Episodes

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...

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...