Power Station

Latest Episodes:

We are the break glass in case of emergency button for the AANHPI community Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

In 1996, a small group of Asian American civil rights leaders in Washington, DC stepped up to launch a new and inclusive organization, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. The vision was to create a home for, and combine the forces of, a diverse constituency that includes South Asians, East Asians, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders and more to ensure that their voices and expertise were heard and included at public policy making tables. NCAPA is now where 40+ national AAPI nonprofits with expertise in healthcare, education, immigration, housing, and technology make recommendations and, when needed, demands to the White House, Congress, and federal agencies. This work is critical to raising the profile, needs and contributions of communities that too often have been invisible to decision-makers. In this episode of Power Station, National Director Gregg Orton, who learned the hard scrabble but exhilarating world of policy making as a Congressional staffer, shares NCAPA's recent accomplishments. After decades of advocacy, the White House is on the brink of updating the collection of AAPINH data by standardizing data disaggregation. Gregg is savvy, hopeful and a consummate and welcoming bridge-builder. Hear him and share.

We are the break glass in case of emergency button for the AAPI community Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

In 1996, a small group of Asian American civil rights leaders in Washington DC stepped up to launch a new and inclusive organization, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. The vision was to create a home for, and combine the forces of, a diverse constituency that includes South Asians, East Asians, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders and more to ensure that their voices and expertise were heard and included at public policy making tables. NCAPA is now where 40+ national AANHPI nonprofits that advocate for advancements in healthcare, education, immigration, housing, and technology make recommendations and, when needed, demands to the White House, Congress, and federal agencies. This work is critical to raising the profile, needs and contributions of communities that too often have been invisible to decision-makers. In this episode of Power Station, National Director Gregg Orton, who learned the hard scrabble but exhilarating world of policy making as a Congressional staffer, shares NCAPA's most recent accomplishments. After decades of advocacy, the White House is on the brink of updating the collection of AAPINH data by standardizing data disaggregation. Gregg is savvy, hopeful and a consummate and welcoming bridge-builder. Hear him and share.

One mom said she no longer has to choose which of her children gets new shoes. Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

The story of Mothers Outreach Network is about what happens when women stand up for other women who live in poverty and are entangled in the child welfare system. It is about being a Black mother in Washington DC where 13% of families live under the federal poverty guidelines and face a loss of benefits when they get a job or their income increases. It is about moms who lack the basic resources, including strollers, needed to navigate their daily lives. Melody Webb, a Harvard trained public interest lawyer, founded Mother's Outreach Network to build economic security and power among women in these circumstances. It took a global pandemic and the death of George Floyd to push the philanthropic sector to deepen their investments in Black-led nonprofits, including Mothers Outreach Network. In this episode of Power Station, Melody shares stories about women who are blossoming as advocates who testify before the DC City Council to identify policy solutions. She explains how Mother Up, her new pilot project that targets $500 per month in guaranteed income to these moms provides security and builds confidence. This is a story about making change in real time.

If policy achievements made over the last 4 years are rescinded, everyone's health, wallets, and even our democracy is at risk. Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

The most powerful advocacy begins at home. This is the case for Staci Lofton, who loved growing up in Queens, New York but realized as she got older that her family and neighbors had to leave their community to buy groceries, find a doctor and connect to the many resources needed to maintain their lives. As Staci explains on this episode of Power Station, her experience is shared by countless other underinvested Black and Brown communities that lack what research has determined is necessary to thrive: clean air, open spaces, healthy food, a safe environment, and access to community-based health care. As Senior Director of Health Equity at Families USA, a powerhouse national nonprofit, recognized for its leadership in bringing the Affordable Care Act over the finish line and making Medicare drug price negotiations possible, Staci is driven to preserve and expand on these achievements. She talks about what is at stake in our upcoming elections, including women's bodily autonomy and funding for community health centers. As Staci says, Families USA bring its policy advocacy superpowers to a high stakes fight for justice, health equity and democracy itself.

For me, making sure that the Latina perspective is in the middle of all these conversations is critical Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

There is power that comes from privilege and position and there is power that communities who have been excluded from decision making tables, claim. It is built over time with a commitment to meeting needs, creating personal bonds, and deepening community connections. This is the origin story of MANA, the oldest and largest Hispanic Women's nonprofit organization in the nation. Amy Hinojosa, MANA's dynamic, and inspiring CEO knows that her influence in the halls of Congress and in the White House is powered by MANA's impressive footprint of on-the-ground Latina-led chapters and affiliates. On this episode of Power Station, Amy talks about MANA's impactful initiatives, including Hermanitas, the only mentoring program in the nation created by Latinas for Latinas. It has been, most recently, a critical lifeline for middle and high school girls navigating mental health challenges spurred by isolation and social media during the pandemic. Over time it has generated thousands of Latina change makers, from educators to public officials and community leaders. It is no surprise that as MANA prepares to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, the festivities will include a get-out-the vote rally. This is a beautiful lesson in how lasting change is made.

