Creating Community for Good

My guest today is Jordan Langer, a wildly creative and successful business entrepreneur, and a high-school dropout. As the founder of Non Plus Ultra, best known for hosting large-scale parties or conferences in its myriad portfolio of properties, Jordan works 20-hour days, but still found time to invest in the community. His desire to do something truly impactful for people and his own story with the American education system led him to create Project Wreckless, a San Francisco-based capacity development non-profit organization centered around the restoration of badass old American classic cars. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways, and episode resources.

Ask for more! There are so many issues, local to global, that it seems almost impossible to find a solution to all of them: poverty, access to education, clean water, housing, human trafficking… you name it. Furthermore, there are a ton of other issues that seem to be reaching a tipping point like climate change and the refugee crisis. But you know what? We already have the solutions to many of these problems. The nonprofit space exists to mend these issues through participation and programming. It’s a matter of time, energy, and resources to make it happen. This is a hard question: if there is enough money out there, are we fundraisers doing enough to activate extraordinary giving? Organizations need stability. They need overhead funding. And they need ambitious goals to fulfill their missions. If we have the guts to solicit bigger gifts, we can see the change. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways, and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. What would it be like to be a fly on the wall as a nationally recognized, 9-figure donor talks to an executive director about giving motivations and priorities? This episode does just that (with consent and some gentle guidance from yours truly, of course.) Our goal in this episode was to make it a working meeting – and to share it with you! We talked about how to refine a case for support, activate best practices for capital campaign engagement, consider how to cultivate potential prospective donors, and learn about foundation giving at large – especially during a spend-down. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways, and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. In this episode, Rick Happy, renowned philanthropic advisor for over 35 years— and a mentor to me — shares wisdom and advice all members of nonprofit leadership would benefit from considering. Take a listen to the first interview Rick did with me at the height of the pandemic, episode 8. In that episode, we talked from the eye of the hurricane about techniques to find funders and stay afloat. It’s been almost 18 months since then and things have definitely changed. Today I am interested in exploring with him what humanity has learned in this time about giving, and about our own human behavior when it comes to times of crisis. Join in! Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways, and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. In this episode of Creating Community for Good podcast, I talked to Ryan Marshall and Bill Tortorici. Both are talented fundraisers from different parts of the country and in different roles in the sector who were laid off during the pandemic. And they were not the only ones who met this same fate: 926,045 nonprofit jobs were lost by the end of February 2021. With an average recovery of 39,520 jobs per month, it will take the sector around two years to return to its pre-covid level of employment, according to the March 2021 updated estimates following the procedures laid out on Candid’s December Report. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. In today´s episode of Creating Community for Good I was joined by criminal defense attorney and author, Shanti Brien. Being a defense attorney is a work of tremendous responsibility and pressure since your client’s life is essentially in your hands. Shanti specializes in criminal appeals and post-conviction proceedings; the very last instances of the criminal justice system like the habeas corpus. Shanti’s clients are those who have already been convicted and are fighting the system from the inside; many of them convicted to life in prison. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. In this episode of the Creating Community for Good Podcast, Ashley Dittmar shares how she uses technology paired with the human instinct to engage and retain giving to organizations, year-over-year. That repeat giving is called donor retention. Ashley is the Director Of Development at Crisis Text Line and a specialist in digital campaigns, donor retention, and storytelling. In this conversation, she shares techniques of building rapport with donors, perspectives on the value of retention, and the power of automated technology for meaningful interactions. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind. WITH THE INTENTION TO inform, inspire and evolve. On today’s episode of Creating Community For Good, I was joined by Mallory Erickson, a certified fundraising coach with experience serving over 50 fundraisers and organizations. She, like myself, believes in the importance of changing the narrative of nonprofits around money, engagement, and donor-organization relationships. It is not about begging or chasing donors for money anymore, it’s about providing people with an awesome opportunity to join a cause and fuel a movement! Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

