Think back to when you were young.

Can you remember a moment when an adult truly listened to you, took your opinion seriously, and made you feel like your voice mattered?

Many of us don’t have those memories—at least, not until much later in life. But for a child who hears, “You are an expert in your own life. Your voice matters,” the impact can be profound.

When young people are empowered early, they grow into engaged, informed adults who shape the world with confidence.

That’s exactly what UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Cities Initiative is working toward.

In the nonprofit and social sector, data is everywhere—whether it’s survey responses, attendance records, financial data, or program outcomes.

But numbers alone don’t drive change. It’s how you interpret and apply them that makes the difference.

As part of a three-part series, we previously discussed the strategist, and now we’re focusing on the analyst—the person who turns data into clear insights that inform decisions.

We often focus on addressing problems after they’ve occurred in the nonprofit and social sector, but what if we could intervene earlier?

After 30 years of research in prevention science, the evidence is clear: many behavioral health issues and related challenges can be prevented.

I’m joined by Mitchell Moore, an advanced certified prevention specialist, to discuss the power of early intervention in preventing behavioral health problems—specifically in the context of youth and families.

Federal funding for nonprofits is in flux.

A recent White House memo led to a freeze on funding, only for a federal judge to put it on hold. Meanwhile, key public health datasets disappeared, with some now being reinstated.

What does this mean for nonprofits relying on federal support?

In this episode, we break down the latest legal battles, agency shifts, and what nonprofits can do to stay ahead.

Building strong university-community partnerships isn’t easy.

Power imbalances, competing goals, and trust issues can get in the way, turning good intentions into missed opportunities.

So how can nonprofits and universities work together more effectively?

In this episode, Roger and I sit down with Toye Watson, Director of Community Impact at UNC Charlotte, to unpack the common challenges and share how to create partnerships that truly work.

In the first weeks of the new administration, a series of executive orders have introduced significant policy changes affecting nonprofits.

These cover areas like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender and LGBTQ+ rights, international aid, and immigration.

It raises critical questions about compliance, funding stability, and long-term program sustainability.

In this episode, Drew breaks down what these changes mean for nonprofit organizations connected to these areas and how they can adapt.

Funders want proof that your programs are efficient and impactful. 

But pulling together data to show your impact feels challenging when you don’t have the tools, systems, or extra staff to make it happen.

Your team is likely piecing together metrics with limited capacity, resulting in reports that fall short and reinforce the cycle of underfunding. 

Today’s episode is about breaking that cycle.

Trauma and resilience are being talked about more in helping professions, yet what’s often overlooked is how human service organizations can become more trauma-informed and resilient.

Is another trauma training really the answer, or is there something deeper that needs to shift within organizations themselves?

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a successful data-driven leader?

In this episode, we’re diving into the three roles every data-driven leader must play and how mastering them can drive your organization forward.

Drew explains the three essential roles of a data-driven leader: the strategist, the analyst, and the storyteller. He shares how these roles help leaders make informed decisions, communicate data effectively, and drive strategic initiatives.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to break free from the cycle of reactive leadership and start building a sustainable, impact-driven organization.

Every day, millions of people in our communities face an impossible situation. They’re stuck in a gap—unable to afford health insurance but also not qualifying for federal assistance. It’s a harsh reality, leaving many with nowhere to turn when they need care the most.

In Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the Community Free Clinic is stepping up to fill that gap. Led by Laura Lyerly, the clinic provides not only vital healthcare services but also a data-driven approach to understanding and meeting client needs.

In a quiet Irish town in 1985, coal merchant Bill Furlong faces a life-altering choice: maintain the status quo or risk everything to do what’s right.

This is the heart of Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, a novella that feels like it was written for anyone who’s ever faced an ethical dilemma in their work or life.

In this holiday episode, you’ll hear the quiet but powerful lessons this story holds for nonprofit leaders like you. Whether you’re fighting for funding, advocating for change, or simply trying to show up every day for your community, you’ve likely felt the tension between doing what’s easy and doing what’s necessary.

Housing has become a silent crisis that's reshaping lives across America, with each rising rent bill and rejected application chipping away at people's sense of stability and hope.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Jeffrey Smythe, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), to explore a different approach to rental assistance.

Jeff explains his innovative technology solution that's changing how people access housing support, the critical connection between housing and health, and how nonprofits can build strong partnerships to tackle this challenge.

What if the key to improving educational outcomes was already in front of us, hidden in the data schools collect every day?

Attendance records, test scores, and family surveys offer insight into equity gaps, systemic barriers, and opportunities for intervention—but too often, this data isn’t used effectively.

In this episode, we’ll discuss how nonprofit professionals can collaborate with schools to analyze and apply data in ways that close gaps in access and achievement.

Finding accurate, localized demographic data can be a daunting task, especially when working on grant proposals, community assessments, or strategic plans.

Publicly available data often falls short—either it’s outdated, too broad, or not specific enough to capture the unique characteristics of a particular community.

Fortunately, the Social Explorer is a user-friendly platform that transforms complex U.S. Census data into accessible maps, visualizations, and reports for nonprofits, researchers, and community organizations.

How do you measure the strength of the connections in a community—the trust, relationships, and bonds that hold people together. Social capital plays a powerful role in impacting everything from economic mobility to civic participation. But how do we actually quantify these unseen networks?

The Social Capital Atlas can answer that question, mapping out data across U.S. counties and zip codes to show where social capital is strong and where it is lacking.

Using sources like Facebook connections, census data, and voting records, the Atlas paints a picture of how connected communities really are.