The Intersection Hub (The Intersection Hub)

When a woman becomes a mother society tells us it is supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. For many mothers it is a time of great conflict. The paradox of loving this tiny human you love and missing your professional life before baby is very real. Many women want to be home but are also aching for the stimulation and satisfaction of their paid work. Will your job be there when you are finished maternity leave? Do you even want it to be? What will happen to all the relationships you have cultivated and projects you led?

In this episode Lacey Kempinski joins us to talk about the complexities of becoming a mother. In the past seven years Lacey has made 3 amazing humans, all currently under the age of 6! Lacey is a CFRE, the founder of Balanced Good which she created after more than a decade of progressive experience in traditional fundraising shops building a career in major gifts after she recognized she needed more balance, autonomy, and support to be both the mother and sector leader she wanted to be.

In 2019, when her second son was a year old, she opened Balanced Good. In the past three years she has focused on helping women and leaders find balance and charities to do good. Lacey’s work at Balanced Good has focused on helping small to mid-sized organizations build and streamline their fundraising programs.

Recognizing that the sector (and mothers and parents) needed more support, Balanced Good is shifting its focus to ensuring parents are supported in their careers throughout their parental leave and beyond. Balanced Good is also focused on helping organizations successfully navigate parental leaves and ensuring they can support their most valuable assets – their employees.

As a passionate volunteer with numerous roles supporting AFP Golden Horseshoe and a speaker at a variety of conferences including Happy YOU Year, AFP Congress, and AFP Speaker Discovery Series, her message has always been the same: we need to do better to support the working parents in our sector.

We look forward to continuing the conversation and helping to fix this very important need in our sector. We hope you find value in this episode. Please remember to join The Intersection at www.intersectionhub.ca  and to like, share and subscribe to this podcast.

Let’s keep building community and connection through conversation.

I’m totally geeking out in this episode because I love talking about systemic change and how to go all the way upstream to create lasting change and culture shifts. No one knows more about this than my friend Veronica LaFemina.

Veronica Founder and CEO of LaFemina & Co., an advisory firm supporting nonprofits and social impact businesses at the intersection of strategy, culture, communications, and change management.

Veronica partners with organizations and their leaders to go beyond what "looks good on paper" to focus on what works well in real life. She is a leader, strategist, facilitator, trusted advisor, and certified change management professional with nearly two decades of experience as a senior executive at national U.S. nonprofit organizations and a high-impact consultant. Her work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, the Today Show, NPR, CNN, Capterra, and in news outlets nationwide. Veronica blogs regularly about nonprofit leadership, strategy, change management and culture at lafemina.co.

In this episode we dive right into how to work with your team to create change that gets people excited about working with you to shift your culture, advance programs and do more good in the world.

If you love change management you are going to LOVE this conversation. We talk about the humility, grace, vulnerability, compassion and patience required to create lasting system change. Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back and create some space to absorb the wisdom that Veronica shares with us today. Please join me in welcoming Veronica into the hub.

Links & Social

Website: lafemina.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlafemina/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vlafemina

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vlafemina/

You can read Veronica’s article where she dives deeper into the seven steps to building yoru nonprofit’s capacity to manage change here: https://blog.capterra.com/change-management-for-nonprofits/

If you liked this episode please do share it with others who might like to join our community. Let’s come together to create community through candid conversation. See you next time.

Dan Hanley is one of the nicest most authentic people I know and I’m so grateful to him for joining us in conversation today.

It you don’t know Dan you are in for a real treat – if you do know Dan you will know that this episode, as Dan would say “ROCKS”.

Dan spreads kindness everywhere he goes and is ecstatic to work with nonprofits to support their growth in relationship building and fundraising, especially those serving populations that include the unheard, forgotten and invisible. For Dan being of service is key. He loves the thrill of helping his clients to build true relationships with donors that exceed fundraising goals. Dan’s family includes his husband and three rescued dogs. He is a Veteran of US Navy is Bilingual. He is fluent in English and Spanish and he loves his work diving into all things fundraising and leadership with some of the most marginalized communities in the United States

In this episode Dan opens up about the impact his sobriety has had on his life and inspires us with his kindness and gratitude and the value of impeccable, honourable leadership.

Learn about Dan’s work here: https://altrui.org/

Dan likes to get emails so drop him a note here: dan@altrui.org

Please remember to like, share and subscribe to this podcast so that we can keep fostering community and connection through conversation. And if you would like to talk to me about this podcast, my coaching practice or heck even my puppies I would love to hear from you. See you next time.

Have you ever thought about what it is like to work for you? How about ways to improve the hiring process and level the playing field? Surabhi Jain has. Her recent posting for a program manager got a lot of attention on linked in and attracted countless qualified candidates.

In today’s challenging climate, when demand for services is has gone up, resources have gone down and over half of our workforce is planning to move one, you might want to learn from this example and consider how you might work to attract great people for your team.

Today Surabhi is here to join us in conversation and we are going to be talking about transparent and open hiring practices.

Surabhi is the Executive Director of the Toronto Workforce Funders Collaborative. She a leader in the social impact sector with nearly 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing employment and skills development programs. She has worked closely with Fortune 500 companies to help them change racially biased hiring practices. At the same time, she has engaged in capacity building for the non-profit sector to change systems.  

Surabhi's lived experiences have afforded her a unique perspective on transformative systems change. She brings experiences from the workplace, from her travels, and from her childhood that have shaped her understanding of community, leadership, and human development. 

If you were on linked in a couple of months ago you may have seen her job posting for a program manager. This job post got a lot of attention because it was extremely transparent, the hiring process was outlined in detail, including salary of course and even a section on what it is like to work with her.

Here is a small taste of Surabhi’s job posting:

“I’d like to think that I am the best supervisor/manager out there but that is not true. You will likely have worked or will work with someone better than me. I am a hands-off manager who likes to connect with their staff at least once a week so we can each share what we are working on. I am a stickler for deadlines and appreciate a heads up when things will be turned in late. I am huge on relationship building and will work to ensure you and I can work together well. I value work-life balance and do not expect you to work past your identified working hours. I am focused on you getting your work done and less on the number of hours you put into your work. Quality of work over quantity of work is very important for me. I want to work with someone who can push back on my ideas, offer critical and diverse perspectives, and values challenging conversations. We can agree to disagree but need to represent a joint front for the organization. I’m happy to provide references of individuals I have worked with in the past so you can get a sense of my style of working. “

Thank you so much Surabhi for joining us in conversation. I could talk to you all day! And folks do get in touch with Surabhi if you would like her to take a look at your job posting. You can email her at sj@workforcecollaborative.ca.

Thank you for making this a priority in your day. Please remember to like, review and share this podcast. Let’s keep inviting more people into the circle. See you next time.

“How can I help you be more amazing today?”

Today in the hub Charity Well-being consultant, Claire Warner and Kimberley share an intimate conversation about how Claire restructured her life to live and love longer than she may have been otherwise able to. This is a story of resilience, reflection, survival and rejuvenation.

Claire now helps organisations & individuals see the value of putting healthy culture at their core to improve motivation, performance and get great results professionally and personally.

We hope this conversation helps you consider how you can build a life where you are able to make your own wellbeing a priority.

You can get learn more about Claire or get in touch with her on her website here. 

Please remember to subscribe, comment, share or continue the conversation on other platforms.

Many people may know our guest today as the Senior VP & Practice Leader Environics Analytics One of North America’s premier marketing and analytical service companies. Today Allen Davidov candidly shares his story of what he refers to as his second birthday, May 28, 2016.

Allen’s bravely shares his story of resilience, recovery and rebirth in the hope that it will inspire you to embrace every moment of this crazy, busy and fragile life and work to be as mentally fit and physically fit as you can be.

Folks, please remember to like, subscribe review and share this podcast. You can also join the conversation on a variety of other platforms by visiting intersectionhub.ca. We would love to welcome you into our community. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your day with us here today. See you next time.

Many smaller organizations are founded to solve a problem in society and often do not have a full time fundraiser. In fact, a lot of people in those organization actively try to avoid the F- Word. Fundraising is often perceived as “icky” and ignored.

In a world where fundraising is so misunderstood, Cindy Wagman has dedicated her career and her recent book to helping people who are reluctant to ask for money become fundraising super stars without…as she says…selling their soul.

Cindy Wagman is the President and CEO of The Good Partnership. She sees fundraising as a tool for change. Cindy has a degree in Women’s Studies from Queens University, an MBA from the Rotman School at the University of Toronto and over 15 years of fundraising experience. The Good Partnership to empowers small nonprofits to have more fundraising success so that they can fund their important work.

In this episode Cindy, helps us learn how to help reluctant fundraisers shift their mindset about fundraising to overcome the barriers to active participation in generating revenue for their charity.

Cindy’s new book “Raise It! The Reluctant Fundraiser’s Guide to Raising Money Without Selling Your Soul” is available for pre-order right now. Just visit https://www.raiseitbook.com/ and be one of the first to get it!

Please remember to like, subscribe, share, review and join the conversation and community at intersectionhub.ca. See you next time.

Have you ever wondered how to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in your organization but aren’t sure how to start without causing and or perpetuating harm? Many organizations are struggling with exactly this.

My co-host Paul Nazareth and I, Kimberley MacKenzie are thrilled to welcome Chanel Grenaway into conversation. Paul and I loved Chanel’s recently published article in Charity eNews called How to Keep a Growth Mindset at a Time of Failure and we just had to invite her into the hub to chat about her work.

Chanel Grenaway has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector focused on integrating equity and intersectionality practice into workplace cultures. She has worked with Foundations, multi-service non-profit agencies and academic institutions.  She currently supports organizations to improve their equity and inclusion outcomes through equity assessments, training and knowledge building, community engagement, and action planning.  She also coaches leaders, board members and staff teams on how they can normalize conversations about racism and integrate equity-based approaches in their programs, policies and services.

In this episode we start learning more about Chanel’s work and digging into what it means to be an equitable leader in this moment. How can we lead learning organizations, how to continue to build a culture of trust in times of failure? And how can we be intentional about taking pauses to reflect, process and learn in such a busy and important time.

As a sector we have so much work to do. I hope this podcast has helps you know that while the work is important, it can also be complicated and sometimes messy. Let’s call people in and welcome everyone into the brave and bold conversations.

Please remember to share, like, subscribe and continue to build connection and community through candid conversation.

ARTICLE: How to Keep a Growth Mindset at a Time of Failure https://hilborn-charityenews.ca/articles/leadership-how-keep-growth-mindset-time-failure

Hire Chanel: www.chanelgrenaway.com

How can white women use their privilege, power and voices to combat systemic racism? In her most recent article “The Issue of Well-Meaning White Women in Fundraising”, Liz LeClair once again got our attention by boldly tabling a topic we all need to think more about.

How do we find our voices when we are so unsure about what to say? How might we encourage more white women and men to advocate for social justice and a more diverse equitable inclusive and accessible charitable sector? Can we build alliances to do it, or do we need to charge forward boldly? Is it possible to do both?

For years Liz LeClair has been a vocal, strong voice for human rights, gender equality and social justice. Liz is often accused of being polarizing, divisive and combative. In this episode, we sat down with Liz to learn more about her and why she works so hard to push so many of us out of our comfort zone.

