Nonprofits On A Mission

Cynthia Whitaker, president and CEO of Greater Nashua Mental Health Center, joins Sarah to talk about the agency’s mission, the team that shows up for people in their hardest moments, and what it takes to lead through a tough season with hope. They also explore the vision for the agency’s future and how to tell a mission story to people who don’t yet know what you do.

This week on Nonprofits on a Mission, Sarah sits down with Logan Vaughan, a UVM senior and co-founder of GiftDrive, a free platform that's transforming how nonprofits run in-kind donation drives. What started as a frustrating experience at an Angel Tree program turned into a solution that tackles one of the nonprofit sector's biggest headaches: tracking who actually donated and saying thank you.

This week Sarah talks with John Hofmann, founder of Fusion Marketing, about the Paradox Project — a give-back model where every client project triggers a free service for a small nonprofit. John also shares how a community garden he started years ago grew into a neighborhood hub, and what it looks like to build "giving back" right into a business model.

This week on Nonprofits on a Mission, Sarah sits down with Russ Willey, founder and CEO of myGivmo, a free all-in-one giving platform serving New Hampshire nonprofits and beyond. Russ shares how a passive "screensaver" fundraising idea grew into a full donation, CRM, and event platform with no fees, plus his take on finding board members with heart over credentials. It's a fun look at how tech and local connection can power nonprofit growth.

This week Sarah sits down with Aimee Kereage, Executive Director of Manchester Proud, to talk about how the organization is evolving into a true connector across the Manchester community. They dig into Celebrate Ed, the group's annual back-to-school event, plus the bigger-picture work of bridging gaps between service providers and the families who need them.

This week Sarah sits down with Molly Hodgsdon, CEO and Co-Founder of GoodWork, a Portsmouth, NH nonprofit that supports other nonprofits across the Seacoast. They talk about GoodWork's new Bud to Bloom program, board development best practices, and why relationship-driven fundraising is a long game for growing organizations.

This week I sit down with Sarah Grosvenor, Executive Director of Joppa Hill Education Farm in Bedford, NH, to talk about running a 365-day-a-year working farm with a small staff, a dedicated volunteer force, and a hands-on board. We dig into donor stewardship, keeping a working board engaged, and the mission moments that make the hard days worth it.

This week's guest is John Judge, Scout Executive and CEO of Scouting America Greater Boston. John shares how the organization is rebuilding trust and expanding access to the outdoors after a challenging few years, plus what's driving growth in youth safety, urban outreach, and fundraising. He also opens up about his new book, exploring how nonprofits can protect human agency and purpose in the age of AI.

Sarah catches up with Lauren Bombardier, VP of Advancement at Families in Transition, about the incredible work FIT is doing to prevent and break the cycle of homelessness in New Hampshire. Lauren shares how her team built a donor-focused fundraising strategy, smart board engagement tactics, and a few unexpected lessons learned along the way.

Hannah Beth Hembree is the Director of Development at the Salem Pantry, a food access hub on the North Shore of Massachusetts that serves 33,000 individuals a year and supports 31 partner organizations with last-mile food distribution. In this episode, she shares how she grew the pantry's annual fundraising from $500K to $2.6 million — and the mentorship, donor relationships, and board engagement strategies that made it possible.

Kara Bradford traded kindergarten for a capital campaign, and she's never looked back. In this episode, Sarah sits down with Kara to hear how a burned-out teacher landed her dream nonprofit job with zero experience, and how she's now leading a $1.1M major gifts campaign in her first year at Addison Housing Works in Vermont.

Lindsay Gilbert from Connor's Climb Foundation stops by to talk about how a small but mighty team is tackling suicide prevention across New Hampshire, from training teachers and students to empowering high schoolers to lead the charge in their own communities.

AJ Hebert cofounded Roca Kidz Club in Manchester, NH back in 2011, what started as a summer program feeding 30 kids on Thursday nights has grown into a thriving, faith based youth organization serving hundreds of children across three locations. In this episode, AJ shares the origin story, the power of relationship driven programming, and his ambitious vision for bringing Roca to cities nationwide.

Sarah sits down with Sue Centner and Lorrie Belinsky from the Community Alliance for Teen Safety (CATS), a New Hampshire nonprofit born from tragedy that has spent 30 years championing youth safety through grassroots community building, advocacy, and education. Sue and Lorrie share how CATS has evolved from a seatbelt law campaign in the '90s to launching student-led safety clubs and a community expo, while offering candid fundraising wisdom: it's all about relationships.

Bethany Cottrell, the inaugural Executive Director of Families Flourish Northeast, a groundbreaking new organization in New Hampshire working to close a critical gap in recovery services for pregnant and parenting people facing substance use disorder.

Luke Mickelson was just a farm kid from Idaho who built one bunk bed for a family in need and accidentally launched Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a national nonprofit that has delivered over 100,000 beds to children sleeping on floors. In this episode, Luke joins Sarah to share the story behind the movement and gets candid about "founder syndrome", the painful reality of building something so big it starts to feel like it's leaving you behind.

Corinne Benfield, Executive Director of Stay Work Play, a NH-based 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on attracting and retaining young talent (ages 18-40) in New Hampshire through programming, employer partnerships, and policy advocacy. Corinne discusses her experience leading the organization, highlighting growth in community engagement, stakeholder relationships, and policy work at the state level as the most rewarding parts of her tenure.

Polly Towner, Executive Director of the Manchester Community Music School, discussed her background in music education and the school's mission to make music accessible for everyone through diverse programs, 48 faculty members, and a strong music therapy department.

Tim Smith-Gerding of Blackbird Collective discusses his consulting work with nonprofits, focusing on strategic planning for organizations like Stay Work Play, and emphasizing the critical need for collaboration and shared administrative services among smaller nonprofits to improve efficiency and attract larger donors.