2025 threw a curveball to the non-profit sector. The dismantling of USAID changed the funding landscape across the globe. Organizations had to pivot, and fundraising had to change. For people working in fundraising/ development, pressure mounted calling for new approaches. 

In this episode, we get down with Cher-Wen Dewitt to talk about pivot in the funding landscape and what we can hope for the future. Cher-Wen is a cross-functional social impact strategist and philanthropic advisor with over 15 years of multi-sector roles in various organizations.  Current Director of Development at Imagine Worldwide, she is also a board member of Fundibots, Akirachix, and also served on the board of NEID (Network of Engaged International Donors). As a Global Health Corps Fellow, she has served with PIH in Rwanda, One Acre Fund, Flippable, and Segal Family Foundation.

At the core of fundraising is a realisation that it is about people and relationships. Those on the donor/ funder side are people like us and what they’re yearning for is an understanding of what they do, their priorities, and how that can match that of a prospective innovator. When those things align, then funding can be unlocked. Conventional fundraising tip is to have a perfect pitch. The temptation is that when we meet a new prospect, we spew this memorized pitch and hardly stop to allow the other person to ask questions. She advises that we aim for a conversation.  Make the encounter human. “Do not waste an in-person opportunity with something that can be communicated in a document”, she says. This, among other nuggets, is what you can expect in this episode as you cut your teeth as an effective fundraiser and development professional. Let’s know what you think.

According to McKinsey & Entrepreneur, nearly 1 in 2 leadership transitions fail within the first two years, and over half of new CEOs don’t make it past 18 months. The gravity of leadership transition is aptly captured by Liz when she says, “when transitions go wrong, it’s not just the new leader who struggles, the whole organisation suffers. Team performance drops, disengagement rises, and momentum stalls. This is why CEO transitions matter so much and why boards must step up. Succession isn’t just administrative. It’s strategic. It’s legacy-defining. It is a high stakes game!”

Having served as the CEO of Living Goods and now running a successful enterprise Volante, Liz walks us through her journey as CEO, her role in developing people and leading a successful leadership transition. A risk taker and always embracing change, she oversaw the growth of Living Goods to multiple countries, and a major shift in strategy that defines the organization today. 

In thinking about transition, Liz asserts that thinking about transition should be at the start of the job! “The best CEOs think about this at the beginning because it defines the kind of legacy you want to leave”, she quips.  Looking at the organization cycles such as strategic plan cycles, funding cycles etc could be good markers on how to time a leadership transition. It is great to leave when things are going well.

The process is as important as the plan. She advises. Think about the decisions to be made, by when, and if possible create sufficient time to plan and execute.  Get an external facilitator to help navigate the sensitive conversations. When the candidate is eventually found, give them a break before they step into the role. On the same note, normalize succession planning in the organization so that conversations on transition take place at all levels.  Stepping into being a CEO is tough so be deliberate in providing support to the new leader. 

For those currently playing the role, be intentional about curving out time for reflection, develop a support circle of peer leaders that you check in with regularly, take up physical exercise, listen and talk to people, save for the transition and when the time comes, you can look back to that time with pride.

You can connect with Liz to hear more on this and get support from the range of services she provides on Linkedin or  liz.jarman@volante.co.ke 

Three core questions in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and by extension Impact Measurement are,

1. Are the interventions doing the right thing?
2. Are they doing it right?
3. Are they making a difference? 

Charles Warria is a seasoned expert in impact measurement.  In this episode, Charles takes us on a journey in M&E practice that saw him rise from early career as a data officer to leading social impact organizations in the region.  Charles is a resource and go-to for young professionals who want to understand this field of practice and develop in their careers, and for the industry to develop systems to deepen positive impact on people. Part one of the Episode lays the foundation for Impact measurement and how it is applied in the sector.  In the second part, we shift to leadership and how experience in Impact measurement can position individuals to play strategic roles in the sector.

In this deep dive, Julius Mbeya talks about his story and journey in the nonprofit space. The ups and downs of this journey and the lessons he has picked. He delves into what it means to be a nonprofit leader and the immense responsibility that this comes with. He also shares the thinking behind the podcast and snippets on what to expect as we share the stories of impact from nonprofit and social impact leaders. The podcast is in two parts, deep dives such as this and guest interviews as you shall experience in future episodes. The show can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or www.juliusmbeya.com

Please follow, rate, reshare and share your thoughts to help us improve or recommend guests that you'd like us to bring to the show. 