Liz is proud to call herself a fundraiser and a feminist. She brings more than 15 years of experience to her role as the Director of Major Gifts at the QEII Foundation in Halifax, Nova Scotia (located in the unceded territory of Mi'kma'ki). Liz is a long-standing member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the current chair of the AFP Women's Impact Initiative (WII). She sits on the board of CFRE International and has done so since 2018. In January 2019, Liz published an op-ed with CBC on rampant issue of sexual harassment in the non-profit sector, putting a face to the issue. In the fall of 2019 Liz helped co-found the National Day of Conversation to highlight the issue of sexualized violence in fundraising. Liz is committed to speaking up about the challenges facing women and marginalized individuals in the non-profit sector.

Here are links to the articles and books mentioned in our conversation.

Charity eNEWS Op Ed: the issue of Well-Meaning White Women in Fundraising.

Sexual Harassment Runs Rampant in non-profits and it is time for our #MeToo moment. 

CBC Nova Scotia May 12, 2021: One woman’s frustrating, futile fight for justice after being sexually harassed.

Robin DiAngelo: New Yorker Article on White Fragility.

The Ethical Rainmaker Podcast - Conversation with Fluer Larson

“It shouldn’t have taken a pandemic for the charitable sector to figure out how to treat their people well.”

Welcome to The Intersection. A hub where we celebrate growth, service, authenticity and community.

How are you doing? Really. How ARE you doing?

A year after the start of this global pandemic, in the middle of Ontario Canada’s second lock down, we talk about how to combat pandemic fatigue, how do we call on resilience and grit without it becoming a “tool of toxicity”.

We also discuss the importance of balancing comforting your team and leading your team.

How are your organizations reckoning with how you are treating people and how they might be part of the ongoing challenges we experience even before 2020?

This is a marathon, not a sprint. Leadership if far more consultative and organizational structures are flatter than ever before and we think that is a good thing!

As leaders in the social good sector, we need to create a safe place for our staff to share. We need to be honest and authentic and encourage them to do the same. We also need to keep the team moving forward so that they can respond to the extraordinary needs of our communities effectively.

What do you think? How ARE you doing? We would love for you to join the conversation. You can find all our spaces at http://www.intersectionhub.ca/ We would love to hear from you.

Harvard Business Review Article: How to Lead When Your Team is Exhausted

Angela Duckworth Author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

We are so happy to finally welcome our dear friend and colleague Jen Love to the hub and as co-host this season. This episode is an intimate conversation between two women who have been friends for a long time.

Jen is a Storyteller, firefly chaser, dog walker, fierce mother, love warrior and a loyal friend. Jen seems to have been part of every pivotal moment of Kimberley’s personal and professional life over the past 15 plus years. In addition to joining us a podcast co-host, Jen is also a Trusted Advisor to The Intersection and co-host for the Women in the Hub (WiTH) and Community Connects events.

In this episode we start with a discussion about the benefits and harm of resilience, boundaries, feminism, the value of stepping back so that you can lean in and the importance of finding “your people”.

NOTE: The conversation starts with Jen’s story about starting work in the charitable sector and following her father’s footsteps. For those of you who may not know – because we failed to mention it - Jen’s father is David Love, well known to many as the Godfather of Good and veteran fundraiser with over 40 years of experience raising money mostly for environmental causes.

You can get in touch with Jen through Agents of Good or follow her on twitter at @agentjenlove.

You can look forward to more episodes with Jen and some amazing women this season. So please remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and if you haven’t yet, please join the email list at The Intersectionhub.ca.

Today we pull back the curtain on the personal life of Sam Laprade. Sam’s resilience, grit, strength and the beautiful green eyes of her daughter, have helped her overcome many hurdles to build what is now resonant and abundant life.

As a radio broadcaster and professional fundraiser Sam works closely with her community to give a voice to new ideas, tough topics and philanthropy.

Sam has a massive portfolio of work that spans over three decades, in fundraising, media and municipal politics.

Over a 32-year period Sam has raised money for important charities in her community such as: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Humane Society and the Ottawa Mission Foundation.

As a fundraising consultant, Sam helps non-profit and charity organizations engage with donors to maximize the impact of the important work they are doing every day. Through donor data analytics, fundraising and stewardship reports, board training and fundraising audits, Sam helps local, national, and international organizations with their fundraising strategy. Sam also helps small and medium sized organizations recruit for important roles such as development director and fundraising manager.

Sam is the creator and host of “An Hour to Give” on CityNews 101.1, Ottawa and CityNews 95.7, Halifax.  This radio show highlights non-profit organizations and philanthropy.

On July 5, 2021, The Sam Laprade Show was launched on CityNews 101.1 Ottawa. This daily radio show, which airs 12-2PM, is an opportunity to feature the stories that matter to the residents of Ottawa and the Valley. Sam also covers breaking news to ensure listeners are kept up to date with local, national, and global issues.

Sam is living a joyous and abundant life. But it wasn’t always this way. In this episode Sam gets deeply personal about her setbacks and the break-up of her marriage.

If you are caught up in or recovering from a dysfunctional relationship this episode will help inspire you to know that you are not alone AND that you can get through challenging times and become wildly successful. Just like Sam is. 

As Sam said – everybody has their story. Sam thank you for sharing yours.

Thank you for spending time here. Please remember to share this podcast to invite others in. Let’s keep building community and connection through candid conversation. See you next time.

One of the funniest, kindest, hardest working guys in the social good sector joins us in conversation. Trailblazing entrepreneur, Ted Talk speaker and burnt-out fundraiser Simon Scriver joins us to chat about our love of conferences and how a virtual platform can level the playing field making events more accessible, more equitable and crushing geographic boundaries.

Time with Simon is always fun and thoughtful. Paul and I touch on the complexity of being human, what the future of fundraising conferences might look like, why paying speakers is so important and how Fundraising Everywhere is modelling a new way for businesses to work.

At the heart of all this is the importance of curiosity, belonging, forgiveness, accessibility, value and the importance of meaningful connections whether it is online or in person.

Please join me in welcoming Simon Scriver to the hub.

We hope you enjoy this episode and lean into opportunities to share your experiences and knowledge whenever you can. As Simon says, “Everyone has a voice and everyone has a right to a microphone, because we all learn from each other.”

If you would like more information about how Fundraising Everywhere can help your organization, make meaningful connections, and broaden your reach visit Fundraisingeverywhere.com https://www.fundraisingeverywhere.com/

And do check out Harrison Scriver’s book: Age of Aquarius Adventures on Amazon.

Thank you for joining us in The Hub. Please remember to like, subscribe, and share this podcast. We are glad to have you as part of the conversation.

While preparing for Friday's podcast Mark Hierlihy started telling an amazing story about the time, he was invited to present at a puppetry conference and I simply had to hit record. The funny thing is, Mark doesn’t know anything about puppets!

For those of you who don’t know Mark, he is the Mark is the CEO of Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, found his calling in causes and philanthropy 20 over 20 years ago and he is known for building collaborative and winning team cultures wherever he has the opportunity to lead.

So, this preview will get you ready for Friday when we talk to Mark about what inspired him to draft a personal mission statement, how it has shaped his life and how you can start creating your own purpose driven life.

Please subscribe, share and contribute to the conversation on the Facebook members page, twitter or in the comments.

Today we are spotlighting an anti-poverty charity in Toronto, Ontario called The Stop and their concrete examples of implementing community centred fundraising principles.

Canadian Thanksgiving is the perfect time for this episode. The Stop improves access to healthy food in a way that maintains dignity, builds health and community and challenges inequality. The Community Food Centre is just that. A community centre that brings people together and addresses poverty in a more holistic way.

I met Marie – France Roche and Maria Rio when they were presenting at Toronto AFP Congress in 2022.

Marie-France has worked for anti-poverty organizations for the past seven years. She is currently one of the lead fundraisers at The Stop Community Food Centre, where she provides strategic oversight of all fundraising, policy and communications. Marie-France has been featured in the Toronto Star, OMNI News, and spoke at AFP 2022 Congress. She would love to connect with you on LinkedIn.

Maria Rio (she/her) is a fundraising consultant with Further Together with 10+ years of non-profit experience. She is regularly asked to speak on issues related to fundraising and her op-eds have been featured in national publications. She was a finalist for the national 2022 Charity Village Best Individual Fundraiser Award and has a deep passion for non-profit work. Maria also sits on the Board of Living Wage Canada. You can connect with Maria through Further Together or through LinkedIn.

In this conversation Maria and Marie – France share concrete actions they took in their organization to implement community centred fundraising principles. This includes:

- Challenging the status quo

- Overhauling how they approach special events

- Reinventing corporate fundraising relationships

- Developing a new approach to major donor stewardship

- Rethinking how they collaborate with other organizations and donors to meet the community’s needs in meaningful ways with dignity for everyone.

I can’t thank Maria and Marie-France enough for their generous contributions to this podcast. Their approach to this conversation was so thoughtful, gracious and incredibly patient. Personally, I’ve learned so much about how I approach this work and I hope you have too.

Remember to check out The Stop’s blog posts and Op Eds in the links below and remember to share this episode with your staff and forward the conversation with your team. Make time to talk about what kind of small or big changes you can make to centre your community in your operations.

Let’s move forward in deep gratitude for each other and the abundance that is all around us while being mindful that not everyone walks through this world with the same priviledges you you do. Let’s keep building community together. See you next time.

NOTE: Marie- France and Maria were extremely generous and we spent almost an hour and half together. Since I know even a one hour podcast is a stretch I’ve asked my sound engineer Rob to tighten up this episode a bit. You may hear some transitions.

For more:

Community Centric Fundraising Principles: https://communitycentricfundraising.org/ccf-principles/

The Stop Blog: https://www.thestop.org/blog/

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/07/08/philanthropy-is-broken-how-the-stop-community-food-centre-is-moving-away-from-donor-centric-fundraising-to-prioritize-community.html

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/09/15/how-will-candidates-for-city-council-address-poverty-in-toronto.html

https://www.thestop.org/blog/community-centric-fundraising-rethinking-the-way-philanthropy-works/

https://www.dailybread.ca/research-and-advocacy/research/food-bank-policy-drivers/

Public policy engagement: https://www.thestop.org/blog/charities-are-discourage-from-getting-political/

We will be publishing another great episode next week so please be sure to subscribe to the email list at intersectionhub.ca or follow The Intersection Hub podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode we welcome Nicole McVann as a co-host for this season.

Nicole McVan is a strategic non-profit leader with 20 years of experience in Canada and abroad. Their experience spans many areas including corporate philanthropy, individual and community-based giving, volunteer development, national event management, and alumni giving. They are currently the Vice President, Philanthropy & Marketing at United Way Greater Toronto.

As a white, able-bodied, transgender and non-binary person, Nicole uses an anti-oppressive lens in building philanthropy and marketing plans to work with and for communities. Nicole regularly speaks and writes on the topic of equity, privilege, and power dynamics for fundraising publications and at conferences and learning events. ANNNND Nicole has agreed to share podcast co-hosting responsibilities this season so this is your opportunity to get to know them a little better.

 In this episode we get into a juicy conversation about what would happen if we ditched the traditional model of governing an organization. Many organizations are being more intentional about creating more diversity in the board room. We get into the realities of code-switching, developing policies that support the emotional labour of trying to fit in and the real work of setting the stage is set for everyone to feel welcome and valued when they come into your space.

Nicole, welcome to the hub. We are so grateful for your energy, your light and your compassion.

