How to Build a Nonprofit – Details, episodes & analysis

When we talk about racial justice organizing, I think we often imagine this work happening in major urban centers with storied movement histories, like Chicago, Oakland, and Jackson, Mississippi. But as cities have changed over the last two decades due to gentrification and shifting job markets, suburbs are now the most diverse areas in the U.S. 

So, what does racial justice organizing look like in these communities? In this episode, host Jordan Thierry interviews Siobhana McEwen from the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition, who speaks to that very point. She talks about how her organization grew during the 2020 uprising, addressing a sharp need for advocacy and policy change to address the needs of people of color and immigrants in this stretch of the Portland metro region. 

We deep-dive into grassroots activism, the challenges of nonprofit leadership, and the power of community trust and collaboration.

If you’re inspired by Siobhana and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://southwest-washington-equity-coalition.monkeypod.io/give/support-southwest-washington-equity-coalition 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

For more episode content, grant and fellowship opportunities, and our book club chat room, visit https://howtobuildanonprofit.org

Travel can be more than indulging in plain wanderlust. It can open your eyes to a foreign reality, to see yourself in a different light, and to recognize place-based social constructs that may have been unknowingly influencing your thoughts and beliefs. 

For Bianca Nelson, it’s these travel effects that she wants to improve the lives of Baltimore youth. And it’s why she founded her organization, Learning to Live Movement, in 2015, which provides youth of color with leadership development, cultural education, and opportunities to travel to destinations such as Brazil, Jamaica, Belize, and more. 

If you’re inspired by Bianca and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://www.learningtolivemovement.com/donate

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Substack. Sign up for our free newsletter at https://howtobuildanonprofit.substack.com/. 

Stacey Borden has a lot to say. After years stuck in a cycle of addiction and incarceration as a result of unaddressed childhood trauma, she’s making up for lost time. Since she began on this pathway in 2008, she’s helped people from her community overturn wrongful convictions through participatory defense, created a safe place for them to live and transition back into the community after their incarceration, and setup programs in partnership with institutions across Boston to help survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and incarceration move towards healing and transformation. 

In this episode, she talks about the impact of the heroin epidemic in her community, the influence of her parents on her social justice career, the difference between accountability and punishment, and the fundraising efforts that converted her dream into reality almost overnight. 

If you’re inspired by Stacey, the work of New Beginnings Reentry Services, and found this episode helpful, consider sending a small donation their way as a token of your appreciation: https://www.newbeginningsreentryservices.org/donate.    

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com.

Pastor Keith Davis is a man of many passions and talents who just can’t let himself stop working. In this interview, he shares with Jordan some of the early influences that sparked his fascination with technology, his profound faith, and his dedication to social justice. He also reveals the strategies that helped the Camden Dream Center grow from zero staff and no budget to a seven-figure organization with 25 paid staff in just 12 years. His leadership illustrates the power of bringing entrepreneurial experience into the role of founder, and how your second act could very well be your best act. 

If you’re inspired by Pastor Davis, the Camden Dream Center, and found this episode helpful, consider sending a small donation their way as a token of your appreciation: https://www.camdendreamcenter.org/donate. 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com. 

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Rachel Johnson-Farias has dedicated her legal career to making the law more accessible to  low-income people and communities of color. Rachel graduated with honors from Occidental College and obtained a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from U.C. Berkeley, School of Law. 

But after finishing her law degree, she encountered major roadblocks at the final steps towards realizing her dream. And it was through these hardships that the idea for her organization was born. Esq. Apprentice is a non-profit that helps nontraditional law students of color become licensed attorneys.

In our interview, she speaks candidly about how the do-everything-for-everyone mindset can quickly lead to burnout, how to build sustainable practices as a leader, and why she believes her organization can help upend systemic injustice.   

Esq. Apprentice seeks to change access to the legal profession in California and, eventually, the nation.

