The Common Good Mixtape: Recent Episodes
Common Good Data
What do two social workers, area codes 404 and 704, and A Tribe Called Quest have in common? Listen to the Common Good Mixtape for interviews with nonprofit and social sector leaders mixed with your favorite 80s/90s memories. Grab your walkman and subscribe. Hosted by Drew Reynolds and Roger Suclupe.
Collective impact—a framework where organizations across sectors come together with a shared vision—can play a big role in addressing complex issues like economic mobility.
This is especially important in cities like Charlotte, where decades of structural barriers have limited upward mobility for many residents.
Collective impact brings together nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies to work toward common goals, using data to measure progress and drive decisions.
Today’s guest, Khalil Salim, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation at United Way of Greater Charlotte, shares his expertise on how this collaborative approach is being used to address Charlotte’s challenges, and his thoughts on Raj Chetty’s latest research.
You’ll Hear:
(03:09) What is the United Neighborhoods program and how does it use collective impact
(06:01) What makes collective impact different from other collaborative approaches
(11:00) How to measure and document success from a shared goal
(17:53) The challenges of doing collective impact work
(20:45) How to balance broader indicators with community-defined success metrics
Connect with Khalil Salim and learn more about his work with the United Neighborhoods program.
When it comes to conducting a needs assessment, one of the most important things you can do is listen to the community you’re trying to help.
Integrating community voice into your assessment creates programs and services that genuinely reflect what people need and want.
Community members have firsthand knowledge about the challenges they face and the resources they lack, which can really shape your understanding of the local landscape.
This episode kicks off a series that will give you strategies, tools, and resources needed to create stronger, more thorough assessments.
We’ll discuss where to find secondary data that can shed light on your community’s current landscape and how to collect your own data through surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
You’ll hear:
(01:33) What is a needs assessment?
(05:00) How to avoid assumptions and ensure community voice is central to your assessment
(07:18) Four key benefits of conducting a needs assessment for nonprofits
(11:32) Three steps to conducting an effective needs assessment
Behavioral health issues are closely linked to larger social and environmental factors.
That’s why communities need to come together and find sustainable solutions.
For those in human services, mental health, or prevention work, it’s easy to focus solely on delivering programs and services.
However, advancing your mission often involves looking beyond these to embrace advocacy, systems change, and environmental strategies.
Joining us is Kristin Kidd, co-coordinator of the SAMHSA-funded Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center and director of the North Carolina Behavioral Health Equity Initiative.
Kristin has a wealth of experience working with organizations that use community organizing to promote behavioral health equity.
We discuss how nonprofits can leverage advocacy and systems change to advance their missions, even within the constraints of nonprofit guidelines.
You’ll Hear:
(03:17) How community organizing can bring positive changes to behavioral health.
(07:52) How Kristin has gotten grantees out of the nonprofit industrial complex mindset.
(12:32) What it looks like to have community organizing in the behavioral health space.
(16:50) How coalitions and grantees are collecting data from the community to push for policy changes.
(23:04) How to go about advocacy in a non-partisan way.
(26:44) If Kristin forsees more organizations taking environmental approaches toward behavioral health challenges.
Connect with Kristin and learn more about the Southeast PTTC and NCBHEI.
Building a strong data culture in nonprofits and public sector organizations can bring big advantages. When leaders focus on using data, they save time, raise more money, and make better choices for their organizations.
Even though it might seem tough to invest in data with limited budgets, the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. By using data to guide their actions, organizations improve how they work and make a bigger impact on the people they serve.
In this episode, Drew shares exactly how creating a culture of data can lead to these positive changes. You’ll also hear real examples of organizations using data to make smarter choices, improve their programs, and build long-term success.
You’ll hear:
(02:45) How investing in data capacity saves time and allows your organization to focus on its mission.
(04:00) The real reason many organizations remain stuck in manual and time-consuming reporting.
(05:10) How better data leads to securing that next six-figure grant for your nonprofit.
(07:05) The challenge three out of four nonprofit leaders face when evaluating and reporting impact.
(09:30) Why data is essential for making better strategic decisions and empowering leaders to think long-term.
A strong and effective board can make a big difference for organizations, especially those that are looking to grow, get to the next level, be more strategic, and ultimately increase their impact.
With decades of experience revitalizing alumni boards and developing leadership in nonprofits, our guest, Deb Macfarlan Enright, shares her strategies for engaging board members and cultivating effective leadership that drives meaningful impact.
We explore how nonprofits can transform their leadership approach by leveraging the passion and expertise of their members to build stronger communities.
Whether you’re an executive director, a board member, or a nonprofit leader, this episode will share how to create a dynamic, engaged, and impactful board culture.
You’ll Hear:
(01:45) Three strategies for recruiting excellent board members
(06:28) How to attract board members with specific skills like legal, HR, or networking
(21:19) What a new board member needs to learn to be effective in their first 90 days
(27:11) What approach to take to ensure accountability among board members
(29:47) How to measure board members’ contributions beyond attendance
For many organizations, the challenge isn't just in collecting or analyzing data—it's in making data a core part of the decision-making process.
Leaders often find it difficult to embed a culture where data-driven decisions are not just encouraged but are the norm.
