The Charity Charge Show - Nonprofit Podcast

In Episode 87 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Robert Feiri, Executive Director of Gateway Center of Monterey County, whose mission is to serve adults with Developmental Disabilities by fully supporting their individual rights and choices, and empowering them to live full and productive lives with dignity and independence within the community. Stephen and Robert Feiri talk about sustaining motivation through challenging times, breaking old habits to bring future successes, and the importance of a peer support system.

Robert Freiri is the Executive Director of Gateway Center of Monterey County. He has been a nonprofit Executive Director for 23 years including seven years as Habitat for Humanity's Executive Director and seven years as the Executive Director of Chamberlain’s Children Center. Robert has also been a Nonprofit Manager for 35 years.

Robert Feiri on sustaining motivation in challenging times:

I think that what always kept me going is the focus on our mission, to make sure that even if it's been a tough day or we didn't win that day, that we're still on track to succeed at our mission and meet the needs of our clients. For me, when it's been a rough day I make sure that before I leave, I'll walk into the residential facility and spend 20 minutes with one or two of the residents. That always reminds me why I'm here and why we all do the good work that we do. That's what recharges me more than anything so that I can be ready to go and hit the challenges the next day. In the end it's really about the people that you serve and if you're doing a good job with that, your batteries will stay charged.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 86 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Jason Watters, CFO of GiveDirectly, whose mission is letting donors send money directly to the world’s poorest households. They believe people living in poverty deserve the dignity to choose for themselves how best to improve their lives — cash enables that choice. Stephen and Jason Watters talk about GiveDirectly's innovations in technology to increase efficiency of donations from donor to recipient, the importance of financial transparency in the nonprofit sector, and being a respectful guest when working with countries, governments, and citizens to develop trust.

Jason holds a B.S. in Finance from Georgia State University and an MBA in Finance and Economics from the New York University, and joined GiveDirectly from a long string of Private Equity and Venture Capital backed technology companies, most recently Imbellus, Inc. and has served in a variety of CFO, COO, and Chief Innovation Officer roles. Jason started his career with a short stint at the US Department of the Treasury and a decade at McKinsey & Company.

Jason on GiveDirectly's commitment to financial transparency:

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 85 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Holly Wissmann, Director of Philanthropy of Breakthrough Central Texas & President of AFP Greater Austin Chapter, whose mission is to facilitate ethical and effective philanthropy in Central Texas. The members of the Greater Austin Chapter represent a cross-section of professionals who serve the diverse nonprofit organizations of the Austin community. Stephen and Holly Wissmann talk about Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Austin Chapter's Philanthropy Day that is coming up March 24, 2022 along with AFP's commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) locally and globally and the paradigm shift happening in the non-profit sector from donor-centered to community-centered fundraising.

Holly Wissmann leads AFP's major gifts program and has helped grow the individual giving program from $500,000 to $3 million annually, serving more than 2,600 students on their path to becoming first-generation college graduates. Having experienced the transformative impact of higher education on her own family, Holly is honored to have the opportunity to pay forward that gift every day, serving on a team dedicated to educational equity and partnering with students and families to realize their college dreams. Prior to joining the Breakthrough family in 2013, Holly served for seven years at ZACH Theatre, where she was on the team responsible for the Topfer Theatre Capital Campaign. A proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Terry Scholar alumna, she holds a B.B.A. in Marketing and B.A. in Dance and serves on the Terry Foundation Alumni Advisory Board. In her 11 years as an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Holly has served in a variety of volunteer and leadership roles, including Philanthropy Day Chair and current President of the Greater Austin Chapter. In her personal time, she performs with East Austin-based, AZTLAN Dance Company, her artistic home for 16 years, and loves spending time with her partner, Fabian, and their fur babies, Xochi, Xico, and Ivan.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 84 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Janet Torres, CEO of Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, whose mission is to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through holistic literacy services. Stephen and Janet talk about the importance of connecting with staff members while working remotely and why radical vulnerability is a key leadership skill.