If you are going to share one podcast with your board of directors, THIS is it. We look forward to more conversations with Nicole in season two. Please remember to like, review, subscribe and share this podcast. Let’s keep building community together. Thank you for spending time here.

We are thrilled to welcome Barbara Floersch to the podcast today.

Our conversation with Barbara blew our mind and completely changed our bias’s about grant funding. Barbara Floersch has over 40 years' experience managing nonprofits, writing grant proposals, and administering grants. She has raised millions of dollars in grant funding, served as a reviewer for federal grant competitions, trained thousands of nonprofit staff members throughout the US and internationally, and has testified before Congress on reauthorization of the National Endowment for the Arts.

This conversation and Barbara’s reading book You Have A Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change, convinced us that grantwriting can be a massive social change tool that many organizations simple aren’t leveraging for the potential.

Using a grant program to advance social change and pursue collective impact will revolutionize the funding landscape for many organizations. If you would like to learn more you can buy Barbara's new book, You Have A Hammer: Building Grant Proposals for Social Change, at Canada’s Civil Sector Press, Amazon, and wherever books are sold. Her website includes information on her two books, a blog, and links to grant-related resources. To learn more, visit Barbarafloersch.com

Please remember to subscribe, review and share this podcast so that we can keep building The Intersection Community. Thank you for joining us today.

To be honest, I didn't think this gathering would turn into a podcast.

And then I listened to it. The entire thing! Several times.

You may remember last week I sent you an edited clip from You Tube with just parts of this conversation.

Today's podcast is the entire conversation.

Nine women, from very diverse backgrounds, three different countries and five different timezones come together to discuss what International Women's Day means to them, the importance of celebrating our achievements - paid and unpaid, how we are conditioned not to trust our instincts, and the importance of coming together to celebrate each other.

A very special thank you to Comfort Sakoma, Kathy Archer, Jen Love, Angela Williams Bartee, Beth Ann Locke, Claire Warner, Lakeshia Williams, and Emma Beukema for their open hearts, trusting spirits and mostly their time.

Remember, this is just the start. There will be many opportunities for women to come together to support each other and celebrate our accomplishments. If you identify as a women, please join us at the end of March for one of our free Women in the Hub events.

You can sign up to participate in the next conversation here: https://www.intersectionhub.ca/women-in-the-hub

How do we create a social infrastructure that enables us to bounce forward to a more equitable intentional, meaningful and community centred processes?

What does that sentence even mean?

It simply means that the expertise non-profits are looking for often lies within the communities that they exist to serve.

When a community comes together to design the space and services they need systemic issues like poverty, homeless and hunger can finally be solved.

Mind blowing right? Not really. And not really a new concept either, Anne Gloger has been doing this work for over twenty years.

Anne is the founding Director at East Scarborough Storefront and Principal at the Centre for Connected Communities. Since 2000, Anne has worked at the East Scarborough Storefront, pioneering collaborative solutions to complex issues in an inner suburban community in Scarborough, Ontario. Out of this work has emerged a new approach to community development, the Connected Community Approach (CCA). CCA is a values/asset based community development framework that supports the use of creative processes to support grassroots groups, social service agencies, artists, architects, urban planners, environmentalists, academics, municipal actors and others to co-create initiatives that foster meaningful change in their communities.In her role as Principal, Anne provides leadership to a dynamic, diverse, and creative team of community development professionals. Anne has won several awards for her pioneering work in Connected Communities, including the Jane Jacobs prize, the Courage to Lead Award, the William P Hubbard Award for Race Relations, Leading Women Building Communities, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, and Vital People and we are thrilled to welcome her into The Hub.

The bottom line? Anne is calling for a paradigm shift. Let’s stop taking care of vulnerable people and let’s start building connecting communities that help the people in those communities thrive.

Anne thank you so much for sharing your energy, your enthusiasm, and your work with us. 

Folks remember, please like, subscribe, review and share this podcast so that more people get a chance to hear it. Thank you for making time with us a priority in your busy day.

Centre for Connected Communities

East Scarborough Storefront Theory of Change document

Openly

Ontario NonProfit Network: Leveraging the Power of Networks

Let’s keep building community and making connections.

A colleague once described our Chandler as “kindest person to ever challenge you”. I have to say I also think he is my new best friend. If you can put up with the first few minutes of banter we then dive right into a super-rich conversation about how Chandler is working to transform the philanthropic space.

Chandler is the Founder and CEO of Untraditional Philanthropy, a bespoke donor advisory reimagining philanthropic decision making by partnering with 40+ social impact leaders worldwide who serve as one-on-one advisors to donors and clients. More than 80% of these experts identify as people of color, women and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chandler honed his skills in the impact sector over 25 years as a successful Founder, Executive Director, COO, CEO, and Board Member of a range of local, national and global social enterprises. As the COO of First Book, for example, Chandler led day-to-day operations and fundraising efforts for a global education equity organization which distributed 160 million new books—valued at $1 billion USD—to children in need during his tenure.

Chandler has also developed social impact efforts with some of the country's wealthiest families and leading brands; including Disney, Ford, KPMG, Pizza Hut, Ralph Lauren, Target and others. Chandler's private sector experience also includes working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and in strategy and marketing with The Coca-Cola Company.

Chandler is a proud social innovation geek. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a concentration on social change in American History and Literature and earned his MBA at Stanford. A frequent speaker about innovation and social change, Chander has given guest lectures on social innovation at Yale, Columbia and Georgetown.

Chandler, his husband, and their two young children live in Washington, D.C.

Hopefully like me you are super excited about the collective impact that Chandler’s social enterprise Untraditional Philanthropy can have on our sector. You can get in touch with Chandler and learn more about Untraditional Philanthropy here: https://www.untraditionalphilanthropy.com/

Please remember to like subscribe and share this podcast so that more people can join us in conversation. Let’s keep building community through connection and candid conversation. See you next time.

Brene Brown and her interview with Jake Wesley Rogers here: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/songwriting-storytelling-and-dropping-keys/

Conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are essential in every organization. They are also just the beginning of important antiracist work.

Today we are spotlighting one charity that goes beyond DEI workshops and is expecting all their staff to join them on an antiracist journey – everyday.

At the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit, Michigan Founder Khali Sweeney and their Executive Director Jessica Hauser discovered that while their organization had grown, racist practices started to creep in.

Khali and Jessica quickly realized that they needed to go beyond a workshop and their DEI policies and protect their staff and the 200+ boys and girls they serve from letting white dominance take over.

Today I am joined in conversation with Jessica about what that looked like, what they did and how they continue the work with all their staff and consistently ask themselves: Are we centering the most marginalized voice in this conversation?

The Downtown Boxing Gym (DBG) is a nationally recognized, Detroit-based nonprofit organization breaking down barriers and providing vital resources to help students thrive. Now in its 15th year, DBG serves approximately 200 students ages 8-18 with continuing support through age 25, the first years of college and careers. The free, out-of-school time program has a 100% high school graduation rate since its inception.

DBG knocks down barriers like food insecurity, transportation, and the digital divide, and provides a holistic, personalized learning plan for each student, enrichment programming, college and career readiness, social-emotional skills building, basic needs support, and so much more.

Jessica Hauser is a passionate nonprofit leader and as Executive Director of DBG continues to navigate significant growth enabling the program to serve a diverse and growing group of amazing young leaders. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oakland University and completed coursework in International Children’s Rights at the University of Michigan.

Jessica is a member of the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, a coalition that champions statewide access to quality and equitable out-of-school time programs. She also serves as a board member with the Detroit chapter of Women in Sports and Events (WISE).

Over the last several years, Jessica has spoken on panels for Dreamforce Leading for Change, Crain's 40 Under 40, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Whole-Child Convening, We Work, and the Detroit Regional Chamber. She has presented DBG's work to graduate students at Cornell University, led a convening about COVID-safe re-opening with the YDRC (Youth Development Resource Center), and led a discussion about the digital divide with Salesforce.

Jessica’s partner, in life and work, Khali Sweeney is the founder of the Downtown Boxing Gym and had planned to join us in conversation. However, at the time of this recording he was recovering from a concussion and while unable to join us was certainly cheering us on from the sidelines.

Every single day Khali and Jessica expect all their staff – just like the kids they serve – to become the next best version of themselves. As you listen, I’m sure you will agree with me that Khali, Jessica and all their staff are having a massive impact in their community.

DBG is a fabulous example of an organization that takes care of each other so that they can work together to ensure that every child and staff member who walks into their doors they are treated with kindness, compassion and respect.

Links:

The Downtown Boxing Gym: https://dbgdetroit.org/

 Olaudah Kindness Speech https://dbgdetroit.org/videos/#uael-video-gallery-55ebad5-3

Thank you for making this conversation a priority in your day. We are so glad you are part of our community. Please remember to share, review, subscribe to this podcast. And if you have more examples of organizations that you think we should spotlight next season please do let us know.

What does it mean to stand in your truth? How do your values show up in your life? What do you do when your values are no longer aligned with your actions?

Today my co-host Jen Love and I, Kimberley MacKenzie are thrilled to welcome Mimosa Kabir into conversation.

Mimosa is a dynamic, creative fundraiser with an established track record as a strategic and results-oriented champion of the nonprofit sector. With a career background ranging from libraries to theatres, international aid to science, Mimosa brings a broad, holistic perspective to industry issues. She has extensive experience growing revenue through major gifts, individual giving, special events and sponsorship. Mimosa currently works as a Senior Development Officer, Major Gifts at the University of Toronto Libraries.

This is an intimate chat about standing in our truth, the evolution of values as we get older, imposter syndrome, the importance of representation and the discord that can happen when your personal values don’t align with your organization’s values.

We are so grateful that Mimosa made time to join us for this episode. Please remember to like subscribe and share this podcast. Let’s keep widening the circle and building community through conversation.

Here are the links mentioned in the podcast:

Anything for ten seconds: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Kimberley’s Sculpture: Andrew Benyei’s Sun Goddess

Apologies in advance. More than one of us swears in this episode and it wasn’t Paul.

Today we welcome Jason Lewis into the hub. In this conversation we totally geek out over all the changes, hopes and dreams we would like to see for fundraisers and the organizations they serve.

Jason is the founder of Responsive Fundraising; a consultancy committed to creating places where fundraising can thrive. The team at Responsive ensures that their clients understand and experience a holistic approach to fundraising that is meaningful for those on both sides of the exchange.

Jason is a professor at York College of Pennsylvania where he teaches nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship and small business consulting. Jason's first book, The War for Fundraising Talent, was an honest yet hopeful critique of contemporary fundraising practices. Jason’s follow-up is scheduled for release in early 2022.

In this conversation we talk about what fundraising will look like when it grows up. Somehow cats, chameleons and wizards work their way into the conversation and we dig in about what professional fundraising really means. Has the professionalism of the sector done more harm than good?

And after quite a bit of pontificating about reasons behind the abhorrent staff turnover rate in our sector we find optimism for the future of fundraising.

Please join us in welcoming Jason to the hub.

As always, thank you so much for making time for this podcast today. Please remember to like, subscribe and review this podcast so that more people can discover it. Let’s keep making connections and building community.

Rogare Relationship Fundraising Research https://www.rogare.net/relationship-fundraising

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World https://davidepstein.com/the-range/

Lisa Greer: https://www.lisagreer.com/

We recently sat down with T. Clay Buck to talk about data, mid level donors, governance and community centred fundraising….all sorts of things. This isn’t that conversation. Our time with Clay was so rich we just didn’t stop talking. As a result we have this candid conversation as a bonus episode.

