Meet Eliza Blank, the new CEO of The Farmlink Project 👋 We’re exploring what happens when a founder-CEO mindset collides with one of the most urgent food systems problems of our time.

Eliza bootstrapped and scaled The Sill from a single idea to 12 stores across seven markets and $25M raised. Now she's applying that same startup lens to Farmlink, which rescues and redistributes over a million pounds of food every week.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why Eliza's team talks about their own obsolescence every day, and what that mindset unlocks for mission-driven orgs
• Why growth for growth's sake is a red flag, and how Farmlink thinks about scale vs. depth instead
• How to build a community of fanatics around a cause most people don't even know exists yet

Episode Highlights:

• From The Sill to Farmlink: Eliza's origin story (3:22)
• What the startup model has to teach the nonprofit sector (6:14)
• Brand building and community as a growth strategy (9:16)
• Scale vs. depth: why Farmlink talks about its own obsolescence (13:19)
• The Field Fellowship: investing in the next generation of food systems leaders (16:41)
• One Good Thing: pick a lane and compound it over a lifetime (26:01)

Resources Mentioned:

• The Farmlink Project
• Abundance
• God's Love We Deliver

Full Episode Landing Page: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/694

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

In today's episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Afdhel Aziz, founder of Good is the New Cool, to unpack why the way most nonprofits tell their story is quietly killing their impact, and what the new playbook looks like.

Afdhel has spent 30+ years advising brands like Disney, Coca-Cola, Gap, and Adidas on purpose-driven storytelling. But his most urgent work right now is closing the hope gap - a measurable 27% chasm between hope and despair in society, tracked by Yale. He believes nonprofits sit at the center of the solution. And he's here to show you exactly how to get there. 🩵

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The Yale data behind the 27% hope gap and a reframe for your whole team
• A three-step storytelling playbook that any org can put to work immediately
• How to reach the 90% of people who want to help but don't know where to start (hint: it's not another heavy documentary)

Episode Highlights:

• Afdhel's origin story: From Sri Lanka to 30 years of brand storytelling (3:08)
• Why "Good is the New Cool" - and why that message is more urgent than ever (5:01)
• The 27% Hope Gap: What Yale's data tells us about where society is right now (6:53)
• The 90/10 problem in nonprofit storytelling - and the shift that changes everything (12:57)
• The Solutionaries: What impact storytelling can learn from Hollywood (19:09)
• Activists vs. advocates + the three-step playbook: Hope → Wonder → Courageous Action (24:33)
• Afdhel's One Good Thing: The top regret of the dying — and why authenticity is Afdhel's answer (32:41)

Resources Mentioned:

• Explore Afdhel's work and connect
• Choose Love
• The Solutionaries
• "Hope at Work" by Barbara Perry + Harry Hudson
• "The Book of Hope" by Jane Goodall
• "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying" by Bronnie Ware

Full Episode Landing Page: www.weareforgood.com/episode/693

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

In this Working Session, Jon and Becky are joined by digital strategist Josh Burns to rethink how nonprofits approach online giving — moving beyond quick wins and into strategies that actually build momentum. Together, they explore why so many organizations feel stuck growing digital revenue and how a shift toward relationship-first thinking can unlock more sustainable, long-term results.

From understanding the “digital donor gap” to building a simple growth framework rooted in human behavior, you’ll learn how to align your digital presence with real-world connection — and turn passive audiences into engaged, giving communities.

Top 3 Takeaways:

• Online Giving Starts With Human Connection — Not Conversion: Digital channels may be the medium, but people are the mission. Learn how to ground your strategy in empathy, proximity, and real relationships so your messaging resonates beyond the screen and inspires meaningful action.
• Use a Simple Growth Framework to Guide Strategy: Break down your digital ecosystem into three key stages — awareness, consideration, and action — and understand how each channel (social, website, email) plays a role in moving supporters toward deeper engagement and giving.
• Play the Long Game With Story + Community: From email nurture to community-building spaces, discover how consistent storytelling and intentional engagement create the trust that leads to higher conversion over time — not just one-off gifts.

This episode is packed with practical, low-lift ways to strengthen your digital presence — whether you’re just getting started with email, refining your storytelling, or rethinking how you engage donors online.

Welcome back to Working Sessions: hands-on, clarity-filled conversations designed to help you move real work forward inside your organization.

Let’s get to work.

Episode Highlights:

• Understanding the “Digital Donor Gap” (04:47)
• Why Data + Humanity Must Work Together (06:52)
• Digital Should Drive Real-World Action (07:27)
• Breaking Silos: Learning From Programs + Donors (10:30)
• The Feel–Know–Do Storytelling Framework (13:19)
• The Digital Growth Framework: Awareness → Action (14:47)
• First-Party Data + Building Direct Relationships (18:10)
• Community-Building as a Growth Strategy (20:14)
• Playing the Long Game With Email + Story (23:11)
• Tracking Metrics + Setting Realistic Goals (25:05)
• One Good Thing: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone (30:02)

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/692

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter