What makes nonprofit leaders think differently?We sit down with Cherian Koshy, author of NeuroGiving⁠, to explore the neuroscience behind nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and generosity.They unpack how the brain responds to giving, why nonprofit leaders are wired to navigate unique pressures, and how understanding human behavior can help organizations become more effective fundraisers and leaders.If you work in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, or philanthropy, this conversation offers a science-backed look at what drives people to give, and how to put those insights into practice.

After September 11th, David Paine and Jay Winuk had an idea: transform a day of tragedy into one defined by service. Nearly 25 years later, 9/11 Day has become one of America’s largest day of service, engaging tens of millions of people and helping establish September 11th as a federally recognized National Day of Service. David and Jay share the personal story behind the movement, the long road from an idea to federal legislation, how they built a sustainable model with nonprofits, businesses, and government, and what 25 years have taught them about service, unity, and our shared humanity.

How do you modernize digital fundraising at one of America’s largest and most recognized nonprofits while staying true to a mission that’s endured for more than 160 years? In this episode, Rupert Schutz, Director of Digital Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, shares lessons from leading digital transformation across a nationwide network of local organizations. From donor experience, stewardship, and A/B testing to AI, data strategy, and building trust with supporters, Rupert offers practical insights into what it takes to drive innovation, improve fundraising performance, and prepare nonprofit organizations for the future.

What does it take to build a nonprofit that creates lasting impact? Linda Latkso Lockhart, founder of Global Give Back Circle, shares lessons from more than 20 years of empowering women and girls across East Africa through mentorship, education, leadership development, and economic opportunity. We explore nonprofit sustainability, fundraising, corporate partnerships, donor stewardship, long-term strategy, and why transformational change requires thinking in decades.

What makes someone trust a nonprofit enough to give? Javan Van Gronigen, Founder at  Donately, joins the show to explore the future of digital fundraising through the lenses of trust, storytelling, design, donor psychology, AI, recurring giving, campaign strategy, and what nonprofits must do to inspire generosity in an increasingly crowded and skeptical digital world.

Dino Verrelli, founder and CEO of Project Purple, shares how his father’s battle with pancreatic cancer became the catalyst for building an organization dedicated to funding research, supporting patients, and helping families facing one of the most devastating diseases in the world. He talks about turning personal loss into purpose, what it took to grow Project Purple from the ground up, why trust and transparency matter so much in fundraising, and how a disciplined, business-minded approach can help nonprofits build lasting impact.

Candace Jordan, Chief Development Officer at Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, joins me for a conversation on affordable housing, donor stewardship, corporate partnerships, and trust-based fundraising.We explore what people often misunderstand about Habitat’s model, how Atlanta Habitat combines construction, mortgages, financial education, sweat equity, and home preservation, and what nonprofit leaders can learn about storytelling, trust, and stewardship.This conversation is also deeply personal for me. My family received a Habitat home after my mom’s divorce, and that experience changed our lives. At the end, I share a short reflection from my mom on what that home made possible for our family.

Giving is growing, but the gap between nonprofits is widening.Drawing on data from over 7,500 nonprofits in Blackbaud Institute’s 2025 Trends in Giving report, alongside insights from their Risk Readiness research, Lori Poer and Kate Averett Anderson break down what’s actually driving growth across the sector, and why some organizations are pulling ahead while others fall behind, and most importantly, what to do about it.

Doug Paul, Managing Partner at Catapult, shares how nonprofits can turn vision into action through co-created strategy, cultural alignment, and practical experimentation. With insights from supporting over 1,300 organizations, Doug outlines how to move beyond dusty strategic plans to build nimble, people-powered roadmaps that actually drive impact.

Are you growing your nonprofit fundraising, or quietly leaking donors? Salvatore Salpietro, Chief Growth Officer at Dataro and former Chief Community Officer at Fundraise Up, unpacks how digital friction, outdated segmentation, and hidden retention loss are costing nonprofits revenue. Discover how AI-driven predictive modeling and smarter signals can reduce churn, improve targeting, and strengthen fundraising performance.