Episodes

As nonprofits navigate the aggressively hostile political and policy environment of the current federal administration, communications strategist Vanessa Wakeman argues that organizations need more than legal and financial preparedness. In this special summer bonus episode, you’ll learn about “narrative resilience,” - a term and concept developed by Wakeman. Learn how nonprofits – and their funders – can strengthen public trust; counter harmful storylines; and build lasting communications infra...

Sarah Saadian of the National Council of Nonprofits explains how the Trump Administration policies are reshaping the nonprofit sector through a three-pronged effort to cut-off funding, silence organizations, and erode trust in nonprofits—and why these threats affect every nonprofit, regardless of mission. She shares practical ways nonprofit leaders can take action together to defend civil society, strengthen nonprofit advocacy, and protect the communities they serve. Promo Video for this Episod...

Vu Le is our guest for the Season Nine Finalé, which also serves as an installment of our ongoing Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Series. Recorded with a live zoom audience during our spring webinar series, Vu discusses his burnout, funding instability, philanthropy’s power dynamics, and what it will take to strengthen nonprofits in an era of rising authoritarianism. Vu argues that nonprofits and funders must stop normalizing scarcity, invest deeply in leaders and infrastructure, and organiz...

In this installment of our Defend Nonprofits Defend Democracy Series, you’ll get a deep dive into one of the least-discussed but most important democracy issues facing nonprofits and philanthropy today: attacks on ballot initiatives and direct democracy. Elizabeth DiLauro of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation joins Rusty Stahl to discuss how ballot measures have become critical tools for advancing health equity and why efforts to restrict citizen-led initiatives threaten both democracy and the n...

S9:E16 -- In this episode, you’ll hear compelling evidence that investing in nonprofit workers isn’t a distraction from program results—it actually supercharges impact! Burnout is widespread in the nonprofit sector, particularly in social justice groups. But it doesn’t have to be. Our guests share their research, experience, and thinking, based on a cohort of Northern California nonprofits working with All Due Respect to improve working conditions for organizers in their ranks. Geraldine and Re...

What does it take to move from talking about racial equity to practicing it—inside philanthropy and across the nonprofit sector? In this episode, you’ll get visionary and pragmatic guidance on how funders and nonprofits can close the gap between intention and action. Rusty speaks with Kaci Patterson, Founder of Social Good Solutions and the Black Equity Collective. Kaci shares how her work brings funders and Black-led organizations together to build relationships, trust, and unding strategies th...

In this episode, you'll get a clear, concise, and cogent argument for the unique value of the U.S. nonprofit workforce, with a specific focus on how nonprofit workers contribute to democratic participation and self-governance. Host Rusty Stahl discusses five ways this value manifests: Bringing the First Amendment to life Delivering services to citizens on behalf of government Advocating to government for the public interest Last bulwarks of democracy Engines of civic participation This is ...

In this episode, host Rusty Stahl makes the economic case for valuing the nonprofit workforce—nearly 13 million workers powering 10% of the U.S. private workforce. Drawing on fresh data, he reveals how nonprofits create jobs, stabilize communities during crises, and fuel broader economic growth. If policymakers and funders overlook this workforce, they’re missing one of the most significant economic forces in the country. This is Part 2 of our 3-part miniseries on the value of the nonprofit wor...

“Nonprofit workers are an unspoken part of our social contract.” Why do we need to explicitly talk about the value of the nonprofit workforce—especially to people already working within it? In this opening episode of a three-part series, Rusty Stahl argues that the nonprofit workforce has long been overlooked in public policy, media narratives, and even within the sector itself. Drawing on insights following Foundations on the Hill 2026, he highlights how nonprofit workers are frequently exclud...

In this episode, you get a firsthand report from "Foundations on the Hill." Rusty discusses emerging federal threats and opportunities for our sector. From new legislation to executive action, he shares what’s at stake for the nonprofit workforce—and why we must engage now to shape the narrative. Download episode⁠ transcript Watch episode Promo Video Links to Information Discussed: Challenges on the Horizon Reintroduction of H.R. 9495 (H.R. 6800 and S. 3554): Press Release: ⁠Cornyn, Sheehy I...

In this episode, you’ll get a bold, provocative new idea for investing in the nonprofit workforce—and why it may be essential to the sector’s survival. Drawn from a live Fund the People webinar on March 12, 2026, this conversation introduces Staff Operating Support (S.O.S.) funding — a new grantmaking and fundraising approach conceived to help funders strategically, responsively invest in the workforce of grantee organizations. Host Rusty Stahl is joined by special co-host Annie Chang of the N...

Why do private foundations give away so little of their wealth each year—and how does that affect nonprofits and the people who work in them? Especially as the Trump Administration's War on Charity continues to rage? Rusty Stahl talks with Glen Galaich, author of the new book ⁠Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short⁠, about philanthropy’s culture of control, the limits of the 5% payout model, and what foundations could do differently to support nonprofit organizations and their workforce. Download...