As we start to see each other again at conferences and can’t wait to hug our old friends, let’s remember that sometimes people at conferences feel “Other’d”, insecure and unsure if they belong.

Let us all be intentional about being more inclusive and being intentional about welcome new people into our networks.

The big secret is that none of us feel like Cool Kids. As Paul says: “We are all a bunch of dorks.”

Sit back and for a listen. You may even forget you are listening to a podcast, Clay forgot he was recording one. Enjoy.

Can you imagine working in an organization that pays you a livable wage, gives you time to rest and rejuvenate and sees taking care of your physical and mental health as part of their mission delivery? I know sounds impossible. But it is. It is possible.

Today we have a fabulous case study of an organization that does all those things and more. I’m happy to welcome Brandon Yan into conversation. Brandon is the Executive Director of Out on Screen which is a charity in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada that is building an equitable society where gender and sexual diversity thrives. At the start of our conversation Brandon will tell you more about out on screen.

For now, I’ll tell you more about him. He is an optimistic and driven non-profit senior leader adept at managing operations, programming, and cultivating constructive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and community partners to advance equity and inclusion. You will hear that Brandon is an Active and empathetic listener who has a passion for social justice, intersectional feminism, and LGBT2QS+ rights.

In this episode, Brandon shares how his organization is building a culture of safety and well-being for their staff by reducing meetings, having four-day work weeks, paying a livable wage, and prioritizing the health and well-being of his staff as part of their mission delivery.

And a fabulous conversationalist. I loved chatting with him.

Out on Screen is a real example of an organization that is banishing martyrdom, prioritizing their people and delivering community impact. Why not share this episode with your staff and talk about the kind of changes needed in your organization to help create a safer space for your team.

This was just the first eight fabulous episodes this season of in the trenches leaders who are paving a new, healthier way forward for our sector. We are going to talk about anti racism in action, trust-based philanthropy and more about how to take care of the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of those working so hard to do so much to make the world a better place.

So be sure to join our email list at intersection hub.ca so all of Season 4 directly in your inbox. And please get in touch if you have suggestions for other organizations, we can profile next season.

We are also always grateful for your feedback, referrals and sharing this podcast. Let us know what you think! I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for being part of the conversation. See you next time.

The first time I logged into a Fundraising Everywhere event I immediately could see that something different was happening. Not only is the platform one of the first – pre covid online conference platforms the business model is crushing existing ways of not just delivering conferences but also building a values-based business that serves the charitable sector.

I am thrilled to welcome the co-founder and Director of Fundraising Everywhere Nikki Bell. With over a decade of charity experience, Nikki is passionate about accessible and innovative digital methods that can help charities achieve success without adding more stress. Nikki is also building a company that values it’s people more than profit and is laser focussed on building a culture that puts the well-being of their people first.

In this conversation we really pull back the covers of how Nikki and their business partner Simon are building something completely different than we have seen before.

Remember to check out the Fundraising Everywhere manifesto here:

https://www.fundraisingeverywhere.com/ourmanifesto/

If you are interested in listening to the hub podcast episode with Nikki’s business partner Simon Scriver you can get it here: https://www.intersectionhub.ca/podcast/episode/7271a838/s02e04-connections-belonging-and-learning

Nikki thank you so much for being so open and candid about how you are building a profitable values driven business. I loved being in conversation with you. And thank you dear listener for spending time here today. Remember to like subscribe and share this podcast so more folks can join us in conversation. And if you would like to talk to me about your work, goals, dreams and success you can book time with me at intersection hub.ca.

Just Kimberley and Paul in the hub today and true to form Kimberley has a bit of an abrupt start....but hang in there! 

Kimberley and Paul love working with organizations to develop their legacy programs and to help volunteer boards be successful. Their passion for these topics results in a robust conversation that spans from should we be talking about legacies right now to how can you work with a board to move beyond tactical fundraising and become more strategic.

As always, we welcome your feedback and hope that you subscribe, like and share this podcast. Thank you for joining us!

David Love has actually been fundraising for 51 years and just published his book Green Green, 51 years of raising money for nature. You can buy it here https://hilborn-civilsectorpress.com/collections/featured-books/products/green-green

Can you imagine getting three full PAID months off of work (not including your vacation days!) to take time off to rest, reflect and rejuvenate?

Today I am thrilled to invite Renee Krysko into conversation about the value of paid sabbaticals. Renee and I talk about the importance of how taking time to put herself first serves her family, her community and helped her excel at her job.

Renée has a passion for people and creating connections. After serving Yellowstone 2 Yukon (Y2Y) as communications manager for four years, Renée moved into the role of donor relations manager, then director of donor relations, where her strong communications skills enable her to forge important relationships with Y2Y supporters.

Prior to Y2Y, Renée worked with academics and company leaders to develop communications strategies and community relations programs. Born and raised in Alberta, and as a skier, hiker and cyclist the Yellowstone to Yukon region is both her home and her playground.

In today’s episode Renee shares the benefits of her sabbatical and how she carries forward her own self care practices and went back to work with a new perspective.

I’m so grateful to Renee for joining us in conversation and thank you for making this a priority in your day.

Please remember to like, review and share this podcast. Let’s keep welcoming more people into conversation.

Season Four of The Intersection Hub podcast is going to be completely different.

This season we have eight real examples of organizations and people that are coming forward to offer hope to us all for a new way forward. We are having conversations with practitioners who are advancing anti racist work, trust-based philanthropy and taking care of the physical and metal well-being of their staff.

In this introduction I share a little bit more of how I came to make this shift, why it is important and what we can learn from these amazing examples.

Our sector contributes such a significant economic impact to these three global economies it is hard to relate too. But one thing I know for sure is that the world expects a lot from us. Do you think we are living up to expectations? No – no we are not.

I know that based on my 25 years working as a charity executive or consultant. I know that based on the 50 brilliant guests that have appeared on this podcast. We are failing. We keep talking about the same shifts needed and we aren’t getting much traction.

You know it too.

You know it if you are an Executive Director who is trying to feed hungry children and donors are complaining about your utility bills and you rarely make it home for dinner with your family. I’ve been there.

You know if you are a Chief Philanthropy Officer and your biggest donor is asking you to build a new program that they think bits perfectly into their interests and your mission. But it doesn’t and now you have to go to the board, your boss and the program staff to try and convince them that you can accept the gift and deliver your budget and in fact turn a square peg into a round hole. I’ve been there.

You know if you are trying to deliver life changing programs and you are using out of date materials because you can’t afford to get the old ones replaced and the programs need to continue so that you can demonstrate impact to funder. I’ve been there.

You know it if you have busting your ass for you organization and suddenly, without warning your entire body just stops. The work you are so passionate about, the kids you love, the husband you cherish – all seem unimportant. You can’t get out of bed; you can’t even walk the dog anymore. Because your job – in the charitable sector has left you depleted and utterly useless to everyone you love. I’ve been there – twice. It will be ok. You will be ok.

You know this if you gave up on working in the sector and started consulting for the sector. You make better money now – sure. But perfectly good smart fundraisers are using their charitable dollars to pay you way more than they should to tell their boards things that they could have. But we all know the board will listen to you because your skin is a different colour.

I was tired of talking about these problems and I wanted to find examples of organizations who are actually making great strides in turning these challenges around in their own organizations. I wanted to find the passionate folks who are, against odds, modelling a new way forward and offering hope for us all.

In season four of this podcast we are creating space. The folks in organizations who are diligently working away to change internal structures and systems so that their staff are able to be mentally, physically and spiritual fit so they can continue to have extraordinary community impact.

So – what can you do to get involved in this change? Well – listen, subscribe, share and give your feedback of course!

Please share this podcast or the email list with your staff. Consider making sharing these conversations part of your team internal professional development. Give your staff an episode a month to listen to and then gather to talk about how you might be able to implement so of these practices in your organization. By looking inside and asking yourselves together if you are really making progress on these three very important fronts:

Advancing antiracist work

Revisiting conversations with donors and moving the bar on trust based philanthropy

And finally – taking care of the mental, physical and spiritual well being of your staff.

I hope this podcast can prove to you like it has me, I believe this is the future of our sector.

It is time we stop talking and start acting. It is time to prioritize the safety and well being of our people. As our first guest this season Brandon Yan said so brilliantly “how can we claim to advance social justice when we don’t see the health and well being of our on staff as critical to mission delivery?” Brandon and the other guests this season are offering hope to us all.

So please join us in conversation. Get on the email list at intersection hub.ca or subscribe to The intersection hub podcast wherever you get your podcasts and don’t miss a single episode.

And always please get in touch if you have suggestions for other organizations, we can profile in season five. And of course – I’m on the hunt for more fabulous examples of this work so if you are sitting there thinking that your organization or one you know has some examples to share please do be in touch. You can reach me at k@kimberleymackenzie.ca or @kimberleycanada on social media.

We are also always grateful for your feedback, referrals and for sharing this podcast. As we start to unveil these conversations, Do let us know what you think! I’d love to hear from you.

Resources: Infographic history of the charitable sector https://blog.winspireme.com/a-brief-history-of-charitable-giving-infographic#:~:text=Charity%20has%20been%20part%20of,Egyptians%20were%20building%20the%20pyramids.

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/charity-and-voluntary-work/overview-of-the-uk-charity-sector#:~:text=The%20majority%20of%20these%20organisations,Northern%20Ireland%20has%20the%20lowest.

https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/news-events/news-item/giving-usa:-total-u.s.-charitable-giving-declined-in-2022-to-$499.33-billion-following-two-years-of-record-generosity.html?id=422

https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/about-us-research/uk_giving_2023.pdf

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/charity-and-voluntary-work/overview-of-the-uk-charity-sector#:~:text=In%202022%20almost%20one%20million,Northern%20Ireland%20has%20the%20lowest.

https://www.imaginecanada.ca/sites/default/files/Infographic-sector-stat-2021.pdf

https://www.imaginecanada.ca/en/About-the-sector

NOTE: 89% of charity staff say they don’t have enough resources to do their job properly and 48% of fundraisers say they are likely to leave their jobs in the next two year. Think about that for a second. Half of the people who raising $500 Billion dollars collectively per year and thinking about leaving their jobs in 24 months. Sheesh – that is a hit. And guess what – that statistic hasn’t moved in at least 15 years.

“An explosive self-promissory event.”  says Paul. 

Welcome to the Intersection! We are so glad you are choosing to spend some time with us today. Our hope is that this is the start of building a community where different opinions and ideas intersect and come together for greater good.

In this introductory episode you may recognize your professional journey as we share how our childhood experiences planted a seed for service, how our volunteer work evolved into deeply satisfying careers, the importance of great books and how association memberships and a professional community of amazing colleagues kept us going. Yes, we are talking about you!

As the cadence of our first conversation evolves, we end with our declaration of intention to build a podcast full of inconvenient and uncomfortable conversations about taboo topics!

Please let us know what you think, share your story on our Facebook group and let us know if there are any future topics you would like us to tackle. We firmly believe that in this moment we need to have even more candid conversations for social good. Please subscribe and join in the conversation.

References:

The Canadian Association of Gift Planners

The Association of Fundraising Professionals

Working within a system to change a system is tough work. Through their Community of Practice sessions Tanya and Nicole are building a movement and creating safe and compassionate places for dialogue. We are thrilled to welcome Tanya and Nicole into the hub.