If you’re inspired by Rachel and found this episode helpful, you can show your appreciation by making a donation to her organization at https://esqapprentice.org/donate- 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Substack. Sign up for our free newsletter at https://howtobuildanonprofit.substack.com/. 

Jackson Cooper is making his mark on the world of fundraising and philanthropy. He has been a fundraiser throughout his entire career, starting by sealing mail envelopes with donor acknowledgement letters inside as a volunteer for an organization he loved. Today, he is a well-established leader in philanthropy, arts and culture, and nonprofit leadership. In this episode, we kick off the last of a 2-part conversation where Jackson answers questions submitted by listeners about fundraising, working with a development director, and how to build a donor-cultivation strategy within small organizations. 

If you’re inspired byJackson, and found this episode helpful, consider connecting with him at https://jcooperarts.com/. 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com. 

Jackson Cooper is making his mark on the world of fundraising and philanthropy. He has been a fundraiser throughout his entire career, starting by sealing mail envelopes with donor acknowledgement letters inside as a volunteer for an organization he loved. Today, he is a well-established leader in philanthropy, arts and culture, and nonprofit leadership. In this episode, we kick off the first of a 2-part conversation where Jackson answers questions submitted by listeners about fundraising, working with a development director, and how to build a donor-cultivation strategy within small organizations. 

If you’re inspired byJackson, and found this episode helpful, consider connecting with him at https://jcooperarts.com/. 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com. 

Meet the man who is leading Africa’s youth movement for land access. 

Young people and women are often excluded from accessing land in Africa. This is a huge problem - and an opportunity - for its future, as 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25. 

Innocent Antoine HOUEDJI attended a mega-conference about land in Africa in 2019, but saw barely any mention of youth. There, he explains, the idea for his organization was born, and his first organizational members were secured. 

In this episode, he talks about the barriers youth and women face when it comes to accessing land in Africa, which relate to both economic, political, and traditional forms of land control. He also discusses the sacrifices he made in order to launch the organization with zero money, and the leadership tactics he has employed to manage rapid growth across - get this - 31 countries. 

If you’re inspired by the work of YILAA, and found this episode helpful, consider sending a small donation their way as a token of your appreciation: https://www.yilaa.org/category/cigofa/. 

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com. 

Devon has dedicated his career to helping men who have been controlling and abusive. Finding himself in the San Francisco County Jail many years ago, facing six months of incarceration and multiple charges, he knew he needed to make a change -- and if he didn’t, he could lose everything. 

And so begins his journey for taking responsibility for the harm he caused and understanding his past behaviors. Ultimately, he found himself wanting to help others take the same steps as a part of his own recovery process. His organization would become a reputable program for helping people become safer and healthier in their relationships. 

But the pandemic, funding challenges, and two failed organizational mergers led them to close their doors as an organization. But the work continues to live on in many ways. 

If you’re inspired by Devon, and found this episode helpful, you can reach out to him at https://mencreatingpeace.org/.

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media, with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com. 

MIireya Reith is a force to be reckoned with. Her astounding accomplishments throughout her still-young career are only a hint of the profound devotion she has for upholding immigrant rights, dignity, and inclusion. In this episode, she shares with Jordan how Arkansas United became a movement home for DREAMERs, their families, and the Latino immigrant community across the state. She also shares the distinct challenges of building a membership-based organization and how setting up affiliate partnerships across the state has multiplied their reach and increased their organizing power. 

If you’re inspired by Mireya, the work of Arkansas United, and found this episode helpful, consider sending a small donation their way as a token of your appreciation: https://secure.everyaction.com/GyoreMnn90ux67eDvv_q9Q2.  

This episode was produced by Jordan Thierry of Dream Chase Media; with essential production and marketing expertise from Aranza Garcia and Issac Gsoria. 

You can follow How to Build a Nonprofit on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Sign up for Jordan’s free newsletter at DreamChaseMedia.com.