In this episode, you'll hear what nonprofits can learn from broader labor market trends—and how organizations can compete for talent in an era of increasing transparency. And you'll get a provocative perspective on how employers have been assessing the "market rate" for salaries, and how we should be thinking differently. Fund the People's Rusty Stahl speaks with Cary Sparrow, founder of WageScape, about how real-time labor market data is reshaping hiring, pay transparency, and workforce strateg...

In this episode, you’ll get a clear-eyed look at the newest national data on nonprofit stability—and what it means for your organization, your funding strategy, your workforce or your grantees’ workforce. While you're here, we invite you to register for Fund the People’s next webinar and live podcast recording on March 12, 2026⁠. We'll explore Staff Operating Support (SOS), a new kind of funding to support the nonprofit workforce through this new kind of crisis. We'll define SOS funding, and ge...

Download our Edited Transcript for this episode. Get the extended version of this and all episodes (and mucn more) by joining our Patreon community. In this installment of our ongoing Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Series, you’ll get practical, real-world examples of how funders and nonprofit leaders can engage in policy advocacy to defend values such as racial equity and democracy, when those values are under direct political attack. Host Rusty Stahl is joined by Giridhar Mallya, Senior P...

In this episode of the Fund the People Podcast, you'll gain practical insights into how centering workers' perspectives -- and sharing power between employees and management -- can dramatically improve job quality in nonprofit organizations. Host Rusty Stahl sits down with Brianna Rogers and Rob Hope of Rework The Bay to unpack a bold funding experiment supported by the James Irvine Foundation and conducted in partnership with Jobs for the Future. Eight California nonprofits engaged frontline s...

In this episode of the Fund the People Podcast, listeners will gain practical insight into how philanthropy can evolve to meet today’s interconnected crises—and what funders can do differently right now to support justice, sustainability, and nonprofit workers. Host Rusty Stahl is joined by nationally recognized philanthropic leader, lawyer, and author Dimple Abichandani, whose new book, A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth into a More Just and Sustainable Future, offers ...

Download the transcript of this episode in .pdf format⁠ Join our premium version of the FTP Pod on Patreon, For just $6 a month, you get extended versions of this and all episodes; bonus content; community; and our Patreon-only show, Riverside Reflections. What happens when a nonprofit uses a six-figure, one-time gift not to launch a new program—but to fundamentally improve job quality for its staff? In this episode, Rusty Stahl sits down with Janelle Miller Moravek, Executive Director of Yout...

In this episode, you’ll learn how nonprofits are really rated—and why the sector’s obsession with overhead could finally be ending. Charity Navigator CEO Michael Thatcher joins host Rusty Stahl to explain how nonprofit ratings are shifting toward impact, leadership, and organizational health—and why investing in people matters more than lean budgets. In a candid moment, Thatcher hints at a future where overhead is no longer part of Charity Navigator’s ratings formula, signaling a potentially maj...

Click here for edited transcript (pdf format) According to the Trump Administration, nonprofits and philanthropic foundations are “terror-supporting organizations.” Peaceful protestors are “terrorists.” Violent mobs are simply tourists having a picnic. And the masked gunmen they’ve deputized are hard-working joes just trying to do their jobs. As we recall how Dr. King and his colleagues used non-violent civil disobedience to end legal segregation, host Rusty Stahl discusses how nonprofit worker...

In this brief holiday wrap-up for the podcast season and the calendar year 2025, you’ll learn some behind the scenes Season 8 highlights, and you’ll get a sneak-peek at some of the provocative guests and valuable topics we’ll cover in season 9! You’ll also learn about our the new premium version of the FTP Pod on Patreon. For $6 a month, you support our production of the show and our advocacy for investment in the nonprofit workforce. Plus you get: ​Extended episodes with audio and video ​Ton...

In this final episode of Season 8, you'll get a powerful, inspiring discussion on defending the nonprofit sector amid political intimidation and retrenchment, with a call to action for funders to act with courage rather than caution. The message is clear: a strong democracy depends on a strong, well-resourced nonprofit workforce, and philanthropy must choose to lead boldly in this moment. Host Rusty Stahl, Fund the People's President and CEO, speaks with Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, President ...

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 enterprise—need multi-year, flexible capital that strengthens their balance sheets, builds reserves, and supports the people and systems that drive impact. Andrea breaks down the basic financial principles that determine nonprofit sustainability, and how enterprise capital enab...

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 organization can navigate revenue risk and make informed financial decisions in 2026, as the impact of the Trump Administration's War on Charity continues to roll across the sector. Itching for more Fund the People Podcast? Join the new Premium version of the show on Patreon! Visi...