Episodes

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Human trafficking and sexual exploitation are realities that many people would rather not discuss. For the women and young people experiencing them, however, finding a safe and nonjudgmental place can be the beginning of an entirely different future. In this episode, I sit down with Sawan Vaden, Executive Director of Community Against Sexual Harm, better known as CASH. Sawan first came to CASH as a client in 2014. Sh...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Junior Achievement of Sacramento is giving local high school students an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship, develop practical business skills and discover what it takes to turn an idea into something real. In this NewsPod, I speak with Junior Achievement Sacramento President and CEO Chris Marshall about the inaugural Ideas to Income Startup Lab, taking place July 27–28 at Golden 1 Center. During the two-day int...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Most of us remember our first job—not because it launched our career, but because it taught us how to show up, work with others, take direction, solve problems, and begin taking responsibility for our own future. For many young people facing economic hardship, foster care involvement, housing instability, interrupted education, trauma, or long-term unemployment, getting that first opportunity can be incredibly diffic...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Getting housing is a major milestone for a young person transitioning out of foster care, homelessness, or the juvenile justice system. But what happens when they walk into that apartment and there’s nothing inside? No bed. No table. No dishes. No towels. No basic furniture. In this episode, I speak with Jan Judson, founder and board president of Make It Happen for Yolo County, and executive director Cathi Schmidt to...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... The July 31 deadline for the 2026 SMUD Shine Awards is approaching, and this final NewsPod in our three-part series has one simple message for Sacramento-area nonprofits: If you have a potential project, now is the time to get started. I’m joined once again by Kevin Burdick, Sustainable Community Partnership Specialist at SMUD, to talk about why organizations should not count themselves out before exploring the oppor...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Childcare is one of the most urgent issues facing working families, employers, communities and children across California — and in more rural regions like El Dorado and Alpine Counties, the challenge becomes even more complex. This episode I'm speaking with two Heathers: Heather Slimp and Heather Della Ripa of Catalyst Community about the organization’s work supporting families, childcare providers and children throu...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... When Salwa Kasabian transferred her children to a school many families were actively trying to avoid, she discovered something that would change the course of her life—and the lives of countless students across Folsom. What started as volunteering in her children's classrooms revealed a hidden reality: many students lacked the support, structure, mentorship, and safe spaces they needed outside of school. Rather than ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... For nearly 50 years, the Sacramento LGBT Community Center has been a place of support, advocacy, and belonging for LGBTQ people throughout our region. In this episode, I'm talking with CEO David Heitstuman to discuss the remarkable transformation of the organization during his 15-year journey—from a nonprofit struggling to survive with one employee and just $6,000 in the bank to a multi-million-dollar organization se...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... The future of Sacramento's River District is taking shape, but an important challenge remains. In this NewsPod update, I'm speaking with Sam Greenlee, CEO of Alchemist CDC, to discuss the latest developments surrounding the Alchemist Public Market project. After years of planning and more than $13 million secured in state and federal funding, construction is underway on what promises to be a transformative community ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this Nonprofit Podcast Network NewsPod, I talk, once again, with Kevin Burdick, Sustainable Community Partnership Specialist at SMUD, to discuss one of the region's most impactful funding opportunities for nonprofit organizations undertaking energy saving projects. Celebrating its 10th year, the SHINE Awards help Sacramento-area nonprofits fund projects that support clean energy, sustainability, workforce developm...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Volunteers are often called the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations—and for good reason. They expand capacity, strengthen community connections, support events, and help organizations deliver on their mission every day. Yet one of the most common challenges nonprofit leaders face is finding, managing, and retaining volunteers. In this episode, I'm talking with Twyla Teitzle, Program Chair for DOVIA Sacramento (Direc...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Golf may be the hook, but life skills are the mission. In this episode, I sit down with Angie Dixon, CEO of First Tee – Greater Sacramento, to explore how an organization often associated with golf is actually helping shape the next generation of leaders, problem-solvers, and community changers. Having started as a participant herself in 1983, Angie shares her remarkable journey from Little Linkers student to CEO, al...