Episodes

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I'm talking with Mary Tess Mail, Executive Director of Blue Line Arts, to explore how a small, volunteer-driven art initiative from 1966 has grown into a cornerstone of arts and culture in the Roseville region. We talk about the organization’s evolution over six decades, its expanding role in public art and education, and how it’s meeting the needs of a rapidly growing community. From gallery exhibit...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this third installment of our Big Day of Giving series with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, I'm talking, once again, with Chief Philanthropy Officer Kelly Siefkin to explore one of the most exciting new opportunities in local giving: the Impact Collaborative. This episode breaks down how anyone—yes, anyone—can step into philanthropy through a simple, accessible model. For just $300 annually (or $25/mon...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I sit down with Katie Campbell from RedRover to explore a critical but often overlooked reality—people in crisis may delay or avoid seeking safety because they can’t bring their pets with them. We unpack how RedRover is addressing this gap through emergency veterinary grants, domestic violence safe housing support, disaster response, and youth education programs. From wildfire deployments to quiet, b...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... This episode focuses on how donors can engage in Big Day of Giving beyond just making a financial contribution. I'm speaking again, with Kelly Siefkin, Chief Philanthropy Officer. While online donations remain the most common, donors can also give through donor-advised funds, stock contributions, qualified charitable distributions, and even by pledging volunteer hours or in-kind support. We explore key trends shaping...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... This episode is unique. I'm speaking with Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council and Humboldt County Supervisor, Michelle Bushnell on a topic that was born out of a concern for waste. Yes, aluminum cannisters. It turns out they're now leaders on the front lines of a growing and largely misunderstood crisis—nitrous oxide abuse. What many people recognize as a harmless, food-grade ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this first installment of our Big Day of Giving NewsPod series, I sit down with Kelly Siefkin, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, to explore a powerful but often overlooked driver of impact—business engagement. With over 900 nonprofits participating in this year’s Big Day of Giving on May 7, the largest in its history, the opportunity to support the region has never been grea...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I sit down with Elena DeLacey, Executive Director and Marshall Gorham, Land Protection Specialist, of the American River Conservancy to explore what it truly means to protect land—for today and for generations to come. What starts as a conversation about land conservation quickly becomes something much bigger: a look at the interconnected systems that sustain our communities, from forests and wildlif...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this NewsPod, I sit down with Colby Bell of New York Life to talk about something Sacramento’s nonprofit community has long deserved—its own moment of recognition. What started as a simple gathering of nonprofit leaders has grown into the first annual Greater Sacramento Impact & Philanthropy (GSIP) Awards—an event designed to celebrate the organizations doing the real, boots-on-the-ground work across our regio...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... This is one of the more powerful conversations I’ve had on the podcast. I sit down with Malcolm Johnson and Colleen McCusker from Good Cause Sacramento—an organization built not from theory, but from lived experience. Malcolm’s journey from addiction and incarceration to building a process that helps others successfully reenter society is nothing short of remarkable. What stood out to me most is this: the system ofte...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I sit down with Robert Heidt, President and CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, to explore the role the Chamber plays in shaping the economic future of the Capital Region. Serving six counties and 22 cities, the Chamber works to convene business leaders, advocate for regional priorities, and create programs that help businesses and communities grow together. Robert shares how chambers have evo...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Homelessness is often misunderstood. For many women and families, it begins with a single crisis—domestic violence, a medical emergency, or simply the inability to afford housing while raising children. In this episode, I speak with Lisa Culp, founder of Women’s Empowerment, and Robin Kelly-Dunton, a graduate of the program who now serves as chair of its board. Together they share the story of an organization that ha...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... What happens when a community decides the arts aren’t a luxury — they’re essential? In this episode, I sit down with Allison Cagley, Executive Director and the driving force behind Friends of Sacramento Arts, an organization leading the charge to restore arts and music education in public schools across our region. We talk about what was lost after Prop 13, what’s possible through Prop 28, and why this moment is a on...