We Are For Good

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Channel • 3 Shows

Non-Profit

Non-Profit

Updated Semiweekly
Non-Profit

Non-Profit

Updated 08/11/2023
Non-Profit

Non-Profit

Updated Weekly

4D AGO

706. How to Turn Around a Nonprofit From the Inside Out - Marisol Pineda Conde + Lindsey Fuller

Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

4d ago

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49 min
6D AGO

705. Working Session: How to Keep More Monthly Donors + Increase Generosity - Dave Raley

Meet Dave Raley 👋 He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Sustainable Giving, author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving, and one of the most trusted voices in the recurring giving space. He has worked with thousands of nonprofit leaders to grow their monthly giving programs. In this Working Session, he is tackling two of the most overlooked opportunities in monthly giving: reducing churn and upgrading the donors you already have. In this Working Session, you'll hear: Why churn is a more powerful metric than retention, and why the reframe from "I retained 42% of my donors" to "I lost 58% of my donors" changes everythingThe two types of churn and how to fix them: involuntary (credit card failure) and voluntary (donor chooses to leave), plus the systems to address bothHow to keep monthly donors engaged using three words: affirm, engage, and appeal, and why your recurring donors are actually your best additional gift prospectsHow to upgrade your existing monthly donors with a timely, specific ask, and why most organizations are leaving this on the table entirelyEpisode Highlights: Meet Dave Raley (0:43)Churn vs. retention: the reframe that changes everything (2:17)58% of donors don't give again: making it real (4:17)Monthly donor churn vs. single gift churn (4:32)Involuntary churn: credit card failure and what to do (6:40)Two solutions: automate and outreach (7:55)Voluntary churn: acknowledge, affirm, and save the gift (9:16)Three words for monthly donor retention: affirm, engage, appeal (13:15)Recurring donors give 25% more annually on average (16:21)How to upgrade your monthly donors (19:19)Dave's one good thing + free resource (26:54)Welcome back to Working Sessions: hands-on, clarity-filled conversations designed to help you move real work forward inside your organization. Let's get to work. Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/705 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

6d ago

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31 min
APR 29

704. How Special Olympics is Using AI + Technology to Scale Belonging - Nathan Cook

Meet Nathan Cook 👋 He is the Chief Information and Technology Officer at Special Olympics International, where he is using technology to do something remarkable: help a movement that serves 5 million athletes across 172 countries finally operate as one. He is building a digital center of excellence, co-creating AI tools with athletes, and asking a question that should reshape how every nonprofit thinks about technology: what if we built this with the people we serve, not just for them? In this episode, you'll hear: How Special Olympics went from fragmented, program-by-program systems to a unified digital platform, and what it meant when 50% of athletes could suddenly self-register and own their own information for the first timeThe story of Med Buddy, an AI-powered healthcare assistant that sits in the room with athletes during medical visits to translate, advocate, and improve care for people with intellectual disabilitiesWhy AI has an ableism problem: the research Special Olympics has conducted on bias in large language models, and what organizations need to know before AI gets embedded in more decision-makingEpisode Highlights: Meet Nathan Cook (2:33)Nathan's path to this work: programming robots as a kid (3:04)Why Special Olympics' fragmented systems were limiting the mission (4:16)Technology at scale: how 50% of athletes can now self-register (5:04)Building with athletes, not just for them: universal design in action (9:04)Meet Med Buddy: AI as a healthcare advocate in the room (13:34)Advice for nonprofits hesitant about AI (18:07)AI bias and ableism in large language models (22:04)A generosity story: a mom who finally talked with her son (25:08)One good thing: eat the water beetle (28:03)Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/704 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 29

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32 min
APR 27

703. People Power: How to Turn Volunteers Into Core Capacity - Sara Lomelin, Nicole Stewart, Nicole R. Smith, CVA, and Susan McPherson