Tanya Hannah Rumble, CFRE (she/her) and Nicole McVan, MA (they/them) are long-time collaborators and respected fundraising leaders. Together they have led learning sessions and facilitated workshops for more than 2,000 professional fundraisers across North America and Europe on the topics of power and privilege; equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and fundraising. Their clients include: UNICEF Canada, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Canada Board of Directors, Art Gallery of Ontario, Association for Opera in Canada, and the Canadian Cancer Society. They bring a unique blend of deep expertise as full-time professional fundraisers; the vulnerability they share and cultivate in their learning sessions through sharing of their collective lived experiences as racialized, disabled, and trans-non binary professionals; and the power to help folks examine sensitive and challenging topics such as race, oppression, and privilege with non-judgement.

Tanya is a racialized settler of multi-ethnic origins living in Tkaronto. She is a fundraising leader who has raised millions for some of Canada's largest charities including Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, McMaster University and now the Faculty of Arts and Yellowhead Institute at X University. As a racialized philanthropy professional Tanya is honoured to share her influence and insights with students, emerging professionals and peers in the sector. Tanya regularly writes articles on the topics of inclusion, equity, and access; and power, privilege and fundraising for industry publications and speaks to professional audiences at learning events regularly.

She graduated with an Hons. B.A. Political Science from McMaster University, earned a Graduate Certificate at NYU in Marketing Communications, and is currently enrolled in the Master Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) at Carleton University. She has also completed numerous professional certificates including Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials (Rotman School of Management, Institute of Corporate Directors) and Truth and Reconciliation Through Right Relations (Banff Centre). Tanya is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Master Financial Advisor - Philanthropy (MFA-P™).

Additionally, she is an active leadership volunteer in the philanthropy and non-profit sector: Board Director with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Canada, and Board Committee volunteer with AFP Canada-Foundation; executive volunteer with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners; Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the HR Committee with FindHelp Information Services - operators of 211 Toronto; and Board Director with Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. In addition to sharing her knowledge, she is committed to lifelong learning -  she is a graduate of the 2017 Association of Fundraising Professionals Inclusion and Philanthropy Fellowship, and 2010 DiverseCity Fellowship. Tanya gratefully acknowledges the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee nations, whose traditional territory she is a settler and responsible steward of.

Nicole McVan is a strategic non-profit leader with 20 years of experience in Canada and abroad. Their experience spans many areas including corporate philanthropy, individual and community-based giving, volunteer development, national event management, and alumni giving. They are currently the Vice President, Philanthropy & Marketing at United Way Greater Toronto.

As a white, able-bodied, transgender and non-binary person, Nicole uses an anti-oppressive lens in building philanthropy and marketing plans to work with and for communities. Nicole regularly speaks and writes on the topic of equity, privilege, and power dynamics for fundraising publications and at conferences and learning events.

Nicole volunteers their time in the community, including on the Board at Inside Out Film festival - an organization committed to the promotion and exhibition of film made by and about LGBTQ+ people of all ages, races and abilities. They hold a master’s degree in Non-profit Marketing and Fundraising from City University of London and is currently working on a certificate in Community Engagement, Leadership and Development at Ryerson University to build their knowledge of how to work with and for communities for lasting change.

Nicole is grateful to live and work on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations and acknowledges their role as a treaty person to reconcile and rebuild the relationship between indigenous peoples and settlers on Turtle Island.

This work will continue. Together we must contribute to building a strong community of practice. If you would like to participate in this work or have question for Tanya and Nicole please reach out to them on Linked In. Here: Tanya Hannah Rumble, CFRE (she/her) and Nicole McVan, MA (they/them)

As always thank you so much for making this conversation a priority in your busy day. Together we will continue to build a more fair, just and unified community for each other and those who follow. Please remember to share, like or subscribe to this podcast so that more people will get the opportunity to hear. See you next time!

Are you showing up like a bull in a china shop? Approaching your work like a bulldozer? How’s that working for you? What would happen if you stopped and took the temperature of the room? Is it hot?

How you show up in your organization can influence your ability to build alliances with people around you, and for fundraising to prosper, you need to build all the alliances you can.

While friction is essential for progress, how do you work within that conflict in a way that helps people get on board?

In this episode Kimberley and Paul talk about shifting into servant leadership, seeking understanding, finding champions, telling stories and bringing the entire team onside to help you build successful fundraising programs.

It is not always easy and it certainly takes time, but this work can make all the difference in your ability to be successful in your current role.

To learn more about how Kimberley works with charities to make this shift you can visit https://www.intersectionhub.ca/need-help

“When you give people an ultimatum, they line up against you.” 

Does the world really need another podcast? Honestly, probably not. So why did we do it?

We wanted to create a space to have candid conversations focussed on service, growth, community and authenticity.

Service To our community, to our peers and the in the places in between. We want to amplify conversations that can’t find home on any other platforms. For us this is more than charity or non-profit work. We believe all sectors can be approached from a position of service. We believe in adding value wherever you show up.

Growth

Our careers have been focussed on taking organizations to the next level where they can do the best for people and purpose. Growth for the sake of growth is dangerous. Money is just a means to an end. Let’s talk about why organizations and businesses want to grow. We’ve both learned that being too aggressive or ambitious for the sake of growth can backfire. In this podcast we will share some of the lesson’s we’ve learned along the way.

Authenticity

When you find yourself in tough positions, take a moment to stop and unpack what’s going on, bring your whole self to the table, share the story you are telling yourself in your head and figure out how to authentically move beyond conflict. In this podcast, Kimberley’s family is ready for her to “put it all out there” and Paul is embracing the challenge to take off his armour.

Community

Have you been aching for a sense of belonging, connection and community? We have. It is a strange time. In this moment we need to build an authentic, openhearted community full of people who want to celebrate all the messy humanity that we share. Please join us by subscribing to this podcast, joining the facebook group and joining in the conversation on twitter.

We are so glad you are here!

When Clay Buck introduced me to Janet Cobb’s Ted Talk, The Myth of Professionalism I was immediately smitten. Janet has an amazing story. Her life experience is vast and she advances social justice with wisdom and compassion and authenticity.

Janet's personal mission statement is to act justly, love mercy, walk humbly, do good, and always seek to do the next right thing. Professionally, she's been a professional cook, teacher, librarian, communications manager, fundraiser, school administrator, consultant, and coach. She's a wife, a mother of three, and a former Catholic nun. She aims to integrate all of these aspects into living an authentic life going about doing good. 

In this conversation we chat about life beyond the convent, how clothes and make up can get in the way of authenticity, misogyny, Tamir Rice and being a mother of biracial children in this moment. We do get emotional so you may want to have Kleenex handy.

If you want to learn about Janet and her work check out the articles below:

That Could've Been My Child

Do Something About It

Can You See the Holes

When Will We Listen and Learn

The Myth of Professionalism

https://www.ted.com/talks/janet_cobb_cfre_cnp_resisting_the_myths_of_professionalism

Get in touch via her website here: https://jcobbconsulting.com/

Read her book Promise Land: https://jcobbconsulting.com/books 

Janet thank you so much for bringing your whole self to this conversation. We are so grateful. Be sure to check out the show notes for links to Janet’s articles and Ted Talk. Let us know what you think.

If you want to connect with The Intersection or have ideas for future podcasts, you can find us on twitter and at intersection hub.ca. and remember please share, comment and subscribe to this podcast so that we can keep building community in conversation.

It is time to really question what “best practice” in the social sector. How can we move forward with inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging when we are stuck in archaic systems?

We are thrilled to welcome Tanya Hannah Rumble and Nicole McVan back into The Hub to update us on their work building a strong community practice and charting a new way forward for our sector.

Tanya Hannah Rumble, CFRE (she/her) and Nicole McVan, MA (they/them) are long-time collaborators and respected fundraising leaders. Together they have led learning sessions and facilitated workshops for more than 2,000 professional fundraisers across North America and Europe on the topics of power and privilege; equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and fundraising. Their clients include: UNICEF Canada, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Canada Board of Directors, Art Gallery of Ontario, Association for Opera in Canada, and the Canadian Cancer Society. They bring a unique blend of deep expertise as full-time professional fundraisers; the vulnerability they share and cultivate in their learning sessions through sharing of their collective lived experiences as racialized, disabled, and trans-non binary professionals; and the power to help folks examine sensitive and challenging topics such as race, oppression, and privilege with non-judgement.

Tanya is a racialized settler of multi-ethnic origins living in Tkaronto. She is a fundraising leader who has raised millions for some of Canada's largest charities including Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, McMaster University and now the Faculty of Arts and Yellowhead Institute at X University. As a racialized philanthropy professional Tanya is honoured to share her influence and insights with students, emerging professionals and peers in the sector. Tanya regularly writes articles on the topics of inclusion, equity, and access; and power, privilege and fundraising for industry publications and speaks to professional audiences at learning events regularly.

She graduated with an Hons. B.A. Political Science from McMaster University, earned a Graduate Certificate at NYU in Marketing Communications, and is currently enrolled in the Master Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) at Carleton University. She has also completed numerous professional certificates including Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials (Rotman School of Management, Institute of Corporate Directors) and Truth and Reconciliation Through Right Relations (Banff Centre). Tanya is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Master Financial Advisor - Philanthropy (MFA-P™).

Additionally, she is an active leadership volunteer in the philanthropy and non-profit sector: Board Director with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Canada, and Board Committee volunteer with AFP Canada-Foundation; executive volunteer with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners; Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the HR Committee with FindHelp Information Services - operators of 211 Toronto; and Board Director with Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. In addition to sharing her knowledge, she is committed to lifelong learning -  she is a graduate of the 2017 Association of Fundraising Professionals Inclusion and Philanthropy Fellowship, and 2010 DiverseCity Fellowship. Tanya gratefully acknowledges the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee nations, whose traditional territory she is a settler and responsible steward of.

Nicole McVan is a strategic non-profit leader with 20 years of experience in Canada and abroad. Their experience spans many areas including corporate philanthropy, individual and community-based giving, volunteer development, national event management, and alumni giving. They are currently the Vice President, Philanthropy & Marketing at United Way Greater Toronto.

Tanya and Nicole have extensive experience as fundraisers and I’ve included their full bio’s in the show notes. Because I know you are ready to dig into this incredible conversation.

As a white, able-bodied, transgender and non-binary person, Nicole uses an anti-oppressive lens in building philanthropy and marketing plans to work with and for communities. Nicole regularly speaks and writes on the topic of equity, privilege, and power dynamics for fundraising publications and at conferences and learning events.

Nicole volunteers their time in the community, including on the Board at Inside Out Film festival - an organization committed to the promotion and exhibition of film made by and about LGBTQ+ people of all ages, races and abilities. They hold a master’s degree in Non-profit Marketing and Fundraising from City University of London and is currently working on a certificate in Community Engagement, Leadership and Development at Ryerson University to build their knowledge of how to work with and for communities for lasting change.

Nicole is grateful to live and work on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations and acknowledges their role as a treaty person to reconcile and rebuild the relationship between indigenous peoples and settlers on Turtle Island.

This work will continue. Together we must contribute to building a strong community of practice. If you would like to participate in this work or have question for Tanya and Nicole please reach out to them on Linked In. Here: Tanya Hannah Rumble, CFRE (she/her) and Nicole McVan, MA (they/them)

Thank you so much for spending time in The Hub. Please remember to widen the circle by sharing, reviewing and subscribing to this podcast. See you next time!

How does power show up in your work and your life? Do you benefit from the power and privilege or are you constantly striving to find your power? Do power dynamics show up in ways that you can predict and what do you do when you are sideswiped with a surprisingly quick loss of power?

This week in The Hub, Jen Love and Kimberley MacKenzie have a chance to sit down with Amanda Baca and have a rich and deep conversation about the complexities of power and privilege.

Amanda brings an extraordinary set of lived experiences as a self-described Nexus, a single mother and a Latinx women working as a Director or Development at The University of New Mexico Foundation and I’m proud to say one of the co-hosts for The Intersection's Women in the Hub (WiTH) events.

As Jen says – the power dynamic in the philanthropic sector is layered sideways and up and down. We hope that this episode inspires you to consider the power and privilege you carry and how it may show up in your organization and in your life.

As always, we do hope that you will share, like subscribe and review this podcast. Let’s keep building community through candid conversation.

Thank you for spending time here.

Once again we are happy to welcome Mark Hierlihy to the pod. Mark is the CEO of Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. He is known for building collaborative and winning teams and cultures wherever he has the opportunity.

In this episode we talk about how the Canada Children’s Hospital Foundation is completely rethinking how the team works. Today, Mark shares his thoughts on remote work policies, how his team is making the shift from talking about performance management to progress management and the importance of creating a Strategic Plan that provides structure but is agile enough for shifting priorities.

Resources

Work is not a place

We Work Toronto 

Mark is a frequent guest of The Intersection and has also appeared on Episodes 5 about personal mission statements and a bonus episode where he shared his story about speaking at a puppeteering conference. Please be sure to share, subscribe or comment on this episode here or on any of the other platforms. 

"I want to be out there and name the Jaberwocky’s and the Boogy man."

In this episode Paul is unleashed and shares the three biggest issues in our sector that keep him up at night.

Adjacent threats, the technology gap and crowdfunding!

Things don’t always have to be right or wrong to be seen as a threat. But those of us in charitable sector need to be aware of these threats and ask ourselves, what is our responsibility as a sector?

Is crowdfunding infecting the minds of your donors?

Is Benevity really contributing to social good?

What is your charity planning on doing to address the technology gap?

Where is the intersection between commercial enterprises, crowdfunding, tech for good and the charitable sector? It is time to hang out more and have real conversations about how much good we can do together.

It is time to dream bigger.

Thanks for joining us. Please subscribe, share, review and join in the conversation.

#ShowtheSalary has arrived in Canada. Started in the UK as a movement toward more fair, equitable and just hiring practices the Show the Salary movement is sweeping the entire charitable sector and is quickly becoming considered best practice.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Toronto Chapter has adopted a new policy that all job postings include the salary. This is kind of a big deal, because a significant part of this chapter’s revenue is generated from their job postings. So financially it is a pretty bold move and sets a great example for other job posting services. In fact, this week the Canadian Association of Gift Planners made the same commitment. The tide is turning.

Today we are thrilled to welcome Amy Pawluk and Penny Connors to share more about how and why the AFP Greater Toronto took this important step.

Amy Pawluk, is the President of the AFP Toronto Chapter and has been involved in the chapter as a volunteer since 2011. She is driven to advance fundraising as a profession, works as Executive Vice President, Marketing and New Business development at Blakely Inc. and is proudly raising her little girl to be a strong and caring women.

Penny Connors holds degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from York university, is a certified association executive and is currently applying her extensive management experience to delivering the AFP Toronto Chapter’s strategic plan as she serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Fundraising Professionals greater Toronto chapter.

A very special thank you to the army of volunteers that initiated the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessiblity priorities at the Toronto chapter over the years. These changes take time and are often the results of tireless efforts from many people who demanded change over many years. This policy is another small step toward a more inclusive, equitable and just charitable sector.

The idea for The Intersection was sparked by the polarizing dialogue about needing to choose between Donor Centred Fundraising and Community Centred Fundraising. We believe we can do both. We believe we can throw out the bathwater and keep the baby. We believe that the two can intersect to create a stronger sector.

The divisive, polarizing nature of this debate has been hurtful and confusing for thousands of people in working for social good. We have been wanting to have the conversation for a very long time and we are so grateful that George Zeno and Jay Frost agreed to join us for this conversation.

George Zeno is a Capacity Builder, knowledge seeker, community weaver and currently serving as the Associate Vice President for Advancement, at the Pacific Lutheran University. Known to his friends as Zeno he is passionate about diversifying the field of philanthropy and community development while bringing the fields closer to high impact results, in order to create sustainable, community-driven solutions for the world. He is kind, generous and incredibly patient.

Jay Frost brings together people, ideas, and resources to fuel positive change in the world. He is recognized as one of America’s top ten fundraising experts and has worked with hundreds of organizations to identify and pursue billions of fundraising opportunities around the world. He is a wise, curious and gentle man. Even known to some as the Mr. Rogers of fundraising which may be exactly what we need for this unifying conversation.

We hope this episode inspires you to continue the conversation and work with us for a new and better way forward for the social good sector.

Do you live a purpose driven life? Do you know what your purpose is? Have you heard about crafting a personal mission statement but thought it kind of a weird idea?

In this episode we are joined by our friend Mark Hierlihy. Mark is the CEO of Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundation and found his calling in causes and philanthropy over 20 years ago. Mark is known for building collaborative and winning team cultures wherever he has the opportunity to lead.

Mark is also a trusted advisor for the Intersection, you can read his bio on our website here he is a friend and kind open hearted authentic leader who lives in Toronto with his gorgeous dog Zeus.

Today we share what inspired our personal mission statements, how they keep us anchored and what you can do to write one of your own. In fact, if you do write one of your own please share it with us on twitter or email to k@kimberleymackenzie.ca We would love to see what you come up with!

If you would like to see the artwork that we talk about in the podcast you can do that on our You Tube channel where videos of all podcasts are posted.

Please join me in welcoming Mark to the Hub.

If you were the CEO of a for profit company and 48% of your sales team had one foot out the door and were scanning the horizon for a better job would you make a correction?

Of course you would.

And yet, for decades the charitable sector has been tolerating a revolving door of staff with the average tenure for senior level fundraisers just 18 months. That is hardly enough time to figure out how the coffee maker works. Let alone build strong relationships with donors. And yet we seem content to hemorrhage human and financial resources.

What if it didn’t have to be that way? Today on our podcast we are spotlighting the British Columbia Society for Prevention Cruelty to Animals. Under the leadership of powerhouse fundraiser Shoni Field the BC SPCA is a great example of an organization that prioritizes building a loyal team.

Shoni is going to share more about the work of the BC SPCA so I tell you a little bit about her.

Shoni is the Chief Development Officer at the BC SPCA and is very proud of her skilled and passionate team of innovators who consistently exceed industry benchmarks. She has been fundraising for 25+ years for a range of causes including environmental, youth, health, and development organizations. Shoni is the founder of the For the Paws Summit for animal welfare fundraisers and when she’s not fundraising, she advocates for electoral reform and citizen engagement, plays strategy games and bakes fancy cakes. Shoni is a settler on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

In this episode Shoni and I cover a lot of territory. We talk about rethinking performance metrics, what makes a good boss, values-based decision making and creating psychological safety for your team.

Remember, if you have more examples of organizations that you think we should shine a spotlight on next season we are actively curating Season Five right now so get in touch

Thank you for making this conversation a priority in your day. We are so glad you are part of this community and we would be so grateful if you would rate, review and share this podcast so that we can keep widening the circle.

To make your recommendations for charities we should spotlight next season you can reach Kimberley by email at k@kimberleymackenzie.ca or join the community at The Intersection Hub and get on the list.

See you next time!

It’s important to start this episode by saying that my guest Heather Nelson and I are not experts in the complicated situation unfolding with respect to Hockey Canada and the allegations that the institution has a slush fund in place to compensate victims of the rampant culture of sexual assault among its players. You can find some great articles below if you are interested in the details of this scandal.

What we can speak to is that when this situation at Hockey Canada was reported by sports reporter Rick Westhead the organization was asked to make some changes. They to didn’t do it. Consequently, their corporate partners started abandoning ship, falling like cards and as Heather said by their action, they elevated the voices of their customers by withdrawing financial support to the organization.

Every time another fleeing sponsor hit the news cycle, I thought to myself “What would Heather say?”

Founder and President at boutique fundraising consultancy, BridgeRaise, Heather and her team help nonprofits raise more money from companies by prioritizing aligned values. Heather is a 20+ year fundraiser, corporate partnership expert, mentor, teacher, tree person, and a dog and hockey mom! Heather is also a dear friend of mine and trusted advisor to The Intersection.

There is so much that organizations can learn about the Hockey Canada Scandal and that is why I’m very pleased to have someone who is an expert in the sponsorship arena into conversation.

To learn more about the Hockey Canada Scandal:

Hockey Canada Scandal Abuse and Sexual Assault Slush Fund

 https://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-canada-scandal-abuse-sexual-assault-slush-fund/

Corporate Partners discuss permanently ending relationship with Hockey Canada

https://www.tsn.ca/corporate-partners-discuss-permanently-ending-relationship-with-hockey-canada-1.1858288

Hockey Canada Unravelled Before our Eyes

https://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-canada-scandal-abuse-sexual-assault-slush-fund/

If you have questions about your corporate fundraising please don’t hesitate Heather and her team a call. You can learn more about Bridgeraise here: https://www.bridgeraise.com/

Please remember to like subscribe, review and share this podcast so that we can invite more people into conversation. Let’s keep building community and connection through conversation.

“When you want to go fast go alone, when you want to go far go together.”

Consultants. Do you need one? How do you find one? Clients. How do you know they are a good fit? Who breaks up with whom and when?

What does a successful client consultant relationship look like? How can we all work together to get the very best results for our organizations?

Hopefully this relationship will spark some ideas for how you can have an effective relationship with your consultants or your clients. We look forward to continuing this conversation eventually in person but until then on any of the virtual platforms where Paul and I hang out.

You can find us by visiting our website.

Thank you for sharing your time with us today.

NOTE: This episode is not about any one consultant, agency or charity. This is a general conversation about how we might be able to work together to have the most productive relationship so that we can work together to serve our communities.

In July 2020 our guest Marisa DeSalles published an article that unleashed all the years of built-up trauma that she experienced as the only BIPOC fundraiser in her white dominated organization.

In this candid conversation Marissa recounts her experience of micro aggressions and her shock at realizing that she had been complicit in maintaining the status quo of racism in her organization.

Marissa now helps nonprofits strategize their growth by focusing on the health of the systems they use, including data management systems, marketing and communication systems, and organizational structures.

Her work is informed by Community-Centric Fundraising, a movement seeking to prioritize equity in fundraising. This movement favours a more collaborative approach that honours the inherent strengths within community members.

Marissa’s specialty is working with emerging organizations in search of growth, and in particular organizations led by and focused on issues affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Marissa and I candidly shares her experience of code switching, altering her voice to sound white on the telephone changing her behaviour and her appearance to “fit in”.

We also discuss the discomfort of acknowledging our collective privilege and concrete first steps can we take to stop causing harm to each other.

One of those concrete first steps is a confession. I must confess to you that this conversation was sometimes awkward and difficult. I was tempted to edit out moments where my white privilege and ignorance is on full display.

