Give Better Get Better

Because we work in community foundations, we know our internal capacity significantly affects our success in pursuing our mission in the community. That connection -- between operations and effectiveness -- is the focus of our Inside & Out series.This week Josh welcomes Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, President and CEO of The Miami Foundation. Rebecca shares her mission to make Miami the most generous city in America, her path from fundholder to CEO, her personal and professional focus on unity in a time of division and breaking down silos to address widespread issues, and examples of how investing in people has multiplied their influence and impact in the community.Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

Community foundations are unique in many ways, but like most organizations our internal capacity significantly affects our success in pursuing our mission. That connection -- between operations and effectiveness -- is the focus of our Inside & Out series.Today Josh talks with Marisa Magallanez, President and CEO of Albuquerque Community Foundation and New Mexico Community Trust. Having assumed the lead role only ten weeks ago, Marisa describes her path from flamenco dancing to community service, her foundation's ability to grow sustainably by going beyond traditional community foundation services and braiding numerous funding sources together for local nonprofits, and her focus on building "whole, healthy, high-performing teams" to enhance the capacity of their community partners.Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

Community foundations are unique in many ways, but like most organizations our internal capacity significantly affects our success in pursuing our mission. That connection -- between operations and effectiveness -- is the focus of our Inside & Out series.This week Josh welcomes Susie Nelson, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley in Wheeling, WV. Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience leading the organization, Susie shares her path from minor league sports to community foundation work, her foundation's long-running focus on fighting food insecurity, and how growing her team grew her capacity to serve donors, nonprofits and their entire community."Sizing Up" report from the James Irvine Foundation can be found here: https://issuelab.org/resources/13987/13987.pdf Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

Community foundations can be hard to explain. But like most companies or organizations, our internal culture and capacity significantly influence our effectiveness in pursuing our external mission. That connection is the focus of our Inside & Out series.This week Josh talks with Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Broward in south Florida. Jennifer explains her path through nonprofits of all sizes to community foundation leadership, her organization's focus on education readiness and early learning, and how a focus on internal systems has been front of mind as her staff has grown. And stay tuned for a wish that will melt your heart!Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

Community foundations are unique in many ways. Not exactly mission-driven nonprofits, and not a typical financial institution, our organizations can be hard to explain. However, like most companies or organizations, our internal culture and capacity significantly influence our effectiveness in pursuing our external mission. That connection is the focus of our next series: Inside & Out.This series starts with Shell Berry, President & CEO of the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area in Augusta, GA. She explains how she sent from ballet to business school, and how her experience as an investment banker helps in her current role. Shell then describes how a strategic focus on what they should be doing helped their staff "learn to say no" and how that significantly enhanced their ability to pursue their mission in the community. She offers great insights we can all apply.Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

This special episode features a creative way that one community foundation has built pride and connection around a major athletics event.Listen in as Josh talks with Jessica Martin, President and Executive Director of the Greater Salina Community Foundation. She explains her uncommon path from selling cabinets to community foundation leadership, her organization's focus on planned giving, and the "Match Madness" event they host each year around this time that connects nonprofits, youth, volunteers, and donors to build up nonprofit endowed funds.Give Better Get Better is presented by Embolden, serving community foundations of all sizes across the country since 1998. Learn more about their content and consulting services at embolden.com.

As the icy grip of winter begins to fade we are wrapping up our Snowbird Series. We hope you're enjoying these conversations with community foundation leaders to learn how part-time residents shape their work.This week, Josh welcomes the first repeat guest in the history of the podcast! Kristi Knous, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines shares a brief recap of their work in 2025, then dives into how they engage donors who are spending time in warmer climates. She describes their event strategy and an innovative approach to partnering for maximum reach. She also explains how their work with Snowbirds has translated into broader efforts to engage and educate prospective donors across their community.

This week's installment in our Snowbird Series takes us across Lake Michigan from last week and all the way across the state of Michigan. Jackie Hanton, Vice President at the Community Foundation for St. Clair County, introduces us to her corner of the world, shares her path from trust officer to community foundation leadership, the investments they are making in rural recreational assets, and their secret to keeping Snowbird connected when they are soaking up the sun.