In this episode a fellow consultant and dear friend of mine, Tiffany Williams, and I explore a day in the life of a consultant. In this interview you’ll hear the challenges we grapple with in terms of what clients we will take, and what we won’t; how to prioritize the assignment while opening the space to pressing current events and societal demands; and techniques of building trust. Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Now, I know a lot of you are glad you don’t have to go to any more (proverbial) rubber chicken dinners. Not me! I loved galas! I’m a social butterfly who liked connecting with new and old friends, experiencing delight of an orchestrated festivity, and then floating away lit up about the cause we rallied to support that evening. I’m not really one for TV in general, so, when I tell you I did NOT enjoy pre-recorded, virtual Zoom events in Q1 of SIP, believe me, I mean it. Good news! Creativity wins again!! I am jazzed by the astute genius that has proven me wrong: virtual events can be captivating, dynamic, and ...dare I say, fun! The entertainment- and community-engagement-experts of the world pivoted and innovated quickly to enchant us, all from the comfort of our PJs. No doubt some of these new strategies will inform how we connect in person or virtually going forward. Welcome to Creating Community for Good, a podcast dedicated to philanthropy: the love of humankind (...and nature and animals and environment and all the things.) With the INTENTION to inform, inspire and evolve, allow me to introduce to you my new go-to social / virtual / positivity gal: Dana Snyder. Dana is a bad@ss. Just listen to her! Her enthusiasm and optimism are contagious. She rolls through this interview spilling creativity and solutions effortlessly. As someone who thought she was allergic to virtual events, I’m sincerely excited to know what we saw months ago is not what we’ll see going forward. Innovation abounds and Dana’s got all the juice you need to hook your event up with something your audience will be talking about for the ages.Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

We Are For Good is a place dedicated to celebrating the power of philanthropy, and equipping this generation of nonprofit leaders and philanthropists with the mindsets, tools, and innovative ideas to make a bigger impact. Becky Endicott, Co-Founder and Chief Storyteller, started her career in philanthropy at the Oklahoma State University Foundation and worked for over a decade at INTEGRIS Foundation where she led teams in annual giving events, stewardship, major gifts, prospect research and campaigns. Jonathan McCoy, Co-founder and CEO at We Are For Good, has consulted on branding, marketing and fundraising for more than 25 organizations and served the sector as a front line fundraiser for nearly a decade as a Director of Annual Giving for INTEGRIS Foundation in Oklahoma City. Jon, Becky and their wonderful Content & Production Manager, Julie Confer, and I became fast friends in 2020 and now collaborate on various projects from podcasting to fundraising advising to clubhouse co-hosting. Check out the interview of me on their show where I explained the 5 steps in making a successful solicitation. They’re truly kind, curious and capable humans whom I am grateful to know. You will hear the warmth and comfort in our voices as we discuss the topic of employee giving.Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “cryptocurrency”? I know that, for me, that word meant little more than intangible money, but after getting to know more about it, I can tell you that cryptocurrency concerns us philanthropists, and that it is already shifting the game in our community. The world and the way people are handling their money are changing. Most importantly, the way they donate to charity is changing too. Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been around for a while now, it’s only recent that nonprofits have really acknowledged their existence almost by necessity. At the beginning of 2021, the cryptocurrency market hit an all-time high exceeding $1 trillion for the first time according to the World Economic Forum. This community of users is not only growing incredibly fast, but it is also beginning to shift its attention towards charity-giving.Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Fundraising is a TOUGH job. What’s even harder is that there is more and more pressure to raise the funds from donors that ultimately operate critically important societal needs and services. In some cases, fundraising can feel transactional, urgent and stressful. This doesn’t feel good for anyone. Let’s examine the nature of our relationships and how we communicate with more grace, generosity and purpose. I am quite excited to share this incredible episode from the perspective of a “major gifts donor” with you. As you know, the Creating Community for Good podcast was born as a platform to open up and have authentic and real conversations with everyone involved in the world of philanthropy. I want to know about fundraisers, volunteers, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and share their perspectives to keep adding value to our community. In this episode, I bring in Lisa Greer, a philanthropy powerhouse, to talk about a very unique perspective in the philanthropy game — the donor. I won’t lie, this conversation was enlightening, as Lisa shared not only her own experience as a donor, but reframed the entire way fundraisers approach and establish conversations with potential donors, so be ready to take notes!Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Philanthropy’s ultimate goal has always been around gathering resources, time and efforts in favor of service to others. People seem to be irked by the word, “philanthropy” these days, but I still celebrate it for the root meaning: the love of humankind. Nevertheless, forget the “traditional” (stodgy) connotation and get back to the heart of it. Philanthropy doesn’t mean you have to “be rich” and give huge sums of money. No! Being a philanthropist is as simple as contributing in a meaningful way to others and being involved in your community. An awesome entrypoint is through joining a “giving circle.” They make philanthropy more tangible and accessible for communities, and create an atmosphere for people to come together to solve societal issues with their pooled resources.Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Whether you call it influence, confidence, or even freedom, power is relevant for your own personal and professional development, as it is for your team’s success, too. In order to change the world, you certainly will need it. In this episode, I am joined by my colleague and friend, Leti McNeill Light, to have a conversation around group dynamics, power and leadership. What does power even mean? And, how can we create opportunities for others, especially women, to gain access to roles of power? Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

