What happens when you’re responsible for holding a nonprofit organization together while your personal life is falling apart? In this episode, Rob Harter sits down with Ashley Stallings to have an honest conversation about nonprofit leadership, burnout, vulnerability, and what it takes to lead sustainably through seasons of personal crisis.

Ashley shares her own experience of navigating the end of a 19-year marriage, becoming a single mom, and leading an organization that was barely hanging on—all at the same time. She explains the warning signs she missed, why asking for help can be so difficult for leaders, and how a strong support system ultimately helped her recover. Rob and Ashley also explore practical ways nonprofit leaders and boards can build healthier organizational structures, create psychological safety, establish boundaries, and prepare for difficult seasons before a crisis occurs.

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How can profound grief be transformed into purpose, empathy, and a legacy that serves others? In this powerful episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Rob Harter speaks with Matthew Efird about the loss of his son, Noah, who was diagnosed with Trisomy 13 before birth and lived for 57 and a half hours. Matthew shares how he and his wife, Hannah, navigated the months between Noah’s diagnosis and birth, the intentional choices they made to protect their marriage and family, and the role faith and community played in helping them endure an unimaginable season.

Matthew also discusses how journaling became a critical tool for processing grief and eventually led to his book, Even Though We Will. He explains how Noah’s legacy now fuels his work through the Even Though We Will Foundation, where his family helps connect others facing child loss and terminal diagnoses with resources and support. Their story offers nonprofit leaders meaningful lessons on empathetic leadership, sustainable leadership, protecting what matters most, learning to say no, and turning personal pain into service for others.

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America’s housing crisis is not only about affordability—it is also about a lack of diverse housing options for people at different income levels and stages of life. In this episode, Rob Harter speaks with Amy Tomasso, Director of Policy Innovation at Ivory Innovations, about the “missing middle” between detached single-family homes and large apartment buildings. Amy explains how duplexes, triplexes, cottage courts, accessory dwelling units, and other smaller housing types could create more attainable options for first-time homebuyers, growing families, and older adults hoping to downsize.

Amy also shares how Ivory Innovations combines research, education, entrepreneurship, public policy, and hands-on affordable housing development to move promising ideas into practice. The conversation explores zoning reform, construction technology, innovative financing, cross-sector partnerships, and the important role nonprofit leaders and community foundations can play in developing local housing strategies.

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Housing is essential, but is it enough to create lasting change for people experiencing chronic homelessness? In this episode, Rob Harter speaks with Preston Cochrane, CEO of The Other Side Village in Salt Lake City, Utah, about the nonprofit’s human-centered approach to homelessness. Rather than treating residents as clients or case numbers, the organization creates a supportive community where people can rebuild relationships, rediscover purpose, develop practical skills, and take responsibility for their futures.

Preston explains how The Other Side Village combines permanent housing with peer mentorship, meaningful work, recovery support, social enterprise, and a democratic therapeutic community. He also discusses the need to balance compassion with accountability, why lived experience is central to the organization’s coaching model, and how the village measures long-term success through housing stability, self-reliance, sobriety, and crime-free living.

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Donors want to know that their generosity is making a real difference. Yet many gifts can feel like they disappear into a “black box,” leaving supporters unsure where their donations went or whom they helped. In this episode, Rob Harter speaks with Antonis Politis, CEO and co-founder of Givelink, and Panos Kokmotos, COO and co-founder of Givelink, about how greater transparency can strengthen donor trust, improve the giving experience, and increase donor retention.

Givelink enables donors to purchase products that nonprofits currently need, track those items through delivery, and receive photos, videos, and personalized stories showing their impact. Antonis and Panos explain why nonprofits should make giving more tangible and human, how AI can personalize donor communications without replacing authentic connection, and why Givelink’s transparency model has led donors to give approximately 60% more annually.

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Why do people give—and what happens in the brain when they decide to support a cause? Rob Harter sits down with fundraising strategist, behavioral science expert, and Neurogiving author Cherian Koshy to explore the neuroscience behind generosity. Cherian explains why charitable giving is closely connected to emotion, identity, belonging, and the brain’s reward systems—and why facts alone rarely inspire someone to donate.

Cherian also shares practical ways nonprofit leaders can create more meaningful donor experiences, reduce unnecessary friction, and build lasting relationships rooted in trust. The conversation examines the ethical use of neuroscience and artificial intelligence in fundraising, emphasizing that these tools should deepen human connection rather than manipulate donors or reduce them to data points.

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In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Rob Harter speaks with Dr. Doris Macharia, President of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, about what it takes to lead with clarity, courage, and resilience during times of crisis. Dr. Macharia shares her journey from practicing medicine in Kenya to leading global HIV and public health initiatives, and how her background prepared her to step into executive leadership during a season of major international funding cuts.

Dr. Macharia offers practical insight for nonprofit leaders navigating uncertainty, staffing challenges, donor shifts, and organizational change. She emphasizes the importance of staying anchored to mission, communicating consistently, making decisive choices, caring for yourself as a leader, and building trust through presence, empathy, and action.

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In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Dr. Rob Harter speaks with Clare Durrett and Dr. Terri Thompson of Answer ALS about how trust, collaboration, and shared data can accelerate meaningful impact. Answer ALS began after a powerful summit led by Steve Gleason and Team Gleason, where patients, caregivers, researchers, clinicians, and advocates came together to rethink how ALS research could move forward with fewer barriers and greater urgency.

Clare and Terri share how Answer ALS developed Neuromine, a globally accessible research platform designed to help researchers explore clinical, genomic, biological, and multi-omic data in one place. Their conversation offers valuable lessons for nonprofit leaders on building trust with stakeholders, protecting community-centered values, scaling ambitious work, and creating systems that make collaboration easier than working in isolation.

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In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Rob Harter talks with Jay Williams, President and CEO of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation. Jay shares his leadership journey from banking and public service to becoming the first African American and youngest mayor of Youngstown, Ohio, serving in the Obama administration, and now leading one of Connecticut’s major community foundations.

Rob and Jay discuss how philanthropy, nonprofit partnerships, workforce development, and education can come together to create lasting community impact. Jay explains why the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation is investing deeply in the next generation through its Greater Futures Scholarship partnership with Hartford Promise, helping students access college, wraparound support, and the opportunity to graduate with little to no student loan debt.

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In this episode, Dr. Rob Harter speaks with Michelle Dubiski, mother of Madison Dubiski, who tragically lost her life during the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy in Houston. Michelle shares Madison’s servant-hearted spirit, her deep love for others, and how an organic movement called #PinkBowsForMadison became a symbol of love, remembrance, and hope.

Rob is also joined by Steve Allen, an event management and crowd safety expert who has partnered with the Pink Bows Foundation to help create global standards for show-stop procedures and live event safety. Together, Michelle and Steve share how grief has been transformed into advocacy, education, safe spaces, and a growing movement to prevent future tragedies at concerts, festivals, sporting events, and other large gatherings.

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