You Are What You Give

There’s a problem most of us never see.

Children sleeping on floors.
No bed. No place to rest.

It’s called bedlessness.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, Luke Michaelson shares how one small moment turned into a movement that has changed over 370,000 lives.

Not by trying to solve everything, but by focusing on one clear, tangible need.

Build beds.

This conversation is about more than beds.
It’s about how real giving works:

Focus over scale.
Action over intention.
Doing one thing exceptionally well.

If you’re a nonprofit leader, donor, volunteer or simply someone who wants to give more thoughtfully, this episode offers a powerful reframing of what it means to make a difference.

To learn more about Luke Mickelson and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, go to https://shpbeds.org/.

Build a Bed.

Find one real need.
One real person.
One real situation.

And take one concrete step.

Because giving doesn’t grow by doing more -
it grows by doing what matters.

Special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity helps make these conversations possible.

For giving stories, episodes, insights and more, check out You Are What You Give at https://givewithus.com/.

Volunteer travel has become incredibly popular. But not all service trips are created equal.

Some experiences unintentionally center the volunteer instead of the community. Others leave participants inspired but unsure whether their efforts truly made a lasting difference.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, Avi Zimmerman speaks with Erin Hempen, founder of With Change in Mind https://www.withchangeinmind.org/, about how volunteer travel can be designed in a way that genuinely benefits the communities being served, while also transforming the people who participate.

Erin shares what she has learned from years of designing service experiences that emphasize relationships, cultural humility, sustainable impact, and meaningful human connection.

Together they explore:

• What separates meaningful service from “voluntourism”
• How nonprofits can design volunteer trips that respect and strengthen local communities
• How service travel can reshape how volunteers and donors think about giving

For nonprofit leaders, volunteers, and philanthropists alike, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at how service experiences can deepen our understanding of generosity and responsibility.

Special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity and belief in this project help make You Are What You Give possible.

Iran is not its regime.

In this episode, Avi Zimmerman speaks with Iranian-American activist Zolal Habibi about the fight for a free Iran, the difference between the regime and the Iranian people, and why many Iranians insist their future must be shaped by the people, for the people.

Recorded during an active regional conflict - from Israel, where the interview was briefly interrupted by an air-raid siren - this conversation explores the history of Iran’s resistance movement and the personal story behind Zolal’s lifelong activism.

Her father was executed by the Iranian regime during the mass killings of political prisoners in 1988 — a defining moment that shaped her commitment to the fight for freedom in Iran.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why many Iranians reject both war and appeasement
• The long struggle of resistance movements inside Iran
• The role of women in the fight for democracy
• The vision for a secular democratic republic in Iran
• What people outside Iran can do to support the Iranian people

At its core, this episode asks a deeper question:

What does it mean to stand on the right side of history?

Learn More

National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI): https://www.ncr-iran.org/ 

Maryam Rajavi: https://maryamrajavi4change.com/ https://maryam-rajavi.com 

Iran Freedom: https://iranfreedom.org/ 

Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC): https://oiac.org/ 

Social Media 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/IranNCR/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashrafi4ever/ 

X (Twitter): https://x.com/ashrafi4ever 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zolalhabibi

And special thanks to Victoria Hearst for supporting thoughtful conversations like this one and helping bring these voices to a wider audience.

Join the You Are What You Give community by subscroibing to https://givewithus.com/.

Most people think nonprofit work runs on urgency: more need, more pressure, more fundraising, more hours.

Heidi Johnson has spent 15+ years interviewing nonprofit founders and building organizations in the sector herself, and she argues something different: Joy is not a byproduct. It’s a power source.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, Heidi shares why service becomes “addictive” in the healthiest way, how giving reshapes the giver, strengthens organizational culture, and helps leaders stay in the game for the long haul.

We talk about:

• Why nonprofit founders are entrepreneurs - often without the playbook
• The hidden weight of mission-driven work (it’s not a “pencil factory”)
• How to build teams when you’re “paid” in meaning, not money
• Why time may be the most valuable gift, especially in the early days
• The practical difference between “doing good” and building something that lasts

Heidi is the creator of Charity Matters, author of Change for Good, and a lifelong student of what makes giving sustainable - for organizations and for the people carrying them.

Connect with Heidi: charity-matters.com

Weekly Giving Challenge
Teach your algorithms that giving matters: search giving-related keywords, subscribe to a giving podcast, and share your favorite giving accounts so we can build a stronger network together.

Thanks to Victoria Hearst for her continued support of You Are What You Give.

Follow You Are What You Give at givewithus.com.

What does it take to build a national nonprofit from a simple act of awareness?

In this episode of You Are What You Give, I sit down with Joseph Gitler, founder and chairman of Leket Israel https://www.leket.org/en/, Israel's leading food rescue organization.

What began with one person paying attention to surplus food has grown into a nationwide operation that rescues and redistributes millions of pounds of food each year to Israelis in need.

We talk about:

• The early grit required to launch Leket
• What it takes to scale from local initiative to national infrastructure
• Building systems that move food quickly and responsibly
• Leading through crisis and economic pressure
• And what Purim - a holiday centered on hidden need and open-handed giving - teaches us about modern generosity

As Purim approaches, Leket is mobilizing to distribute significant food packages across Israel, ensuring families can celebrate with dignity.