We're living in the loneliest moment in modern history. And at the same time, people have never been hungrier for hope, for joy, for meaningful connection. Your volunteers are at the center of that tension. And if you're not treating people power as a strategy, you're leaving your mission's most powerful asset on the table. Recorded live at the We Are For Good Summit, this conversation brings together four extraordinary leaders: Susan McPherson, founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting; Nicole Stewart, Executive Director of Boston CASA; Nicole R. Smith, Executive Director of ALIVE, the National Professional Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement; and Sara Lomelin, CEO of Philanthropy Together. In this episode, you'll hear: What ALIVE's data shows about organizations that treat volunteers as strategy vs. afterthought: 80% more volunteers, 60% higher engagement, and donors who are twice as likely to giveBoston CASA's three non-negotiables for scaling a volunteer program without burning people out: exceptional training, strong supervision, and a mission-anchored cultureHow to operationalize people power right now: from launching a giving circle to giving volunteers a role, not a receiptWhy skills-based volunteering is surging even as companies go quiet on CSR, and what that means for nonprofitsPeople are looking for hope. They're looking for joy. They're looking for meaningful connections. You are the one they've been waiting for. 🩵 Episode Highlights: How volunteer expectations have shifted post-Covid (3:00)People want belonging, not transactions (4:09)Volunteers as your best marketing money can't buy (8:21)Volunteers as ambassadors, donors, and storytellers (10:42)Boston CASA's non-negotiables for scaling without burnout (16:37)CSR in 2026: skills-based volunteering and what companies are doing quietly (22:58)Operationalizing people power: giving circles, storytelling, clarity (24:11)Episode Shownotes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/703 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 27

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38 min
APR 15

700. What 700 Episodes Have Taught Us About Generosity - Jon and Becky

700 episodes felt like the kind of moment that deserved more than a LinkedIn post and a few dancing emojis. So we sat down to talk about what this journey has taught us about generosity, the stories that haven't left us, and what we're still learning. We're so grateful you're here. Come celebrate with us. 🩵 -Jon + Becky Episode Highlights: Two powerful stories of generosity we are still carrying with us (5:00)The ripple effect and what generosity has taught us (10:00)Low ego, high impact: what the best leaders share (15:00)Jon and Becky’s One Good Things (19:00)Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 15

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24 min
APR 20

701. 93% of Funding Gone Overnight: A Case Study in Crisis Leadership - Jennifer Rupp

At 4am on April 3, 2025, Jennifer Rupp's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. 93% of Michigan Humanities' budget. Gone overnight. What happened next is a story about crisis leadership, radical transparency, and why connection isn't a soft strategy. It's the only strategy. 🙏 In this episode, you'll hear: What Jennifer did in the first 24 hours after losing 93% of her budget, and why transparency was her most important toolHow she decided which programs to cut and which were non-negotiable (and the framework you can use to make those calls)Why "when division is the crisis, connection is the strategy" isn't just a philosophy at Michigan Humanities, it's their entire operating modelJennifer’s One Good Thing: flip the funding triangle. 85% of your money comes from individuals. Are you spending 85% of your time there?This one's going to stay with you. 🩵 Episode Highlights: Meet Jennifer Rupp (00:48)The 4am email that changed everything (09:44)How federal humanities funding actually works (10:46)The pivot: transparency, triage, and staying mission-aligned (13:55)What programs fell and which were non-negotiable (17:09)Crisis leadership lessons you can only learn by walking through it (22:28)From front porches to back decks: why we've lost the art of gathering (25:15)The Great Michigan Gathering: a three-year plan to rebuild community (26:43)A powerful story of generosity in Jennifer's life (33:10)Jennifer's One Good Thing: flip the funding triangle (35:05)Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/701 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 20

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40 min
APR 22

702. Working Session: Planned Giving Without the Overwhelm - Pedro J. Rivera

Meet Pedro J. Rivera 👋 In 30 years at the intersection of law, philanthropy, and fundraising, he has launched three planned giving programs and raised $150 million for nonprofits and universities. In this Working Session, he's here to give you a clear entry point into planned giving, no matter where you're starting from. In this Working Session, you'll hear: How to talk about legacy giving in a way that feels naturalHow to find your best planned giving prospects with data you already haveA 30-day action plan to move planned giving from overwhelming to doableEpisode Highlights: What is planned giving, really? (0:21)Why right now: The Great Wealth Transfer (3:18)How to talk about legacy without making it weird (4:48)Finding your best prospects: the 7-10 rule and more (5:50)Weaving planned giving into what you're already doing (8:21)The 30-day starter plan (12:05)One Good Thing: stop assuming donors don't want to talk about this (14:07)Welcome back to Working Sessions: hands-on, clarity-filled conversations designed to help you move real work forward inside your organization. Let's get to work. Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/702 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 22