Janet Torres works as Chief Executive Officer at The Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Janet is a proven leader with an outstanding track record of public service, business and programmatic acumen, and the ability to bring people together. With over 20 years of public service as a legislative attorney, policy advisor, she has held various senior management positions in government/community engagement with global nonprofits such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, The New York Botanical Garden, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and most recently as Executive Director of The Kindness Campaign. Torres holds a B.A. in Political Science, Economics and Public Administration from Fordham University, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Janet Torres on why vulnerability is an important leadership skill:

I find that as a leader, I think you're always tempted to say, "I'm fine, everything's great." To give this outward impression of strength and that you know what you're doing. Even though sometimes you're really thinking, "I'm terrified. I don't know if I'm making the right decision or I'm just going to make a decision because I'm going to have to make a decision." What I think is important when talking about self care and burnout is that I've started practicing radical vulnerability with my board and my team, where it's okay for me to say, "You know what, I'm feeling burnt out." or "You know what? I may not have all the answers and I get scared too sometimes." That's been a game changer for us. It's scary to do because sometimes I think leaders may be afraid to be vulnerable since they're thinking that doing so will end with people respecting them less because they admit they don't have all the answers. I disagree with that. I've found that radical vulnerability as a leadership skill has actually benefited me and has humanized me to my staff and my board members; which then allows me to empathize and work with them more closely because they're open to being vulnerable in return.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 83 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Rebecca Powers, Author of Trust Your Cape & Founder of Impact Austin, whose mission is to cultivate and expand the knowledge, passion, and generosity of their members to make a positive impact by developing strong relationships and leveraging the power of collective giving. Stephen and Rebecca Powers talk about her new book Trust Your Cape that chronicles her journey of starting, building, leading and then letting go of Impact Austin.

In 2003, Rebecca Warren Powers lost her brother and, as a result, founded Impact Austin, a collective giving organization that brings women and their financial resources together to make a profound impact in Central Texas. Rebecca has received multiple awards recognizing her leadership and speaks nationally along with mentoring women in cities across the US as they form their own collectives. Rebecca is well-known in Austin, Texas, for her philanthropic passion and empowering women to help others. She graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1976 and worked as a sales rep for IBM for 14 years before retiring to raise her children. Rebecca and her husband live in Austin, Texas. They have two grown children, a wonderful son-in-law, and one perfect grandson.

Rebecca on what she learned when letting go of Impact Austin:

I always said that the day, the pain of running Impact Austin, was more than the joy that I got from it was the day it was time for me to retire because that meant what I loved doing and what I was good at doing was no longer what Impact Austin needed. When I did step down it was time for us to hire someone because no one was going to do what I did as the founder for free and work all those hours which meant that we became a different kind of organization, we had an employee, and that transition was messy. We had several missteps in that and it was hard for me to let go of my baby, but it was never my intention for Impact Austin to be "Rebecca's Impact Austin"; it needed to be the community. However, it was hard for me to let go of it when I didn't feel like it was able to blossom and fly on it's own. In hindsight, I should have let go a little easier than I did. Luckily I always had good people around me who called me to attention, and that's what you need is for people who are tough saying, "This isn't your place anymore. This is what we need, and this is how we're going to move forward." I was grateful for the people who told me that. Now I know Impact Austin is thriving without me because there are members now who are like, "I've heard of Rebecca Powers but I'm not sure I've ever seen her or if I just know the name." Which to me is like, "Yay, I'm not seen as an influence, and keeping my thumb on the organization." But it's hard to let go of your baby, I think it was harder to let go of Impact Austin than to let each of my kids go off to college.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 82 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Kim Langbecker, Executive Director of the Sacred Fire Foundation, with the mission to ensure the continuance of Indigenous wisdom traditions and to expand awareness of how and why these worldviews and their embodied values are crucial to modern society. Stephen and Kim discuss her unique background, working with indigenous communities, and her hopes for a post-pandemic world.