Despite having access to valuable data, teams may hesitate to use it due to a lack of confidence, unclear expectations, or insufficient support from leadership.
In a previous episode, we explored what defines a strong culture of data, including leadership commitment, data literacy, and governance.
But today, we're taking it a step further by discussing the practical strategies you can implement to cultivate this culture within your own organization.
You’ll hear:
(02:25) How you can create rituals around data to make it a regular part of organizational practices
(04:40) Why asking questions instead of giving answers encourages data-driven decision-making
(08:14) What celebrating data use publicly does to foster a positive and inclusive data culture
Resources Mentioned:
- EP41 Does Your Nonprofit Have a Data Culture?
- Multipliers by Liz Wiseman
The rise of youth vaping presents a new and significant challenge in the field of substance use prevention. Despite celebrating the decline in cigarette smoking as a public health win, nicotine use has now moved to vapor products and pouches.
This issue is closely linked with concerning trends in youth mental health, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. Understanding the connection between these two factors and exploring how communities can create supportive environments to address them is crucial for effective prevention efforts.
Keri-Lyn Coleman, a national expert in substance use prevention, joins us to discuss how leveraging data collection tools and building collaborative partnerships between schools, universities, and local organizations can improve our efforts.
By integrating these approaches into community initiatives, we can create more effective and sustainable solutions to support youth well-being and prevent substance use.
You’ll Hear:
(02:04) The unique challenges that youth vaping presents compared to more traditional substance use prevention efforts.
(08:57) The tension between implementing strict school policies, such as zero-tolerance policies, and the need to keep students engaged in school without resorting to punitive measures.
(14:28) What challenges organizations are facing with data collection on student vaping, and how they are addressing these issues.
(18:36) How in states like California and Colorado, organizations leverage statewide surveys and local data to assess substance use and mental health at various levels.
(31:24) Why the future of prevention efforts will require considering the intersection of mental health and substance use.
Connect with Keri-Lyn Coleman and learn more about Collaborative Planning Group and Wellscreen.
What is a data culture? When we talk about culture, it's about an environment. It's about practices. It's about habits. It's kind of like the air you breathe—the part of an organization that's sometimes hard to pinpoint but is always there.
A data culture means creating an environment where the use of data is a priority in decision-making and is part of everything you do. You gather evidence, collect data, evaluate programs, and use this information to make decisions about management, fundraising, and more.
A data culture has several key elements, and we’ll cover five of them so you can understand what’s important for building an organization that uses data in everything it does. Data should not be an afterthought but a central part of how an organization operates, makes decisions, and evaluates its impact.
You’ll hear:
(03:11) How strong commitment from leadership drives a data culture
(05:52) Why data literacy is crucial across your organization
(07:10) What it means to make data accessible and usable throughout the organization
(08:59) The importance of establishing a framework for effective data management
(11:24) How to integrate data into daily decision-making processes
The 28208 zip code in Charlotte, NC, including the Lakeview neighborhood, is one of the city’s areas with significant economic challenges. Residents born in this neighborhood have less than a 5% chance of transitioning out of poverty into the middle class.
Originally established as a mill village for white workers in the late 1930s, Lakeview became predominantly Black in the late 1960s due to urban renewal and white flight. Today, the community faces ongoing challenges, including issues of trust, gentrification, and a lack of meaningful engagement.
Jamaal Kinard and Adrian Sundiata from the Lakeview Neighborhood Alliance (LNA) join us to discuss their efforts to improve the quality of life in the Lakeview neighborhood.
You’ll Hear:
(05:49) The origins of Lakeview as an exclusive park and neighborhood to its transformation and renaming, and how these shifts have impacted the residents' identity and unity.
(13:35) Why the Lakeview community has faced significant socio-economic challenges and what short-term and long-term efforts are being taken to address them.
(23:50) How the Lakeview Neighborhood Alliance rebuilds trust within the community and creates a solidarity economy.
(41:03) How the gift card program has evolved from a pandemic response into a tool for financial education and empowerment, serving nearly 170 residents in 2024.
(45:36) Why immediate relief should be balanced with advocating for systemic solutions like universal basic income and housing reform rather than relying solely on nonprofit efforts.
Connect with Jamaal Kinard and learn more about Lakeview Neighborhood Alliance.
Strong grant proposals use data to convincingly illustrate the potential impact and effectiveness of proposed programs. Yet, for many grant writers—whether applying for federal, state, or local funding—the evaluation section poses a significant challenge.
In the third installment of the Evaluation series, Drew discusses how to write about conducting data analysis when drafting successful grant proposals.
This episode is for those writing the evaluation section of grant proposals but aren’t necessarily experts when it comes to data and evaluation.
You’ll hear:
(02:22) How to align your data analysis with grantors' expectations and specific requirements.
(03:49) How to define clear objectives and goals to effectively measure and demonstrate program impact.
(05:44) Five ways to present quantitative data even if you’re not an expert in data analysis.
(11:18) How to incorporate qualitative data to provide depth and context to your findings.
(17:27) Why you should address potential challenges and limitations in your data analysis
Check out our recent blog post related to this podcast topic, The Evaluation Section Part #3: Data Analysis for Grant Proposals.
