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In this episode, I bring together four community foundation leaders from across our region for a candid, timely conversation about what nonprofits are facing right now — and what’s coming next.

As needs rise and resources feel tighter, community foundations are sitting at a critical intersection: listening to nonprofits, working with donors, and helping communities adapt in real time. We talk openly about uncertainty, sustainability, collaboration, and why this moment requires new ways of thinking — not just more funding.

This conversation isn’t about one county or one solution. It’s about shared challenges, similarities, unique differences and emerging opportunities, and how philanthropy is evolving to meet the realities nonprofit leaders are navigating every day.

Joining me are Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, Veronica Blake, CEO of the Placer Community Foundation, Amy Pooley, Executive Director of the ElDorado Community Foundation and Jessica Hubbard, Executive Director of the Yolo Community Foundation — four leaders offering perspective, honesty, and insight into how communities can move forward together.

Whether you lead a nonprofit, serve on a board, advise donors, have a fund at your community foundation or simply care about the health of your community, this episode offers both clarity and encouragement at a time when both are needed.

⏱️ Chapter Timestamps

00:00 — Why This Conversation Matters Right Now
Setting the stage: rising needs, limited resources, and why bringing community foundation leaders together matters.

02:10 — What Foundations Are Seeing Across Their Communities
A high-level look at the pressures nonprofits and families are facing.

06:45 — Who Is Being Impacted Most
Discussion on how different populations are experiencing today’s challenges — the impact isn’t one-size-fits-all.

10:40 — How Philanthropy Is Responding in Real Time
How grantmaking, donor priorities, and emergency responses are shifting to meet immediate needs.

15:30 — Short-Term Relief vs. Long-Term Solutions
Balancing crisis response with sustainability, systems change, and prevention.

20:10 — Collaboration, Shared Services, and New Models
Why nonprofits are exploring deeper collaboration — and what’s making it both necessary and difficult.

25:30 — Creating Space for Nonprofits to Connect and Exhale
The often-overlooked value of convening, peer support, and shared learning.

30:20 — Ensuring Smaller Nonprofits Have Access and Voice
How community foundations work to support organizations of all sizes and stages.

35:15 — What Nonprofit Leaders Should Be Watching for in 2026
Emerging trends, uncertainty, and what leaders should be paying attention to now.

41:10 — Looking Ahead: What Foundations Are Doing Differently
Trust-based philanthropy, donor engagement, and preparing for the future.

47:30 — Closing Refle

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...

If a child in our community had nowhere safe to go tonight, where would they sleep?

I'm speaking with Glynis Butler-Stone, CEO of the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento, and Amber Robbins, a nonprofit leader whose own childhood was spent navigating violence, foster care, and multiple stays at the Receiving Home. Together, we explore an 80-year legacy that has quietly supported tens of thousands of kids in their darkest moments—and the funding crisis that now threatens that work.

Glynis shares how the Children’s Receiving Home evolved from a World War II–era shelter into a six-acre campus offering crisis shelter, residential mental health treatment, a trauma-informed preschool and suicide prevention outreach. Amber brings the lived experience—what it felt like to be ripped from her mother’s arms, to land at the Receiving Home in the middle of the night, and to finally feel safe enough to sleep.

We also talk honestly about the policy changes that now limit them to serving just 16 children at a time, leaving 70+ beds empty while kids in our region sleep in cars, police stations, and out-of-county placements. And we dig into the bold vision to reinvent the campus as a housing and healing hub for transition-age youth and families in crisis—if the community can help bridge the funding gap.

If you care about foster youth, childhood trauma, or what real safety and dignity can look like for kids, this conversation will stay with you.

We'll cover:

• How the Children’s Receiving Home grew from a wartime shelter in 1944 into a mental health and healing campus serving an estimated 80,000 children over 80 years
• The reality of abuse, violence, and protective custody from a child’s point of view—and why Amber says the Receiving Home was the first place she truly felt safe
• The current continuum of care: emergency shelter, residential treatment, the Sprouts trauma-informed preschool, and suicide prevention and housing support for foster and former foster youth
• The impact of federal and state legislation that capped capacity at 16 youth, leaving dozens of beds empty while need is rising
• A collaborative effort with nine local nonprofits to map gaps in services and reimagine the campus for transition-age youth (18–24), survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other crises
• The dream of a “Life Academy” where young adults can learn the basics of living on their own—financial literacy, cooking, cleaning, job readiness, and more
• Why private philanthropy, corporate partners, and individual donors are essential to raising $1.5 million in bridge funding to carry this vision into 2026

Learn more & get involved. Visit the website https://crhkids.org/

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...

What if a hospital could transform a child's life in ways you never imagined? Join me on a heartfelt exploration of Shriners Children's Hospital in Sacramento as I uncover the inspiring stories of resilience and hope. I sit down with the Senior Director of Philanthropy, Alan Anderson, who passionately shares how donations fuel life-changing healthcare and research that turns children's struggles into triumphs. Lindsey Wilder joins us to recount her daughter Taelley's remarkable journey from overcoming the challenges of a stroke and hydrocephalus to becoming a bright star of possibility, thanks to the dedicated support of Shriners' staff and therapies.

Discover the unique collaborations that make this children's hospital a hub of innovation and comprehensive care. Nestled near UC Davis, Shriners benefits from the expertise of medical school faculty and partnerships with organizations like Ronald McDonald House Charities. These alliances provide crucial resources such as long-term housing and education for families. We look into the hospital's innovative funding model, which blends insurance revenue, community philanthropy, and historical endowment funds, emphasizing the importance of community support in meeting the rising demand for pediatric services.

As we celebrate Shriners' commitment to empowering young patients, hear about their efforts to expand healthcare access across the nation, alleviating burdens for pediatric specialties. Their multifaceted approach includes supporting children with special needs as they transition to adulthood, fostering self-advocacy and resource awareness. Feel the warmth and kindness as stories of siblings receiving gifts during hospital visits highlight the compassionate environment Shriners creates. With each personal story, witness the profound difference unrestricted donations make, ensuring every child receives the care, love, and opportunities they deserve.

Learn more about Shriners Children's Hospital on their website: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/northern-california

Chapter Summaries:

(00:00) Shriners Children's Hospital Sacramento Journey
(10:06) Pediatric Hospital Collaboration and Funding
(19:57) Expanding Pediatric Healthcare Access
(26:35) Shriners Hospital Funding and Impact
(39:16) Empowering Children With Special Needs
(48:35) Empowering Children Through Hospital Support

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.