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In this episode, I sit down with Elena DeLacey, Executive Director and Marshall Gorham, Land Protection Specialist, of the American River Conservancy to explore what it truly means to protect land—for today and for generations to come. What starts as a conversation about land conservation quickly becomes something much bigger: a look at the interconnected systems that sustain our communities, from forests and wildlife to water, infrastructure, and public access.

We talk about the scale of their work—over 31,000 acres protected—and the responsibility that comes with it. Conservation isn’t just about acquiring land; it’s about stewardship in perpetuity. That means maintaining ecosystems, preventing catastrophic wildfire damage, restoring forests, and ensuring that the land continues to serve both people and nature.

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is understanding the ripple effect of environmental impact. A single wildfire doesn’t just burn trees—it affects watersheds, power systems, wildlife habitats, and entire communities downstream. The work American River Conservancy is doing is about getting ahead of those problems before they happen.

We also dive into the complexity of collaboration—working with landowners, government agencies, and community partners to bring multi-million dollar projects to life—and the long-term vision required to protect land at scale. From preserving the Cosumnes River corridor to building public access trails that future generations will enjoy, this is legacy work in its truest form.

This episode is a reminder that the natural spaces we enjoy don’t stay protected by accident—they stay protected because of organizations like this, doing the hard work of forever.

Why It Matters

Land conservation isn’t just about preserving open space—it’s about protecting the systems that sustain life and community. The work being done by American River Conservancy impacts water quality, wildfire prevention, biodiversity, recreation, and long-term regional resilience.

If we don’t invest in this kind of stewardship now, the cost—environmentally, economically, and socially—will be far greater down the line. This episode highlights why proactive conservation is one of the most important investments a community can make.

To learn more, visit their website: https://arconservancy.org/

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to American River Conservancy and what a land conservancy does
03:00 – Conservation vs. stewardship: the responsibility of “forever”
05:30 – Forest management, wildfire prevention, and ecosystem resilience
09:00 – The cascading impact of wildfire on water, infrastructure, and communities
11:00 – Education, community connection, and building environmental stewardship
14:00 – Where time and resources go: the realities of managing 31,000 acres
17:00 – Collaboration across landowners, agencies, and nonprofits
24:00 – The El Dorado Ranch project: a 7,000-acre

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

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In this NewsPod, I sit down with Colby Bell of New York Life to talk about something Sacramento’s nonprofit community has long deserved—its own moment of recognition.

What started as a simple gathering of nonprofit leaders has grown into the first annual Greater Sacramento Impact & Philanthropy (GSIP) Awards—an event designed to celebrate the organizations doing the real, boots-on-the-ground work across our region.

Colby shares how this idea evolved from casual mixers into a fully realized awards program, backed by partners like New York Life and Sacramento Venture Philanthropy. Together, they’ve created an opportunity to not only recognize impact—but to invest in it.

With 10 award categories, 30 finalists, and an incredible 7,000 community votes, this first-year event is already proving something powerful: Sacramento shows up for its nonprofits.

Each category winner will receive $2,500 in unrestricted funding, supporting the critical work happening every day across areas like housing, education, food security, and community building.

This isn’t just an event—it’s the beginning of something much bigger.

📍 Event Details

• Event: Greater Sacramento Impact & Philanthropy (GSIP) Awards
• Date: April 9
• Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Location: Arcade Underground, Old Sacramento
• Admission: Free (Registration Required)

🔗 Registration link: GSIP Registration link

🎯 Why It Matters

For years, nonprofits have done extraordinary work—often without the spotlight. This event flips that.

It recognizes impact in real time.
It brings the community into the process.
And it creates momentum for deeper investment in the sector.

Most importantly, it sends a message:
The work matters—and the people doing it deserve to be seen.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to the GSIP Awards
01:00 – How a simple mixer became something bigger
02:00 – Building support and securing funding
03:00 – Award categories and community impact areas
04:00 – Partner involvement and SVP’s role
05:00 – Selecting the 30 finalists
06:00 – 7,000 votes and community engagement
07:00 – Funding breakdown and award structure
08:00 – Event details and how to attend
09:00 – Closing thoughts and community invitation

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

This is one of the more powerful conversations I’ve had on the podcast.

I sit down with Malcolm Johnson and Colleen McCusker from Good Cause Sacramento—an organization built not from theory, but from lived experience. Malcolm’s journey from addiction and incarceration to building a process that helps others successfully reenter society is nothing short of remarkable.

What stood out to me most is this: the system often gives people tools—but not a place to use them. And without that foundation, the cycle continues.

Good Cause Sacramento is changing that. Through structure, accountability, and community, they’re helping men and women not just avoid going back—but actually build lives worth staying for.

This is a conversation about second chances—but more importantly, what it actually takes to make them work and reduce recidivism to virtually nil.

• Real change starts with environment, not intention. Without stability, even the best tools don’t work.
• Lived experience builds better solutions. Malcolm didn’t study the problem—he lived it.
• Accountability creates dignity. This model expects participation, not dependence.
• Second chances need structure. Hope alone isn’t enough—process is what makes it stick.
• Community plays a role. Jobs, transportation, and opportunity are just as critical as funding.

To learn more about Good Cause Sacramento please visit: https://goodcausesac.org

Chapter Outline:

0:00 — Cold Open: $200, a Bus Stop, and No Way Forward
2:05 — Introduction: Why This Story Matters
3:50 — Malcolm’s Backstory and Breaking Point
6:30 — Prison Realization: Why the Cycle Repeats
9:00 — Release Day Reality: No Support, No Direction
12:00 — The Turning Point: Faith, Story, and Momentum
16:10 — Building Good Cause: From Notes to a Process
20:00 — Why Housing and Structure Come First
25:30 — What Drives an 80% Success Rate
37:30 — Expanding the Model: Women’s House and Growth
43:00 — Success, Vision, and How to Help

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.