technology alone can't solve the challenges nonprofits face. And that's why neon one provides software that empowers you to manage constituents all while giving you the resources and support you need to connect to what matters most your people and their passions. Learn more about how neon one is helping nonprofits create stronger connections by visiting neon one.com/we are for good. Hey, I'm John. And I'm Becky. And this is the We Are For Good podcast.
Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropist, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
So let's get started. Hey, hey, what's happenin?
I didn't bring my birthday horn. Happy birthday. We Are For Good. birthday. Oh, I know. I'm so glad everybody came to our party.
Friends, we are celebrating two years of the weird for good podcast. And we're just like, so delighted. So we've invited Julie up to the table today, Becky, we're invited our community to the table like this is gonna be an episode unlike anything we've ever really ever done before. And we're, like, super stoked about it. So glad you're here.
Like the fact that we're bringing our communities voices into the conversation is giving me life. This is like a retrospect we're looking back. And it's like, what have we learned? After 300 interviews? You know, after more than 230,000 downloads, what have we learned? What have we looked at, and this is what we're going to be lifting today. But the beauty is we're going to uplift it alongside our friends. That was a lot of prepositions. Thanks for hanging with me.
So when we could go today, we were sitting and we created space just to ask our community to come together and to celebrate and talk and kind of share, like, what each individually we've learned and kind of what we're processing through. And so today's conversation is gonna be that we recorded that conversation, we're going to thread it together, kind of with these revelations that we've had, personally of things we've learned, but also just your voice. And I hope you know that that is our heartbeat in this. And you know, we, when we before we launched, I just want to go back to that space. I mean, we were terrified. Can we talk about that? Even you know, we list? Yeah, even though we like talking in general, like the idea of recording it and digging? Is anybody gonna listen to this like, besides our moms and Hi, Mom, if you're still listening at this point, I applaud you. Yeah, I mean, so we started this, because we had the heart for nonprofit leaders and those that are in the middle of trying to impact and grow their missions, like that was our life, you know, for the last 20 years. So we wanted to do that. But the people we've met along the way has grown our heart to the people serving this space and thought leaders in the space and people that are on the frontlines of impact and board members and kind of the whole ecosystem. And you've given us that hope by showing up and adding your voice.
Yeah, I mean, I echo everything that John and Becky have said so far. And I just think our coffee and community, I still have not recovered from all of it. Just nice, amazing things that people said and I just, each of these people have become our why over the last two years. And so I pulled two quotes so people could hear and I just think it's great tone setting for this conversation, and just our hearts of gratitude. So first is Ana Lea in Fort Collins, Colorado. I want y'all to hear what she had to say.
Hi, everybody. I'm in Fort Collins, Colorado. So yeah, with the family center la familia here in Fort Collins. I will say I don't have a favorite episode. Because right at this point, I'm like, Just eating everything I can from you guys. I have, I'm lucky to have a trail behind our offices here. So I go running, or walking after lunch. And you guys are with me every day. Like I'm just trying to, like consume as much as I can. And I think the one thing that you this community has taught me, which I don't know why I'm too surprised, because in the artmaking it's so ingrained in me that it's okay to live in the unknown. And to be in that improvisatory kind of way of like making art and living life. You're always kind of improvising your next move just based on different factors. And that's what you hear in your guests. And hearing you guys speak about it is okay to not know if you have really changed changed my my life. So I greatly appreciate that. Thank you for making not knowing feel so good.
How are we going to recover from that comment right there from Mongolia?
I mean, it's the second time I've been speechless. I mean, after hearing those kind words and just feeling the camaraderie and the gratitude that you found your way into this place. I mean, we're pulling for you on every level,
and I think we feel the same too. I love when our community kind of gives voice to my fears or things that I'm thinking to. And I think that's exactly how we felt two years ago. And honestly, even just like throughout the last two years is, we don't know what we're doing. But I just am so glad we have this community to walk alongside with and figure it out together. And our second one that we wanted to share is from Christina range, she is the major gifts director at headcount, and what she had to share. It just left us all in tears. So we're just really humbled by this one.
