The ENGAGE Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 234: Self-Care for Women in Leadership Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

Research has shown that women are more prone to burnout than men for a variety of reasons, including societal expectations and imbalances in responsibilities across work and home. This can be further intensified for women working at nonprofits and other social good organizations, which often have higher than average rates of burnout and turnover.

Today’s guest, Stacie Barber, is an integrative life coach and the founder of Stacie Barber Lifestyle. She joined host Rachel Hutchisson in a discussion about why it’s important for women leaders, and all women, to engage in self-care practices at work and at home so they are aren’t overburdened and feel healthy and productive.

Topics covered in this episode:

Stacie’s professional journey
Why women often burn out
What it means to practice self-care
How women can build support systems in the workplace
Why it’s important to delegate
Taking risks and seizing new opportunities

Resources:

Episode 233: Leading with Transparency in Grantmaking Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

Open, honest, and transparent communication with grantee partners can help minimize power imbalances and help foster a sense of mutual transparency and accountability that is critical to our success as grantmakers. Hear from Shaady Salehi, executive director, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Lisa Maloney-Vinz, director of global community relations, Ecolab Foundation, Drexel Owusu, chief impact officer, The Dallas Foundation, and Lauren Scott, executive director, Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund about how their organizations are embracing transparency.

Episode 232: Best Practices for Due Diligence in Grantmaking Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Why is due diligence important in grantmaking organizations? The process of satisfying legal requirements impacts many areas within an organization— mission alignment, stewardship, duty of care, reputation, outcomes & impact, and overall effectiveness to name a few.

In this episode, learn from Elizabeth (Liz) Gousse Ballotte, principal at PKF O’Connor Davies, about what the staff at grantmaking organizations need to know to be compliant.

Topics covered in this episode:

Due diligence models
Grant applications and risk identification
Governance
Financial information, including budgets, financial statements, and IRS Form 990
Information Technology and internal controls
Streamlining operations and increasing productivity

Resources

Episode 231: The Case for ESG in Nonprofits May 13, 2022

Show notes

ESG (environment, social, and governance) is a hot topic amongst for-profit companies and investors, but is it important for nonprofits and other social good organizations too? Today's guest thinks so. Tim McClimon, principal consultant for The Celeste Group, which specializes in corporate social responsibility and nonprofit management strategies and programs, and former head of corporate social responsibility at American Express, joined Rachel Hutchisson to discuss why social good organizations should view ESG as an operating strategy and as a way of being more transparent and accountable to their employees, donors, beneficiaries, communities, and the planet. Rachel and Tim also talked about what nonprofits can learn from companies, including Blackbaud, and how companies can help increase the focus on ESG in the nonprofit sector.

Topics discussed in this episode:

What is ESG?
Why ESG isn't just for companies
Why nonprofits need to create strategies for climate and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
Why higher education institutions have been paying more attention to sustainability
How funders can help nonprofits adopt ESG practices
The importance of transparency in social good organizations
Expectations for transparency and impact from the newest generation of employees

Episode 230: Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Wellbeing for Grantmakers Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

Join Meico Marquette Whitlock, founder and CEO of Mindful Techie, for an interactive training that will inspire you with mindful approaches for creating sustained balance in your life. Prepare to lower your stress level, focus on getting the important things done, and be more present for yourself, your team, and your family. Click here to listen to the full webinar from the Grantmaking Thought Leadership webinar series.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Wellness Survey report findings
Impact of the pandemic on wellbeing
How grantmakers will need to adapt
Setting boundaries

Resources:

Meico Marquette Whitlock

Wellness Survey

5 Ways Grantmakers Create Work- and Tech-Life Balance

Quotes:

"When it comes to preemption, we want to be focused on creating a culture of care (...) that we are building in strong work/life boundaries and not depending on the individual to create those boundaries."

"Addressing the organizational and institutional action of this is a longer term proposition."

"Many of us are making assumptions of what is required of us, but something that is actually not being expected of us."

Episode 229: Fixing the S in ESG: CSR Book Club Review Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

Rachel Hutchisson is joined by Chris Jarvis, executive director of Realized Worth, to kick off our CSR Book Club Series with an article from Stanford Social Innovation Review called “Fixing the S in ESG.” Listen to learn more about quantifying social impact and what the future of S looks like.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Adapting to changes in world beliefs
What does S want to be?
Redefining what S means to include room for interpretation
Increased accountability puts words into actions
How consumers change their behavior according to company values

Resources: Chris Jarvis Rachel Hutchisson Article: “Fixing the S in ESG” Blackbaud Corporate Social Responsibility Greater Washington Urban League Equity in Black and White Summit Quotes: “I think S should call us to move past the signaling to meaningful change that leads the next generation better.” “You have to engage the people on the ground, the people in the community you’re trying to serve.” “Between E, S, and G, S is the way to involve employees at any level, anywhere, anytime.”