I’m the one being interviewed! My new friends Becky and Jon (and Julie!) at We are for Good interviewed me and shared with their community. It got so many listens and positive comments that I decided to “double click” on it and share it with you, my Creating Community for Good Family as a bonus episode.Big visions and big hearts motivate big giving! Act with gratitude, kindness and enthusiasm for successful fundraising. In the end, every step along this journey is creating community for good! Keep going!Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

Alana is a tech guru with 20 years at Google and an active philanthropist. The essence of this episode is to draw back the curtain for a fireside chat about a leader in tech and her approach to creating community for good. In this episode, I bring on Alana Karen, author of The Adventures of Women in Tech — how we got here and why we stay. She is also a 20 year vet in tech and currently serves as the Director of Search Platforms at Google and a Founding Member of Enrich, a private network for business leaders.Head to http://CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

In an effort to create and CELEBRATE community — we can’t forget about the power of music! Whether it is hip hop, gospel, country or top 40… music is the soundtrack of our lives. From neurological activation to the way we tap our feet (or get up and boogie) the art form of music is both expressive and connective. It’s also a reflection of our culture and society. It bonds us through shared joy and pain. That’s why I sit down today with Khafre Jay to discuss Hip Hop culture and its impact on communities.Hip Hop for Change is a grassroots nonprofit organization fighting to protect the culture of Black America, empowering young kids by developing their sense of self-affirmation and breaking the cultural barriers with activism deeply rooted in communities dealing with real issues. Khafre Jay, a community organizer, nonprofit consultant, keynote speaker, and executive director of Hip Hop for Change, joins us today to share the achievements and the vision of this 501c3 education organization that uses Hip Hop culture to educate and advocate for social justice.Head to CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

When it comes to money-related issues, mum’s the word. Talking about wealth right now couldn’t be more charged. Did you know that 8 out of 10 people who are wealthy grew up in middle class or poor neighborhoods?! I didn’t. Have you ever felt bad for the rich? I have. Why? They are human just like everyone else! There’s a lot of stigma around the issue. This is why I am delighted to talk today with Jennifer Risher, author of the book We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth and initiator of the social giving movement encouraging giving during COVID-19 called #HalfMyDAF. This effort called for spending (donating) the $120 Billion parked into Donor Advised Funds NOW. Head to CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.

October is Ethics Awareness Month, and we acknowledge the importance of this topic with fundraising consultant Eric Heininger, CFRE. Eric is the founding managing director of EDEN+ in Des Moines, Iowa, and founder of the Des Moines Fundraising Institute. Today, we cover two key ethics topics: gift acceptance policies and sexual harassment in fundraising and volunteer management. There is a very personal story that Eric shares with us, that hasn’t been shared anywhere else before, so I invite you to listen with a compassionate ear as It’s important to have these conversations. Head to CreatingCommunityForGood.com for full show notes, key takeaways and episode resources.