Hey, guys, I'm Christina Raines. I am the major guest director. For headcount. We register people to vote at concerts across the US. We are an 18 year organization. So we are old enough to vote. And that just happened this year. After 18 years, I am actually hired in 20. I was hired in 2018, as a contractor, I had never done fundraising before. And what I wanted to say is you guys are kind of like my story of origin as a professional fundraiser as We Are For Good. So I got good at it. And I got good at it fast. And then I really realized that I wanted to do it because I believe in our mission. But I didn't know anything. I mean, I'm I'm an event designer, I worked in large scale events for years. Like, I also am a music fan. And I've been in and around in the music industry. So I started taking as much information as I could from as many places as I could, I want to thank you so much. I did have a gift I wanted to give you, um, we are actually in a gifting realm right now. I got five slots to gift five. And they're meant for donors. And I decided of those five slots, I needed to give them to some of my heroes. Because I didn't raise the money that I raised, without learning from you guys. And you guys are part like, like an ingredient to my success. And I think as humans, what I really want to say, is something that you said, John, when you started about, like, you know, when are you going to stop giving up on yourself, like, taking the first step is the hardest step. And because I think I showed up right after you took those first steps, as a human being, I am so completely, I just admire you both so much for taking it and run with it. Because what you have created as a community, and what you've done to support people who are growing within this industry, it's, it's there, and it keeps happening. And it's only going to get bigger. And whether I continue to do this for the rest of my life or not. I have no idea. But I'm doing it now. And I'm doing it successfully. And I'm doing it because of the teachings that you guys provide. So I was gonna ask my Ed, if I could get pro but thank you so much. For you, I just need an address. And I'll send my backup gift to steroids big sale force article.
Give something I don't even know how to reply to that. Christina, I personally remember talking to you and hearing about your incredible nonprofit. And I also just believe what I said to you that is still true. Now it's like you got your work cut out for you. And I want you to go register as many people to vote as humanly possible, especially Gen Z. So thank you so much all mentally and emotionally break that down in about four hours.
I mean, okay, let's give a little bit of context. One. I mean, Christina is just such an outstanding force for good in our community. To everyone who came to our birthday party last week got a big Oprah moment like surprise, where we gave everybody a free scholarship to Pro. And we did that because we have such generosity in our community. We had so many great corporate partners that underwrote those scholarships. And it was like such a joy to be able to give those out and say you guys have shown up for us. Here's here's free education good because you keep showing up but Christina like I am still not recovered from that. Just beautiful. soliloquy, I don't know what else to call it. It was just so humbling and kind. And that's the I mean, Julie called all the people in our community are why and it is truly why we show up and why we pour into this work. It's stories like that, that just keep motivating us and we hope they motivate you to
and we want people to feel comfortable not knowing what the next best thing is I heard that in both of those little testimonials. So I just love how open minded and innovative this community has evolved to be. And I just love figuring stuff out alongside everyone.
I think I mean, you just said this Jay and I hear it threaded in those beautiful like statements just, it is okay not to know. And like, we want to be the space because we did professional development, our whole careers. But a lot of times we felt like we're the people that were at places where it didn't feel safe to show up that way. And I will say that that's the opposite of what we want to create. And so I think it like makes my heart grow that that people can feel belonging and feel safe enough to not know, because we're gonna put ourselves out there on every episode that we don't know, like, we're never sometimes we know. But most of the time, we don't, you know, and I think it's just a good, a better way to show up in life. And so I'm just my heart is full. And thank you for synthesizing these next points, Becky, because you're so good at zooming out. And seeing these trends, because we do see connection points, getting to have this opportunity to have these conversations. And we want to give that back to you, you know, and hopefully, you can see that connected threads of how we can really transform some big stuff in the sector. Well, I
think you accidentally transition beautifully in here, because you talked about a space of belonging. And the first one and I would say this is the one that has popped out to me the most is that digital community is the future. I don't care what industry you're in, if you don't have a safe digital space for your people to gather that's trusted, and genuine, you're missing the greatest opportunity for not only donor, volunteer, human customer input, whatever the moniker is in there for your customer avatar, you are missing that connectivity. And this is such an incredible opportunity for nonprofits, it means that our donors can be convicted and connected to us from anywhere in the world. So telling our story in the right places with the right people and the right tools become so critical. This is our moment, and you can't just go to a platform and set up a digital community, that would be the wrong way to go about this. A digital community of belonging is a place where people feel safe, they feel vulnerable, and they feel trust. How are you organizing that for your people? How are you creating an environment where they can share, learn grow emote, that is how you're going to build next level engagement. And that is probably one of the biggest takeaways that I've seen in the last two years.
