Discover the secrets to not just surviving but thriving in the nonprofit sector. Our 9️⃣Nonprofit Trends that Matter in 2024 Series continues🥳 This week, we’re diving into the 1st trend: It’s no longer business as usual. Period. Let’s face it things are never going back to “the way it’s always been.” We’re sharing who’s doing it well, our PRO tips and what we’re hearing in the community about this trend. Plus, we’re bringing on an expert guest to talk us through it. Brett Hagler, CEO and Founder of New Story, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Company in the World, is joining us to share how New Story lives out this trend. It’s time to embrace creative solutions, new business models, collaborative partnerships, and technology-driven strategies to enhance our impact. Don’t miss this episode that’ll help adapt to the evolving landscape of social change💪

Join Jon and Becky as we kick off our 9 Nonprofit Trends That Matter in 2024 Series! This is where we introduce the trends we believe nonprofits should get behind in the new year and beyond. Over the next several weeks, we’re rolling out each of these trends, curating resources for each one and bringing epic guests to share their insights all to help you elevate your mission in 2024. Join us to embrace this year with bravery and boldness! 🌟

Meet Rick. He’s the President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital's success is rooted in a journey marked by innovation and philanthropy. The fabric of humanity is woven with stories of resilience and one place that's abundantly clear within the walls of St. Jude. Rick guides us through the poignant stories of families who, in the face of adversity, have found strength and hope. Today’s episode is all about community and collective generosity. We couldn’t ask for a better topic for the 500th episode of the We Are For Good podcast. Tune in for a conversation that’ll leave you asking, “If not us, then who?"

Meet Kevin. He’s an award-winning social entrepreneur and the author of the new book, "When We Walk By," a must-read guide for ending homelessness in America. 1 in 3 people experiencing homelessness lose their social support systems, creating unimaginable levels of isolation. He’s also the Founder and CEO of Miracle Messages, a game-changing nonprofit tackling "relational poverty." Since 2014, Miracle Messages has been working to ensure that no one goes through homelessness alone by providing family reunification services, a phone buddy program, and the first basic income pilot for people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., supported by Google.org. During this eye-opening conversation, nine-year-old Julia Endicott joins as a guest host to find out how everyone can make a difference in the lives of the unhoused, especially kids 🤝

Meet Leah. She’s an expert in helping nonprofit teams break free from daily routines to foster creative thinking🎨 As senior director of strategy and innovation at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, she helps nonprofits approach their work in new ways to better achieve their missions and solve social problems. She urges nonprofits to embrace risks and adapt based on learning, sharing examples from innovative organizations like World Reader, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Drawing from her book, 'Innovation for Social Change,' she offers practical tools to inspire innovation at your org Tune in to add some game-changing innovation tools to your arsenal🚀

Meet Joan. She’s a powerhouse in the nonprofit sector, Principal of Joan Garry Consulting and founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab. With a blog reaching 150,000 leaders monthly and a podcast, Nonprofits Are Messy, with over 2 million listens from 207 countries 🌎, Joan is a sought-after executive coach and strategic advisor for major organizations. Her remarkable journey includes turning around GLAAD during a deep financial crisis (with just $360 in the bank 😬), leading it to prominence and impact. In this episode, we explore the necessity of injecting innovation into nonprofits and the hallmarks of an innovative, modern nonprofit professional. Join us as we uncover the secret sauce to nonprofit success, featuring Joan’s stories that had us literally laughing out loud 🤣

Meet Vance. He’s bringing the ❤️ of nonprofits and the 💡 of Silicon Valley together so we can all succeed. Did you know 90% of wealth is in non-cash assets and orgs are still not accepting them at scale? 🤯 Vance is on a mission to inspire the world to give and is the founder and CEO of Overflow, a tool that makes generosity frictionless by unlocking more ways to give, especially those non-cash assets. We’re diving into the importance of embracing risk, innovation and technology to ignite a giving revolution 🔥 including how to engage the next generation of donors. If you’ve ever felt like the nonprofit world is stuck in the Stone Age while the rest of the world races forward with technology, this jam-packed episode is for you - don’t miss it! 

Meet Erik and Justin. These tech visionaries from Microsoft's Tech for Social Impact team are peeling back the layers of AI's transformative potential in the nonprofit sector. From its potential in donor engagement and fundraising to enhancing program effectiveness, AI can amplify the impact of nonprofit organizations. Erik and Justin are sharing their advice on getting started with AI tools and highlighting the importance of responsible and ethical adoption of these emerging technologies🤖While technology is central to the discussion, the human element remains paramount. AI can be a co-pilot helping nonprofit leaders make an even bigger impact.  Tune in so you can meet this AI moment without fear and maybe even with excitement 🤗

Meet Dave. He’s an expert in sustainable innovation🚀 helping nonprofits and businesses create profitable growth. He’s the founder of Imago Consulting, the author of a weekly trendspotting report called 🌊The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast with co-host Carly Berna. On the podcast today, he’s guiding us through the Working Genius framework sharing how it can enable effective collaboration and foster innovation. We’re also diving into how the subscription economy has opened doors for nonprofits to tap into recurring revenue models. Get ready to work in a new way filled with joy and growth. Tune in for insights into how you can elevate collaboration🤝 and innovation⚡ in your workplace.

Meet Nicole. Her passion for educating others about organ donation started in 2015💚 That passion has continued to grow as she helped lead the original Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA) chapter at Washington University in St. Louis 🎓 She then Nicole joined the SODA National Team in 2020 as the volunteer Director of Development and the next year their first full-time employee. This small but mighty team leans into automation to support more than 50 chapters and 20 community partnerships across the country 🤖 She’s sharing lessons learned along the way about how automation can transform an organization with everything from donor engagement to internal processes.