Many children and young adults facing life-altering conditions, from severe illnesses to disabilities, may experience isolation and hopelessness.
Elizabeth Lindsey, co-founder of Dream On 3, joins us this week to discuss their work in bringing hope to these individuals through sports experiences.
Dream On 3 connects these individuals with athletes and teams, showing them that their dreams can come true despite their challenges.
You’ll Hear:
(01:28) A description of Dream On 3’s signature programs.
(08:42) How they measure the success of child and youth experiences.
(13:50) Why storytelling has been imperative in connecting with the community and showcasing the impact of their work.
(16:37) How they conduct follow-up and maintain a relationship with dream recipients.
(21:36) The transformative dreamer experience of a young girl, whose dream of hunting with a professional hunter was realized.
Connect with Elizabeth Lindsey and learn more about Dream On 3.
Sometimes it’s not about doing something new, it’s about doing what you do - even better.
This podcast episode focuses on the importance of maintaining an impact mindset as a nonprofit leader. Drew discusses why it’s important to avoid the temptation of novelty for novelty’s sake and make sure that impact drives the work of nonprofit and public-sector organizations. Drew identifies three traits of impactful nonprofit leaders and shares examples of how these leaders can apply an impact mindset into planning and decision-making.
In this episode:
Listeners will learn about three traits of highly impactful nonprofit leaders:
- Impactful leaders know: It’s not about them.
- Impactful leaders have a north star.
- Impactful leaders align what they’re good at with what the community needs.
Check out our recent blog post related to this podcast topic, 3 Traits of impactful nonprofit leaders.
Charlotte, NC is an “immigrant gateway” that has one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in the country. Over 30,000 students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools speak a language other than English at home. Immigrant students and their parents encounter all kinds of challenges at school, and immigrant youth often lag behind their peers in a variety of academic and social indicators.
To talk about the challenges immigrant families face, we invited Sil Ganzó of ourBRIDGE for Kids to talk about her work in providing services for immigrant and newcomer families to Charlotte, NC. On the episode, she discusses the importance of meeting families where they are, how to truly be community-centered and culturally-responsive, and ultimately how to help immigrant youth feel welcome in a place that can feel very unfamiliar - and at times uninviting - to them. Sil also shares great examples of how ourBRIDGE uses survey and focus group data to gather insights into the immigrant family experience, and how they used empirical data to show how youth and their families enrolled in their programs were able to develop an increased sense of cultural identity and pride. We also discuss the importance of ethical storytelling, building a team for evaluation, and share exciting news about the opening of the new Charlotte is Home Center.
This podcast episode focuses on planning for successful grant writing in prevention, with an emphasis on factors outside the proposal narrative that are critical to success. This podcast was generated following a workshop given by Drew in collaboration with the Southeast PTTC. Though the examples focus specifically on substance use prevention, many elements of this presentation are relevant for grant writing in any field.
Download the Prevention Grant Writing Toolkit which provides a step-by-step guide to winning your next 6- or 7- figure federal, state, or local grant. In this episode:
Listeners will learn how to:
- Identify and select grant opportunities that are a strong fit for their organization. Participants will know where to go to find grants and opportunities for their organization.
- Develop a year-long timeline for grant writing and reports to funders.
- Describe standard components of a grant proposal.
- Prepare pre-written materials that can be modified to meet grant requirements.
- Build a team to write the grant.
- Identify common frameworks, including SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework, to reference when writing prevention grants.
- Organize their work to meet grant requirements.
- Identify community engagement strategies to demonstrate your commitment to the problem and your relationships with existing partners engaging in similar work.
- Build effective partnership agreements to accomplish grant goals and document these through letters of support or memoranda of understanding.
Roughly 1 in 3 Latino adults do not have access to health insurance in Charlotte, NC - a rate much higher than other cultural groups. Lack of access to health insurance coupled with mental health stigma lead to significant barriers for Latino families in accessing mental health services and programs. As we celebrate May as maternal and mental health awareness month, we’ve invited Juliana Lozano of Despierta CLT to talk about her work providing culturally responsive mental health services and reducing stigma. We talk about the importance of community partnerships, use of surveys to gather community feedback and how referral processes can help clients get access to care. Juliana also shares two compelling success stories of clients who have been transformed through the work of Despierta. Roger, Juliana, and Drew also reminisce about songs that bring joy.
On March 28, 2024, the US Census Bureau published a news release that they have issued updated standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting race and ethnicity data.
Because so many nonprofit and public sector organizations base their collection of race and ethnicity data on US Census standards, these changes will likely have far-reaching effects, particularly for those organizations who receive federal funding to provide programs and services.
In this episode, Drew provides a quick summary of the new US Census updates and how you might implement changes in your data collection processes to be consistent with the new standards. You can also read a blog post on this topic on the website.
View the podcast and show notes at www.commongooddata.com/podcast
Please subscribe, rate and review.
How does your organization use data and storytelling to drive positive narratives and engage stakeholders in the “why” of your mission? We are joined today by Becca O'Neill and Stefanía Arteaga of Carolina Migrant Network who talk about their work protecting immigrant communities through the provision of legal assistance and organizing/advocacy work. This compelling episode will help you better understand the challenges facing undocumented individuals, including the difficulties of obtaining asylum and the ways that enforcement and detention can dehumanize migrant communities. We also discuss how data can drive narratives - both negative and positive - and the importance of storytelling in communicating an organization’s mission and values.
