Nonprofit on the Rocks

Matt talks to Samia Lemfadli, Founder and CEO of Change Food for Good, a New York City-based nonprofit organization dedicated to making sustainable agricultural technology more accessible to areas affected by food insecurity. The pair discuss both the necessary mindset and practical steps one needs in order to start a nonprofit; how sustainable agriculture addresses food insecurity; how to make a big impact, even on a small budget. And climbing mountains, both figurative and literal!

Matt talks this week to The Rev. Matt Hackworth, a member of senior leadership for L'Arche USA, an organization committed to helping people with and without intellectual disabilities to live in community, together. Matt and Matt come from drastically different backgrounds. Matt Kamin is a Jewish, native Californian. Matt Hackworth is a Christian Reverend from the South. However, the two share a love for spirituality, a strong compulsion for humanitarianism, and a shared compassion for those with intellectual disabilities. Tune in to this thoughtful conversation which centers largely on the overlap of religion and nonprofit work. (Religious organizations typically receive the largest share of charitable donations [around 30%] each year.) And the mission work of many religious organizations connects congregations with nonprofits globally. They also touch on the importance of hiring people with differences and the gifts and opportunities that are missed when people are overlooked.

Join host, Matt Kamin, as he talks to Patricia Ostiller, CEO of Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley, a nonprofit that uplifts and strengthens people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities and breaking down barriers to care. Normally, Matt likes to “Mattsplain” the listeners, educating them on various elements of nonprofit leadership, but in this episode, Patricia took the reins! She “Patriciasplained,” in depth, just how she was able to lead a 3.8 million dollar capital campaign for a new building (you read that right) as well as enlightened us about how to engage your board and hold them accountable with contracts and scorecards. And Matt and Patricia share thoughts on the challenges of fundraising and reaching donors. Hints: be fearless and take “no” as “not right now.”

Join host, Matt Kamin, as he talks to OG badass do-gooder and lifetime advocate for the under-served, Mary Jane Wagle, co-founder of W.O.R.K.S. (Women Organizing Resources, Knowledge and Services) an organization that provides quality, affordable housing and services to the underprivileged. Matt and Mary Jane discuss all things Founder-related, from how to stick through the hard times and when to throw in the towel. They take questions from listeners ranging from what to do when a founder won’t step away to how to make a succession plan for one who is leaving; what do when a founder is misappropriating funds, to recognizing when it’s time to pave the way for a BIPOC leader. And Matt reveals how he founded his first non-profit in an effort to find a boyfriend. (Spoiler alert: it worked.)

Matt and producer, Ashley Waterson, return from a long hiatus to discuss the upcoming new season of the show! New Season. New Format. Same Quality. Same Fun.

In this highly anticipated episode, Matt talks to his Envision Consulting co-founder and nonprofit expert, Allison Fuller. The pair discuss their long history with nonprofit and each other, relaying hilarious and poignant stories. Listeners are also treated to an expert clinic on nonprofit management, discussing everything from: what DEI truly means, to do’s and don’ts of the interview process--including their favorite questions to ask candidates and the answers they want (and don’t want) to hear.

Matt talks to Omi Crawford, Director of Law Rocks, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote music education for underprivileged youth and raise funds for local nonprofit organizations by combining the power of music and the generosity of the global legal community. The pair discuss the challenge of keeping an event-driven nonprofit afloat during the pandemic shutdown, whether or not celebrities are actually “silver bullets” of fundraising, the trials and travails of working parents – especially those running nonprofits, and how many lawyers are secret, undercover rock stars.

Matt talks to Edward Amey, CEO of Jay Nolan Community Services, an organization that supports children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. The pair discuss the mutually beneficial value of hiring adults with disabilities; what it takes to be the CEO of a nonprofit; the importance of having a supportive life partner; and why it took Matt getting chewed out by a client with a disability to realize, “Hey! They really ARE just like us!”

Matt talks to Erin Huber Rosen, founder and executive director of Drink Local, Drink Tap, a nonprofit based in Cleveland, Ohio dedicated to improving water equity through projects, programming and partnerships because they believe access to clean water is a human right. The pair discuss what can be done on both a macro and micro scale to improve the sustainability of water and the environment. And Matt, once again, gets chastised for using single-use plastic and taking long showers (twice a day).

Matt talks to Bobbi Abram, CEO of the Pasadena City College Foundation. The pair discuss everything from the college’s 30 million dollar grant from Mackenzie Scott to why Bobbi’s (and Ashley's) longtime home town, Kansas City, is located in two states. They debate the merits of getting a college degree at all, and they reveal how when they first met, Bobbi thought Matt had “an overabundance of chutzpah.” (She was not wrong!)