In this podcast, we explore opportunities in the nonprofit and social impact space and amplify the impact of their leaders. We do this by finding amazing nonprofit and social impact organizations and their leaders, we share their stories, their triumphs, and their struggles in this dynamic, complex, and competitive space. By doing this, we hope to,

• Showcase how the work of these amazing leaders and their organizations is impacting and changing their communities.
• Second, Inspire a new generation of nonprofit and social impact professional determined to create an even better world.
• Third, Inform the sector on new and emerging practices from nonprofit and social impact practice in Africa. And,
• Make them findable so that they can be fundable

More than a billion people live with a disability globally, and this number is increasing. In this episode, we talk to Maria Omare, who is the Founder and Executive Director of The Action Foundation.  Maria founded The Action Foundation as a college student and has dedicated her life to working with and improving the lives of people with disabilities. Founded 15 years ago, The Action Foundation today serves communities across Kenya working closely with the government at national and sub-national levels to create systems that enable people with disabilities to participate in public life, receive essential public services and live more fulfilling lives.

The many successes have come from building allies in government, increasing community awareness and participation, and building a movement of disability advocates from the ground up. Maria is transforming disability work in the region and creating systems that deliver for people with disabilities.

Acknowledging the challenges that come with founding an organization and leading the work, she advises people embarking on this journey to be fully aware of their “why”. It is the “why” that will carry you through moments of loneliness, times when money is not coming through, and when you are just about to give up, your “why” shall remain your true North Star. As Nietzsche said … “he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”

With stubborn optimism, she concludes that….

“It is possible to change our communities and fix some of the challenges that we are experiencing within our lifetimes. We are the ones the world has been waiting for.  No one is coming to solve any problems for us. Let’s not allow cynicism to disillusion us or believe that nothing can change and that things will always remain the same. With the right attitude, the right dream, knowing why you are doing what you are doing and with the right kind of support, we can create a better world”.

To learn more about the incredible work that Maria and The Action Foundation are doing, you can connect with Maria on LinkedIn or visit their website www.https://theactionfoundationkenya.org/

In this episode, I am sharing my reflections from the sabbatical that I have recently taken from my work. My insights also drew inspiration from an article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), “The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals” by Kira Schabram, Matt Bloom, and DJ DiDonna, as well as “The Sabbatical Project.”

The episode explores in detail what it means to go on a sabbatical, how to make sabbaticals more meaningful, and how organizations can make this an important practice that helps staff renew, grow, and give back to the organization. Being on the job for a long period of time may lead to cynicism, business as usual, or burnout. Sabbatical or extended leave can be a powerful tool for dealing with these, as well as enabling employees to become more productive and contribute to longevity.

Three types of sabbatical exist, which can yield different results for employees. Working holidays, free dives, and quests. By being intentional on sabbatical or extended leave, organisations can reduce burnout and increase productivity and retention. Whether this benefit should be available to all staff or not is a question of debate - the bottom line is, a sabbatical is important. 

Organisations are key to making sabbaticals a reality for staff. Taking a break from work shouldn’t be a choice between being employed and not. As DJ DiDonna aptly captures it … “a sabbatical is more than a vacation, it’s a sacred human ritual for what you want to do differently in life—even if for just a little while”

You can also learn more by listening to TEDx Talks on this subject.

References 

The Sabbatical Project - https://thesabbaticalproject.org/

Harvard Business Review - The Transforming Power of Sabbaticals - https://hbr.org/2023/02/research-the-transformative-power-of-sabbaticals

TEDx - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp7_mXYIH4

Individual giving is an important source of revenue for running organisations. Whether it is a start-up or a mature organisation with a multimillion dollar budget, individual donors play an important role in resourcing. Individual giving can fund things that more structured funding cannot fund such as infrastructure, staff development, board development, and other OD things that are usually hard to fundraise for. Individual giving is an important source of revenue for running organisations. Whether it is a start-up or a mature organisation with a multimillion dollar budget, individual donors play an important role in resourcing. Individual giving can fund things that more structured funding cannot fund such as infrastructure, staff development, board development, and other OD things that are usually hard to fundraise for.

In this episode, Mary shares insights into sourcing individual donors, cultivating and retaining these donors and transforming them as advocates for the work.  While fundraising is a daily grind like any other hustle, she asserts that the work can be rewarding. Individual giving is about shifting power and ownership to those who are most closest to the problem. It helps address global injustice or income inequality. At a personal level, the joy of translating relationships from formal to informal and forming deep personal friendships around a common mission to create change cannot be gainsaid. 

“At a critical time when we are experiencing the loss of government funding from the US, we are shifting to a place where our reliance on individual donors and our reliance on grant organizations is growing, and that’s going to be true for all non-profits and especially those abroad.  It’s a calling; we have to answer it.” Mary.