Kim Langbecker has more than twenty years of experience working in the social sector as an Executive Director, Event Producer and Strategic Development Consultant. Her ED experience includes Terra Conservation Initiative, and two non-profits which she founded: Indigenous Land Rights Fund and Journey to the Heart. Prior to her work in the world of social change, Kim enjoyed nearly 20 years in the music business as a promotion executive, working with five major labels. No matter where her journey has taken her and for as long as she can remember, she has been drawn to Indigenous cultures. Kim believes very strongly that now more than ever we have much to learn from our Indigenous brothers and sisters. Kim lives with her partner and a variety of wild creatures who frequent their home in the hills above Santa Fe, NM.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 81 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Brad Voss, Executive Director of Made in the Streets, whose mission is to love and serve children from the streets of Nairobi, Kenya - meeting their physical, emotional & spiritual needs; loving them fully; equipping them to earn a living & sending them out to a new life. Brad and Stephen talk about fundraising, seeing donors as a customer, and the benefits and drawbacks of running an NGO in Kenya from an office in Texas.

Brad comes to MITS with twenty years of valuable experience as a youth minister, preacher, consultant, and leader. Brad is passionate about developing the natural skills and talents of his team, so that together they can achieve their mission to love and serve street kids, in Kenya, across Africa, and around the world. Brad lives in North Richland Hills, TX, with his wife, Shannon, and their two children, Phoebe and Judson, where they all play an active role in their local church, schools, and community. Brad is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, where he earned two degrees: a BS in Communications and a MA in Religion.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 80 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to Jim Starr, president and CEO of America’s Charities, which inspires employees and organizations to support the causes they care about. Stephen and Jim discuss corporate giving and new trends in fundraising.

An accomplished leader with more than 30 years of experience and a proven track record in the nonprofit and healthcare sectors, Jim has served in national and field executive leadership roles with multi-million dollar revenue and expense targets. He also brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, business development, and partnerships. Prior to joining America’s Charities, Jim served the mission of the American Red Cross in a variety of senior leadership roles that touched every aspect of Red Cross services. Jim holds an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a BA in Organizational Communications from George Mason University.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 79 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks to George Weiner, Founder and CEO (or Chief Whaler) of Whole Whale, a digital agency that leverages data and tech to increase the impact of nonprofits and for-benefit companies. George and Stephen discuss digital advertising and its benefits for nonprofits, plus the 2021 Nonprofit Advertising Benchmark Study.

Prior to Whole Whale, George was the CTO of DoSomething.org. Over the course of 7 years, he managed the platform overhaul of DoSomething.org twice (winning a Webby Award) and helped to build a community of over 1.5 million young people taking action. Realizing that much of DoSomething’s success was owed to smart, lean use of many democratized tech tools (including Google Analytics and the Google Ad Grant), George founded Whole Whale with the goal of helping nonprofits both storied and start-up to move their missions forward with the tools at hand. He is also the co-founder of Power Poetry, the largest teen poetry platform in the U.S, a safe, creative, free home to over 500k poets.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.

In Episode 78 of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen talks with Brandolon Barnett, Author of Dreams Deferred and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Industry Solutions for the Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud. They discuss Brandolon’s new book, the Great Resignation, and breaking down existing silos of work and social responsibility.

Brandolon is also the Founder of Democratize Ventures, a project which helps entrepreneurs of color in DC & New York through mentorship, product advice, and annual angel investments. He also holds an MA in International Studies with a specialization in International Economics from the University of London SOAS. Previous roles include NGO and foundation work managing programs in the realm of environmental sustainability, cultural heritage, and economic development in major US markets and on the ground in 5 countries.

---------------------------

About Charity Charge

Charity Charge is a financial technology company serving the nonprofit sector. From the Charity Charge Nonprofit Credit Card to bookkeeping, gift card disbursements, and state compliance, we help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and stay financially strong. Learn more at charitycharge.com.