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Impact 100 Greater Sacramento is now accepting nonprofit grant applications —and this is not just another funding opportunity. In this Newspod, I sit down with Sarina Paulsen, President of Impact 100 Greater Sacramento, to talk about how their collective giving model turns 100 women donating $1,000 into transformational $100,000 grants. Last year alone, more than $450,000 was awarded across Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... American River Parkway Foundation – Protecting 23 Miles of Sacramento’s Backyard I’m on the American River Parkway multiple times a week. Cycling. Running. Watching the fog rise off the river. And like many of you, I’ve probably taken it for granted. But what if I told you only about 10% of Sacramento County residents recognize the Parkway as a connected 23-mile resource? In this episode, I sit down with Diana Pogget...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Veterans Resource & Hiring Fair – March 13 | Elk Grove In this NewsPod, I’m joined by Tim Swaney, President of the Veteran Entrepreneur Tribe of Sacramento — VETS — to talk about an important event happening March 13 at District 56 in Elk Grove. VETS was created so no veteran has to figure out civilian life alone. Tim shares his own difficult transition out of the Navy and how that struggle led him to build a com...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... What happens once the flames are out? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Joe Pick, Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute and a 30-year veteran of the fire service, to explore what recovery really looks like for burn survivors and their families. Born from tragedy following a devastating 1972 plane crash in Sacramento, the Firefighters Burn Institute was created to ensure our region would never ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... What does it take to build something that lasts 30 years? In this episode, I sit down with Donald Kendrick, founder and artistic force behind the Sacramento Choral Society, to reflect on three decades of music, leadership, and cultural impact in our region. Founded in 1996, the Sacramento Choral Society has presented more than 180 performances, toured internationally, recorded professionally mastered albums, and — in...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this update episode, I welcome Debbie Gabelich back to the Nonprofit Podcast Network, the third time for the organization — and a lot has changed since our last conversation in early 2024. Kids First has always been known as a trusted place for families in crisis, but Debbie explains how the need has deepened: cases are more complex, trauma is more severe, and stability can hinge on something as small as a dead ca...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Family businesses sit at the heart of our economy — and at the heart of our families. In this episode, I’m joined by Maggie Bender and Justin Horner from the Capital Region Family Business Center for a thoughtful, honest conversation about what it really takes to sustain a family enterprise across generations. This episode is especially meaningful because it marks a leadership transition. After four years as presiden...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I meet with Jessica Alonso, Executive Director of Keaton’s Child Cancer Alliance, to share the full story behind an organization committed to one promise: no family should face childhood cancer alone. Jessica’s journey began more than a decade ago as a bilingual family navigator and has grown into a deeply personal mission shaped by faith, service, and lived experience. Together, we talk about how Ke...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Dawnté Early, CEO of United Way California Capital Region. United Way is one of our region’s longest-serving nonprofits, with more than a century of impact — but what struck me most in this conversation is how intentionally the organization has evolved to meet today’s realities. We talk about what it really takes to “end poverty,” why education remains the strongest ladder out, and ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... Imagine a 13-year-old student—overweight for her age, already pre-diabetic—who has grown up surrounded by food but never truly learned how to use it. Vegetables feel unfamiliar. Cooking feels out of reach. Then she joins a food literacy program at school. She discovers there are fruits and vegetables she actually enjoys. She learns how to prepare them. Over time, her eating habits change, her health improves, and eve...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and this conversation lands right where awareness must lead: action, support, and long-term pathways to stability. In this episode, I speak with Emily Sanders, founder of Connect2Change—and a survivor herself—whose work is redefining what happens after someone escapes exploitation. Emily’s organization began with crisis support, but it has evolved into something rare and ...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... In this episode, I welcome back an organization that continues to shape the way our children—and our communities—understand disability, respect, and inclusion. A Touch of Understanding (ATOU) is celebrating 30 years of hands-on empathy-building, reaching more than 157,000 students across 10 counties with wheelchairs, white canes, prosthetics, lived experience, and powerful conversations that students remember for lif...