conversation that asks a difficult question: Can helping people sometimes make things worse? Dr. Woodson challenges the assumption that money alone solves poverty and explains why understanding the nature of the problem matters just as much as the resources we bring to it. In this conversation we discuss: the four types of povertywhy some forms of charity unintentionally create dependencythe difference between relief and transformationwhat Dr. Woodson called “toxic support”why local relationships matter more than distant solutionsand what lasting change actually requires This isn't a conversation about giving less. It's a conversation about helping better. And as always, thank you to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible. For additional conversations and insights, visit us at https://givewithus.com/

    43 min
  3. When Charity Fails: What Happens When Trust Is Broken in Nonprofit Organization Giving

    May 12

    When Charity Fails: What Happens When Trust Is Broken in Nonprofit Organization Giving

    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 at the center of a global fraud crisis involving investigations, broken trust, and enormous institutional fallout. That experience reshaped how she thinks about stewardship, donor responsibility, fundraising, and what it takes to rebuild credibility after failure. This conversation goes far beyond one organization’s collapse. It’s about: how trust is built in philanthropywhy good intentions are not enoughwhat sophisticated donors look forand why thoughtful giving requires ongoing responsibility — not just generosity We also explore: fundraising misconceptions nonprofits still struggle withthe role of young professionals in philanthropyphilanthropy as a catalyst rather than a solutionand how organizations can maintain trust over the long term This is not a cynical conversation about giving. It’s a practical and deeply human conversation about how to give more responsibly — especially when trust is at stake. To contact Yael Simon, reach out to her at her webiste: https://arakura.co. And as always, thank you to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible.

    48 min
  4. You’re Overlooking Your Strongest Supporters: The Power of Nonprofit Alumni

    Apr 28

    You’re Overlooking Your Strongest Supporters: The Power of Nonprofit Alumni

    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 volunteers. Past board members. Program participants whose lives were shaped by your work. People who already know your mission — and may be your most natural advocates moving forward. So why do so many organizations lose touch with them? And what would it look like to re-engage them — not as a one-time outreach, but as a long-term strategy for growth, leadership, and connection? This conversation breaks it down in practical terms: What “alumni” really means in a nonprofit contextWhy organizations overlook these relationshipsHow to re-engage people without turning it into a fundraising askAnd how alumni can become champions, not just contacts This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about recognizing the people who already walked part of the journey with you — and inviting them to walk the next mile. To contact Jennifer Cunningham, visit her website: https://engagejc.com/ And as always, thank you to Victoria Hearst, whose giving helps make these conversations possible.

    40 min
  5. Born Again Giving: How Victoria Hearst Took Initiative and Built Global Impact

    Apr 13

    Born Again Giving: How Victoria Hearst Took Initiative and Built Global Impact

    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 not easy: She steps in. She identifies real needs, builds relationships with trusted partners, and commits to supporting what matters most — often focusing on life-and-death issues where action can’t be delayed. This conversation isn’t about generosity as a concept. It’s about what it actually takes to move from intention to action, and how giving becomes meaningful when it’s driven by initiative, not circumstance. Along the way, we explore: How many people hesitate when they could helpHow to recognize your role in a given situationThe importance of trusted partnerships in philanthropyWhy consistency matters more than scaleHow giving evolves when it becomes part of who you are And as always, thank you to Victoria Hearst for her partnership and support in making this podcast possible. If you’ve ever felt the pull to give but didn’t know how to take that first step, this conversation is for you.

    54 min
  6. How to Fix Your Volunteer Retention Problem (Why Recruitment Isn’t the Real Issue)

    Mar 30

    How to Fix Your Volunteer Retention Problem (Why Recruitment Isn’t the Real Issue)

    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 every size: Broken onboardingUnclear expectationsRigid systemsTreating volunteers like free labor instead of mission partners And the result? People show up once… and don’t come back. This conversation is a wake-up call for nonprofit leaders, volunteer coordinators, and anyone building a mission-driven organization. Because if volunteers are part of your mission, their experience isn’t secondary. It is the mission. What You’ll Learn:Why recruitment isn’t your real problemWhat causes volunteers to disengage (and leave quietly)How to rethink onboarding and expectationsThe difference between “help” and true partnershipSimple ways to improve volunteer retention immediatelyThis Week’s Giving Challenge:The 15-Minute Volunteer Audit In the next 7 days, do one: Call one volunteer and ask: “What has your experience really been like?”Go through your own onboarding process — step by stepIdentify one meaningful task someone can do in 15 minutesNo strategy deck. No committee. Just one real action. To connect with Karen Knight, visit karenknight.ca for resources and contact details, connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-knight-consulting/), or email her at karen@karenknight.ca. Special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible.

    39 min
  7. He Saw Kids Sleeping on Floors - Then Built 370,000 Beds | Luke Mickelson of Sleep in Heavenly Peace

    Mar 25

    He Saw Kids Sleeping on Floors - Then Built 370,000 Beds | Luke Mickelson of Sleep in Heavenly Peace

    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 beds. It’s about how real giving works: Focus over scale. Action over intention. Doing one thing exceptionally well. If you’re a nonprofit leader, donor, volunteer or simply someone who wants to give more thoughtfully, this episode offers a powerful reframing of what it means to make a difference. To learn more about Luke Mickelson and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, go to https://shpbeds.org/. This Week’s Giving Challenge:Build a Bed. Find one real need. One real person. One real situation. And take one concrete step. Because giving doesn’t grow by doing more - it grows by doing what matters. Special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible. For giving stories, episodes, insights and more, check out You Are What You Give at https://givewithus.com/.

    55 min
  8. How to Do Volunteer Travel Right: Designing Service Trips That Truly Make a Difference

    Mar 15

    How to Do Volunteer Travel Right: Designing Service Trips That Truly Make a Difference

    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.withchangeinmind.org/, about how volunteer travel can be designed in a way that genuinely benefits the communities being served, while also transforming the people who participate. Erin shares what she has learned from years of designing service experiences that emphasize relationships, cultural humility, sustainable impact, and meaningful human connection. Together they explore: What separates meaningful service from “voluntourism”How nonprofits can design volunteer trips that respect and strengthen local communitiesHow service travel can reshape how volunteers and donors think about giving For nonprofit leaders, volunteers, and philanthropists alike, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at how service experiences can deepen our understanding of generosity and responsibility. Special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity and belief in this project help make You Are What You Give possible.

    39 min
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Trailer

About

You Are What You Give is a weekly conversation about generosity and the transformational ways it shapes who we become. Host Avi Zimmerman sits down with people whose giving changed lives — public figures, community leaders, philanthropists, and everyday heroes — to explore the moments that formed their purpose. Each episode goes beyond biography. These are honest, human conversations about choices, values, faith, leadership, and what it really means to lead a life worth living. Whether you’re looking to deepen your purpose, sharpen your giving approach, or simply connect with stories that matter, this show brings you into the rooms where those conversations happen. New episodes every week. Join a community learning to give more meaningfully, mindfully and measurably.

Information

  • Creator
    Avi Zimmerman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Avi Zimmerman
  • Show Website
    You Are What You Give

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