View the podcast and shownotes at www.commongooddata.com/podcast
Please subscribe, rate, and review.
Writing federal grant proposals can be tough - especially when it comes to writing goals, defining outcomes, and showing how you will demonstrate your impact. In this episode, Drew dives into tips and strategies for how to talk about data collection in your federal grant proposals. He talks about performance measures, building a plan for data collection, identifying useful data collection tools, and how to align your data collection procedures across your proposal with a performance measures table. Use tips from this episode to help separate yourself from the field and win that next six- or seven-figure federal grant.
Announcing: The Common Good Data Podcast! In our trailer episode, we share how this podcast - designed for nonprofit and government leaders - will help you use data and evaluation strategies to build effective and sustainable programs in the areas of prevention, mental health, human services, and education. Hosted by the dynamic social work duo - Drew Reynolds and Roger Suclupe
What brings you joy in your work? How do you find purpose and meaning in your career? This week, we invited award-winning mental health practitioner, speaker, spiritual healer, podcaster, advocate, and author Erica Sandoval to talk meaning, purpose, leadership, and storytelling in social work practice. Erica shares about her experience as President of NASW New York, her career journey in starting Sandoval CoLab, and her book Latinx/e in Social Work. We also talk a lot about the importance of relationships in social work leadership - and not being afraid to take a new courageous step in your career. Keeping with the New York theme, we talk Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest. At the top we listen to U2’s “Angel of Harlem” and close out the episode with “It’s Tricky” by DMC.
What is the relationship between food and health? Can food be medicine? This week, we invited Matt Pieper from Open Hand Atlanta to talk about food, nutrition, and community health. We discuss research showing the effectiveness of medically-tailored nutrition interventions, we examine the ways social enterprise can support nonprofits and other socially-conscious missions, and we mix it with great music including “TV Dinners” from ZZ Top and “Peaches” from The Presidents of the United States. Check out this great episode!
“How are we going to win what we want to win?” We’re joined by Fred Brooks of Georgia State School of Social Work this month to talk community organizing. We discuss foundational principles in organizing, including the value that people most affected by an issue should be the agents of social change. Fred shared some strategies in canvassing and campaigning using examples from the field - both while working with ACORN as well as examples from recent labor organizing efforts involving teachers, child care workers, and more. We also talk social change music from Bruce Springsteen to the great Bob Marley, and conclude with a Pearl Jam cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Listen to the full episode with music on Spotify Premium.
What are some of the myths of nonprofit leadership, and what are leadership postures that make for effective leadership? This week, we are joined by Michele Reiner of Storied Awareness to talk about nonprofit leadership with a focus on awareness, vulnerability, and courage. We discuss the myths of nonprofit leaders, why nonprofit leaders are leaving the field and what helps leaders be more effective so they can thrive in their roles. We also talk about the importance of support through coaching and building the relationship between the Executive Director and Board Chair. We start the interview with Alanis Morissette and close out by reliving the memories of The Cure and U2.
What are some of the challenges facing youth with respect to substance use? This week, we are joined by Nilda Delgado and Ricardo Torres of the Alianza Coalition who share about their work in reducing substance use among Latino youth. We talk coalitions, reducing access, communications and messaging, and acculturation stress. At the top of the episode, Roger and Drew also each share their top 5 Latin/Spanish language songs of the 80s/90s to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast
So that we can play the music of the 80s/90s right in the episode, we are releasing our podcast on Spotify. Get Spotify Premium to listen along with the music mid-episode.
Roger and Drew also share their Top 5 Latin songs to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month - listen to them all here on our Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZhE6iaEOLWetdj7OLJ5Ay?si=ff811281ac944ff6
How are you building community collaborations in your organization? Who are the mentors and professionals who have guided you in your practice? We discuss these topics and more with Dr. Deidre Carmichael of the Child Welfare Training Collaborative and Project Director at GSU’s Professional Excellence Program. We begin with a conversation on gratitude in professional relationships with Natalie Merchant’s Kind and Generous. We then transition to a great conversation on child welfare, trauma/resilience, community collaborations, and professional development. We then relive the memories of great 80s and 90s songs about family, including Stephanie Mills’s rendition of Home from the musical The Wiz. This is the first of four episodes during our fall season - stay tuned and subscribe!
So that we can play the music of the 80s/90s right in the episode, we are releasing our podcast on Spotify. Get Spotify Premium to listen along with the music mid-episode.
(Interview only) “They have lost faith, and we have lost credibility with them,” shares our guest Men Tchaas Ari of Communities in Schools as we talk about the importance of relationships in supporting student academic, social, and emotional wellbeing in the wake of the pandemic. We discuss educational inequality, achievement gaps, mental health and trauma, and how nonprofits and community organizations can build partnerships with schools to support student wellbeing. Roger and Drew kick off the episode with David Bowie/Queen’s Under Pressure and we wrap up with a celebration of Soul to Soul’s Keep On Movin’. Shout out to Roger’s sister and CIS hero Marianella Echevarria and recent graduates at all grade levels - and enjoy PRIDE month! (Listen to this episode with music on Spotify Premium.)
