Fund the People: A Podcast with Rusty Stahl

What if one of the most powerful ways nonprofits can strengthen their workforce is to make people spend less time at work?Today's co-host Dr. Betsy Leondar-Wright (Fund the People) introduces the Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces case studes, which documents how nonprofits are improving job quality and working conditions to increase their impact. This episode focuses on our case study on work time.Adam Jespersen (Montana Nonprofit Association) describes how his organization moved from pandemic exhaustion to a four-day workweek with no reduction in pay—and why the change has stuck.Then Dr. Juliet Schor (Boston College and Four Day Week Global) puts the case study into context. Drawing on research involving hundreds of organizations, she discusses what happens to workers, jobs, and organizational performance when work time is reduced.The episode closes by considering what shorter workweeks could mean for nonprofits in an era of AI-driven productivity gains.Download the transcript in .pdf format.Guests:Adam Jespersen, MBA, became the executive director of the Montana Nonprofit Network after more than a decade of progressive experience in nonprofit leadership.Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, is the Research Director at Fund the People, coordinating the Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces study. A long-time economic justice advocate, she is the author of Missing Class and a co-author of Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? and The Color of WealthJuliet Schor, PhD, an economist and professor of sociology at Boston College, is a principal researcher on 4 Day Week Global’s international study of companies implementing four day workweeks. She is author of The Overworked American and The Overspent American, as well as the new book Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter.Links to Resources:Flourishing with Fewer Hours - Fund the People Case Study featuring Montana Nonprofit Association https://fundthepeople.org/case-study-hours-of-work/Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces - Research series from Fund the People https://fundthepeople.org/upgrading-nonprofit-workplaces/Montana Nonprofit Association - Organizational website https://mtnonprofit.org/Four Days a Week - Book by Dr. Juliet Schor https://www.harpercollins.com/products/four-days-a-week-juliet-schor?variant=43110374866978The Overworked American book by Dr. Juliet Schor https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/juliet-b-schor/the-overworked-american/9780465054343/?lens=basic-booksThe Overspent American - Book by Dr. Juliet Schor: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-overspent-american-juliet-b-schor?variant=321540614062424 Day Global - International support organization for four-day workweek: https://www.4dayweek.com/Work Four - The National Campaign for the 4-Day Workweek https://workfour.org/Doing More With Less: Positive Results of a Four-Day Work Week in the Community Impact Sector - Report by Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, April 2024 https://ions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IONS-Possibility-Brief_Spring-2024.pdfAll Due Respect appearances on the Fund the People Podcast:From 7% to 107%: Investing in Organizers Supercharges Impact - with Geraldine Alcid (Filipino Advocates for Justice) and Rebecca Gorena (All Due Respect), S9:E16, published 05/06/26, 44 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-7-to-107-investing-in-organizers-supercharges/id1531813289?i=1000766550744Thriving Wages for Community Organizers - with Gaby Hernandez (Oralé), and Kara Park (All Due Respect), S7:E26, published 06/04/25, 53 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thriving-wages-for-community-organizers/id1531813289?i=1000711155176Fair Labor Standards for Community Organizers with Kinzie Mabon (All Due Respect) and Kevin Simowitz (All Due Respect), S3:E8, published 11/09/22, 47 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fair-labor-standards-for-community-organizers-with/id1531813289?i=1000585612468