It's so true. And I think it builds on this next one, which, of course, we're going to throw some storytelling at you because we know the power of it. But we believe storytelling is one of the most or the most powerful tool for nonprofits. And I do think we always want to put some caveats with this, because I firmly believe it is the extension of your mission, how you storytel how you paint, the light that is around the people that you're serving, and uplift them through their story of empowerment is everything. And we've met so many people that their own personal experience that lived experience, led them into this work. And of course, if you feel open about sharing that, that allows people to connect and go in and understand why this is so meaningful, and why we would want to do the work that we're doing. But it's not also about just doing that in one medium, because you know, we're going to bring you some marketing hacks, but those that storyteller well know how to syndicate, they know how to use storytelling in the attention economy, to create pause, to create joy to create uplift in places that you don't always expect it. And we have that secret sauce is nonprofits the most some of the most meaningful work on Earth happens in our walls. Like we have to unleash that in an ethical beautiful, uplifting, empowering way. I get chills every time I talk about it. Like I'm a such a rabid fan of storytelling. You know, it's it's everything.
It is really everything, the
smile that comes across your faces. When you talk about storytelling, give me my Oh,
like, I wish
you all the human part of our business. And honestly, that's the part that makes all of us smile, or it makes us cry, or it makes us angry. And it's like whatever that is, pour into it. Find the story behind that because someone else will connect, I guarantee it.
And some of my favorite stories that we've heard on the podcast over the last two years have been the stories of some of these incredible partnerships that have formed and just advanced good around the world. And so our third theme that we're seeing is partnerships are evolving in really new and exciting ways. We're seeing the shift in power and power dynamics happening. And I think so many of our guests helped me believe that nonprofits bring so much power and assets and stories and research and influence and network to the table. Whereas I studied philanthropy in college and I think I was still just studying what's the right thing to say what are the best practices how do we find the best partner How do we land that deal with Nike? And I just think a lot of our guests have reframed my thinking around, what are the assets that organizations bring. So I just think there's really exciting times happening with some of these partnerships. And I wanted to lift two episodes that I loved. Anne Marie Daugherty with the Bob Woodruff Foundation and episode 303. And the Trevor Project, when we talk to Munia, and Episode 176, I think both of those episodes just display this partnerships 2.0 that we've been talking about. So definitely go check those out.
In there, we go back to the not knowing you mentioned that, again, like trying to figure out what fits in the box, what is accepted in the sector, I am thrilled that that level of thinking is kind of sunsetting in a lot of organizations and shops, because trying stuff when you're talking about corporate partners. I mean, we're talking about the ability to do much more than secure a financial gift. We're talking about leveraging voice, brand, social media, digital assets, there's so much to come to the table. So please check those episodes out.
And I'll add in here too, not necessarily just with corporate partnerships, but some of our very favorite moments over the last two years has been watching people partner together that have met within our community. And so I just wanted to pause here and play a testimonial that Monique Parker shared with us about how partnership through our community has really helped her out over the last two years.
Okay, so y'all know how much I love y'all. And literally, like the first day that I decided we were going to jump into nonprofit is when I paid and invested in my pro and like I say like that's my nonprofit university. But more than the content, I think that I have to agree with Maria, like, I don't have a favorite episode, because I just enjoy the way that y'all interview and the way that you just make it sound so possible for whatever we're trying to do to be done. No, I'm gonna cry just like
no
one, keep going from this community, like Tim and Taylor and faith and like, real close people who have helped me build my thing. I'm just, like, ridiculously grateful. And we launched this week, so I'm so happy. I really
have to share the name of your organization. It's called Little bit of good. Look us up and tell your friends with money, we need money. Y'all do that. Tell them about us.
We got you. We got you. Monique, we're so dang proud of you. We're playing that clip. Because we are so proud of how you've poured into yourself and into nonprofit it deserves to be celebrated. I want to make sure that anybody who missed that go check out a little bit of good little bit of good.org is the web URL. And it's just more proof that you know anyone can come in here with a purpose can learn this is a learnable skill set here in this sector. And so, so proud of Monique for taking that great leap of faith and going for it. Thank you for your words, they just really move our heart. So we're transitioning on to our number four revelation, and I'm going to be really frank with this one. The title of this one is called your nonprofit friends are not okay right now. And we really have a study intention and we always will have baked into we're for good that we're going to talk about mental health, that we're going to address the stigma because the absence of mental health conversations in most nonprofit shops, we believe is one of the greatest modern tragedies of our sector. We truly expect nonprofit workers to accept their low pay long hours really intense workload demands. They're working through compassion, fatigue, burnout, and they're kind of supposed to all do it. You know, we have this unspoken understanding that it's a personal sacrifice made in the name of a good cause that needs to be debunked, that needs to be put in a drawer and put away forever. No longer do we need to have this mentality. So for every single nonprofit worker out there are COVID survivors who made it through those who are in new shops. We see how exhausted you are. We see how you're struggling with motivation. And we dedicate a week on the podcast to dive into the dangers and the realities and the coping mechanisms. We need to create more healthy employees more vibrant shops. We know burnout isn't an all time high. Our we've had such an incredible report repository of people coming in and sharing their mental health stories in our space. And I want to thank everybody for your bravery for that. But please, if you're going to take anything away from number four invest in mental health training tools, encourage sabbaticals set boundaries during off hours, fight for better pay and leave for your people. Let's start addressing this elephant in the room. Because we want to stop settling for cultures with little to no upward mobility. And where are attrition is sitting at 16 months for the average worker, if we're really intent on wanting to make a difference, and move these relationships forward, we've got to invest in our people invest in their mental health, pay them a living wage, and we got to support them by talking about this stuff, and uplifting them when and creating spaces of psychological safety where people can come and talk to us. self care is not selfish, we need to normalize it, stepping off my soapbox,
please don't step off the soapbox. I mean, this really is an undercurrent of all of our work. So you can always get a we're for good.com/mental health. And we have rolled up all of our resources around mental health and the episodes that we've dropped specifically about this because not only Becky, your story is so powerful, but just the authenticity that's threaded there of everybody that's come to share their story. Like there's such community. Like if you want to be surrounded in that, like, just reach out because it's totally there, and we want to support you. Hey, friends taken a pause from this feel good conversation to share a quick story. hope and a future is a nonprofit that serves children in the Arizona foster care system. Last year, they wanted to grow donations during Giving Tuesday. The only problem giving Tuesday was only one day away. Determined to seize the opportunity, they reached out to our friends at feather with help from feather services hope in the future managed to launch a complete advertising campaign just in time. As a direct result, they raised more than $500 on Giving Tuesday. But that was just the beginning. Hoping the future decided to follow up with an additional retargeting campaigns designed to increase donations and reengage previous donors. They raised over $32,000 With just a $4,000 ad spend, nonprofits of all shapes and sizes are turning to feather to grow their campaigns with targeted digital ad tools that reach people whenever and wherever they're online. Use feather to grow your urine fundraisers learn more about their solutions for nonprofits@feather.co. That's feather without the last e.co. And so I feel like mine is kind of this index, this number five is kind of a juxtaposition next to that. But there is a lot of heaviness like, you know, I think that you can't turn on the news and not feel overwhelmed by everything that's happening every day. And so something that we really see is that people are looking for a break from the heaviness too. And you we, we have a story that's really good, you know, and if you tune into the podcast, we hear about empowering girls and solving the water crisis and upskilling refugees and teaching foster kids how to fight for their own rights. And this is just like the scratching the surface. But we need to figure out how we can use that as platform to restore people's faith in humanity. People are, there's a lot of really good, incredible work happening. And we get to be part of that uplift. And your mission gets to be part of that uplift. And here's the thing, we do have an agenda here because we want you to believe that you can create change, and you can bring positive energy through the world and this. And you know, I think we were kind of stopped in our tracks multiple times during this chat. We've been playing the clips back, but our friend Veronica shared specifically how this positivity in the community has impacted her, you know, to her belief and greater good. And just this gratitude, so we have to play that clip if we can find it.