Picture this - you have a child choking at home or you have been involved in a road accident, what do you do? Many of us will be at a loss. Not just from the shock of it, but for not knowing what to do. Dr. Benjamin Wachira has an audacious goal of building a 911 system for Kenya. His dream of saving lives started off with a goal to be a medical doctor, and today has set him on uncharted waters - an endeavour that has not only saved other people’s lives but his own.

From being the first certified emergency medicine physician in Kenya, he has ensured that there are emergency medicine policies and laws, and also established emergency medicine as a specialisation in Kenya since 2017.

Doing this could not have been possible without the contribution of the nonprofit sector. Dr. Ben helped found the Emergency Medicine Foundation Kenya, a non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting the Kenyan government and emergency healthcare providers across Kenya to save lives by strengthening the emergency healthcare system. Through this work, he has developed education programs for the general public and health workers, set up emergency departments across hospitals in Kenya, developed ambulance dispatch systems, changed policies, and on a steady march to getting functional 911/emergency systems across the region.

Incorporating technology into this work, EMKF has developed the CasualtyApp and Ambulensi - Swahili for "Ambulance", a web-based ambulance dispatch system. They are currently developing an AI-enabled 911 system for Kenya. Dr. Ben is definitely a pioneer in this system disruption. As he aptly captures it, “no one should die simply because help was too far — or arrived too late”

Please learn more about this amazing work at www.emergencymedicinekenya.org

Want to know what it takes to run successful finance departments in leading social impact and non-profit organizations? In this episode, we discuss this and get expert advice on non profit finance with a global CFO- Chief Finance Officer, Rose Adem.  She has not only been a leader for high performing teams but is leading global thinking for non profit finance including the development of a new IFRS standard for non profits with the likes of #Humentum. 

Whereas we think of finance as the lifeblood of an organization, Rose asserts that it is more…Finance is the nervous system. It connects the mission to means. This central role of finance demands that finance should not be treated as a backend, rather a strategic function and mission critical.  Organizations that have understood strategic finance know that it is the growth driver. She notes that financial health is key to the survival of any organization.

In building robust financial management systems for social impact and non profit organizations, policies and procedures are needed and so are people and trust. This combination is critical in periods of rapid change. Change isn’t always popular and many times, social impact leaders encounter resistance. However, with education, and constant communication, even far-reaching reforms in financial management can be achieved.

Rose advises mid-career professionals and aspiring finance leaders to embrace mentorship and coaching. Coaching can help one to work with your allowable weaknesses and bring self awareness that is much needed in leadership. Mentorship and coaching doesn't necessarily need to be formal but could include a buddy, peer or supervisor. In addition, upskilling and understanding that the future is tech is necessary for finance professionals to keep pace with the changing times. 

For success in managing non profit and social impact finance, finance teams must understand programs - knowledge of programs will set you apart as a leader.  Even then, as you advance in your finance career, stop and smell the flowers. She concludes.

Named 100 Most Influential African Leaders in 2023, Nekesa is a passionate advocate for tech and innovation. She has held various roles in the innovation space, including being the CEO of iHUB and also a convener for other innovation hubs across Africa. She continues on that trajectory building community  for open source solutions like the community health tool kit (CHT). 

Are you looking for purpose? Nekesa says that in order to find your purpose and succeed, sometimes it requires of us to support others to further their own. She goes on to challenge us to ask these three core questions,

1. What moves you?
2. What hurts you?
3. What are you willing to fight for?

As a woman leader in tech, she lays out the challenges and biases women in tech face. But there’s hope;  looking out for each other, having fellow advocates, and developing support networks can help overcome these barriers. She advises us not to conform to established molds, be you, network, embrace a learning attitude, and go for shared value.

She closes with a gem - following your heart doesn’t make you crazy! Go find your purpose. You can’t find Nekesa on all social platforms @Nekesa or ⁠www.nekesa.co.ke

“Give until it hurts” is the powerful mantra that sums up Michelle’s view of philanthropy.  Michelle and her family experienced a personal loss that inspired them to give to the world by helping improve health outcomes for those in most need. She quips that all of us are philanthropists.  We give in different ways and we have been called to give not out of abundance but until it hurts. 

Working in private philanthropy, she recognizes the immense power that those who work in philanthropy wield and the need to be conscious of such power and exercise it with humility in service of the mission. Private philanthropy is broad and complex.  Each Foundation is unique and runs its affairs based on the interests of the trustees or investors. With that being said, there is an acknowledgment that private philanthropy needs to be trust-based, equitable, and less onerous for grantees and prospective partners. 

In part one of the episode, Charles centered us on the 3 core questions in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and by extension Impact Measurement. He laid the foundation for Impact measurement and how it is applied in the sector.  In this second part, we shift to leadership and how experience in Impact measurement can position individuals to play strategic roles in the sector as demonstrated by the immense contribution he has made in his stellar career.