Episodes

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. Kristine shares how her lifelong roots in activism shaped her worldview, and how her consulting firm, ImpactFull, emerged with a mission to help social-change leaders weave fun, creativity, and moments of levity into the everyday grind of mission-driven work. Together, Rusty...

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 Imperial Counties. This regional funder association has worked with its members and local nonprofit advisors to build several rounds of collaborative funding, including cash flow assistance loans. You’ll hear: The stages of local funder reaction and response to the Trump Adm...

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 “people and possibilities in Los Angeles county.” Maria served as President and CEO of the East LA Community Corporation for 16 years, where she was the recipient of multiple forms of Durfee support. She has also worked in government and other philanthropic organizations. ...

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 Administration’s War on Charity, and serve as an active force for transformation. Tonya shares her roots in Detroit activism, lessons from community leaders who shaped her understanding of philanthropy as “an active verb,” and her belief that funders must embrace—not shy away from—pow...

In this brief Bonus Episode, Rusty Stahl introduces the concept of Staff Operating Support (S.O.S.) Grants. It's a new type of grant for the new type of existential crisis we face. Download our new S.O.S. Grants Concept Paper Share this flyer about the S.O.S. Grants Concept Paper An S.O.S. Grant is restricted for investments in a grantee's people and the systems that support their team. Within that restriction area, an S.O.S. Grant is flexible, responsive, and trust-based. Why? Read our c...

Nonprofit burnout is real — and rising. In this episode, Rusty Stahl welcomes back Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Vice President of Research at the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). They discuss new data revealing how stress, vacancies, and limited funding flexibility are affecting nonprofit leaders and staff across the country. They dig into CEP’s State of Nonprofits 2025 and Voices That Matter reports, exploring: What’s driving staff burnout and morale loss The disconnect bet...

Advocacy expert Bethany Snyder joins Rusty Stahl to reveal how nonprofit leaders can reclaim their power, speak out boldly, and protect the sector from political attacks. In this powerful episode of Fund the People, host Rusty Stahl sits down with advocacy strategist Bethany Snyder, founder of Snyder Strategies, to explore how nonprofits can — and must — use their voices boldly in today’s political climate. Snyder argues that the nonprofit sector is “on the menu” under the Trump administration’s...

Is your nonprofit stuck in an understaffing cycle, in which you need expertise but can't afford senior-level salaries? Are you overwhelmed by wearing multiple hats as an executive director, lacking specialized skills in fundraising, HR, or communications? What if there was a way to access experienced professionals without the full-time commitment? Through this episode, you’ll learn about working with “fractional executives” – a practice where nonprofits engage a portion of an experienced prof...

Are you feeling drained like we are by all the setbacks facing our work? Struggling to process the cycle of progress and backlash? Would you like to create space for your team to discuss their sadness, anger, and fear, but also maintain (or rebuild) momentum? In this episode of our "Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy" series, host Rusty Stahl interviews Meico Marquette Whitlock about the concept of "social impact grief". Whitlock explains how this emotional response to setbacks, policy reversa...

In this episode, you’ll learn how many-year grants can bolster nonprofit people and programmatic impact. Host Rusty Stahl sits down with Betsy Leondar-Wright, Ph.D., the lead researcher at Fund the People, to discuss our brand-new report, Long-Haul Grantmaking. Betsy brings decades of nonprofit leadership, social justice activism, and academic research to the conversation, and she shares how her personal experiences with underfunded, unstable nonprofit jobs shaped her passion for this work...

In the season premiere of Season 8, your host Rusty Stahl (Founder, President & CEO of Fund the People) outlines the season’s focus on strengthening and defending the nonprofit sector. He previews upcoming conversations with influential leaders such as Tonya Allen of McKnight Foundation, Deepak Bhargava of Freedom Together Foundation, and Michael Thatcher of Charity Navigator. Rusty shares a new Fund the People research report and webinar (10/10 at 10am PT) on ‘long-haul grantmaking’ that emphas...

What happens when a major foundation president decides to speak out boldly during a crisis? How can philanthropy surge resources to protect nonprofit workers facing unprecedented job losses? In this season finale of the Fund the People Podcast, host Rusty Stahl sits down with John Palfrey, President of the MacArthur Foundation, to explore how courage becomes contagious in times of sector-wide attacks. You'll discover the real math behind foundation payout increases, learn why one foundation move...

