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Fund the People: A Podcast with Rusty Stahl

Fund the People: A Podcast with Rusty Stahl

Our podcast offers you transformative (yet pragmatic) ideas, data, and tools to help you invest in the nonprofit workforce. This unique show invites you into fun, provocative conversations with a diverse network of funders, nonprofit leaders, authors, intermediaries, and government leaders. Our podcast is a program of Fund the People, an organization founded in 2014, led by Rusty Stahl, that advocates for investment in America's nonprofit workforce to advance equity, effectiveness, and endurance.

Recent Episodes

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Enterprise Capital: A Framework for Sustainable Nonprofits - with Andrea Levere
Dec. 10, 2025

Enterprise Capital: A Framework for Sustainable Nonprofits - with Andrea Levere

In this episode, you’ll learn about a powerful alternative to restricted, project-based funding: enterprise capital for nonprofits. Guest Andrea Levere, founder and CEO of Capitalize Good, explains why nonprofits—like any ent...
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Lowering Our 'Revenue Risk,' with Gretchen Upholt, BDO
Dec. 3, 2025

Lowering Our 'Revenue Risk,' with Gretchen Upholt, BDO

In this episode, nonprofit finance expert Gretchen Upholt joins Rusty to introduce Nonprofit GPS , BDO’s free new online toolkit for scenario planning, business model resilience, and short-term coaching. Learn how your organi...
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We Need to Play and Eat Ice Cream: A Very Nonprofit Thanksgiving Episode - with Kristine Michie, ImpactFull
Nov. 26, 2025

We Need to Play and Eat Ice Cream: A Very Nonprofit Thanksgiving Episode - with Kristine Michie, ImpactFull

Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, Rusty sits down with consultant and PlayFull Podcast host Kristine Michie for a lively conversation about the role of joy, play, and ice cream in sustaining the nonprofit workforce. ...
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Imagine What's Possible: Understanding Funder Responses to the Trump Admin. War on Charity - with Megan Thomas, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Nov. 19, 2025

Imagine What's Possible: Understanding Funder Responses to the Trump Admin. War on Charity - with Megan Thomas, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties

This episode explores the stages of foundation responses to the Trump Administration’s War on Charities, through the lens of a place-based funder network. Rusty sits down with Megan Thomas, CEO of Catalyst of San Diego and Im...
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Funding Nonprofit People & Possibility: Inside the Durfee Foundation
Nov. 12, 2025

Funding Nonprofit People & Possibility: Inside the Durfee Foundation

In this episode, you'll get valuable insights from the CEO of one of the few foundations in the US focused on nonprofit people, not nonprofit programs. Our guest is Maria Cabildo, CEO of The Durfee Foundation. Durfee funds “p...
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'Silence Isolates, Solidarity Shields,' with Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation
Nov. 5, 2025

'Silence Isolates, Solidarity Shields,' with Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation

In this powerful episode of Fund the People’s Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy series, Rusty sits down with Tonya Allen, President of the McKnight Foundation, to explore how philanthropy can respond to the Trump Administra...
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Reviews

Elevating the unsung trailblazers

"I appreciate that the people highlighted on this show are not the same folks making the headlines in the philanthro-sphere. It’s great to learn about nonprofit leaders whose work is groundbreaking - …"

Mom2Eduardo | Dec. 14, 2022

Important information and perspective

"Everyone connected to nonprofits in any way - funders, workers, philanthropists, gov’t leaders at all levels, for-profit leaders, those in need, and those concerned about improving the greater good, …"

Kimmerkel | June 8, 2023

Top 3 nonprofit podcast resources

"The Fund the People podcast is one of my top 3 resources as a nonprofit grant writer/communications person/leader and a masters in public health candidate. These conversations are so important to kee…"

Molly McH | April 24, 2024

Connection nonprofits to philanthropic trends

"This is one of the few podcasts that I listen to within a week of the episode drop. Why? Because the information and thought leadership are so important. Thanks to Rusty and the team for bringing new…"

Sally Loftis | May 7, 2024

I appreciate Rusty's voice!

"Rusty's voice in the nonprofit/philanthropy space is invaluable! He's always been a wise leader - grounded and connected - and his Fund The People pod should be the queue."

SpokesNotes | July 7, 2024

Nonprofit Stuff You Should Know

"Rusty loads up every episode with essential lessons for people who work in nonprofits and the people who fund nonprofits. Purposeful interviews that include tools, tips, and ideas you won’t hear else…"

niki-gee | April 26, 2025
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