In consultation with Marissa we chose to keep it in to serve as an example of what BIPOC people have to deal with on a daily basis. To Marissa I apologize for my ignorance and am deeply grateful for her grace and compassion.

Once again, thank you Marissa for your grace and for helping us all, including me, do better.

You can find a link to Marisa’s  powerful essay Fly in the Milk here.

https://communitycentricfundraising.org/2020/07/11/12-years-a-fly-in-the-milk/

Thank you so much for making this conversation a priority in your day. Please be sure to join our email list at intersectionhub.ca to get new episodes sent directly to your in box. And let’s keep widening the circle and continuing these conversations by sharing this podcast.

Thank you for being part of this community. 

Should we keep it going? Are we having fun? Which episodes did the community like the most?

In this episode Kimberley MacKenzie and Paul Nazareth reflect on Season One and the rich conversations they were able to have with so many incredible people.

They also dig into the data and share which episodes resonated with the most people. And wrap up thinking about what’s next and where they should go from here.

Here is the top ten list from 2021

10. Cindy Wagman: The Reluctant Fundraiser
11. Andrea Gunraj: Anti-Oppressive Communication
12. Jay Frost and George Zeno: Community or Donors? Who’s Right?
13. Jason Lewis: Why Fundraising is Failing
14. 6. Paul Gets Fired UP!
15. Nice to meet you
16. Rickesh Lakhani: Resilience
17. Are Consultants Friend or Foe?
18. Ann Gloger: Scaling Connected Communities
19. Liz LeClair: It is time to get uncomfortable

You may want to take some time to revisit some of the great conversations from last year. Then buckle your seatbelts for season two. If you haven’t already please consider joining The Intersection community here and remember to like, subscribe and share this podcast so we can keep building a connected and inspired community. Thank you for spending time here.

In the spirit of summer fun, today we are trying something totally new!

We are geeking out over nonprofit podcasts and have gathered six of our favourite podcasters to share what motivates, inspires and sustains our work creating amazing content for you.

We welcome:

Janice Cunning: Fundraising Leadership

Anthony Wilson: The Groupfinity Show

Andrea Gunraj: Canadian Women’s Foundation: Alright Now what?

Cindy Wagman: The Small NonProfit

Christian Robillard: Beyond the Bake Sale

Kathy Archer: Surviving to Thriving

Thank you so much to all those great podcasters for sharing their time and their insights. Please be sure to check their podcasts and subscribe, like, review each and every one. Let’s keep learning, growing and building community together.

Please join me in welcoming these incredibly generous and talented people to the hub. Thank you for spending time here.

Rickesh Lakhani is one of the most emotionally intelligent and generous thought leaders in the charitable sector he was the very first guest we hosted and he couldn’t be more perfect to celebrate our 51st episode.

Rickesh Lakhani believes that we are all responsible for each other’s success. He is the Founder of Radiance Advisory, supporting social impact organizations and leaders to align their actions with their values and build stronger cultures based on truth and trust.

He has over 15 years of experience in the social impact sector, including serving as the Executive Director at Future Possibilities for Kids, a community-based organization serving children, and as the Director, Campaign at United Way York Region, leading an $8M annual fundraising campaign. Rickesh is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), sits on the Global Council for the Community-Centric Fundraising movement, and has volunteered with numerous causes and boards.

He enjoys spending time with his family including his 3 children, camping, bike riding, cooking, and playing drums.

In this thoughtful and intimate conversation Rickesh and I cover a lot of territory. Rickesh openly shares why and how he chose to gracefully transition away from his executive director role at Future Possibilities for Kids. His realization that he was chronically burnt out and how he recovered.

We talk about the need for our sector to treat their staff and volunteers better and how he is now using his voice to elevate important conversations during these times of great change in our sector and in the world.

What I really appreciate Rickesh tackles tough topics with such thoughtfulness and kindness.  Please join me in welcoming my friend Rickesh back into The Hub.

Please remember to share this podcast so that we can invite others into The Hub. Let’s keep building community and connection through candid conversation. See you next time.

Supporting your child to live their truth, stand in their power and be wildly successful can be a tough for every single parent. Navigating parenting through your child’s gender transition can be even more challenging. There is so much to learn and every step can feel like a potential landmine.

In this episode, Nicole McVan and I (Kimberley MacKenzie) welcome Mary Cahalane into an important, and for some, lifesaving conversation about Mary’s experience parenting her two children through a gender transition.

In addition to being a mother of two adult daughters, Mary Cahalane is the principal of Hands-On Fundraising. After more than 35 years in the nonprofit world, Mary still approaches her work hands-on. She’s a consultant, copywriter, and blogger. Mary helps organizations with effective donor communications and smart planning. Learn more and subscribe at mcahalane.com.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and fun Pride Month. Please remember to subscribe, like and share this podcast. 

Thank you for spending time in “The Hub”. We are glad you are here! Let’s keep widening the circle, fostering connection and building community through candid conversation.

After years of only knowing each other on social media. T. Clay Buck and Paul Nazareth finally have a chance to sit down and have a meaningful conversation. In this episode we started with the intention of talking about donor retention and as you can imagine with Clay and Paul the conversation takes off.

What does systems thinking, leadership, board recruitment and staff retention have to do with your annual fund? Clay and Paul take us WAY upstream and touch on so many aspects connected with systemic fundraising:

Democratizing philanthropy

Engaging the right people

Storytelling

Political Fundraising

Crappy Bosses

Retirement

Professional Development

Being invested in the success of your team

Working in Silos

Yes there is a lot! Mostly Kimberley just basks in the company of hanging out with two of coolest guys in our sector. 

Clay is an experienced fundraiser with proven knowledge in all aspects of development. He has expertise in developing the systems and infrastructure that support donor-centered fundraising, particularly with individual donors and annual giving.

Clay is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), an AFP Master Trainer and was recently named among the top 20 Charity Influencers online.  He teaches in the Fundraising and Nonprofit Management Certificate programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Is incredibly generous and active on social media and welcomes new connections just follow @tclaybuck on twitter Please join us in welcoming Clay to the hub.

Remember, if you liked this episode, stick around and listen to a special bonus episode where we continue talking about cool kids, twitter cliques and how we are all just a bunch of dorks. Remember to share, like, subscribe and review this podcast so that we can keep building The Intersection community. Thank you for spending your time here.

Did your parents ever talk to you about money? What is your personal relationship with money? Have you ever thought of that? Professionals who works with high net worth individuals, need to first must understand their own money mindset before they can truly serve their donors and their missions fully.

Paul and Kimberley are thrilled to welcome Jenny Mitchell into the hub.

Jenny has done a lot of work in this area personally and professionally. Jenny is the President of Chavender and has a vision to help more people do more good.

Jenny, works closely with not-for-profit leaders to change the world – one mission at a time. Chavender assists clients, across Canada and the U.S., to inspire their donors and achieve their fundraising goals through personalized fundraising coaching and training.

Before completing her CFRE, Jenny trained as a classical musician and earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts. She brings her creative approach, her drive for excellence, and her passion for people to the world of not-for-profits.

That conversation really shifted my mindset around how I think about and talk about money and I hope it did for you too.

As always thank you so much for being here and we would love it if you would help widen the circle by sharing, subscribing, and reviewing this podcast. We are so glad you here. See you next time.

Today we have such a treat. For years I have had a fan girl crush on Tycely Williams and I’m so excited that she has joined us in the first episode of our third season in the hub.

Tycely currently serves as the Chief Development Officer of the Bipartisan Policy centre Washington DC. Tycely is a Certified Fundraising Executive and in her more than 20-year career she has inspired individuals and institutions to invest more than $100 million dollars in charitable causes.

Tycely leads the Association of Fundraising Professionals global Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee; chairs the governing boards of Monument Academy Public Charter School, the Nonprofit Alliance Foundation, and Rising Media Stars; and teaches Fundraising and Leadership at The Pennsylvania State University.

A cum laude graduate of Wake Forest University, Tycely holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication with distinguished departmental honors and a minor in Journalism. She also earned an Executive Master’s in Leadership from The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and is Tycely is proud to be a joyful divorce.

She is absolutely one of the most gracious, smart and kind leaders I have ever met in the charitable sector. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her about leading with curiosity, not making assumptions about people, having the right mindset and the importance of showing up rested, healed and with a willingness to be open to other people’s perspectives.

We go deep into the state of our society how our own perspectives and well-being can have an enormous impact on a positive or negative culture in our organizations and the importance of shared values and how doing so can lead to a more joyful life.

You can find Tycely:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tycely/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tycelywilliams/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tycely

Tycely thank you one more time for helping to launch Season Three. And thank you listeners for making this podcast part of your day. Please remember to like share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. There are so many great conversations coming up this season. I can’t wait to share them with you. 

Are you an Anti-Oppressive Communicator?

What does anti- oppressive communication even mean?

How can we move beyond the supremacy of the written word and use oral storytelling to engage communities and shine a light on critically important issues to advance the rights of women and other marginalized people in Canada and around the world?

This week we welcome Andrea Gunraj to The Hub. Andrea is Vice President of Public Engagement at Canadian Women's Foundation. She has 20 years of experience in community-based programming and communications and a passion for innovative public education and non-profit leadership for social change. She has worked with several organizations in the areas of equity, inclusion, systemic anti-racism/anti-oppressive practice, human rights policy and practice, gender-based violence prevention and intervention, housing and homelessness, and more.

The next time I chat with Andrea I am going to be sure to talk to her about how she is also a published author of fiction and non-fiction and holds a Master’s in criminology from the University of Toronto. In the meantime, let’s all be sure to subscribe to the Canadian Women’s Foundation podcast: Alright, Now What.

I loved getting to know Andrea better during this conversation and I think you might enjoy it as well. Here are the links to some of the organizations and resources Andrea mentioned:

• METRAC Action on Violence
• The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
• Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance (Book by Edgar Villanueva)
• Women in Law and Development in Africa - Wildaf Ghana

And finally, If the issues of the decolonization of philanthropy, community centred fundraising, and the need for our sector to make radical changes seem to be recurring topics on this podcast. If social justice and collective action are topics you enjoy you may want to listen to some of these other episodes:

Episode 20: It’s time to get uncomfortable with Liz LeClair Episode 16: Community or Donors: Who’s Right? With Jay Frost and George Zeno

Episode 22: Scaling Connected Communities with Anne Gloger

We would love it if you would help more people find this podcast by liking, subscribing, and sharing this podcast. If you do that even more people will be able to engage in conversation with us on these and other important topics.

Thank you so much for making this podcast a priority in your busy day.

How do you feel about working with corporate funders. Some people love it, some people head for the hills and try to avoid sponsorship.

Suzy Wilcox loves corporate fundraising and the unique partnerships they are engaged in at Evergreen Canada.

Suzy has a mix of non-profit, consulting and corporate experience. She loves how fundraising can help bring big, complex ideas to life.  For over twenty-five years she has worked and volunteered with a range of organizations. A common thread throughout her work is building strong partnerships that make a positive difference in and with communities. 

After graduating from Princeton University, Suzy worked in Marketing and Development at several US arts organizations, including the American Dance Festival and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She earned her MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management before working in research, project management, and client relations at the renowned Toronto sponsorship agency Arts & Communications.