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17 min
MAR 2

687. The Path Forward: Leading With Purpose in 2026 - Seth Godin

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 matters… you are not alone. Seth challenges us to rethink what risk really is (hint: it’s the feeling of risk that trips us up), why attachment fuels burnout, and how trust is built — and burned — through small, consistent actions. We talk about belonging and leadership, and about the courage it takes to stay in the arena when the outcomes aren’t guaranteed. We also dig into: How to innovate when nothing feels stableRebuilding trust through behavior, not brandingUsing AI as a tool (without losing our humanity)Communicating experimentation and risk to donorsLetting go of entanglements that keep us stuckAnd why agency — not compliance — is the futureSeth reminds us that we didn’t sign up for perfect — we signed up to keep moving toward better. To feel the fear and move forward anyway, tell the truth, bring people together, and stay responsible to the work we care about. If you’re tired but still called, questioning but still committed, this conversation is for you. 🩵 Episode Highlights: Tribes & belonging: organizing the table you wish existed (4:42)Burnout, attachment & the cost of caring (7:25)Risk vs. the feeling of risk in nonprofit leadership (14:43)AI, automation & why decisions—not tasks—are the real work (23:42)Telling the truth inside your organization (32:30)Communicating experimentation & risk to donors (33:50)Agency in the age of AI: undoing indoctrination (37:21)The lifeguard story: courage isn’t about credentials (27:59)Seth’s One Good Thing: “Find the others. This is the point.” (39:30)Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/687 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Mar 2

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42 min
APR 8

698. Contagious Culture: Why Better People Build Better Organizations - Kyle S. King

Kyle S. King started his nonprofit journey as a college junior, raised $100K, and never stopped. Eight books, a publishing company, a keynote career, and the Growth Alliance later — he's spent over a decade helping mission-driven organizations do the deeper work first: aligning leadership, tightening operations, and sharpening the stories that actually move donors to act. 💪 In this episode, you'll hear: Why burnout isn't a wellness problem or a leadership problem — it's an organizational culture issue, and that distinction changes everything about how you solve itThe three pillars of "contagious culture" (kindness, community, capital) and why skipping step one means you'll never reach step threeThe counterintuitive advice Kyle gives every leader who wants to grow: stop adding. Play defense first. Stop the leaks.This conversation will challenge how you think about culture, leadership, and the small moments where real impact actually happens. 🩵 Episode Highlights: Meet Kyle King (00:41)Roots: Sankofa and the backstory that built everything (3:15)Contagious Culture: Kindness, Community, Capital (6:44)The root cause mistake nonprofit leaders keep making (10:00)Why burnout is an organizational culture problem (15:05)Leading with heart when you're running on empty (20:00)Play defense: building momentum by stopping the leaks (25:30)The barbershop story and the $800 check (30:26)One good thing: better people build better organizations (35:01)Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/698 Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Apr 8

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38 min
JAN 5

671. Shift 1 — Metrics With Meaning: Make Better Decisions With Less Noise - Ori Carmel

Today's episode launches our 12-part series 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over the next 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 1 / Metrics with Meaning: Make Better Decisions with Less Noise Feeling buried under dashboards and drowning in data? You’re not alone, and there is a better way. In this episode, Jon and Becky welcome back impact measurement expert Ori Carmel for a refreshingly honest conversation about shifting from “more data” to better decisions. Together, they unpack how nonprofits can move past performative reporting, reconnect with what truly matters, and focus on the metrics that actually drive mission-forward impact. Along the way, Ori shares candid stories, practical frameworks, and even a little Pearl Jam, reminding us that impact work is as human as it is analytical. From uncovering your organization’s unique strengths to making data feel less overwhelming (and more empowering), this episode is full of clarity, wisdom, and a few good laughs. If you’re craving less noise and more meaning in how you measure success, this one’s for you. Episode Highlights: Data Reckoning in Nonprofits (02:00)The Challenge of Impact Reporting (04:43)Asking Better Questions (08:54)Building Metrics with Meaning (18:36)What to Stop Doing in Data Management (23:39)The Importance of Stakeholder Mapping (30:28)Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/671 Explore the full series at www.weareforgood.com/12shifts Join us at ImpactUp: Story! Join us online from 12-1:30 CST for a free virtual session including a keynote with storytelling phenom, Afdhel Aziz, and a roundtable convo with 4 amazing nonprofit leaders. Then that evening, in nearly 50 cities around the world are hosting local meetups to keep the conversation going in person. Find a meetup near you or join us virtually! // Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free. Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com Say hi 👋 LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

Jan 5

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34 min

We Are for Good is a media company with an aim to revolutionize the social impact sector through profound compassion, best-in-class education + training, authentic storytelling and crazy good marketing. Our vision is to cultivate an Impact Uprising - inspiring and activating more people to get involved with philanthropy and collective good.

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