Matt talks to Jamie Zavala, Executive Director of ArtworxLA, whose mission is to combat the epidemic high school dropout crisis by engaging students in arts programs that inspire them to stay in school and flourish as creative adults. The pair discuss the positive impact the arts can have on impressionable teens, the patience the interview process takes, and the importance of being your most authentic self. Matt also makes it his mission to find Jamie a suitable suitor!

Matt talks to Genevieve Riutort, the new CEO of the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica, California, an organization whose mission is to end hunger in our communities by providing access to free nutritious food through food acquisition and distribution, and by engaging the community and advocating for a strong food assistance network. With a global pandemic, inflation on the rise, and a scarcity of infant formula on the shelves, WSFB’s services have rarely been needed more than they are right now. Genevieve talks about the importance and impact of food banks, the best ways to help with food insecurity, and about her own journey from someone who needed food assistance herself, to now helping others. She also talks about her role as female CEO of color and how women should embrace their “*Inner Chad” (*TM Kim Peterson S2:E2) to get what they deserve.

Matt talks to Liz Lin, President of the LAFD Foundation, an organization whose mission is to supplement the fire department’s budget by providing first responders with essential equipment, new technology, and educational resources that would otherwise go unfunded. The duo discusses the growing challenges faced by the LAFD as a result of the pandemic and the increase of wildfires in recent years; things people can do to better prepare themselves and their homes from fire danger, how robots are helping fight fires, and how learning all the acronyms the FD uses is like learning a foreign language. And, Matt learns a very special lesson: that firemen are so much more than just shirtless calendar eye candy.

Matt talks to Jasmin Shupper, Founder of the Greenline Foundation, an organization committed to combating redlining by trying to close the racial wealth gap and facilitate access to the wealth-building that home ownership affords, by giving grants to qualified people of color for down payments and home maintenance assistance. The pair discuss the role systemic racism has played in keeping people of color (and other minorities) from having equal opportunity when it comes to access to homeownership; their common bond in having kick ass grandmothers who broke through nearly insurmountable barriers to become champions for minority home and land ownership; and what they would say to Oprah should she listen to this interview!

Matt talks to Shelby Williams-Gonzalez, President and CEO of Inner-City Arts in downtown Los Angeles, an organization that believes in the transformational power of the arts, and whose mission is to engage young people in the creative process in order to shape a society of creative, confident and collaborative individuals. The pair discuss the transition from artist to executive; how to build a strong team; the delicate balance a good leader strikes between delegation and ownership; and, most importantly, from where the term “shitfaced” is derived.

Matt talks to Lori Laqua, Managing Director of the SMUIN Contemporary Ballet Company in San Francisco. The pair discuss the state and importance of the performing arts and artistic expression; the changing landscape of how we consume art; and how and what it means to have a career in the arts. The two also share a mutual appreciation for men in tights.

Matt talks to Molly Snow, Executive Director of Girls on the Run Los Angeles, a nonprofit that empowers the next generation of women through sport and mentorship, building confidence and developing social emotional skills that will benefit girls for a lifetime. The pair discuss the importance of positive self-talk, how executive directors have to wear many hats in order to be successful, and ways to find joy during the pandemic. They also reminisce about the days before social media, when a Texas Instrument calculator was the height of technology.

Matt talks to Michele Broadnax, CEO of the Los Angeles Education Partnership, a 38year-old educational equity nonprofit organization. primarily partnering with LAUSD, bringing forward education transformation from “diapers to diplomas.” The pair discuss the importance of being a good fundraiser, how to best support teachers and your colleagues during the pandemic, and how being a mediocre student doesn’t keep you from being successful. Plus, Matt “Mattsplains” how to best use celebrities to advance your organization.

Matt talks to Rhea Wong, nonprofit consultant, fundraising expert and host of her own popular podcast – and yes, Nonprofit on the Rocks competitor, The Nonprofit Lowdown. The pair discuss topics ranging from the importance of “The Ask,” how to engage your board in the fundraising plight, rethinking the rubber chicken gala, and how they can combine forces to take down those pesky “church podcasts.” And as this is a “cross-over” event episode, and Rhea is going to air her own version of this episode on her podcast, they pair “flip the script,” and Rhea interviews Matt about Envision Consulting and his own nonprofit journey. It’s a great opportunity for listeners to learn more about our fabulous host and what he does and why!

Matt talks to Julie Lacouture, fundraising strategist and founder of Good Ways, Inc. a consulting firm that helps nonprofits raise money, awareness and supporting digital tools. (She also co-hosts the podcast, “How We Run: Tips and Tales of Nonprofit Success” with Trent Stamp, but since they’re a competitor, we won’t mention that again.) The pair discuss topics ranging from, “what makes a good ask?” to “how and when to approach your donors.”