Give Better Get Better

Our Snowbird Series, an exploration of donors who make their home in more than one community, continues to think about how these residents influence the work of place-based philanthropies like community foundations.Next, we head to the Rockies to meet Erica Snow, President & CEO of Aspen Community Foundation. Erica shares her path from being a mental health professional to a community foundation, discusses her organization's work on funding loss and affordable housing, their unique approach to engaging donors in multiple seasons, and the importance of patience for cultivating seasonal residents.

Welcome back to the Snowbird Series, our deep-dive on donors who call more than one community home. We're asking community foundation leaders how the Snowbirds in their communities drive their work.Next up, Josh welcomes Chris Sawin, President & CEO of Outer Banks Community Foundation on the North Carolina coast. Chris explains how his background in music contributes to his career in philanthropy, the unique mix of issues driving his work in a community built around tourism, and the specific kind of professional advisor at the center of his donor outreach.

Our focus on seasonal residents (with homes in more than one community) continues! We're asking community foundation leaders how the Snowbirds in their communities drive their work.Next in the Snowbird Series, Josh talks to Eileen Connolly-Keesler, President & CEO of Collier Community Foundation (centered on Naples). Eileen shares how leading a community foundation in Wisconsin lead her to working in Florida, her organization's work on housing and environmental issues, and realities of life in her community that motivate donors to give in support of their neighbors.

This week we continue our focus on Snowbirds, the seasonal residents who have homes in more than one community. We're asking community foundation leaders how these part-time residents drive their work.Next in the Snowbird Series, we're talking to Callie Neslund, President & CEO of GiveWell Community Foundation (between Tampa and Orlando). Callie describes her unusual journey into community foundation leadership, her collaborative work on a community needs assessment and dashboard, and the other kind of seasonal resident not found at tourist hotspots and how their needs drive her work.

In our first series of 2026, we are zooming in on Snowbirds, the seasonal residents who have meaningful ties to more than one community. We'll explore what those ties mean for their philanthropy and for the community foundations in all the communities where they feel connected.The next installment of the Snowbird Series features Jenny Flynn, President & CEO of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. She talks about her path from park ranger to philanthropy leader, the importance of supporting local nonprofits and local journalism, and their role in the "Giving While Getting Away" study that explored philanthropy trends among Snowbirds. Jenny shares a few key insights from the study and examples of how seasonal residents shape the work of her community foundation.

To begin the year, we are focused on Snowbirds, the part-time seasonal residents who have meaningful ties to more than one community. We'll ask what that means for the community foundations where they live and play.We continue our exploration of the Snowbird with Phillip Lanham, President & CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. He shares his journey from Cincinnati to the south, what their unique mix of assets makes possible, and how Snowbirds drive the work they do in and around Sarasota, including their focus on affordable housing and environmental quality efforts.

Happy New Year! To kickoff 2026, we are launching a new series focused on people often called "snowbirds." These part-time, seasonal residents often have meaningful ties to more than one community, with one home in a colder northern climate and another somewhere warm, for example. What does that arrangement mean for the community foundations where they live and play?We begin our exploration of the Snowbird with Barzella Papa, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of North Central Florida and Chair of the Community Foundations of Florida. She shares her path to leadership of a formerly volunteer-led foundation, their deep work on the coming wealth transfer and how Snowbirds shape the work that they do in and around Gainesville, FL.

Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion for Josh to welcome Laura McKnight and Kelli Cavey from Embolden back to the show. The GBGB team recaps the first year, highlights some "favorite" episodes, and previews what's coming up in 2026. Thank you for listening to this show. Please share your thoughts and suggestions for topics/guests at GiveBetterGetBetter@gmail.com. We are grateful for your ideas!

This week Josh meets Renee Byng Yancey, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, who talked about her path from banking to philanthropy, the "think and do tank" embedded in their organization, and how the federal government shut down and funding squeeze is affecting people and nonprofits in her community.