In this episode, Tom sits down with his longtime friend and fellow Bowling Green alum, Phil Washburn, President and CEO of the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio. Phil shares honestly about what it looks like to lead an entire organization while still staying personally engaged with donors and major gifts work.Whether you are a frontline fundraiser or in senior leadership, this conversation will help you think more clearly about boundaries, priorities, and what a healthy partnership between a CEO and development team can look like in any nonprofit setting.In this episode, we cover:
How Phil thinks about “free time” as a CEO and what healthy work–life boundaries actually look like
Why modeling good work–life balance for your team matters as much as talking about it
Phil’s nonprofit origin story and how he grew from “perfect number two” into an effective CEO
The key differences between a strong major gift officer and a strong CEO, and where the roles overlap
How a CEO’s broader view of the organization can sharpen donor strategy and cultivation
What a healthy, day to day partnership between a CEO and Director of Development looks like
How Phil practically protects 20–25% of his week for fundraising, including personal calls to mid and major donors
The growing pressure on social service organizations as more nonprofits compete for limited funding
How changes in public funding are impacting local human service agencies and why collaboration is becoming essential

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