What is hard for for-profits is even harder for nonprofits because they are solving for problems that the market will not solve Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Let's be real: If you work for a nonprofit with a social change mission you are probably not averse to taking on challenges. Whether a nonprofit's charge is tackling hunger, homelessness, or access to healthcare you must be prepared to help people in crisis, provide resources, build community power and advocate for policy solutions. The truth is that nonprofits exist to take on deep-rooted problems that the private market will not solve. But where corporations are capitalized at levels needed to build a robust infrastructure and attract expertise, philanthropic support for nonprofit grantees is not commensurate with their capacities or the urgency of their mission. This tired and harmful paradigm is being brilliantly disrupted by Andrea Levere, a legend in the field of asset building and now, the founder and CEO of Capitalize Good. In this episode of Power Station Andrea shares her experience with making wealth inequality a national talking point and breaks down her blueprint for Enterprise Capital, a new model for investing impactfully in the nonprofit sector. Andrea reports on what happens when the model is put into action. This is true change making, a breakthrough, in action.

The Community Land Trust model comes out of the Civil Rights movement Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

America's housing affordability crisis is a well-documented reality not just in gentrifying cities but in virtually every corner of this nation. The persistence of the problem is particularly frustrating because we have proven policy solutions in hand, largely generated by nonprofits and community leaders. What is lacking is full-on political will at the federal level to break through barriers and make housing an accessible and affordable resource. Community Land Trusts, which have deep roots across the globe, were put on the map in the United States by civil rights icons Charles and Shirley Sherrod. Their founding of New Communities in Albany, Georgia, motivated by the violent displacement of Black farmers from their land and informed by their time on kibbutzim in Israel, galvanized a modern movement for the communal stewardship of land and housing whose affordability is permanent. In this episode of Power Station, Tony Pickett, CEO of Grounded Solutions Network, a powerdul cohort of CLT leaders, shares his own experience in the field and calls on philanthropy and government to make robust investments in a model, based in shared equity, that uplifts all communities. Hear him. His work and words are compelling and hopeful.

Anyone who wants to be a part of electing progressive leaders to office is welcome to the table Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

America's progressive movement is a big tent of organizations and leaders whose passion for democracy runs deep. Imagine a Venn diagram with one circle representing these organizations and the issues they tackle, from choice, the environment, healthcare and housing to LGBTQ rights, labor rights, and immigration. A parallel circle would display the legislation and public investments needed to protect people and the earth. What is in the intersecting circle? As Daria Dawson, executive director of America Votes, explains on this episode of Power Station, it is voting for progressive changemakers. Every election, whether for president, city council or state election administrators, is our collective opportunity to make our beliefs and expectations known. This juncture is where America Votes thrives. Now in its 20th year, America Votes is the coordination hub for the big tent, the apparatus that labor unions, national and community-based advocacy oriented nonprofits look to for guidance and to make their on-the-ground intel known. Daria, the first Black woman to lead America Votes, is a consummate political campaign professional who feels the stakes for the 2024 election cycle personally. She is also undaunted. Her call to action: Use your voice.

The input into our kids is not equal so the outcome is not going to be equal Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

We want to believe that all children in America, from birth through high school, are equally positioned to learn, dream, and thrive. The reality, which is well-documented through unassailable data collected by Kids Count, a national initiative funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is starkly different. As Kimberly Perry, executive director of DC Action says on this episode of Power Station, the input into our children isn't equal so the outcome isn't going to be equal. A failure to invest in quality childcare, public schools and out-of-school resources in Black and Brown communities is a direct result of public policies rooted in racism, leaving a legacy of discrimination that is embedded in our public systems. DC Action is dissecting these systems to better understand what is working and where change is needed. It works with parents and young people to create policy solutions and push for their passage into law by the DC Council and Mayor. DC Action is both a resource to lawmakers and a formidable advocate for policies and programs that uplift young people. And Kim Perry is a powerful leader who leads with love and optimism.

The hardest part of my job is trying to convince people that hunger is a real issue Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

The data tells the story: In the United States, 44 million people, including 1 in 5 children are food insecure, lacking the food and nutrition needed to thrive. This population includes not only individuals and families living in poverty and experiencing homelessness; it also extends to our employed neighbors, family members and the co-worker in the next cubicle. Until our national leaders fully invest in policy solutions that lift families out of poverty and make our transportation, health, and housing systems more equitable, hunger will persist. In fact, as L. Ron Pringle, President and CEO of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a North Carolina based nonprofit, explains on this episode of Power Station, the hardest part of his job is trying to convince people, from policymakers to corporate leaders, that hunger is a real issue. At the Food Shuttle, Ron and his team have created an eco-system of programs that feed people in need today while advocating for the elimination of hunger tomorrow. Feeding, teaching, growing, and cultivating are the organizational pillars that make Inter-Faith Food Shuttle a lifeline to food equity in North Carolina and a partner in a growing national movement for ending hunger.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected