Do you feel the stress of working in an office, huddled over a computer is taking a toll on your body? Or worry about that old running injury that keeps flaring up? Today's guest, Michael Bowers of the American Physical Therapy Association has some ideas for you -- and 95,000 people at his fingertips that can help you address problems of your physical body so that your mind can work freely without worry. He has seen the wonders that physical therapy can offer to people of all ages through the tr...
Jan 05, 2016•38 min
Today we take another cultural departure from Washington, DC and chat with Jon Pratt of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. The Council exists to make nonprofits more effective and helps share resources, education, and training among nonoprofits working in Minnesota. This helps their member organizations stay current on trends and technology even while focusing primarily on their core issues. Minnesota as a whole and the nonprofits working there benefit from a unique state tradition -- the Keys...
Jan 04, 2016•30 min
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work alongside local communities and businesses in far reaching corners of the world? How to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS across villages in Malawi? Talk about access to justice with indigenous tribes in Timor-Leste? Spread a message of peace on the ground in Papua New Guinea? Find out from the experts in the second half of our two-part series with leaders from Counterpart International, a development organization that for 50 years has been working in c...
Dec 24, 2015•55 min
This holiday season, we invite you to sit back and enjoy a stimulating two-part series addressing today’s leading development issues: from climate change and capacity building to education and health and nutrition. Our conversations will engage experts, working on the ground, from Counterpart International, an international nonprofit that’s been working for 50 years – and in more than 65 countries – to help people build better lives and more durable futures. In our first episode, you’ll meet Mar...
Dec 17, 2015•51 min
Have you struggled to make connections to your supporters? Found visitors to your website visit a single page or two before leaving? You won't want to miss today's episode when we talk with online communications consultant and the founder of EPolitics, Colin Delaney. Many nonprofit organizations get buried in the details of their own work that they have limited time to seek out techniques to amplify their work and make sure it gets in front of the right people. If your organization is humming al...
Dec 09, 2015•47 min
Today we're excited to welcome Cost Tree as a new sponsor. You may recall their appearance on episode 124. Thanks to their generous support, we're able to sit down today with Stephanie Berkowitz of the Northern Virginia Family Service. The NVFS is an organization working to strengthen communities in Northern Virginia by providing life-saving tools, resources, and training to those who need it most. NVSF provides a vast array of services to families in need and is constantly searching for additio...
Dec 06, 2015•47 min
Providing a life-saving and life-changing service is something many organizations strive to do -- but once you've hit gold and have found a solution, the challenge becomes how to let potential clients know it exists. This is a good problem to have and one currently facing Code of Support, a four-year old organization based in Washington, DC. Code of Support is something of a "matchmaking organziation" which works to connect vets with essential services. Today we speak with Kristy Kaufman, Code o...
Dec 02, 2015•52 min
We were lucky to get David Humphries in the studio today -- he's not traveling to all corners of the earth facilitating community-based education and development right now. We had a great conversation that goes from Kenya to Colombia to Liberia and connects the dots between vastly different communities to find a common thread of success. We've heard this from previous guests on Through the Noise: development specialists widely recognize the crucial need to involve the local community in educatio...
Dec 01, 2015•54 min
On Through the Noise, we often explore the value of collaboration between individuals and organizations and today we sit down with Burt Edwards whose work with InterAction facilitates collaboration between organizations with similar goals. Operating from the idea that organizations are more successful when working together, InterAction is something of a clearinghouse of information for those working in the fields of international development, sustainability, and humanitarian assistance. We'll ex...
Nov 30, 2015•39 min
John Porter, today's guest, has been named a Living Legend of Alexandria and has contributed to the success of the community his entire life. He first worked in Alexandria Public Schools as a teacher and was later principal of TC Williams for 22 years. He's well-known around Alexandria and is now helping his hometown in a different manner. As Executive Director of ACT for Alexandria, he helps fund and support other important organizations doing essential work in Alexandria and elsewhere. Last ye...
