We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

Latest Episodes:

Let’s Say a Little Bit More About: Joy in Changemaking - Tulaine Montgomery Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Today, instead of our regular episode, we wanted to share an episode from a podcast hosted by Tulaine Montgomery, the CEO of the venture philanthropy New Profit. She’s also a dear friend, a We Are For Good podcast alum, and brilliant thought leader we trust and follow to lead with conviction and heart. In Say More with Tulaine Montgomery, she talks to people who are dedicated to making the world a better place, all while taking care of themselves and supporting each other. While she normally interviews changemakers, she also records solo episodes where she looks back at her previous interviews.

How we can undertake challenging work as changemakers while also savoring the beauty of relationships, laughter, and joy? In this episode, Tulaine explores the joy in changemaking: why it's important and how to sustain it. Tune in. 🎧

Helpful Links:

Subscribe to Say More with Tulaine Montgomery on Apple or Spotify
Listen to Episode 378 - Unlocking the Impact of Proximate Leadership - Tulaine Montgomery

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.

Learn more and save your free spot today.

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Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

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614. Hold Fast: Your Blueprint for Building a Resilient Organization - Brooke Richie-Babbage Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

The world is changing—fast. As a nonprofit leader, how do you hold fast to your mission when everything feels uncertain? In this episode of our new Hold Fast series, we’re joined by Brooke Richie Babbage, founder of Bending Arc Consulting and host of the Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast, to break down what real resilience looks like in practice.

Brooke introduces her powerful framework for building a resilient organization—one that doesn’t just survive uncertainty but thrives through it. She shares the three core elements of resilience (Strategic Clarity, Capacity, and Capital) and walks us through her 4-step process for designing organizations that are strong, adaptable, and built to last.

If you’re leading a small team with limited capacity, feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty, or struggling to scale your impact, this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with practical, actionable steps to stabilize and grow your organization.

Plus, Brooke’s “One Good Thing” will change the way you think about resilience in your daily work.

Tune in to learn:
✅ What resilience really means for nonprofit organizations
✅ How to build clarity, capacity, and capital—even with a small team
✅ A step-by-step approach to designing a resilient, high-impact nonprofit
✅ How to move from feeling stuck to executing with confidence

Let’s build something that lasts. Listen now. 🎧✨

What's your nonprofit's growth stage? Take Brooke's quiz to find out!

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

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Gather At The Well: Holding Fast + Staying Steady When You Need it the Most - Lindsey Fuller Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

How do we stay steady when we need it most?

In this episode of Gather At The Well, Lindsey explores what it means to hold fast — to your values, your purpose, and your inner knowing. Through grounding somatic practices, personal reflections, and the rhythms that keep her team at The Teaching Well aligned, she offers a framework for leading with clarity and care.

This episode is full of tools to help you slow down, tune inward, and lead from a place of steadiness. You’ll walk away with:

🧘‍♀️ Somatic practices you can use in real time
📅 Weekly, quarterly & annual rhythms for aligned leadership
🔁 The “Keep, Stop, Start” framework for intentional reflection
🫶 A reframe for what it really means to be resilient

Because holding fast isn’t about freezing — it’s about showing up, soft and steadfast, again and again. “You’re here in this moment. You’re holding fast.”✨

Episode Highlights:

Tone-setting: Staying steady when you need it most (1:00)
Somatic Practice: Grounding Exercise (4:00)
What does it mean to “Hold Fast”? (7:00)
Strategies for staying grounded (10:11)
Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual alignment strategies for you and your team (13:00)
Somatic Practice: Anchor yourself in moments of unrest (15:00)
Creating collective resilience (19:59)
Somatic Practice: Gaze stabilization (26:00)
Self-Care and community support (29:46)
Advice for the busy leader + personal resilience strategies (36:00)
Homework: Find 3 ways to tend to self - one somatic, one self care, and one social
Critical Hope: Holding fast doesn’t mean freezing. It means showing up as the change leader that you are.

Full Episode Shownotes

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Hold Fast: A Guided Meditation for Social Impact Leaders with Jennifer Mulholland, Plenty Consulting Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Everything is changing - fast.

How do you hold fast to your mission while so much is uncertain?

We'll be exploring this question at ImpactUp: Hold Fast this Thursday 4/10 from 10:00 - 2:00 CST with expert panels, a powerful workshop, and live coaching with legal, marketing, fundraising, and leadership experts. Bring your pressing problems and leave with a plan.