(Interview Only) Drew & Roger are back! We're launching the Common Good Mixtape where we mix the music of the 80s and 90s with social work and nonprofit practice. We're joined by Edwin Arce Jr. & Patrick Hayes to kick off our segment on mental health to discuss social work practice with veterans. We talk common misconceptions about veterans, the divide between civilians and those in uniform, and how to support veterans experiencing homelessness. We also talk about invisible wounds and the lasting legacy of trauma for veterans returning from overseas conflicts. And we also listen to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA in light of the challenges of integration into civilian life for veterans. (Listen to the music in-episode on Spotify Premium)
New name, new place: The Common Good Mixtape (formerly the Common Good Hour) is now available on Spotify, where you can hear interviews with nonprofit and social sector leaders mixed with your favorite 80s/90s music. Learn more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast
This week, we welcome Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken, George Mitchell, and Hans Peter Schmitz to talk about their book, Between Power and Irrelevance: The Future of Transnational NGOs. We talk about how the “architecture” of the sector - or how nonprofits are set up and function - may in fact get in the way of bringing about the change nonprofits seek. We also discuss inherent challenges in the sector including the tension between advocacy and direct services as well as themes across the sector related to leadership and organizational culture. The episode closes with a conversation on the cars of the 80s, with the Volvo station wagon getting a lot of love!
Atenas Burrola joins the CGH to talk about her work at the Immigrant Justice Campaign working for and with immigrants and offering legal representation to ensure they receive fair and just treatment under the law. We also talk about nonprofits can think about their connection to the community they serve and how nonprofits can navigate advocacy work as a registered 501(c)3. We begin the episode discussing the importance of representation among five areas of your nonprofit: board of directors, staff leadership, front line staff, donors, and volunteers. Roger’s trivia question asks you to dig into the history of the iconic 80s band The Clash.
What’s a “recipe” for success in housing and homelessness in Atlanta? This week, we invite Marc Pollack, developer, investor, community activist, and home chef to discuss his work in affordable housing and his recent new project, the Quarantine Cookbook. In addition to having a fun conversation on cooking, the slow-food movement, and farm-to-table practices, we talk with Marc about his work with https://partnersforhome.org/ (Partners for Home Atlanta), the http://aahfund.com/ (Atlanta Affordable Housing Fund), and https://www.gatewayctr.org/ (The Gateway Center), three organizations working to address affordable housing and homelessness in Atlanta, GA. We begin the episode discussing the role of staff and leaders taking time to know their community - drawing inspiration from the phrase, “good shepherds smell like their sheep.” Roger also shares this week’s trivia question that will test your knowledge of 90s baseball trivia.
How do the best nonprofits define, know, and serve their community? This week, we invite you to reflect on how you define community in your nonprofit, and how you navigate knowing, serving, and working through issues of insider-ship and outsider-ship as a professional nonprofit leader. For our guest interview, we welcome Whitney Jackson and Monica Akerele this week to talk about the work of https://wdc.org/ (Warrick Dunn Charities) in providing access to affordable housing for single mothers and low-income families. Whitney shares the importance of following up with families, supporting them through difficulties, and providing financial literacy and affordable financing as critical pieces to solving the affordable housing crisis. Roger also shares this week’s trivia question that will test your knowledge of 90s basketball movies.
How do we overcome indifference? This week we invite Sam Stanton and Cecilia Espinoza, two former Maryknoll Lay Missioners as they describe their work providing social and family services in the community of Nirivilo, near Linares, Chile, during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. They share their experiences of cross-cultural encounter through international exchange programs and mission trips and share what they have learned when working across cultural difference. Sam and Cecilia also share their love for Chilean folk and protest musicians and the role of music in inspiring social change. Drew and Roger share a new 80s/90s trivia questions and Roger shares an inspiring story of kindness from a former Common Good Hour guest.
How do we practice encounter? What does it look like, and what specific practices help create it in our daily work in the nonprofit sector? We begin this episode talking about how to integrate courage, mercy, generosity, humility, and fidelity into our everyday nonprofit practices. We also invite Dr. Marcus Mescher, author of https://www.orbisbooks.com/the-ethics-of-encounter.html (The Ethics of Encounter: Christian Neighbor Love as a Practice of Solidarity), to deepen our understanding of encounter and to share an ethical framework for advancing the Common Good through solidarity. Dr. Mescher shares how nonprofits play a critical role in bringing people together across sectors to solve challenging social problems. We conclude by taking a moment to remember the 539 thousand people who have passed away due to Covid-19 over the past year, especially Norma Suclupe, Roger’s mother, for whom this episode is dedicated.
This week, Drew and Roger share practice stories and highlight how moments of encounter often come through ordinary interactions. Anne Archer Dennington and Floyd Hall of https://fluxprojects.org/ (Flux Projects) discuss how artists serve as our community’s best storytellers and documenters of culture, as well as how public art creates spaces of encounter. Alexander “COSTxONE” Acosta of https://www.soulfoodcypher.com/about (Soul Food Cypher) describes how a cypher builds community with youth through celebrating identities and drawing upon the positive aspects of hip/hop and rap. Cost also talks about how cyphers, rap, and hip/hop serve as medicine and spiritual practices for the black diaspora communities. Don’t forget this week’s trivia question featuring an actor from John Singleton’s 1991 film Boyz n the Hood.
This week, we begin a new series focusing on the theme of encounter and the idea that all good social sector practice begins with and is rooted in relationship. We share three key aspects of encounter that every helping professional can integrate into their practice. In addition, we invite Karen Mariner, Jeff Lax, and Suzanne Boyd of the https://www.nationalmssociety.org/ (National Multiple Sclerosis Society) to share their work supporting individuals living with MS. They discuss the challenges faced by MS patients, highlight the work they are doing to build a national network of support services, to advocate for new legislation to support the MS community, and to support cutting-edge research that will lead to a cure, Be sure to participate in this week’s Betcha Don’t Remember to test your knowledge of the iconic 80/90s band, the Beastie Boys.
Over 5 billion people lack access to surgery worldwide, posing a massive global health challenge. This week, Drew shares about his work https://www.childspringintl.org/ (Childspring International), a global health nonprofit based in Atlanta which just completed its 5,000th pediatric surgery this month. Drew describes Childspring’s projects in pediatric orthopedics, cardiology, plastics, and general surgery and the organization’s growing focus on supporting medical capacity building. He also describes how he integrates a lens of accompaniment when working with children, families, and communities seeking access to surgical care. Be sure to participate in this week’s Betcha Don’t Remember to test your knowledge of the #1 billboard song of 1997.
We’re joined this week by Gerard Littlejohn, Executive Director of the https://www.stevesmithfamilyfdn.org/ (Steve Smith Family Foundation) and co-host of the podcast https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-cut-to-it-featuring-steve-71209583/# (Cut to it) with former NFL player Steve Smith Sr. We kick off the podcast talking about Gerard’s work in East Charlotte, where his organization supports housing challenged students connect to class during Covid-19 through the innovative https://www.stevesmithfamilyfdn.org/virtuallearning (Virtual Learning Center). We also discuss how the Foundation provides critical holistic health care services to families in the community living on the margins. Gerard then shares his work with Steve Smith Sr. in the https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-cut-to-it-featuring-steve-71209583/# (Cut to It) podcast, and how they weave racial trauma, health, and mental wellness in their conversations with professional athletes.
How are nonprofits and other community organizations accompanying adolescents and college students as they navigate their studies during a pandemic? We are so lucky to be joined this week by Elliot Karp, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, to talk about his work in supporting students on their journey through college. He talks about the importance of creating communities with college students and shares examples from his work supporting Jewish students through the pandemic. He talks about the importance of listening to students rather than prescribing solutions to create moments of authentic engagement. And he concludes reflecting on “Tikkun Olam” - a Hebrew phrase meaning “to repair the world” - and our common call to support others in building the common good.
This week, we invite Rusty Price to the podcast to discuss the work of Camino Community Center, a nonprofit that works in solidarity with the Latino and immigrant community in Charlotte, NC. Rusty describes how the spirit of “dale” - do it! - helps his staff stay mission-focused and open to opportunities of growth and newness. Rusty also describes how Camino transitioned with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic to drastically increase the capacity of its food bank to address rising food insecurity needs among community members. We also discuss the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake by a White police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as well as questions and next steps for nonprofits to consider in continuing the work of advancing racial justice.
This week, we explore how working families with young children are navigating the Covid-19 pandemic. To do this, we’ve invited social worker Jamie Lackey, CEO of https://paddlefish-cobalt-sn35.squarespace.com/podcast/2020/08/31/When%20moms%20can%E2%80%99t%20afford%20diapers,%20who%E2%80%99s%20there%20to%20help%20them? (Helping Mamas), to share about her work supporting families in Georgia and beyond. Helping Mamas is a nonprofit that aims to provide diapers and baby supplies to families on the brink. On this episode, Jamie shares what’s she’s hearing about the challenges faced by families who may lack baby supplies and other basic needs. She also shares how as a leader of a nonprofit organization she has been navigating fundraising, donor and volunteer engagement, and providing services through the pandemic.
This week, we explore the immigrant experience in the United States through the lens of film and storytelling with director, cinematographer, and interactive storyteller Theo Rigby. We begin with Rigby’s film Waking Dream, which follows 6 young undocumented people with DACA permits over two years and highlights how they navigate their documentation status in their day to day lives. We then explore Sanctuary Rising, a film about two families staying together in the face of deportation and the communities of faith that accompany them through sanctuary. We discuss a number of topics including the complexity of legal status, the challenge of the term “the American Dream”, and what it means to be an ally working alongside undocumented and mixed status communities.
Policy is often discussed a national level. But most social policy that actually impacts the lives of those served by nonprofits and other social sector organizations happens at the state and local level. With the social transformations currently being brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and #BlackLivesMatter, we invited two professionals to discuss their policy and advocacy work in the areas of mental health, criminal justice, and more. First, Valerie Arendt, Executive Director of NASW North Carolina, discusses the critical role NASW has played in making state-level changes to policies in telemental health, criminal justice, and school social work. She also shares perspectives on racial justice and the social work profession. We then invited Kathy Rogers, Executive Director of Mental Health America Central Carolinas, to share resources for community mental health wellness and discuss the importance of prevention in mental health work. We also remember the life and legacy of Representative John Lewis and his call for all of us to make “good trouble” for social change.
Many cost-burdened families were struggling with housing, childcare, and utilities payments before the pandemic. How is Covid-19 affecting the working poor, and what can we do to help? To answer this question, we've invited Tchernavia Montgomery, Chief Program Officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry, to talk about the challenges many families are facing and how her organization is working to provide financial assistance and resources to families on the brink. Tchernavia also talks about inequality through the lens of racial disparities for Black families - and how working to reduce poverty must also address systemic racism. We also invited Chuck Jones, Executive Director of Commonwealth Charlotte, to talk about financial wellbeing and education for cost-burdened families. Chuck talks about how his work makes banking and financial products more accessible to working families. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast. Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share. The Common Good Hour is hosted by Drew Reynolds, Roger Suclupe, and Keri Revens. Produced by Common Good Data. ©2020 Common Good Data Consulting, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
Fundraising is a challenge for many nonprofits, particularly during Covid-19. On this episode we invited Maria Azuri from Network for Good to share strategies for effective fundraising during the pandemic, with a focus on how to get beyond the grant cycle and fundraise with the long-term in mind. She also talks about the importance of cultivating relationships with individual donors as a key piece to the fundraising puzzle. We then spoke with Greer Hannan from St. Vincent DePaul of Louisville, Kentucky, who discusses a new grant her organization has received to support individuals at the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness. She also shares her expertise on how to prepare a successful HUD grant application. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast. Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share. The Common Good Hour is hosted by Drew Reynolds, Roger Suclupe, and Keri Revens. Produced by Common Good Data. ©2020 Common Good Data Consulting, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
Mental health providers have moved online. But what's working, and what do we need to work on to improve telemental health practice? We invited Dr. Sonyia Richardson, Owner of Another Level Counseling and Consultation and Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte School of Social Work, along with clinician Matthew Mills to share their experiences using telemental health tools in their practice with clients of color. They also discuss the death of Gregory Floyd and the collective trauma caused by systemic racism from a mental health lens, sharing strategies for engaging in conversations about race and racism in practice settings. For our second interview, we invited Erica Gregory, Owner and Clinical Director at John’s Creek and Alpharetta Counseling for Children and Adults, to share about the work she has done to adapt her practice through social distancing to meet the needs of the clients she serves. Erica also talks about how the pandemic affects the mental health of families and children, and how her organization is finding innovative ways to provide mental health services to first responders, medical professionals, and individuals who have lost employment. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast. Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share. The Common Good Hour is hosted by Drew Reynolds, Roger Suclupe, and Keri Revens. Produced by Common Good Data. ©2020 Common Good Data Consulting, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
On this Memorial Day we invite veteran Army physician, pandemics expert, medical advisor, and consultant Dr. Michael Consuelos to the podcast to talk about the impact of Covid-19 on family and child mental health. We also explore the effects of collective trauma on family wellbeing before diving in to deep questions on health/behavioral health care systems integration and how nonprofits and social sector organizations can support their staff through the crisis. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast. Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share. The Common Good Hour is hosted by Drew Reynolds, Roger Suclupe, and Keri Revens. Produced by Common Good Data. ©2020 Common Good Data Consulting, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
How are nonprofit and social sector organizations responding in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic? On our first episode, we interview Callan Brown, Program Director at the Nonprofit Center of NE Florida who shares innovative ways nonprofits are navigating the pandemic. We also hear from Brad Firchow, health communications specialist, who provides a framework for how to communicate during as crisis - and answers question we're all having about how to create safe and healthy workplaces. Learn more about this episode and more at www.commongooddata.com/podcast. Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share. The Common Good Hour is hosted by Drew Reynolds, Roger Suclupe, and Keri Revens. Produced by Common Good Data. ©2020 Common Good Data Consulting, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
On the trailer, Drew, Roger, and Keri share a little about the Common Good Hour and tell a few jokes while reminiscing about the music and television of the 80s and 90s. Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and sign up for updates at https://www.commongooddata.com/podcast
Tish Guerin is an innovative Mental Health and Wellness Clinician and also the first full time in-house Mental Health Clinician to be hired by a National Football League (NFL) franchise, The Carolina Panthers. She specializes in program development, life transitions, sports therapy, anxiety, depression and professional burnout. Over the course of her career, Tish has been able to guide thousands of individuals and many organizations through periods of transition, equipping them with techniques and propelling them through an array of challenges, while remaining focused on optimal growth. Tish’s work is guided by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Crisis Intervention.
On today’s podcast, Judge Cureton and Dr. McCarter joined to discuss racial justice and the social determinants of health. Both speak about their careers working to advance the lives of youth of color through programs, services, and the criminal justice system. They also highlight the work of Race Matters for Juvenile Justice (RMJJ) a court-driven organization that works to reduce disproportionality and disparate outcomes for children and families of color through institutional organizing, education, and workforce development.
On this episode, Greg Jackson discusses his work with at-risk youth in northeast Charlotte neighborhood of Orchard Trace Condominiums. He describes the days following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott as a driving force for him to work to build bridges across racial difference in the Charlotte community, and how this experience informs his current work with youth.
