Legends from the Nonprofit Crypt

After 40+ years in the nonprofit world, Sally steps into a new role leading a grassroots arts organization—expecting calm, creativity, and collaboration. Instead, she faces gossip, sabotage, and one very rude competitor at a key foundation meeting. But Sally’s experience, integrity, and generosity shine through, earning her organization a $100,000 grant and proving that being a “very nice woman” pays off—on and off the record.

Tune in for a story of resilience, clever leadership, and the twists and turns of nonprofit life!

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

In this episode, we meet Rosina, a seasoned activist who takes a part-time job at a local nonprofit while caring for her terminally ill sister. Though she loves mentoring high school students, she quickly sees the inequities facing staff—low wages, no bonuses, and a leadership blind to their struggles. After her proposal for pay equity is dismissed by the board, Rosina seizes another chance to spark change: a rally at the state capital. By elevating the voices of two students and their mom, she transforms the event, swaying legislators and even inspiring her executive director to rethink how the organization treats its own employees. Rally is a story of courage, strategy, and the power of speaking truth—on the stage and behind the scenes.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Norah thought she was starting a straightforward new job at an animal shelter. What she didn’t expect was to walk into a mystery: the executive director who hired her had vanished without a trace, the staff had no idea how the place was supposed to run, and a $2 million grant was about to implode. Allergic to animals and terrified of snakes, Norah found herself in the last place she ever imagined—face-to-face with chaos, confusion, and a shelter on the brink of collapse.

But what looked like a disaster became an unlikely turning point. With Shaniqua, the brilliant program director who loved the animals as much as Norah loved order, the two forged an unexpected alliance. Together, they raced against time to fulfill the grant, rescue the shelter, and carve out a new model of leadership. In this episode of Legends from the Nonprofit Crypt, you’ll hear how Norah turned a nightmare into an origin story of resilience, teamwork, and reinvention.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

In this episode of Legends from the Nonprofit Crypt, Jessica Aviva shares the story of Georgina—an athlete, dancer, and professional who happens to use a wheelchair. Her life is filled with strength, creativity, and movement, yet when she applies for a job at her beloved community center, she’s met with barriers, bias, and condescension.

From a humiliating “accessible” entrance to being stashed in a boiler room on her first day, Georgina’s experience reveals how ableism seeps into nonprofit workplaces that claim to serve everyone. But when an emergency strikes, Georgina proves her strength in ways no one expected—changing not only perceptions but also the culture of the organization itself.

“Wheels” is a story about resilience, resistance, and the fight for dignity in spaces that should welcome all of us.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

In this Halloween special, Abby, an outreach coordinator at a regional blood bank, meets a mysterious new coworker whose presence stirs fear, suspicion, and a few supernatural questions. After a tense encounter and his sudden disappearance, Abby is left haunted by her assumptions—until an unexpected email forces her to confront her own bias, rethink her judgment, and advocate for a second chance. Bloodsucker is a chilling yet humorous reminder that sometimes the real monster is our own rush to conclusions.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Trina loves organizing events—but when she volunteers to help her local elementary school PTA, she quickly discovers that planning a fundraiser isn’t always as sweet as it seems. Enter Eva and her “mean moms” crew, who hijack every detail, from decorations to speeches, leaving Trina to juggle chaos, kitchen logistics, and a lockbox full of donations.

Despite the meddling, mishaps, and pink mashed potatoes, Trina’s expertise and quick thinking turn the day around—raising enough money for a new playground and instruments for the school band. This episode is a hilarious and heartfelt look at the triumphs and trials of nonprofit life, proving that sometimes, even when the ladies who lunch are in charge, good things can happen.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Maya loved chocolate almost as much as she loved good bookkeeping. When she started her new job at a regional food pantry, she brought along a box of her favorite fudge—unaware of just how ironic that sweet gesture would become.

What Maya discovered was an organization led by the kindest executive director you could imagine—someone so dedicated to feeding the community that little details like budgets, cost accounting, and federal grant rules were left in total disarray. With patience (and weekly fudge), Maya brought order to the chaos.

But just when she thought she had found her place, the police walked through the pantry doors…

This episode blends nonprofit reality with a touch of suspense—and of course, a little chocolate.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

In this episode, we meet Amelia—a tough but big-hearted farm animal rescuer whose decades of dedication have built not only a haven for animals but also a vibrant community around them. But when boardroom politics, wealthy benefactors, and an ill-fated “learning trip” collide, Amelia finds herself caught in the messy overlap of passion, privilege, and power.

From long drives and awkward visits to a so-called “model” farm with only three animals, to the shocking twist of a marriage that could reshape everything she’s worked for, Amelia’s story explores what happens when grassroots heart meets boardroom ego.

Tune in for a tale of leadership, labor, and the hidden costs of caring too much in a world where money often speaks louder than compassion.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Angelica was a writer at heart—an author, poet, and podcaster whose words captivated thousands. But like so many artists, her passion didn’t pay the bills. By day, she worked as a development coordinator at an arts nonprofit, where her creativity was constantly stifled by a red-pen–wielding boss who turned elegant prose into clumsy clichés.

When a last-minute donor letter and a flood of humiliating edits push her to the breaking point, Angelica makes a bold decision to walk away—without notice, without a plan. What happens next feels almost too good to be true: a dream job offer, the chance to publish a book, and an unexpected twist that ties her fate back to the very donor who drove her over the edge.

Tune in to The Red Pen for a tale of art, survival, and the strange ways the universe sometimes rewrites our stories.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

Farrah was eager, idealistic, and ready to change the world in her first nonprofit job. But she quickly discovered that in the eyes of her boss, her value wasn’t her talent, dedication, or creativity—it was her looks.

What begins as an uncomfortable comment in the hallway spirals into a reckoning with toxic leadership, casual sexism, and the exploitation of women in fundraising. Just when Farrah thinks her career may be over before it’s even begun, an unexpected ally changes everything—proving that courage, integrity, and hard work will always outshine sleazy shortcuts.

Tune in to Attractive for a tale of resilience, power, and the ghosts of workplace cultures that need to be left behind.

Hang out with Jessica at Community Changemakers School or Club Fruition!

This podcast is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, events, and incidents are products of the creator’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.