To kick off our week and help us get grounded, Jennifer Mulholland, Co-Principal of Plenty joins us to share a 10 minute guided meditation. Come back here to recenter when feeling overwhelmed or stressed. As Jennifer teaches, "The more we choose ease, the more life meets us with ease."

The world needs resilient changemakers—now more than ever. We Are For Good’s ImpactUp is here to help you navigate uncertainty, unlock funding, and lead with clarity.

Join us this Thursday from 10:00 - 2:00 CST for ImpactUp: Hold Fast. Register for FREE today.

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613. A Community-Centric Approach to Philanthropy - Rachel D'Souza Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

What does it mean to truly center community in philanthropy?

Meet Rachel D’Souza, Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of Gladiator Consulting. 🤝 A leading voice in the Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) movement, Rachel shares her perspective on systems change in resource development, balancing donor expectations with equity, and how to drive long-term systems change over short-term solutions.

In this moment of unprecedented challenge for social impact orgs, Rachel offers a roadmap for survival, collaboration, and meaningful change. Nonprofit leaders need a new approach—one that centers community, embraces vulnerability, and dismantles outdated systems. Listen in for bold insights, real talk, and a call to action for the future of fundraising. 🎧

Key Takeaways:
✔ What Community-Centric Fundraising is and why it matters
✔ How nonprofits can own their narrative in donor conversations
✔ Creative approaches to self-funding and collaboration in the sector

Resources Mentioned:

Community Centric Fundraising website
Follow Rachel D'Souza's work through Gladiator Consulting
Connect with Tosha Phonix, Executive Director of A.C.R.E.S.

Learn more: www.weareforgood.com/episode/613

Join us at The Spread!

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612. 5 Steps to Better Meetings + Events - Tes Cohen Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Meet Tes 🤝— The Founder + Chief Gathering Office at Gather Better.

Join us for this episode where we dive into the art of intentional gathering with Tes. She’s passionate about creating meaningful spaces that spark impact and support well-being—and she’s sharing her roadmap to help us do it better. 🙌

Tes shares her go-to approach for hosting gatherings with heart—from defining your “why” and setting a thoughtful agenda to adding special touches, guiding with care, and closing with intention. She reminds us that the world needs more reflective leadership and offers easy, meaningful ways to make people feel seen and connected. 💛

Tune in and get ready to rethink how you gather people together. 🎧

💡Learn:

Why traditional meetings often lack purpose—and the importance of intentional gathering
The 5-step Gathering Framework and how to continuously improve your approach to bringing people together
How to embrace practices that foster reflective leadership
How to explore practical innovations to create moments of real connection and insight

Episode Highlights

Tes Cohen’s Journey and Philosophy (02:32)
The Five Steps to Impactful Gatherings (06:01)
The Power of Intentional Gathering (12:05)
Transforming Nonprofit Events (19:55)
The Essence of Authentic Team Building (24:37)
Creating Meaningful Gatherings (30:05)
Measuring Success in Gatherings (35:01)
The Power of Storytelling (40:32)
Have a weekly meeting with yourself where you can reflect (31:54) Tes’s One Good Thing

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/612

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

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Gather At The Well: Cultivating Critical Hope - Lindsey Fuller Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

When the weight of the world feels nonstop, slipping into survival mode can feel like the only option. But what if there’s a different way—one that’s rooted in honesty, resilience, and real, grounded hope?

Welcome back to Gather at the Well, hosted by Lindsey Fuller, Executive Director of The Teaching Well. In this episode, Lindsey dives into the practice of cultivating critical hope—a powerful mindset that helps human-centered leaders stay resilient and rooted amidst change.

Join us for Episode 2, as Lindsey breaks down ways we can hold space for challenges while still believing in possibility. Think: duality declarations, everyday rituals to re-center your mindset, and showing up with truth and compassion. You’ll walk away with tangible strategies to cultivate hope as a daily leadership practice. Live now 🎧

Episode Highlights

Somatic Practices for Change Leaders (05:44)
Inspiration vs. Leadership (13:11)
Cultivating Critical Hope (23:04)
Practical Exercises for Leaders (39:20)

(Critical Hope Statements) Affirmations:

Critical hope asks us to sit with the wholeness of life and the full range of human experience.
It’s complex. It’s uncertain. It’s the willingness to hold duality—to recognize that two things can be true at once.
Critical hope means honoring our histories and traditions, while also embracing freedom and imagining new futures.
It’s about grounding ourselves in reality, while still believing in possibility.
It’s the audacity to keep going.
So be audacious. Keep showing up—not just for the mission, but for your team’s morale, their well-being, their hope.
There is a path forward. And you don’t have to walk it alone.