Episode 228: Technology’s Role in Advancing Philanthropy's Mission Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

Chantal Forster, executive director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), discusses the top areas where grantmakers can make the most impact in 2022 and how technology can help them achieve that impact.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Who are the members of TAG and how do they impact philanthropy?
The rise in the voices of the people we serve post-pandemic
TAG’s customer experience model
Effectiveness and frequency of surveys
Dependency of digital infrastructure
Dashboard elements that drive success

Resources:

Chantal Forster

Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG)

Webinar: The Rising Role of Technology—and the People Behind It—in Advancing Philanthropy's Mission

How to Fund Nonprofit Tech: A Guide for Funders and Nonprofits

Grant Advisor

Quotes:

“Imagine if the private sector only surveyed its customers every three years.”

“If philanthropy doesn’t invest in tech infrastructure, then you are enabling inequity.”

Episode 227: Kicking Off a Virtual Audit Mar 25, 2022

Show notes

As we trend towards a sense of normalcy in 2022, the convenience and cost savings of remote audits are here to stay. Whether you began remote audits out of necessity during the pandemic or have been doing them for a while, join us and Paul Preziotti, CPA, nonprofit audit expert, and Partner with Johnson Lambert, for tips on preparing for and running a successful remote audit. You’ll leave knowing how to:

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

-Is a remote audit what your organization needs? -Plan for what an auditor will need to see -Create a strong audit trail with documentation, naming conventions, and accessible details -Gather what you’ll need and provide secure access to your auditor

Resources:

Paul Preziotti, CPA

Webinar: Be Audit You Can Be, Remotely: Preparing and Running a Successful Remote Audit

Blog: The Final Step of the Nonprofit Audit: Presenting Financial Statements to your Board

Quotes:

"As the auditee, you have the ability to mold this relationship however you want it."

"I think [hybrid audits] are terrific and I think that could be a good solution for a lot of you that want the best of both worlds."

"If we have an audit that's beginning the first week of May, we want to be able to hit the ground running."

Episode 226: A Survey of Parent’s Expectations in the Digital Age Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

There are a lot of ways to think about how technology impacts things, as well as how different constituent types interact with it and the relationships that it helps them build. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing recent research on how technology improves the relationship between schools and parents.

Joining the podcast today is Chuck English, of English Marketing Works, and Linda Lawrence, of Ransom Everglades. Listen to the episode to hear what they have to say about the key findings of the recent Blackbaud study show, the expectations that people have about the technology they interact with, and how the technology profile at Linda’s school came about.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

Important and key findings of the study of how technology impacts the relationship between parents and schools
Linda’s perspective of the daily experiences between parents and technology at schools
Whether the current state of the world has made parents more willing to use this technology
Chuck’s experience of people's expectations of the technology they use and whether that’s changing.
How the technology portfolio at Linda’s school was developed
The perspective that Linda is examining technology from
The advice that Linda would give schools that have fewer technology resources, but are trying to move in that direction
How Linda’s school leadership helped make needed technological changes during the pandemic
A change that stands out in Linda’s mind that sticks out as something that’s here to stay
Changes Chuck is seeing with the organizations he works with that are here to stay
The extent to which parents drive technology offerings

Resources:

Chuck English

Linda Lawrence

Using Technology to Bridge the Value Gap in Private Schools

Moving Forward: Enriching the Parent Experience with a Focus on Technology

Infographic: K–12 Independent Schools Parent Survey

Quotes:

“Technology has a huge impact on their experience as parents.” – Chuck English

“Parents have learned to become very nimble with what to expect, and we just find ways to ease into those situations at a moment’s notice.” –Linda Lawrence

“I think you develop alliances; you identify those super-users that can provide assistance.” –Linda Lawrence

Episode 225: Best Practices for Creating and Managing Your Team's Goals Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

What do you know about setting goals for yourself and your team and managing those goals? In today’s episode, you’ll hear an excerpt from the Skills UP webinar series. In it, you’ll hear Damaris Herron-Watkins discuss best practices for creating and managing your team’s goals. Listen in to hear what she has to say about the purpose of goal management, the different types of goals, and making goals SMART.

Topics Discussed in This Episode