Why are so many talented community organizers burning out and leaving the field just when we need them most? What would it look like if nonprofits collectively committed to improving wages and working conditions for the people doing the most essential work in our movements? How can funders shift from perpetuating a cycle of underpayment to investing in the workforce that drives social change? In this episode, you’ll get promising ideas from guests who are answering these questions with practica...

This episode updates you on how the Big, Bloated Bill in Congress will impact nonprofits and philanthropy. And this week’s interview offers a deep dive into how the proposed law would impact nonprofits that hold up America’s social safety net. What happens when government cuts to essential services threaten to recreate the horrors of decades past? How do nonprofits navigate serving vulnerable populations while fighting for their very existence? In this powerful episode, Edward Hershey , CEO o...

Are you curious about the true scope and scale of nonprofit employment in America? Ever wonder how nonprofit jobs weathered the pandemic compared to for-profit jobs? In this episode, host Rusty Stahl speaks with Dr. Alan J. Abramson and Chelsea Newhouse , both of George Mason University , about the numbers behind the nonprofit workforce, and their implications for funders, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders. The conversation reveals crucial facts about nonprofit employment based on Georg...

What's at stake when nonprofits and democracy are under attack? How can organizations respond effectively to threats against their tax status and Constitutional rights? In this illuminating conversation, Rusty speaks with Mike Zamore, National Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), about the unprecedented challenges facing nonprofits in today's political climate. Mike Zamore draws from his 22 years of Capitol Hill experience and current ACLU lead...

Are you concerned about high turnover in youth-serving nonprofits? Wondering why dedicated staff working with vulnerable young people struggle to make ends meet? In this episode, you’ll get findings from groundbreaking research on the wage crisis among youth-serving nonprofit workers in San Francisco, and what can be done to address it. Host Rusty Stahl interviews Madison Holland, founder of the Prosperity Initiative . Madison shares key findings from their recent report revealing that this w...

Are you concerned about the recent attacks on nonprofit funding? Wondering how the sudden dissolution of USAID and cuts to federal agencies are impacting vital organizations and the communities they serve? In this eye-opening installment of our Defend Nonprofits / Defend Democracy series, host Rusty Stahl delivers critical updates on the Trump Administration's actions against nonprofits, and speaks with Laura Andes, Chief Operations and Program Officer at Charity Navigator about how these cuts a...

Are you questioning the sustainability of leadership practices in your organization? How might centering the experiences and perspectives of women of color transform leadership in the social sector? What would it look like if funders truly listened to what nonprofit organizations need and responded accordingly? In this powerful episode, Rusty speaks with Safi Jiroh, Executive Director of LeaderSpring Center, to answer some of these questions. This episode delves into LeaderSpring's evolution fr...

How are nonprofits surviving in today's challenging political climate? What happens when government funding freezes threaten essential services? How are state nonprofit associations becoming the backbone of sector defense? In this thought-provoking installment of Fund the People’s "Defend Nonprofits Defend Democracy" series, host Rusty Stahl engages in a candid conversation with Nanoko Sato, President and CEO of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN). They discuss the critical challenges fac...

In this episode, host Rusty Stahl welcomes Loretta Turner, founder of Do Good Leadership Collective, for an insightful conversation about nonprofit wellbeing in challenging times. Loretta shares her journey from yoga instructor to nonprofit leader to wellbeing coach and consultant. She discusses how her personal experience with burnout and receiving nonprofit services after losing her home shaped her mission to help social impact professionals "do good and be well." She offers a multidimensional...

This episode offers a valuable, concrete opportunity for funders to collectively and individually support their grantee organizations and the nonprofit sector, and to break out of a period of general confusion, silence, and inaction. In this fourth installment of our bi-weekly “Defend Nonprofit, Defend Democracy” Series, host Rusty Stahl sits down in-person with Shaady Salehi, co-executive director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. They discuss a new action pledge designed to unite philan...

In this episode, host Rusty Stahl speaks with Aria Florant, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Ventures (LV), about navigating internal conflict within nonprofits. Aria shares her personal experiences and challenges in leading LV, particularly around issues of power dynamics and organizational culture. Liberation Ventures is a grantmaking intermediary that works toward reparations for slavery. Rusty and Aria talk about the complexities of power within nonprofits, including the need for leaders to...

In the third installment of our "Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy" series, Fund the People’s President and CEO Rusty Stahl discusses recent attacks on the nonprofit sector by the Trump Administration. He lifts up one recent example: an order to change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The administration's executive order would disqualify service at nonprofits or government agencies working on issues like immigrant rights, equity and inclusion, and LGBTQ rights from counting towa...