On this episode, Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, joins to talk about health, diet, nutrition, and exercise. She discusses the science of physical activity, and what we know about how exercise promotes so many different aspects of health. She also discusses how access and other factors determine one's ability to engage in exercise and how these differences in access lead to health disparities across the life course.
On this podcast episode, Shawna Pagano joins to discuss the work being done in Charlotte to address the challenge of human trafficking. Shawna provides an introduction into types of trafficking (e.g. labor trafficking, sex trafficking), and discusses how her work at Pat’s Place and collaboration with law enforcement is working to address this challenge within the Charlotte community and beyond.
On today's podcast, Ericka Ellis-Stewart joins from Mental Health America to discuss her work in advocating for the health and mental wellness of communities across North Carolina. A tireless advocate for mental wellness, Ericka discusses her work training communities in mental health first aid, engaging communities in suicide prevention efforts, and advancing legislation in local, state, and federal levels to address mental health concerns.
Wendy Mateo Pascual joins the podcast to talk about her work empowering and connecting people and communities. Wendy is originally from Dominican Republic and had lived in Charlotte Region for sixteen years. She shares about her work as a community leader skilled in non- profit organization, leadership development, civic engagement, women empowerment, immigrant integration and networking building.
Dr. Keri Revens joins the podcast as a community-based health researcher with expertise in mental health, population health change, immigrant health, and evaluation. She shares her research on the topic of resilience, and how resilience can help individuals and communities cope with stress, bounce back from challenges, and support one's health and wellbeing in the context of the Latino immigration experience.
Katie Pendergrast joins the podcast with Erin Nasmyth from Adoption Support Alliance. They discuss areas of their work where they help adoptive families through the challenges of building their forever families. ASA provides adoption-competent counseling, support groups for adoptees and adoptive families, classes to educate pre and post adoption and hosts community building events for adoptive families, with a vision to ensure that all adoptive families get the support they need to thrive.
Dr. Vanessa Drew-Branch, Assistant Professor at Elon University and the Owner of VLDrew Consulting Inc., joins the podcast to share about her work in end-of-life care and doula services from a multicultural and culturally inclusive perspective. She also speaks to the importance of mental health care and managing grief, and loss from a holistic perspective.
Will Jones has devoted his career to child welfare, juvenile justice and behavioral health services in residential- and community-based programming. He joins the podcast today to share insight into how to address the social determinants of health across a wide domain of human services work.
Markia Hearst, Kelli Wood, and Jasmine Warren from Pat's Place join the podcast to discuss the impact of child abuse and neglect on the health and wellbeing of children, and offer examples of how we can support children as they navigate a complex system of social care. The conversation continues with an engaging conversation on choosing a career in the helping professions and taking time for self-care.
Award-winning investigative reporter and author Paul Cuadros joins the podcast to discuss migration and the experience of newcomers in the United States. He discusses much of the reporting outlined in his fantastic book, “A Home on the Field: How One Championship Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America,” which tells the story of Siler City, N.C., as it copes and struggles with Latino immigration through the lives of a predominantly Latino high school soccer team.
North Carolina State Representative Graig Meyer joins the podcast to offer examples of legislative solutions that address the social determinants of health across North Carolina. He describes his work across micro and macro levels, using skills to work both with individuals while also bringing a systemic perspective about how policy impacts the health and wellbeing of people. He also encourages social workers and helping professionals to be engaged in the political process and describes how promoting community health is inextricable from engaging in the public sphere.
Shantiqua Neely, Executive Director, and Delana Murdock, Grants and Data Associate of A Child's Place join the podcast to discuss the social determinants of family homelessness. Using examples from their practice and evaluation data, Shantiqua and Delana challenge common perceptions of family and child homelessness and encourage listeners to examine root causes and the social and contextual factors that put families in positions of housing insecurity - while offering avenues for positive support and intervention.
Dr. Travis Hales of the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work joins the podcast to talk trauma-informed care. Dr. Hales provides a brief history and current research on trauma-informed care and shares findings from his research on how organizations can become more trauma-informed.
Federico Rios, the International and Integration Manger for the City of Charlotte, NC, joins the podcast to talk about the structural challenges facing the immigrant community and new strategies to support the health and wellbeing of immigrant communities.
Willie Abel, PhD, joins The Helping Hand Podcast to discuss her nursing research and practice in reducing cardiac disease among Black women with hypertension. In this episode, we'll discuss how high blood pressure can be prevented with lifestyle changes and how social determinants like stress play a critical role in health and wellbeing.
Tianca Crocker, PhD, joins the Helping Hands podcast to share her work and expertise on Digital Inclusion. In this episode, we'll explore how the internet can serve as a tool for inclusion and health promotion, as well as how there remain barriers in access to emerging web-based technologies.
In this opening episode, cohosts Roger Suclupe and Drew Reynolds talk about the BRAND NEW podcast, "The Helping Hands of Our Community: Addressing the Social Determinants of Health". In this episode, Roger and Drew provide an introduction to the social determinants of health framework and discuss how this theme will be explored in future episodes. To learn more about the podcast and to view information about our guests, navigate to thehelpinghandspodcast.com. And remember, strong always, always strong.