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Published by Charity Charge
The Charity Charge Show features candid conversations with nonprofit executives, founders, and social impact leaders about what it actually takes to run a mission-driven organization: funding, operations, leadership, and the lessons nobody puts in the annual report. The show is hosted by Stephen Garten, founder and CEO of Charity Charge, a Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2015 in Austin, Texas. Charity Charge provides financial tools built exclusively for nonprofits, including a credit card underwritten to the organization's EIN with no personal guarantee and no annual fee. More than 3,000 nonprofits have used Charity Charge to manage their spending. Learn more at www.charitycharge.com
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On this episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Stephen Garten sits down with Dave LeVan, CEO of Water for Good , to talk about how a faith-based water nonprofit doubled its reach without doubling its budget. The conversation covers mergers, decentralization, technology, fundraising, and a mindset shift that most nonprofit leaders never make. Charity Charge builds financial tools for the 501(c)(3) organizations doing exactly this kind of work, which is why these operator-to-operator conversations sit at the center of the show. Quick Summary Water for Good delivers water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in some of the hardest-to-reach communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Cambodia. Its three-year "Healthy Village" model has kept 92% of water points flowing and cut childhood diarrhea by 90% over the past decade, per LeVan. The organization moved roughly 90% of its 280 staff in-country and gave frontline teams live data, which flattened the hierarchy and reduced burnout. Water for Good was formed by merging two healthy nonprofits, a rare move that let each contribute its strengths instead of hiring to fill gaps. LeVan's north star: solve the problem and put the organization out of business, not protect it. Who is Dave LeVan? Dave LeVan is the CEO of Water for Good, a faith-based nonprofit that transforms lives through access to safe water, improved sanitation, and hygiene. The organization works in difficult places, including the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cambodia. LeVan spent most of his career in the for-profit world, including a transformation role at Walmart, before joining the organization first as a donor, then a board member, then chief executive. How big is the global water access problem? Roughly 697 million people worldwide lack basic access to safe water, meaning they cannot collect it and get home within 30 minutes, the World Health Organization's threshold for basic access. LeVan's figure aligns with the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme's 2025 estimates, which show more than two billion people without safely managed drinking water and hundreds of millions still relying on unsafe or unimproved sources. Beyond the raw count, LeVan describes a second, hidden cost: women and children spend an estimated 100 million hours a day walking for water. The problem is twofold, he explains: the time it consumes and the fact that the source at the end of the walk is usually unsafe.
On this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris sits down with Erika Swilley, Executive Director of the NBPA Foundation , the philanthropic arm of the National Basketball Players Association. Swilley explains how the foundation turns NBA player fines into matching grants. Her core message applies to any nonprofit leader: intent is not enough, and lasting impact comes from focus, not volume. About the guest. Erika Swilley has spent more than two decades in sports philanthropy, including senior community and social responsibility roles with the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and Chicago Sky. She now leads the NBPA Foundation, where she created the Fined and Philanthropic campaign and advises active and retired players on building genuine, durable community impact. Quick Summary The NBPA Foundation funds much of its work through pooled player fines, then matches player donations up to $25,000 a year for active players and $15,000 for many retired players. The Fined and Philanthropic campaign educates players, agents, and families on where fine money goes and how to tap the match. Swilley pushes players away from one-off events like turkey drives and toward year-round, focused giving that builds a legacy. Most young players are steered away from starting their own foundation and toward donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsors, or established nonprofits. Nonprofits can connect with the foundation through its website or LinkedIn to be considered for player partnerships. Inside the NBPA Foundation: how player fines fund community work The NBPA Foundation is a nonprofit that channels NBA player fine money into community programming led by the players themselves. When players receive technical fouls or ejections, those fines are pooled and, at the end of the season, split between NBA Cares and the foundation. The foundation then reinvests those dollars through a matching grant program that has existed since 2015. Engagement has climbed sharply under Swilley, who describes the model as non-traditional because so much of the funding starts as penalties. In the 2025 offseason, the NBPA reported distributing roughly $1.6 million in matching grants from fine money. Player statusAnnual matching grant cap Active players | Up to $25,000 per year Eligible retired players | Up to $15,000 per year Fined and Philanthropic: turning penalties into purpose Fined and Philanthropic is the campaign Swilley created to show players exactly where their fine money goes and how to put it to work. Many players assumed their fines vanished into a black hole with no idea the money funded community programs they could tap. The campaign uses simple, memorable touches, including hats that tell players where their fine dollars land. The goal is awareness across the full circle around a player, meaning agents, family members, and team staff. Swilley spent 19 years on the team side without knowing these resources existed, so she built the campaign to close that exact gap.
In this episode, nonprofit leader Stacey Davis Stewart discusses the impactful work of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MAD), its history, legislative successes, and future initiatives to prevent impaired driving and save lives.
Food insecurity is rising even as household budgets stretch thinner, and food banks have become core infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of families. On this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York , breaks down how his organization feeds roughly 350,000 people each month across 23 counties, and what nonprofit executives can learn from how he runs it. The conversation covers local food sourcing, leadership lessons from the for-profit world, and how to build funding resilience when federal support is unpredictable. Quick Summary The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York distributes about 50 million pounds of food annually through nearly 1,000 partner agencies across 23 counties. Its Agricultural Hub initiative connects local farms directly to food pantries, with a goal of growing farm and produce distribution to 30 million pounds per year. Nardacci applies for-profit team-building and accountability practices to nonprofit operations, treating the food bank like a logistics company. Funding volatility, especially around SNAP, makes diversified revenue and strong funder relationships essential for any nonprofit. About the Guest: Tom Nardacci Tom Nardacci has served as CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York since August 2023. Before moving into nonprofit leadership, he founded and ran Gramercy Communications, a public relations firm he led for more than 15 years, and launched the Troy Innovation Garage , a business incubator in the Capital Region. His connection to food access runs deep. His grandparents operated Nardacci's Broadway Food Mart in Rensselaer, New York for 50 years, and he grew up watching them quietly feed neighbors who could not always pay. Today he leads one of the oldest food banks in the country, an organization that operates like a major grocery wholesaler with a fleet of trucks, warehouse operations, and thousands of volunteers.
In the social impact sector, scaling an organization nationally while maintaining deep community trust is one of the hardest balancing acts to pull off. It requires an unshakeable operational foundation, a clear mission, and creative revenue models that move beyond traditional grant dependency. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Grayson Harris sits down with Jen Rifkin , Executive Director of the Volo Kids Foundation , an organization dedicated to removing economic, gender, and racial barriers to youth sports. Jen shares her inspiring journey from volunteer coach to national executive leader, breaking down the operational "special sauce" behind their 12-state expansion. She also reveals how their unique, symbiotic partnership with a for-profit adult sports league offers a brilliant blueprint for sustainable nonprofit funding. Show Notes: Key Takeaways Build a Replicable Operational Formula: Rapidly scaling a national footprint requires a standardized core program structure—what Jen calls a "cookie-cutter" framework—that can be easily deployed anywhere while leaving room for local market adaptation. Leverage Hybrid Corporate Partnerships: Volo Kids sustains its growth through a powerful relationship with Volo Sports, a for-profit adult leagues provider. Guided by the slogan "We play so the kids play free," a portion of adult registration revenue offsets the foundation's core operational costs, allowing donor and grant funds to go directly to youth programming. Move at the Speed of Community Trust: Entering a new city shouldn't involve a prescriptive "we know what's best" mentality. Lasting impact is built by attending local neighborhood meetings, listening to schools, and collaborating with local municipalities to fill genuine gaps. Prioritize Relational Fundraising over Transactional Grants: In a hyper-competitive funding climate where grant dollars are stretched thin, organic word-of-mouth advocacy from volunteers, coaches, and corporate partners remains the most effective tool for unlocking new donor relationships.
