The Charity Charge Show - Nonprofit Podcast
Scaling a mission requires more than passion, it requires high-discipline leadership, financial innovation, and strategic resilience. Hosted by Stephen Garten, The Charity Charge Show goes behind the scenes with nonprofit CEOs, social impact innovators, and community leaders. From the TGR Foundation to the Sierra Club, we deconstruct the operational models, fundraising breakthroughs, and "durable skills" driving real-world impact. Power your mission with actionable insights from the front lines of the nonprofit sector.
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Arts and Learning Conservatory: From Women's Shelters to 50 Schools Across Southern California
<p>Deborah Wondercheck didn't start the Arts and Learning Conservatory(ALC) because she thought it was a good idea. She started it because she'd lived the alternative, and she knew exactly what kids lose when the arts get cut.</p><p>Today, ALC serves roughly 3,700 students annually across nearly 50 schools in Southern California. Since 2004, more than 35,000 kids have encountered the arts through the organization for the first time. It started with 21 kids, a string ensemble, and a few cast members doubling as nuns.</p><p>In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Deborah walks through the personal story that...
American Staffing Association CFO on AI, Revenue Strategy, and Nonprofit Finance Leadership
<p>Stepping into a CFO role inside a nonprofit isn’t just about managing numbers. It’s about translating complexity, building trust, and helping organizations make smarter decisions in real time.</p><p>On this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sits down with Jessica McLean, CFO of the American Staffing Association (ASA). Jessica shares what it’s really like stepping into a senior finance role, how AI is reshaping workforce organizations, and why diversified revenue is no longer optional for nonprofits.</p>
How Easterseals CEO Kendra Davenport Leads a $100M+ Nonprofit
<p>Running a nonprofit that serves 1.5 million people across 1,400 sites is hard enough in a stable environment. Doing it while federal program funding is under threat, the economy is unpredictable, and your brand is underrecognized outside the disability community is a different challenge entirely.</p><p>Kendra Davenport has been Easterseals' President and CEO since 2022. In that time she led a financial turnaround at the national office: no line of credit, no debt, departments that consistently come in under budget, and a long-term orientation most nonprofit leaders talk about but few execute on.</p><p>In this episode of the...
FAR USA’s Bree Carriglio on Building Long-Term Nonprofit Impact in Armenia
<p>Nonprofits often face a fundamental tension: respond to immediate needs or build for long-term impact. For many organizations, limited funding, small teams, and constant pressure to deliver results push them into short-term thinking. But what does it look like to operate differently, to design programs that last, build financial resilience, and prioritize sustainability from day one?</p><p>In this episode of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten sits down with Bree Carriglio, Executive Director of FAR USA (Fund for Armenian Relief), to explore exactly that. FAR has spent decades evolving from emergency relief to a comprehensive, long-term development...
Running a Nonprofit Like a Business | Laura Hope Whitaker, Extra Special People
<p>Laura Hope Whitaker took over Extra Special People (ESP) as a college sophomore. The organization had a $125,000 budget, a $50,000 deficit, and a founder who had just passed away from pancreatic cancer. Twenty-one years later, ESP runs a $8 million budget across five communities in Georgia and North Carolina, employs 50 full-time and 200 part-time staff, and operates a social enterprise that employs 85 adults with developmental disabilities.</p><p>In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Stephen Garten sits down with Laura to talk through what it actually takes to scale a nonprofit, why "nonprofit is just a tax code," and...
The Massive Opportunity Most Nonprofits Ignore: Non-Cash Gifts - Rick Peck, The Philanthropy Guy
<p>Nonprofit leaders often start with a powerful mission and a deep commitment to solving a problem in their community. But many organizations eventually hit a ceiling.</p><p>After the initial support from friends, family, and early champions runs out, fundraising can stall. Growth becomes harder. Boards struggle to evolve. And leaders find themselves trying to do more with limited resources.</p><p>On this episode of The Charity Charge Show, host Stephen Garten sits down with Rick Peck, an experienced philanthropy advisor and host of the Money to Give Podcast.</p><p>Peck has spent more than two...
How Convergence Partnership Is Rethinking Philanthropy to Advance Health Equity
<p>Philanthropy often talks about impact. But impact can look very different depending on who holds the power.</p><p>On a recent episode of The Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sat down with Amanda Navarro, Executive Director of Convergence Partnership, to discuss how the organization is reshaping how philanthropy works by shifting decision-making power to communities and frontline organizations.</p><p>Their approach challenges many traditional grantmaking norms, from eliminating competitive grant applications to replacing written reports with storytelling through podcasts.</p><p>Here is a closer look at how Convergence Partnership is working to advance health equity...
How Bridge Over Troubled Waters Supports Homeless Youth in Boston
<p>Youth homelessness is often invisible. It happens quietly, in cars, on couches, in shelters, or on the street, and many young people experiencing it are navigating the challenge alone.</p><p>On this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris speaks with Elisabeth Jackson, CEO of Bridge Over Troubled Waters, an organization that has spent decades supporting homeless and runaway youth in Boston.</p><p>The conversation explores the scale of youth homelessness, the services Bridge provides, and how nonprofits can create long-term pathways for young people to move from crisis to stability.</p>
The Arc of Howard County at 65: Advocacy, Services, and Community in Action
<p>In this episode, Grayson Harris sits down with Katie Collins-Ihrke, Executive Director of The Arc of Howard County, to discuss the organization’s 65-year legacy of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the realities of operating in a challenging funding environment, and the importance of mission alignment in nonprofit leadership.</p><p>Katie shares how The Arc balances advocacy and direct services, navigates state and federal budget pressures, and builds long-term sustainability while staying rooted in dignity and community inclusion.</p><p>About The Arc of Howard County</p><p>Part of the broader national network of The Ar...
Inside Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center’s Approach to Outcomes
<p>On this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sat down with Teresa Stafford-Wright, CEO of the Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center, to discuss what it really takes to serve survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, and human trafficking and what it takes to keep those services running.</p><p>This is not light work. It is urgent, complex, and deeply human. And it requires more than just good programming. It requires strong operations, honest fundraising, and a community that understands what it actually costs to keep the doors open.</p><p>Serving Survivors Since 1974<br><...