⁠Download PDF of episode transcript⁠What does it look like when a major foundation decides that a crisis calls for more than business as usual? Bold but smart!This episode offers amazing insights and inspiration from Brenda Solórzano, President and CEO of The California Endowment. Brenda shares about how philanthropy can respond when nonprofits face rising demand, shrinking resources, and mounting pressure. She discusses how The California Endowment decided to substantially increase its spending, eliminate grantee reporting requirements, accelerate resource flows, and experiment! She explains why the Endowment signed the Level Up pledge and how it's spending the additional funds.For funders and nonprofit leaders alike, this conversation offers practical ideas for moving from risk-aversion toward responsive partnership. Solórzano discusses what it takes to build trust between foundations and nonprofits; why multi-year funding alone isn't enough; how funders can create relationships where grantees feel safe talking honestly about burnout; and why philanthropy may need to rethink payout. perpetuity, and the business model of foundations. She also makes the case that, rather than simply trying to preserve existing systems, funders can help communities build what comes next.For a Guest Bio, please click here: https://candid.org/authors/brenda-solorzano/ Key Links to Resources:Featured Guest & Institution Links:The California Endowment: https://www.calendow.orgThe California Endowment: Increased Spending: https://www.calendow.org/tce-board-approves-increased-spending/ Level Up & CHANGE Philanthropy Links:Level Up Campaign: https://levelupphilanthropy.org/CHANGE Philanthropy: https://changephilanthropy.orgCHANGE Philanthropy / Our Work: https://changephilanthropy.org/elementor-397/Trust-Based Philanthropy Links:The California Endowment’s Go! Gifts: https://www.calendow.org/gogifts/Headwaters Foundation of Montana’s Go Grants: https://www.headwatersmt.org/what-we-fund/go-grants/Trust-Based Philanthropy Project: https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org CHANGE Philanthropy Member Organizations Links:Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): ⁠https://aapip.org⁠ABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: ⁠https://www.abfe.org⁠Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: ⁠https://www.epip.org⁠Funders for LGBTQ Issues: ⁠https://lgbtfunders.org⁠Hispanics in Philanthropy: ⁠https://hipfunds.org⁠Native Americans in Philanthropy: ⁠https://nativephilanthropy.org⁠National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: ⁠https://ncrp.org⁠Neighborhood Funders Group: ⁠https://nfg.org⁠Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: ⁠https://racialequity.org⁠ Women’s Funding Network: ⁠https://www.womensfundingnetwork.org⁠Fund the People Links:Fund the People website: https://fundthepeople.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Fund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people Join the FTP Podcast Premium community over on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus content, and more: http://patreon.com/fundthepeopleRelevant FTP Podcast Episodes Links:Level Up: Helping Funders Give More, Faster with Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, CHANGE Philanthropy (S10:E01 published 09/09/26) https://www.podpage.com/fund-the-people-a-podcast-with-rusty-stahl/level-up-helping-funders-give-more-faster-with-jodeen-olguin-tayler-change-philanthropy/ Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Funders with Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (S07:E17 published 04/02/25): https://fundthepeople.org/meet-the-moment/ MacArthur President Chooses Courage, Not Quiet with John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation (S07:E27 published 06/11/25): https://fundthepeople.org/palfreyDo Funders Understand the Nonprofit Burnout Crisis? with Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Center for Effective Philanthropy (S07:E01 published): https://fundthepeople.org/funders-understand

Synopsis:In this episode, you’ll learn about a current organizing effort to get institutional funders to ‘level up’ their giving in response to attacks on nonprofits and communities. Host Rusty Stahl speaks with Jodeen Olguín-Tayler (CHANGE Philanthropy) about the Level Up campaign and its three-part pledge, in which funders agree to (1) increase giving for at least two years; (2) move money quickly and equitably to support 'frontline' communities; and (3) share how the commitments are put into practice.The conversation also explores why increased payout rates matter right now; the role of donor advised funds; protecting racial justice grantmaking; and how funders can learn from one another to overcome internal barriers and turn commitments into action. This Season 10 premiere is an installment of our Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Series. In a companion episode (S10:E2) next week, Brenda Solarzano shares why The California Endowment signed the Level Up pledge, and how its moving money in response to the current crisis.Download transcript .pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZpRvZ_zQQQkPSyX9t4FL0Uka0OcQgcAP/view?usp=sharingGuest Bio:Jodeen Olguín-Tayler (she/ella) is Director of Programs and Campaigns at CHANGE Philanthropy, where she supports the Level Up Campaign. Jodeen has served in executive roles in philanthropy, business, and nonprofits for over 20 years with a focus on democracy and an economy rooted in racial and gender equity. Her board service has included Movement Voter Fund, Poder Latinx, Chicana Empowerment Fund, Inclusive Democracy and Climate Equity Fund, and Movement Strategy Center. Her staff leadership has included the National Domestic and MoveOn. Full bio: https://changephilanthropy.org/about/team.Essential Links:Level Up Campaign: http://levelupphilanthropy.orgLevel Up Campaign email: [email protected] Philanthropy: https://changephilanthropy.org/Fund the People: http://fundthepeople.orgFund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people  Fund the People Podcast Premium on Patreon: http://patreon.com/fundthepeople Key Resources from the Episode:Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative: https://www.abfe.org/racial-equity-advancement-and-defense-initiative-readiFree Your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) website: http://freeyourdaf.orgCHANGE Philanthropy Member Organizations:Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): https://aapip.orgABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: https://www.abfe.orgEmerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: https://www.epip.orgFunders for LGBTQ Issues: https://lgbtfunders.orgHispanics in Philanthropy: https://hipfunds.orgNative Americans in Philanthropy: https://nativephilanthropy.orgNational Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: https://ncrp.orgNeighborhood Funders Group: https://nfg.orgPhilanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: https://racialequity.org Women’s Funding Network: https://www.womensfundingnetwork.orgRelevant FTP Podcast Episodes:How Nonprofits Fight Back Against Today’s Biggest Federal Threats w/ Sarah Saadian, National Council of Nonprofits (S9 Summer Bonus, 07.08.26) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-nonprofits-fight-back-against-todays-biggest-federal/id1531813289?i=1000775935067‘Silence Isolates, Solidarity Shields’ w/ Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation (S8:E07, 11.05.25) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silence-isolates-solidarity-shields-with-tonya-allen/id1531813289?i=100073541767Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Funders w/ Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (S7:E17, 04.02.25) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-the-moment-a-call-to-action-for-funders/id1531813289?i=1000701886889Want additional relevant episodes? Add our Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Playlist to your Spotify library: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45UnbWYeqzDY9U2DVWDcHm?si=_KJDjjPpSIKNUdiUIhuDnA