Meet Danielle. She has supported 77 Minnesota-based companies that have created 405 jobs and raised $20M+ in funding since 2018💰 She recently led Lunar Startups, Minneapolis-St. Paul’s first early-stage accelerator for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ, women and non-binary founders, to be successfully acquired by ConnectUP! Institute which was formerly a “competitor” of Lunar’s. She’s taking us on a deep dive into the world of nonprofit mergers and acquisitions🤝 This isn’t just a last-ditch effort when an organization has exhausted all other options. She’s sharing the strategy behind her acquisition decision, its immediate benefits to Lunar's communities and offering insights for nonprofit leaders navigating economic volatility. With a strategic approach, a nonprofit merger is an innovative approach to delivering more streamlined services AND funding vehicles to the community📈

Meet Emily. From dancing on the stage as a ballerina🩰 to developing microfinance and fair trade programs in  India, her story is winding and inspiring. Now, she’s the founder and CEO of Grapevine 🍇, which gathers like-minded people to donate to a common cause. She’s on a mission to democratize giving, championing collective philanthropy and harnessing the power of shared resources. In an era marked by the rise of crowdfunding campaigns, mutual aid societies, and changes in traditional nonprofit models, generosity undergoing a transformation. Giving circles offer yet another avenue for people to support the causes close to their hearts. Join us for a deep dive into the power of shared values and collective action, as we explore how individuals can come together to create a profound impact🌍

Meet Nejeed. He empowers nonprofits with AI-powered technology while also highlighting the positive impact that adopting smart technology WILL have on the sector. Friends, technology can be simple AND revolutionary. Believe us, this is the convo you've been waiting for to get jazzed about your data! 🤩

Meet Dan. He’s a humanitarian activist, entrepreneur, author and now filmmaker🎥 He’s sharing insights from UnCharitable, the new feature-length documentary directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal that exposes the dark side of philanthropy and introduces a radical new way of giving. We’re digging into how outdated ideas and overhead metrics have skewed the nonprofit sector leading to resource shortages and distrust. But it's not all doom and gloom, as new media can be a potent tool to bridge these voids, fostering understanding and facilitating change. Don’t miss this heart-to-heart with one of our favorite change-makers🫶

Meet Maya. At 22 years old, she experienced a life-altering “moment of obligation” in India as she witnessed a teacher surrounded by students learning to read and write on a bustling train platform. That experience led her to found the Global Fund for Children which has invested over $60 million in over 1000 community-based organizations impacting more than 11 million children and youth🌎

Maya's remarkable journey also led her to bring her entrepreneurial mindset to The Society of Science & the Public, an organization with a history spanning over a century. There, she's reshaping the dynamics of donor relationships, introducing innovative programs, and ensuring that every child who aspires to be a scientist can realize that dream. But that's not all—Maya is also an award-winning children's book author with more than 20 titles to her name, including "Children from Australia to Zimbabwe," which has reached over 5 million readers worldwide 📚Join us for an inspiring conversation with this exceptional founder and leader.

Meet Sasha. We’ve been big fans of Sasha’s since reading his Manifesto for Nonprofit CEOs about how we have to stop apologizing about the value of the work that we do in the nonprofit sector. And, we loved his TedTalk about The Generosity Experiment where he said "yes" to all requests that came his way for a month😍He’s the Co-Founder and CEO of 60 Decibels, a company helping anyone, anywhere, listen to their customers to create more social impact. He’s sharing how you can truly listen to gather data that can change the game when it comes to how our sector delivers impact. This Ungettable Get totally lived up to the hype and we we can’t wait for you to tune in! 💃

Meet Seth. He’s a legendary author, thinker and all around good human. You can find his expert marketing tips just by typing “Seth” into Google where his blog will pop up😍 His podcast Akimbo is in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide. He’s the real deal and we can’t think of a better opener for Season 8 of the podcast. Tune in for disruptive ideas, better ways to work and so much hope for the nonprofit sector. You don’t want to miss this epic convo! 

Meet Robert. This nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, author, speaker and activist is a passionate proponent of social good. In fact, he's the founder of D.C. Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchen Project and the L.A. Kitchen, which have collectively produced over 40 million meals and helped over 2,000 individuals attain jobs. He's talking about the economics of nonprofit (Spoiler: we're REALLY good for business) and sharing why activism matters to the sector. Bottom line: you don’t have to choose between making good and making a living.

The Barbie hype is real - let’s learn how it’s powering good 💗💅🛍🫶 You think you know Barbie? Think again. In this thought-provoking conversation, we uncover the world of Barbie beyond the plastic doll - her role as a cultural phenomenon, a beacon of social impact, and a tool for empowerment. Meet Jessica and Nancy. Jess is Group Vice President of Social Impact Solutions at Warner Bros. Discovery, and Nancy is Executive Director of the Mattel Children’s Foundation and Corporate Philanthropy at Mattel Inc. We’re chatting about the power of media, social responsibility, and diving deeply into the partnership between Mattel, Save the Children Global, and Warner Bros. Discovery for the Barbie movie. Learn about the Dream Gap Project—an initiative that breaks down barriers for girls and empowers them to dream big - and how evolved partnerships can align with a brand’s mission, bringing about positive change. The convo is filled with kindness, passion, humor + how giving back can spark a movement. Tune in 💕

Meet Evan. This starry-eyed dreamer sought to change the world first through politics before pivoting into the nonprofit sector after finding his passion awakened in social service. In five years, his organization built one of the largest and most effective anti-poverty nonprofit communities in the country. Tune in and hear how the Stand Together Foundation viewed poverty as an innovation problem and began to look for solutions in new spaces to unleash human potential. It's a brilliant discussion into innovation, storytelling & they're even giving funding away to high-impact orgs who are breaking cycles and changing lives. You might be one of them!