In the social impact sector, being "scrappy" is often badge of honor. Nonprofits routinely stretch every dollar to ensure maximum funding goes directly to their programs. However, when it comes to technology, this efficiency-first mindset can accidentally lead to underinvestment, disjointed tools, and missed opportunities. On a recent episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Grayson Harris sat down with Adam Eads , Director at TechSoup , and Kelly Ricker , Chief Operating Officer at the Global Technology Association for IT Channel Leaders (GTIA) . They discussed a powerful new grant collaboration designed to change the narrative around nonprofit technology. By funding the enrollment of 100 new organizations into the TechSoup Plus platform, GTIA and TechSoup are helping social entrepreneurs bridge the gap between simply having access to software and truly adopting it—with a specific focus on navigating the rapidly changing landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Key Takeaways Acquisition vs. Adoption: Securing a software discount is only step one. True digital transformation requires ongoing education to help staff effectively integrate and use those tools to advance their mission. The 1% Philanthropy Gap: Less than 1% of global philanthropic funding is currently directed toward technology. Foundations must begin viewing operational tech investments as essential infrastructure rather than compliance-heavy "overhead." AI is a Mindset Shift, Not an IT Problem: Successfully implementing AI isn't about transforming nonprofit leaders into computer scientists. It is a change-management exercise focused on small, daily operational wins that free up time for community work. Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Learning: Because every nonprofit operates at a different stage of digital maturity, technology training cannot be one-size-fits-all. It must be modular, bite-sized, and meted out exactly where the organization stands.
In a world where 70% of jobs are found through someone you know, "social capital" is more than just a buzzword—it’s a gateway to the future. But for many first-generation students in under-resourced communities, those networks are often out of reach. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Grayson Harris sits down with Heather Wathington , CEO of iMentor , to discuss their ambitious new campaign: Open Doors, Ignite Possibility . Heather shares how iMentor is working to mobilize a movement of mentors, corporate partners, and communities to open 1 million doors for students by 2035. From the profound impact of social capital to the simple power of a listening ear, this conversation is a masterclass in how relationship-driven support can improve the human condition. Show Notes: Key Takeaways Social Capital is the Great Equalizer: Success isn't just about what you know, but who you know . iMentor focuses on building "social capital" for students, helping them access the networks and professional knowledge required to navigate convoluted career pathways. The "Everyday Mentor" is the Best Mentor: One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to be a corporate mogul or a community leader to mentor. Heather emphasizes that students simply need an advocate—someone willing to listen, offer patience, and believe in their limitless potential. Long-Term Relationships Yield the Highest ROI: iMentor prioritizes sustained, years-long relationships over transactional interactions. Trust and confidence are built over time, providing a stable foundation for students as they transition from high school to post-secondary life. Mentorship as a Lifelong Practice: The goal isn't just a one-time connection . iMentor aims to instill a culture of mentorship where students learn to seek out mentors at every stage of their career and eventually "pay it forward" to the next generation.
American Humane Society protects over 1.7 billion animals annually across 91 countries. Dr. Robin Ganzert has led the organization since 2010, when she stepped in during a financial crisis and a period of mission drift. What she built since then is a case study in what nonprofit discipline actually looks like. On the Charity Charge Show , Dr. Ganzert walked through the financial reckoning she inherited, why she tells every local organization to stop duplicating services, and how a documentary narrated by Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep became one of their most effective outreach tools.
In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Stephen Garten sits down with Kristina "Steen" Joye Lyles , Executive Vice President of Impact for DonorsChoose . Since its founding in 2000, DonorsChoose has revolutionized philanthropy by creating a transparent, direct-to-classroom funding model. Steen shares her journey from lawyer to educational advocate, the organization's evolution over 26 years, and how they are leveraging two decades of data to prove that resource equity is the key to unlocking student potential. Show Notes and Key Takeaways The Origin Story: Founded by a Bronx history teacher named Charles Best who saw the need for a transparent way for the public to support specific classroom needs. A Unique Model: Unlike traditional nonprofits, DonorsChoose does not just send cash. They fulfill specific wish lists ranging from crayons to drones and ship resources directly to schools. The Power of Data: With over 1 million teachers on the platform, DonorsChoose uses real time classroom data to track trends like mental health needs and the digital divide. The I See Me Initiative: A groundbreaking effort launched in 2018 to support teachers of color and ensure students see themselves reflected in their educators and learning materials. Resource Equity: A spiky but core belief that depriving a classroom of resources is the most effective way to ensure a child does not reach their full potential.