Hi everybody – this is Rusty Stahl, CEO of Fund the People and host of your Fund the People Podcast. Season 10 starts next Wednesday, September 9th. New episodes will be available every Wednesday throughout the fall. So I wanted to say a quick hello to get you ready!As you probably know, Fund the People is the only national organization dedicated entirely to increasing investment in America's nonprofit workforce.  Our podcast equips YOU to invest in the nonprofit workforce! Whatever your role in the sector, we provide you with the ideas, research, tools, and leading voices you need to hear in order to invest in the nonprofit people around you!Why does this matter? Because there's a chronic deficit of investment in the nonprofit workforce, which has undermined the effectiveness and impact of the sector for decades. But when nonprofits have the funding and incentive to invest in their people, they can dramatically increases the performance, results, and sustainability!During the current era of political attacks, federal funding cuts; heightened levels of burnout, churn-out, and crisis across the nonprofit sector, investing in nonprofit people is an even more essential strategy to save nonprofit jobs, services, and organizations. Which means it’s time for all of us to learn the art of talent-investing.Thankfully we’re making that easier than ever.As we enter our seventh year of podcasting, the show just keeps getting better and better. More incredible guests. More real talk. More hard-hitting coverage of our sector's workforce issues. In fact, our guests are so great that the show is now ranked # EIGHT on the top list of 100 Best Nonprofit Podcasts in the U.S (FeedSpot).This fall, Season 10 brings you even more wisdom and practical resources from across the sector. So come "find your people" on Fund the People: bee sure to subscribe, listen or watch, and share the show!

As nonprofits navigate the aggressively hostile political and policy environment of the current federal administration, communications strategist Vanessa Wakeman argues that organizations need more than legal and financial preparedness. In this special summer bonus episode, you’ll learn about “narrative resilience,” - a term and concept developed by Wakeman. Learn how nonprofits – and their funders – can strengthen public trust; counter harmful storylines; and build lasting communications infrastructure that helps defend both the nonprofit sector and democracy itself.View and download a .pdf transcript of this episode – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_GMmCxBhbrIWcOQ5y5e1YzIk-ARBIe8W/view?usp=sharing Guest Bio:An accomplished leader with deep knowledge about the politics of social change and mastery at advancing the efforts of values-driven organizations, Vanessa is a trusted advisor to organizations around the globe. She has been successfully leading initiatives to support communications for nonprofits, socially responsible companies and other stakeholder groups since she founded The Wakeman Agency in 2003.Vanessa helps clients to build and restore trust with internal and external audiences, to develop ongoing communications that strengthen organizational positioning and amongst key audiences. Vanessa has increasingly been called upon by a host of organizations to help them reimagine their values, culture and operations through the lens of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Her approach to communications uses behavioral science practices to shift perceptions and behaviors.LinksResources:The Wakeman Agency – Strategic communications firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations. https://www.thewakemanagency.com/Narrative Resilience Program – Consulting and assessment program for nonprofits, available for individual organizations or cohorts, including foundation-sponsored cohorts. https://www.thewakemanagency.com/expertise/narrative-resilience-program/The Wakeman Agency Insights – Articles and thought leadership explaining Narrative Resilience and communications strategy. https://www.thewakemanagency.com/insights/Social Change Diaries podcast - https://www.thewakemanagency.com/the-social-change-diaries/Social Change Diaries episode with Rusty Stahl – “Rusty Stahl’s Radical Vision for a Transformed Nonprofit World” from November 2018  – https://www.thewakemanagency.com/insights/rusty-stahls-radical-vision-for-a-transformed-nonprofit-workforce-development/Contact Guest:Vanessa Wakeman on linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessawakeman Wakeman Agency on linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wakeman-agencyRelevant Episodes:S9 Bonus – Sarah Saadian (National Council of Nonprofits) – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-nonprofits-fight-back-against-todays-biggest-federal/id1531813289?i=1000775935067S9:E13 – The Value of the Nonprofit Workforce (Part 2) – ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/economy-the-unique-value-of-the-u-s-nonprofit-workforce-2-of-3/id1531813289?i=1000761500707⁠S9:E18 – Vu Le (Nonprofit AF) – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anger-hope-funding-and-the-future-of-nonprofits/id1531813289?i=1000768714659