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/cultivatingcriticalhope

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611. BlinkNow: A Journey of Love + Sustainable Community Development - Maggie Doyne Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Meet Maggie 🤝—CNN Hero of the Year in 2015, humanitarian, activist, CEO and co-founder of the BlinkNow Foundation.

In this heart-opening conversation, Maggie takes us on a journey of purpose and possibility—from the humble beginnings of BlinkNow to a movement that now includes over 175 team members serving thousands of children, women, and community members in Nepal. You’ll hear stories of redefining family, lifting up the most vulnerable, and recognizing the sacred wisdom our children carry. ✨

This episode is equal parts grounding and inspiring—and a beautiful reminder that change begins when we choose to care deeply and act boldly. Tune in today 🎧

💡Learn:

The power of love, empathy, and creating a nurturing environment for children to thrive
Strategies for building a holistic, community-driven approach to addressing complex social issues like poverty and lack of access to education
The importance of listening to and empowering local communities, rather than imposing outside solutions
How to design systems that care for the whole community

Episode Highlights:

The Evolution of BlinkNow Foundation (9:11)
Community-Centered Approach to Empowerment (15:05)
Lessons from Children and the Call to Action (21:03)
Empowering Communities Through Youth Engagement (24:49)
The Journey of Documentary: Love and Loss (30:41)
Key Metrics for Engagement Strategies (22:54)
The Importance of Storytelling in Philanthropy (30:04)
Maggie’s One Good Thing: Look at a child’s face today (39:52)

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/611

Join us at The Spread!

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610. How to Reframe Your Engagement + Activate Supporters - Beth Saunders Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Meet Beth, Founder of Beth Saunders Associates and creator of MapMoveMeasure—a practical framework that helps nonprofits build stronger, lasting relationships with supporters. 🤝

In this episode, Beth shares her journey from corporate banking to the nonprofit world and explores how a mindset shift can transform our work. She highlights the power of focusing on potential and abundance, rather than scarcity or limitations. 💛 Beth also dives into the human side of giving—how to move beyond data points and see the person behind the donation to build more meaningful connections. 🎧 Listen now!

💡Learn:

How reframing challenges as opportunities helps us see beyond transactions to deeper impact
Ways to engage supporters by clarifying vision, inviting them into the journey, and measuring connection
How storytelling and purpose-driven work can spark powerful transformation
Practical ways to measure engagement beyond dollars—like tracking how recently, how often, and how meaningfully supporters interact.

Episode Highlights:

Activating Supporters for Engagement (01:09)
Beth’s Journey to Nonprofit Consulting (03:01)
Understanding Engagement and Data (06:57)
The Power of Abundant Thinking (11:02)
MapMoveMeasure Framework Explained (15:52)
Key Metrics for Engagement Strategies (22:54)
The Importance of Storytelling in Philanthropy (30:04)
Look up and notice the big picture (32:10) Beth’s One Good Thing

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/610

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

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609. People, Place, Practice, Policy: RestoreOKC's Community-Led Model - Caylee Dodson Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

Meet Caylee, Co-Founder and Executive Director of RestoreOKC. Caylee joins us to share how she and her team have taken a radically different, community-led approach to addressing complex, systemic issues in their city. It's a powerful case study on how data can be a helpful tool (but not the driver), how grassroots programs are transforming access to education, jobs, and housing, and how meaningful partnerships are key to lasting change. 🤝

Their work has sparked sustainable, community-led development that’s been recognized with state and national awards—including Caylee being named USA Today’s Oklahoma Woman of the Year. ⭐ This one is a must-listen for anyone passionate about driving systemic change and building more just, thriving communities. 🎧 Live now!

💡Learn:

RestoreOKC’s “people, place, practice, policy” framework for community-led change
The importance of centering community voice and lived experience in program development
How partnerships and collaboration help address complex, systemic challenges
Practical tips for self-care as a nonprofit leader

Episode Highlights:

Caylee Dodson's Journey and Formative Experiences (2:54)
RestoreOKC's Community-Led Approach (13:00)
How RestoreOKC leverages partnerships and collaborations to address systemic issues (22:00)
Place-Based Approaches to Community Development (30:19)
Self-Care in Nonprofit Leadership (39:37)
A Powerful Moment of Philanthropy in Caylee's Life (35:00)
Caylee's One Good Thing: Be a presence of radical warmth and hospitality. (37:00)

Explore the Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/609

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

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