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... For more than three decades, Animal Outreach has quietly become one of the region’s most important resources for affordable veterinary care, rescue services, and community animal welfare. In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Board President Garry Saperstein and Operations Director Vickie Shapleton to talk about the organization’s remarkable growth, the overwhelming need for low-cost veterinary service...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this urgent NonProfit NewsPod episode, I’m joined by Joe Barr, Executive Director of Access Sacramento, to discuss a critical funding issue that could dramatically impact one of Sacramento’s most important community media and workforce development organizations. For more than two decades, Access Sacramento has provided affordable media training, podcasting and filmmaking education, workforce development opportunit...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way organizations operate — but for many nonprofit leaders, knowing where to begin can feel overwhelming. In this timely NonProfit NewsPod, I’m joined by Brad Squire, CEO of Sacramento Venture Philanthropy, to discuss the launch of “AI for Good,” an initiative designed to help nonprofits and community leaders better understand and apply AI in practical, mission-driven w...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode I sit down with April Javist, Executive Director of the Sacramento Literacy Foundation, for one of the most important conversations we’ve had about the future of our communities. What begins as a discussion about reading quickly becomes a much deeper exploration into education, poverty, mental health, workforce readiness, civic participation, and the long-term impact literacy has on every aspect of so...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... The Shine Awards are returning for another year, and now is the time for nonprofits to start preparing before the application window opens. In this NonProfit Podcast NewsPod, I sit down with Kevin Burdick, Sustainable Community Partnership Specialist at SMUD, to discuss how the Shine Awards help nonprofits across Sacramento County access funding for projects tied to clean energy, sustainability, operational efficienc...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... For more than 100 years, the American Heart Association has played a defining role in cardiovascular research, public health education, advocacy, and lifesaving care across the country. But many people may not fully realize just how deeply the organization influences the systems, protocols, and community programs that impact millions of lives every year. In this episode of The NonProfit Podcast Network, I sit down w...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Big Day of Giving 2026 is officially in the books—and it was the largest in the event’s history. In this special recap episode of the Nonprofit NewsPod, I’m joined once again by Kelly Siefkin from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to reflect on a remarkable day of generosity, community engagement, and philanthropic momentum across the Sacramento region. The final numbers are staggering: $15.4 million raised6...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this NonProfit Podcast Network NewsPod, I sit down with Impact100 Greater Sacramento President Sarina Paulson, alongside leaders from U.S. Bank, to unpack one of the most exciting philanthropic stories in our region this year. What started as a hopeful push toward a $500,000 grant pool didn’t quite get there on reveal night—but this community wasn’t done. With 413 members rallying together, a powerful Match Me cam...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... What if the power of a wish didn’t stop at childhood? In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Berger, founder of Silver Wishes—an organization built on a simple but powerful idea: seniors deserve the same moments of hope, dignity, and joy that we so often create for children. But what I found most compelling in this conversation is that these aren’t bucket-list wishes. They’re real, immediate needs—things like fix...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... With Big Day of Giving just days away, this final installment of the NewsPod series brings together the most important insights, strategies, and reminders to help donors, businesses, and nonprofits maximize their impact. I’m joined once again by Kelly Siefkin to wrap up a five-part series leading into one of the most important philanthropic days in our region. We revisit what’s working, what’s trending, and what stil...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I'm speaking with Kara Green, co-founder and executive director of ABLED, alongside Kelsey Emmett, a participant whose journey captures exactly why this work matters. What began as a deeply personal mission to support Kara’s son Ben—who is on the autism spectrum—has grown into a thriving organization helping transition-age youth and young adults develop the skills needed for meaningful, independent e...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this fourth installment of the Big Day of Giving NewsPod series, once again, I'm speaking with Kelly Siefkin to explore the evolving landscape of philanthropy—and what it means for donors and nonprofits alike. From trust-based giving and donor-advised funds to the rise of non-cash assets and younger donor engagement, we break down the trends shaping how people give today. We also tackle the real barriers that hold...