Hi, friends. This is my first time getting into comment. I'm so so excited that it's the birthday episode. So I'm broadcloth Amina, and this is my first full month fully in my consulting business, Lac, Amina and CO after 10 years of being an executive and really intense strategy and change management positions. I'm like, taking the leap and being out here in the world. So yay, hooray. Very excited. We unfortunately in our sector are so used to not having that hope, right to not having the hope and help. We need to do what needs doing. And so I want to really applaud We Are For Good because I think you guys do hope and help in such an incredible way to bring that like positive energy and the belief that we actually can all do this good better and do it together. And like then the practical advice for how do we get there. So like when I think about what's of most value to me is like this incredible community you've built but also like just that hope and help in such a real tangible way that shows up on the days where you're like, Man, this is really hard. I'm not sure how this week is gonna happen. And so just huge kudos to To all of you at We Are For Good from making that, like such an overlap Atlas part of like the culture you're building across the nonprofit communities so much love to offer that.
For Annika is our favorite strategic planner in the nonprofit field. Thank you. Thank you for reminding us about hope.
So our sixth theme that we want to lift is that nonprofits investing in professional development and marketing are winning right now. And I think at our community and coffee call, it's just always humbling to hear. People will be like y'all are on my run with me every day are y'all are on my morning walks before work. So if that's you, hi, one, we love spending that time with you. We can't wait to hang out an actual person with you. But it doesn't have to be with us, obviously. But I think anyone that we see investing and carving out that time to grow, whether it's through podcasts through online learning, just the world looks completely different than what it looked like two years ago pre pandemic. And so I wanted to lift a quote that Jeff Rosen Blum from Episode 256 shared with us that I wish I could pull the clip of all three of our faces when he shared this, but he shared that we're being hit with 5000 branded messages a day. And I believe it my email, I avoid it at all costs. And so I think anyone who's investing in specifically, their digital marketing strategies, are going to see a ton of success moving into the new year. So please continue to let us join you on your walks. And we are so glad you're here. But we're just really excited to see all these nonprofits leaning in to this investment because we know it is an investment.
And I'll give like a little warm mom hug on the back of that I'm so proud of you for being here. I'm so proud of opening your mind to a new way of training and educating yourself. We want what's working to be shared share with someone. And I just thank you guys so much for pouring into it. And I'm just so proud of you for understanding your value and your worth and doing that. And so moving into number seven, this is for our nonprofit leaders, I'm looking at you. Number seven is nonprofit leaders must evolve quickly. And humanly. What I mean by that is our landscape is changing so rapidly in this digital moment of new work. So the human worker has evolved, whether they're nonprofit or for profit, their needs have changed, donor motivations are changing, connecting to all of your believers is getting harder. So the bottom line is nonprofit leaders, we know you're overburdened. We know you need to break the chain of tactics that are holding you and your team down. We need to work on doing whatever we can to start making things automated loosening grant restrictions, you know, reporting requirements and over visioning sessions need to be minimized. nonprofit leaders need to be empowered to do their thing. And they need to empower their people to be mobilized. We need leaders to move more quickly because when leaders move more quickly, the mission advances more quickly. So lastly, leaders, you need tech right now. It is going to help you automate, it's going to help your team run faster. Trust us on this tech is not as wonky as it was before. We've got a lot of Tech for Good friends out there waiting in the wings to help you. Dive into it. Empower your team and feel like you can be empowered to nonprofit leader.
Okay, the tech is like the perfect parlay into number eight, which is we have to commit to thinking differently. You know, I think since we started, we're for good. Now it's been two years, we started when the world was massively changing, that everybody would agree to that it was changing. And now this is like normal life, it's reality. And the people that we have seen that come through the podcast and our community, that people who think truly differently, that look at this as an opportunity, that look at it as a time to invest in coaching, and mentoring and pouring into making your culture tremendous, are the people that do show up with really incredible ideas that are breaking through. They're not, you know, like resting on the laurels of old fundraising techniques and practices. But they're building community. And it starts at the core of like, are you willing to think differently, and we're here for that we're here for the bold leaders and the advocates that really want to disrupt for good.