While at Arts & Communications, she analyzed and developed corporate philanthropy and sponsorship programs. She was then recruited by Air Canada to be a Marketing Manager, before moving to Aeroplan in partner relations, primarily with the CIBC Aerogold VISA program. Starting in 2004, Suzy worked for 15 years as a Senior Associate with NetGain Partners. As a NetGain consultant, she had the pleasure of working with a variety of non-profit clients, including MOCA Toronto, Centre of Learning & Development, City of Toronto, and Canada’s National Ballet School, helping them with strategic planning and fundraising. Since 2020 Suzy has led Evergreen’s fundraising team, working to enable cities that are livable, green and prosperous.

When not working, Suzy hangs out with her family, dances, swims, and tends her wild garden. She used to be a mime but decided the rope and the wall could only get her so far.

In this episode Suzy shares how her organization is changing the way they build partnerships with corporations, volunteers, staff and community to advance trust based philanthropy.

Thank you for joining us. I hope you are inspired to rethink how you build relationships with your funders and your volunteers. Please remember to like, share or review this podcast. Let’s keep widening the circle and inviting more people into the conversation.

Okay so we may not be hanging out in Clubhouse that much anymore but there is no denying that some very meaningful relationships were forged there. Today, I am so pleased to be welcoming the lovely and generous Tania Bhattacharyya into conversation.

Tania helps purpose driven women stand out while they stand up for their mission. Tania works with social impact entrepreneurs, mental health change-makers, non-profit founders and disruptors in philanthropy and women making a difference who aren’t sure how to share their message without “simply adding to the noise.” Tania helps these busy change-makers clarify their vision, story, and messages so that they can build impactful deep relationship that will position them as thought leaders that yes raise revenue but more importantly drive positive change.

Tania and I have a rich conversation about the importance of helping everyone be successful, building community and how to find your fire and overcome self-limiting stories.

Tania also is the host of a fabulous podcast called The Campfire Circle so when you are finished with this episode be sure to check it out.

You can reach Tania on Linked In here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-bhattacharyya/

Check out her website and her podcast here: https://lumosmarketing.co/

Thank you for spending your time here. Remember to like, subscribe and share this podcast so that more people can join the conversation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at https://www.intersectionhub.ca/ See you next time!

Have you ever dreaded going into work, suiting up in professional armour? Ever wondered how to change your situation? What would that take?

Today our guest Ashlee Livingstone shares her journey from hospital fundraiser to entrepreneur hypnotherapist and breathwork practitioner.

A combination of energy, creativity and passion, Ashlee is known for her original ideas, executed with a thoughtful logistical approach, helping bring out the best in every undertaking. After working with leaders in the non-profit and corporate sector for many years, Ashlee understands that we are all struggling with similar challenges. Whether inspiring leaders and teams to build a thriving culture of gratitude and value or working with non-profits to create meaningful donor relationships, Ashlee works to build connections - between people, their goals and the broader community.

In this episode we talk about how to get off the hamster wheel of work and the value of taking a pause. We also learn about how Ashlee uses breathwork for herself and to help her clients find clarity, purpose and joy. Let’s get into it.

You can reach Ashlee by email atashlee@ourforte.ca or her website  https://www.ourforte.ca/. 

Thank you so Ashlee for jumping into conversation. And thank you for spending time here today.

Please remember to join the conversation with comments a review or sharing this podcast. Let’s keep building community through candid conversations. See you next time!

This conversation might make you feel a little uncomfortable and it might be the most important podcast you listen to.

I first came to know of Martha Awojobi during an online conference when she got up on a soapbox and blew my mind! One of the first things Martha will tell you is that she does not work in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space. Martha has their feet firmly planted in the anti-racism space.

 Martha Awojobi, is Founder, Director and fearless leader of JMB Consulting. After spending ten years working in the charity and philanthropic sector, she was disappointed to find that the space that she believed could be truly transformational in bringing about the liberation of oppressed groups also perpetuated horrific racism.

Leaders were slow to innovate, resistant to name structural racism and reluctant to meaningfully include Black and Brown people in decision making. Instead, they were preoccupied with being seen as ‘good people doing good work’ at the expense of confronting and dismantling the very real racism that their organisations perpetuate.

Martha works in coalition with organisations who share her goal of liberation from oppression through her work at JMB and through #BAMEOnline series which supports fundraisers and founders of colour to navigate the philanthropic sector and generate sustainable income.

In this episode talk about the importance of really understanding the harm that systemic racism continues to cause and our respective roles in supporting that system. We talk about how most Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work is performative and that we need to back up the train and really take time to understand what racism is and our respective roles in perpetuating systemic racism in the charitable sector.

If you would like to get in touch with Martha you can reach her through her website here: https://www.jmb-consulting.co.uk/

Please join the conversation with a like, share and a review of this podcast. Let us know what you think. Let’s keep building community and fostering connection through candid conversation.

We are thrilled to welcome Ann Rosenfield into the hub.

Over the past thirty years Ann has raised millions of dollars for a variety of organizations. Ann is a teacher, a board member, Executive Director, volunteer and Editor of Hilborn's Charity eNews. Ann is always willing to challenge the status quo, look for solutions when people are stuck and always willing to roll up her sleeves and do the heavy lifting when necessary.

In this episode we talk about challenging our assumptions, diversity and equity in the charitable sector and how we can all move forward when we start our new normal.

Please remember to subscribe, review and comment. We would love for you to join our community.

This conversation was recorded in 2015 and is shared with her family's permission. Listen in as Simone answers the following:

"Do you think we are making any progress?"

"Simone, let's talk a little bit about your reputation of being a cage rattler. Why do you thing the world needs to put itself out there a little more."

"You've spend 40 years doing this. WHY? What do you love so much about this work?" 

Simone Joyaux was a trailblazer, rabble rouser, teacher, writer, movie lover, reader and tirelessly worked to improve and build the charitable sector.

You may know that Simone recently died suddenly from a stroke caused by cerebral amyloid angiopathy. A condition she had been living with for 14 months. Her passing shocked and broke the hearts of thousands of people around the world. She was 72 years old.

The first half of this conversation I am was originally published in Hilborn’s Charity eNews in April 2016.

In the second half of the conversation is being shared for the first time.

The final question is worthy of note. Kimberley asks Simone why she has spent over 40 years of her life doing this work.

This conversation is unedited. 

There are many searchable tributes to Simone online. This blog outlines the impact she had on Kimberley MacKenzie personally and professionally. You can learn more about her incredible contribution to the Charitable Sector in the The NonProfit Times article here:

May she rest in POWER.

One of the reasons Lisa Greer is awesome is because she cuts right through small talk and digs into real talk about real issues, particularly with respect to the charitable sector.

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to know Lisa she is an entrepreneur, investor and Philanthropist. Lisa has served on dozens of high-profile volunteer boards, founded two healthcare related companies, as a Hollywood executive she managed a variety of entities and pioneering ventures. She is a mother of five and lives with her husband Josh and their two youngest children in Los Angeles.

In her book Philanthropy Revolution and in this conversation Lisa shares experiences that are an embarrassment for the charitable sector. Then Lisa takes it one step further and shares practical steps we can all take to do better.

You can learn more about Lisa or buy her book by following these links:

Philanthropy 451 Blog: https://philanthropy451.substack.com/

Buy Lisa’s book here https://www.lisagreer.com/

Lisa thank you so much for making this conversation a priority. And thank you all for being here today.

Please remember to like, subscribe, and share this podcast. Let’s keep building community together.

Did you know that over 90,000 hours or one third of your life is spent working. What would the world look like if we had a different viewpoint around what work is or should be? 

Our guest today Nkoyo Effiong-Lewis will be the first one to tell you that careers are not linear.

Nkoyo-Ene is a national speaker, advocate, strategist, and systems leader on a mission to revolutionize the world of work…one leader at a time. 

An educator at heart and attorney by training, Nkoyo speaks & consults at the intersection of purpose, power, and professionalism in law, education, and social enterprise. Using her proprietary Audacious LeadershipTM framework, Nkoyo helps individuals and organizations navigate disruption with the courage, clarity, and conviction they need to do the “heart” things that ultimately change the world. 

Through a mix of speaking, coaching, and consulting, Nkoyo equips leaders to design boldly for the future of work. She also curates dynamic solutions that accelerate personal and professional growth, overcome complex challenges, and grow through change with curiosity and confidence.   In this episode, Nkoyo and I have a deep and rich conversation about making sure you are purposeful in everything you do, questioning and disrupting power dynamic s and the need to redefine professionalism. Just like people, organizations need to transition and shift in response to the community around them. Particularly in this post pandemic world. 

We are living in a space where people want more agency over their work, their lives and their time. Yet, many organizations are slow to respond. Nkoyo is here with her audacious leadership framework to change that. Let’s get into it.

Join the Audacious Leadership Circle or connect with Nkoyo on social media with the links below.

And as always, we invite you to join the conversation by subscribing to this podcast, joining intersectionhub.ca mailing list and sharing this conversation with people who you think would get value from it. Thank you for spending time with us today.

https://go.leadaudaciously.com/join   

Connect with Nkoyo on social media!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkoyoeneeffiong  Instagram: https://instagram.com/nkoyospeaks Twitter: https://twitter.com/nkoyospeaks 

Have you ever really dug into articulating your values and then asking yourself if your values are aligned with your actions? Your values shift over time and being intentional about exploring what matters to most today and then assessing whether your actions are in alignment with that is the key to building a truly resonant life.

In this episode we are doing something a little different. Cindy Wagman, host of The Small Nonprofit Podcast as well as co-host of Confessions with Jess and Cindy which she produces with Jess Campbell. Cindy agreed to guest host today’s episode and to interview me on the work I continue to do around values and purpose.

Last year, I was invited to write an article for the good folks at Fundraising Leadership podcast. While not intended, the article that emerged was my story of burn out, divorce, unemployment, consultancy, entrepreneurship and shifting values. All of these experiences culminated to a very real assessment of what I values and how to build a life of joyful resonance and abundance.

In this episode Cindy and I chat about what we value, how we define it and how our actions are aligned with our values. Using your values as a compass for decisions you make can have a huge impact on your life.

We hope this episode inspires you to explore whether your actions are aligned with your values and what shifts might you want to make in the coming year. If you would like to chat about this further and could use a guide to help you please reach out. Visit www.intersectionhub.ca and book a chemistry session with me so we can chat about it more.

Well, that’s it for season three of our podcast. It’s hard to believe that have had 54 amazing conversations with so many incredible leaders in our sector. I’ll be taking a break for a few weeks, resting and then hatching plans for season four. If you have ideas for conversations you would like to see, please do send them along.

In the meantime thank you for listening today. It would be amazing if you would consider writing a review, rating this podcast or sharing it with your friends.

Today we are thrilled to welcome philanthropist and nature lover Dr. Isobel Ralston to the hub.

In 2017 after exiting their respective careers Dr. Isobel Ralston and her partner Dr. Jan Oudenes created the MapleCross Fund with the intention to invest in and protect ecologically sensitive land in Canada. Their investments have had truly staggering results helping protect over 24,000 acres of nature in Canada.

Today Isobel and Kimberley talk about the MapleCross Fund’s philanthropic strategy, how to approach and work with major donors, how they decide who to support and what she thinks about administration expenses.

The conversation is warm, authentic and candid, just like Isobel.

If you would like to learn more about the MapleCross Fund and the excellent work they have enabled please visit their website.

Remember please subscribe, review and share this podcast so that we can keep learning, growing and connecting together.