This conversation is for nonprofit founders, leaders, fundraisers, and anyone asking:

How do you grow impact without losing mission?

How do you scale compassion?

If you care about food security, volunteer mobilization, or building sustainable nonprofit systems, this episode is for you.

Special thanks to Victoria Hearst for supporting You Are What You Give.

What would make someone voluntarily donate a kidney?

Not for publicity.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, I sit down with Dr. Zev Gershon - a physician, attorney, a rabbi and generous philanthropist - to explore what it means toi give withoiut losing anything.

We discuss:

• Why he chose two demanding professions — medicine and law
• Whether certain careers are inherently “giving”
• The moment he moved from giving resources… to giving a kidney
• How to identify your giving purpose
• Whether he has ever second-guessed a gift
• And how he measures the success of his generosity

But the heart of this conversation, it’s about giving where someone else stands to gain far more than you stand to lose.

If you’re a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, donor, or someone trying to clarify your life’s purpose, this episode will challenge you to ask:

What is my second kidney?

As always, special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity makes these conversations possible.

Most people think fundraising is about asking for money.
In reality, it’s about something far more personal:

Your posture.
Your relationship with wealth.
And whether you can sit across from a successful person with respect. Not suspicion, insecurity, or resentment.

In this episode of You Are What You Give, I’m joined by J. Paul Fridenmaker, a longtime major-gifts leader and coach who has spent decades working with faith-driven donors and fundraising professionals.

And whatever your own faith background may be, this conversation lands because it isn’t theoretical - it’s lived.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why fundraising health starts inside the fundraiser, not with better scripts
• How burnout, rejection, and quiet resentment show up long before people leave the field
• Why the “ask” is teachable, but networking, connection, and trust are the real DNA test
• A defining 2001 moment where giving a donor “away” led to a 25-year relationship of trust
• Why the most effective fundraisers aren’t chasing gifts - they’re inviting people to the party

This episode is especially relevant for:

• Nonprofit leaders and executive directors
• Major gifts officers and development professionals
• Fundraisers navigating donor relationships, boundaries, and burnout
• Anyone who invites others to give, serve, or stand with a cause

As with every episode, special thanks to Victoria Hearst, whose generosity and support make You Are What You Give possible.

This is the fourth and final episode in our How Texans Give miniseries, and we close it by stepping inside the human side of Congress.

In this conversation, Avi Zimmerman sits down with Congressman Michael Cloud to talk about something rarely discussed in public life: how to serve without losing yourself.

This conversation goes deeper than party lines, diving into the value system of selfless leadership.

Congressman Cloud reflects on:

• The difference between seeking power and being willing to carry responsibility
• How trust becomes the real currency of leadership (reminding us of my discussion with Cathy McMorris Rodgers https://youtu.be/vYuR_1E4kJM)
• What keeps him grounded in an environment shaped by pressure and ambition
• Why giving is about what you give of yourself beyond what you give on behalf of others

This episode fits squarely within the How Texans Give series, exploring what people give when they step into responsibility: time, integrity and trust. Stewardship, not politics. And real giving when the stakes are high. 

As with every episode in this series, special thanks to Victoria Hearst for her continued support and belief in these conversations.

If this episode resonates, we invite you to explore our weekly Giving Challenges and conversations about purposeful generosity at https://givewithus.com.

Most people assume that philanthropic foundations fund projects. Behind the scenes, they’re often funding people.

This is Episode 3 of 4 in our How Texans Give miniseries. In this conversation, Avi Zimmerman sits down with Dr. Victoria Sarvadi, who together with her husband leads the Nathaniel Foundation.

Victoria offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how foundations actually make decisions:

• Why trust often matters more than pitch decks
• How systems and structure support lasting impact
• What it means to be a sponsor of someone else’s vision
• Why some ideas move forward quickly while others don’t

This conversation is about discernment, stewardship, and the people behind the process. Learn more about the Nathaniel Foundation:
https://thenathanielfoundation.org/

We invite you to listen closely, reflect, and engage with the ideas shared here, with the work of the foundation, and with the broader question of how generosity becomes meaningful action.

Special thanks to Victoria Hearst for her continued support of You Are What You Give.

In the first episode of our How Texans Give series, Avi Zimmerman is joined by Revis Daggett and Lashawn Wardlaw McIvor - two Texas ranchers, businesswomen, and community leaders , soon to launch their own podcast titled The Lone Star Ladies.

This conversation explores giving as a way of life. From multi-generation ranching families and life shaped by the land, to small-town communities where people show up quietly and consistently, Revis and Lashawn reflect on a culture where responsibility, faith, and generosity are deeply intertwined.

They share stories about:

• Ranching as stewardship and service
• Community support that happens without fanfare
• Giving food, time, and presence - not just money
• Passing values from one generation to the next
• Why trust, humility, and showing up matter more than recognition

This episode sets the tone for the How Texans Give series, examining generosity through the cultural lens of Texas, where independence and interdependence live side by side, and where giving often begins long before anyone calls it philanthropy.

With thanks to Victoria Hearst for her continued encouragement and support of You Are What You Give and the conversations that make this series possible.

For more information, the Weekly Giving Challenge, notes on giving and more, follow You Are What You Give on Substack.