I love that one. So I'm gonna bring us home with our very final one. Number nine. Y'all just be nice. Over 300 episodes, if we have seen anything apart from all of the tactics, all the advice all the campaigns, kindness can be the greatest disrupter in this day and age. And Brene was right I like how I act like I'm on first name basis with Brenda Brown.
Please come on our podcast, hybrid we love you.
But vulnerability leads to connection and connection needs authenticity and trust to survive. And we have seen that out through these 300 Plus conversations. And so people are craving what's real. They're craving authenticity, people being genuine. And we're just excited for all that's to come. So just be nice.
John, can I get a graphic for this episode that just says, y'all just be nice. It literally is that simple. Sometimes I love that so much. I just think that there's so much derision in the world right now. People are mad. People are angry, they're trying, there's so much noise. And if you can just be nice. It cuts through at a level that I could have never anticipated when we turn this podcast on. And I'll tell you, we have bad days. I'm here to tell you Becky Endicott has a lot of fiery passion, and it is on display. It's hard to be nice, all the time. But you know, I just think that when you choose kindness, it can be not only a disrupter, but a unifier. So think about the ways that you can bring that good and that kindness into your work.
And the thing, it's interesting, because anytime that you start a community like a formal community and online community, I feel like if you read about it, you're like, what are the tenants of this? And what are the rules and way that people show up. And I think because this started really organically our community, we've never gone through that process. But something that's always stuck out to me is that the community that's gathered, we're for good like, is truly so kind, like I see this happen just organically. And we get on Zoom calls. And people will say like, this is like the highlight of my week, because everyone's so encouraging. And I love that it's just like happened. And like beyond being our why like you are, it's everything to us. And I know we say that we don't mean it, try it like we feel like the community behind this. And that will in the future be part of this and those that may have moved on to do something else, like you are powering this and like we want to be so in sync with the community's needs, and with the community is kind of moving and flowing. And we're here for that. And so I feel like it all comes back to that. And then we started there. And we always end there because there's no other way that feels so in alignment.
Thank you for proving, and believing that community is everything. And community is everything when we're all pouring into it when we become a sum of its parts. That's when community is thriving at its most we want it to be true. And we're for good. We want it to be true in your community, wherever you are listening right now. So thank you for powering two years of just this unbelievable movement that humbles our hearts takes our breath away every single day. We are just honored to be here and honored that you would choose to spend your time with us. We truly believe we are architecting, a new modern fundraising era in sector, you're a massive part of it. And thank you for pouring into it.
So we're so excited for what's to come in year three, and we just honestly want to connect with you. We want to hear what you're working on, we want to have you join us on some of these coffee and community chats we've been talking about on this episode. So we'd love to see you in our free community. It's weird for good community.com It's a way to find new friends. We call it the after party of the podcast. There's lots of podcast guests in there answering questions, and people working through sharing resources with each other. So please check us out there.
And you know, it's been a year, almost just a couple days out from Pro launching. And we've spent the year listening to the community and really figuring out how to take it to the next level. And communities driving that next iteration. Like we're super excited to announce the pro community is going live. And that's for those listening that really want to go to the next level, like you are tuned in and you want to grow personally professionally and take your organization to the next level. So we're opening a community with all the resources that we're creating and curating for pro and that's all available at We Are For Good pro.com So either those places, we want to see you there. We want to help be part of your journey. As you you know, try to raise more and impact more and just grow more as a person and as a professional.
And we even have scholarships, so come on over if you can't afford it. Don't let money be a barrier to you learning and getting connected to your people. We're rooting for you. Come find us.
Hey, friends, thanks so much for being here. Did you know we create a landing page for each podcast episode with helpful links, freebies and even shareable graphics. Be sure to check it out at the link in this episode's description. You probably hear it in our voices but we love connecting you with the most innovative people to help you achieve more for your mission than ever before. We'd love for you to join our good community. It's free and you can think of it as the after party to each podcast episode. You can sign up today at we are for good.com backslash Hello. One more thing If you loved what you heard today, would you mind leaving us a podcast rating and review? It means the world to us and your support helps more people find our community. Thanks friends. I'm our producer Julie confer and our theme song is Sunray by Remy Borsboom