Nov 22, 2015•45 min
Housing insecurity is one of the greatest problems facing millions of Americans today and the lack of safe, quality, affordable housing invites a host of other problems that can affect one's health as well as limit access to employment and healthy food. Fortunately there are many creative and thoughtful people working on this and we have one of them in the studio today. John Paukstis of Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland joins us for a conversation about the unique approach Habitat takes to tac...
Nov 20, 2015•39 min
Ever wondered where your money is going? Looking through your books at the end of the quarter or end of the year to discover that all your hard-raised money has evaporated into unforeseen costs? This is a common problem for nonprofits who have yet to figure out the difference between direct and indirect costs and how to accurately anticipate and budget for them. If your organization has struggled with these issues before, you won't want to miss this episode with Cathy Galbraith and Nicolie Letti...
Nov 19, 2015•53 min
Does your branding say what you think it's saying? Today's guest, Danielle Baron of ABET, reveals the problems her organization faced when undertaking a rebranding. As she explains, if you asked 200 people what ABET meant, you could get 200 different answers. By undertaking a massive survey and hiring outside consultants for the rebranding, they were able to craft a uniform message that is direct, easy to remember, and a call to action. Has your organization struggled to project a single idea? H...
Nov 15, 2015•42 min
Today's episode is a little different. We're joined by Mehdi Sadaghdar, star of the popular YouTube series, ElectroBOOM. Videos on ElectroBOOM receive hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views, and the success of the series could be a lesson in communication for nonprofits and other organization. ElectroBOOM is valuable and popular, not just for the fascinating and funny way that Mehdi Sadaghdar demonstrates the principles of electrical engineering, but also because of his personality and ...
Nov 12, 2015•30 min
The folks at 501cTech describes themselves as "the people who help the people who help the people," and today we sit down with Todd Peterson who runs their Client Services division. Are you storing sensitive data on an Excel spreadsheet or flash drive? It's time to modernize. No matter how many staff an organization has, it will require IT services and 501cTech provides a full-range of services to nonprofits. While providing help-desk and other services to over 70 clients across the DC region, o...
Nov 10, 2015•42 min
"If you've seen one Chamber, you've seen one Chamber." That's how today's guest, Chris Mead of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives describes the culture of the more than 7000 Chambers that exist around the United States. As independent and unregulated community organizations, any person is free to start and operate a Chamber of Commerce. Our conversation takes an unexpected turn as we delve into the fascinating -- and not always so pretty -- history of the Chambers around the Unite...
Nov 09, 2015•52 min
Grab a cold one and settle down for our conversation with Lester Jones of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Are you ready? It's incredibly easy in the United States and much of the rest of the world to find beer with nearly unlimited varieties and Lester Jones breaks down the elements necessary to turn water into a delicious beer and get it from the brewer all the way to you for your podcast-listening enjoyment. His organization represents those who distribute the beer, tier 2 of the 3-...
Nov 04, 2015•45 min
Immigration is an issue frequently mentioned in the mainstream media but it's almost always covered in a superficial way, overlooking the fact that there are many different circumstances that would prompt a person to leave their home to move to the United States or anywhere else. The Council for Global Immigration helps companies of all varieties ensure they comply with immigration laws while hiring international professionals. Lynn Shotwell is the Executive Director of the Council and speaks wi...
Nov 03, 2015•41 min
America's Charities is one of the preeminent organizations working to connect nonprofits with donors from the private and public sector to increase their reach and grow the funds available to achieve their mission. Today we talk with Jim Starr who is both "running the show and making the show keeps running." He emphasizes out a well-known fact of development: that people give when they are asked and America's Charities helps multiply the opportunities for nonprofits and charities to have their "...
Nov 01, 2015•43 min
With the advent of new technology, there is often a wave of fear which Rob Atkinson calls the "Privacy Panic Cycle." In the 1960s, some people were afraid of transistor radios, thinking that small radios could be slipped into their drinks so that others could listen to their conversations. While this may seem laughable, technology continues to evolve and there is a growing struggle between those who advocate for all technological advances while others assert that "private" life becomes increasin...
Oct 26, 2015•43 min
Tony Martignetti is a pioneer in the world of nonprofit podcasting and he joined us in the studio while in town from New York. Tony's passion is communicating with nonprofits and he has been the host of Nonprofit Radio for over five years -- broadcasting live every Friday at 1pm (EST). With more than 250 episodes under his belt, he's had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of nonprofit leaders from every field. How can podcasting benefit your organization? What are some of the challenges faci...
Oct 22, 2015•51 min
BOMA International is like many trade associations in that community, networking, and the sharing of best practices some of the most valued aspects of membership. But BOMA is the only organization representing the interests of commercial building owners and managers, in the US and abroad, and must remain nimble in order to keep up with rapidly evolving building technology and standards. Today we're joined by BOMA President and COO Henry Chamberlain, whose tenure with the organization stretches b...
Oct 22, 2015•44 min
On Through the Noise, we talk with a lot of brilliant people doing great things in their own niche. But no matter how great your idea, how noble your cause, how lofty your goals, your efforts are wasted if no one can hear what you're saying. Today's guest, Stephanie Cerulo, works to solve that problem and put your message in the hands of the people who need to hear it and are likely to support it. Using a cooperative donor database, the Infogroup is able to target potential donors by pinpointing...
Oct 17, 2015•35 min
Meredith Jacobs works to improve the lives of all women and girls. First as a blogger, then columnist, radio host, author, and now as the Communications VP for Jewish Women International, she has had the opportunity to touch a lot of lives. From building libraries around the U.S. for children at domestic violence shelters to working with Greek organizations on college campuses to prevent sexual assault, Jacobs illustrates that there are many creative ways to address a difficult problem and get p...
Oct 15, 2015•38 min
A few months ago we had John Graham, the president and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), in the studio and today we sat down with his Chief Marketing Officer, Robb Lee, to hear a different side of the story. ASAE is the association's association and, as Robb Lee succinctly puts it, works to "represent the right of everyone to represent what's important to them." Today's conversation is a compelling listen on the importance of story-telling, weeding out the bad ideas t...
Oct 14, 2015•43 min
Today we sit down with Pamela Davis of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group and she helps dispels the notion that nonprofits don't need insurance. The reasons for having insurance for nonprofits are extremely varied and she recognized a need and solved it by forming nonprofits that insure other nonprofits and have a greater understanding of their needs. NIAC member organizations provide insurance for 15,000 nonprofits in 33 states and despite a somewhat dry sounding topic, Pamela Davis makes ...
Oct 11, 2015•42 min
It may surprise some to learn that Land O'Lakes, a massive company widely known for producing butter, is not only a farmer-owned cooperative, but also has an international division that works in developing countries to help create sustainable farming practices among people who have extremely limited resources for making a living. We talk with Jennifer Hyman today who travels around the world meeting and assisting farmers to find out what they need to survive and thrive and through contracts with...
Oct 06, 2015•41 min
Organizations of every size, focus, and type need supporters, members, customers, or donors to advance their cause or grow their business. If you can't understand the level of commitment or engagement a particular individual has with your organization, how can you approach them in the future? Today we talk with Colleen McCarthy about the necessity of functional databases to accurately maintain records about those who support your goal. Her work with Exponent Partners is different than many firms...
Oct 03, 2015•34 min
Today Michael Barry schools us on the difference between preventive medicine and preventative. Representing one of the smallest specializations of the medical industry, the American College of Preventive Medicine boasts a membership making up about 50% of all physicians working in the field of preventive medicine. Unlike the traditional doctor you'd visit to treat an illness, the doctors working in preventive medicine work in a variety of sectors such as public health and policy and use their ex...
Oct 01, 2015•50 min
Today we sit down with Edgar Jimenez to continue our conversation about empowering individuals from communities that are underepresented in academia and various professions. Edgar Jimenez is the president of ALPHA, an all-volunteer organization that helps mentor and provide educational guidance to middle and high school kids as well as veterans and women, all while helping young professionals develop public speaking skills. While only 3% of television shows have a Latino character, the 400-500 m...
Sep 29, 2015•39 min