Most nonprofits rely heavily on donations to survive. The Boat Company took a different path. For more than 40 years, this Alaska-based organization has operated as the only nonprofit cruise line in the world, using earned revenue from mission-driven travel to fund conservation efforts across Southeast Alaska. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Executive Director Hunter McIntosh breaks down how the model works, what “mission-based travel” actually means, and the lessons learned from running a nonprofit for decades without relying on traditional fundraising. Show Notes The origin story behind the world’s only nonprofit cruise line How mission-based travel evolved from traditional ecotourism The Boat Company’s earned revenue model vs. donation reliance Partnerships with environmental organizations and local nonprofits What guests experience on small-ship conservation-focused trips Real-world impact, including $30M+ reinvested into conservation Leadership lessons from 30+ years in the nonprofit sector Advice for new nonprofit founders on funding, operations, and growth
Child abuse is one of the most difficult and complex issues facing society, yet it remains largely hidden behind closed doors. For more than six decades, Childhelp has been at the forefront of addressing this crisis, building some of the most widely used programs, policies, and prevention models in the United States. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Stephen Garten sits down with Michael Medoro , COO of Childhelp , to explore how the organization has evolved into a national leader in child protection. From pioneering legislation to operating the only 24/7 national child abuse hotline staffed by professional counselors, Childhelp has directly impacted more than 15 million children and continues to expand its reach. This conversation goes beyond awareness. It digs into prevention, collaboration across nonprofits, and what it actually takes to break cycles of abuse at scale.
Most nonprofit leaders don’t start with a business playbook. They start with a mission. A personal story. A deep conviction to solve a problem that matters. Then reality hits. Fundraising, financial management, board dynamics, hiring, systems. Suddenly, they’re not just a mission-driven leader, they’re running a full-scale organization. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Stephen Garten sits down with Lauren Reilly, Executive Director of Gratitude Network , to unpack how nonprofits can build the operational strength needed to scale their impact. Gratitude Network is a nonprofit accelerator focused on organizations serving children and youth. Through executive coaching, strategic tools, and a global peer network, they help nonprofit leaders turn passion into sustainable growth. The results are hard to ignore. Organizations in their program are scaling impact 5x and revenue 3x, with 95% still operating long-term. Here’s the full breakdown.
Deborah Wondercheck didn't start the Arts and Learning Conservatory(ALC) because she thought it was a good idea. She started it because she'd lived the alternative, and she knew exactly what kids lose when the arts get cut. Today, ALC serves roughly 3,700 students annually across nearly 50 schools in Southern California. Since 2004, more than 35,000 kids have encountered the arts through the organization for the first time. It started with 21 kids, a string ensemble, and a few cast members doubling as nuns. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , Deborah walks through the personal story that led to Arts and Learning Conservatory , how the organization has grown from a garage operation to a facility with a 200-seat theater, and what advice she has for nonprofit leaders still figuring out the early stages.
Stepping into a CFO role inside a nonprofit isn’t just about managing numbers. It’s about translating complexity, building trust, and helping organizations make smarter decisions in real time. On this episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Grayson Harris sits down with Jessica McLean , CFO of the American Staffing Association (ASA). Jessica shares what it’s really like stepping into a senior finance role, how AI is reshaping workforce organizations, and why diversified revenue is no longer optional for nonprofits.
Running a nonprofit that serves 1.5 million people across 1,400 sites is hard enough in a stable environment. Doing it while federal program funding is under threat, the economy is unpredictable, and your brand is underrecognized outside the disability community is a different challenge entirely. Kendra Davenport has been Easterseals ' President and CEO since 2022. In that time she led a financial turnaround at the national office: no line of credit, no debt, departments that consistently come in under budget, and a long-term orientation most nonprofit leaders talk about but few execute on. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten sits down with Kendra to get into the specifics: how she thinks about financial discipline, vendor audits, reserves strategy, board engagement, and building an organization designed to outlast any single leader.
Nonprofits often face a fundamental tension: respond to immediate needs or build for long-term impact. For many organizations, limited funding, small teams, and constant pressure to deliver results push them into short-term thinking. But what does it look like to operate differently, to design programs that last, build financial resilience, and prioritize sustainability from day one? In this episode of The Charity Charge Show , Stephen Garten sits down with Bree Carriglio, Executive Director of FAR USA (Fund for Armenian Relief) , to explore exactly that. FAR has spent decades evolving from emergency relief to a comprehensive, long-term development model across Armenia, supporting communities through healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. In this interview, Bree shares how FAR approaches funding, accountability, donor engagement, and program design in a way that prioritizes lasting impact over quick wins.
Laura Hope Whitaker took over Extra Special People (ESP) as a college sophomore. The organization had a $125,000 budget, a $50,000 deficit, and a founder who had just passed away from pancreatic cancer. Twenty-one years later, ESP runs a $8 million budget across five communities in Georgia and North Carolina, employs 50 full-time and 200 part-time staff, and operates a social enterprise that employs 85 adults with developmental disabilities. In this episode of the Charity Charge Show , host Stephen Garten sits down with Laura to talk through what it actually takes to scale a nonprofit, why "nonprofit is just a tax code," and the leadership principles she documents in her new book, The Joy Exchange . Quick Summary ESP serves people with disabilities through afterschool programs, family support, and a social enterprise called JavaJoy. Laura took over as a sophomore in college after the founder died, inheriting a deficit and four board members (one of whom was in jail). Her core growth framework: treat the nonprofit like a business, know the numbers, and be unapologetic about fundraising. Board management is a strategic function, not an obligation. Boards should evolve as the organization evolves. Mentorship and continuous learning have been the constant throughout 21 years of leadership.
Nonprofit leaders often start with a powerful mission and a deep commitment to solving a problem in their community. But many organizations eventually hit a ceiling. After the initial support from friends, family, and early champions runs out, fundraising can stall. Growth becomes harder. Boards struggle to evolve. And leaders find themselves trying to do more with limited resources. On this episode of The Charity Charge Show, host Stephen Garten sits down with Rick Peck , an experienced philanthropy advisor and host of the Money to Give Podcast . Peck has spent more than two decades working in philanthropy, helping organizations improve fundraising strategy, engage donors, and build sustainable nonprofit operations. Before entering the nonprofit sector, Peck worked as a financial advisor helping individuals plan for retirement, education expenses, insurance needs, and long-term wealth management. In the early 2000s, a career opportunity at Dartmouth College introduced him to philanthropic advising. The role focused on planned giving and donor relationships with alumni. Over time, his work expanded into: Major gifts fundraising Principal gifts of $1M+ Planned giving strategies Development leadership for academic and healthcare institutions Peck later became Vice President for Development and Philanthropy Services at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, where he worked across a wide range of issue areas including climate change, homelessness, behavioral health, and food security. Today, he operates as an independent philanthropy consultant helping nonprofits: Improve fundraising strategy Launch capital campaigns Engage donors more effectively Structure philanthropic gifts He also advises donors and professional advisors on how to give strategically.
Philanthropy often talks about impact. But impact can look very different depending on who holds the power. On a recent episode of The Charity Charge Show , host Grayson Harris sat down with Amanda Navarro , Executive Director of Convergence Partnership , to discuss how the organization is reshaping how philanthropy works by shifting decision-making power to communities and frontline organizations. Their approach challenges many traditional grantmaking norms, from eliminating competitive grant applications to replacing written reports with storytelling through podcasts. Here is a closer look at how Convergence Partnership is working to advance health equity across the United States.
Youth homelessness is often invisible. It happens quietly, in cars, on couches, in shelters, or on the street, and many young people experiencing it are navigating the challenge alone. On this episode of the Charity Charge Show, host Grayson Harris speaks with Elisabeth Jackson, CEO of Bridge Over Troubled Waters , an organization that has spent decades supporting homeless and runaway youth in Boston. The conversation explores the scale of youth homelessness, the services Bridge provides, and how nonprofits can create long-term pathways for young people to move from crisis to stability.
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Observed September 13, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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