Stay in Your Lane: What Nonprofits Get Wrong About Growth and Collaboration
In this episode of Built for Good, host Kian Alavi sits down with Manny Hernandez, CEO of The Diabetes Link. Manny shares the evolution of The Diabetes Link, a nonprofit focused exclusively on young adults living with diabetes. The Diabetes Link provides community, clinically validated guidance, and culturally relevant resources so that no young adult living with diabetes has to face these transitions alone.
He discusses how the organization has expanded across major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, while also growing internationally through online communities and university chapters in Canada. A key focus of the conversation is how The Diabetes Link empowers young adults to connect with peers facing similar challenges, reducing isolation and creating long-term advocacy leaders within the community.
A central theme throughout the episode is disciplined focus in nonprofit leadership. Manny explains why organizations must clearly define their core strengths, avoid mission drift, and intentionally partner with specialized organizations—particularly in policy advocacy. Rather than expanding into adjacent areas like obesity, The Diabetes Link prioritizes staying within its expertise while collaborating with external partners who bring deeper domain knowledge.
The conversation also explores the shifting funding landscape for nonprofits. With reductions in federal funding, increased competition for foundation grants, and the rise of AI-assisted grant writing, Manny highlights the growing importance of trust, transparency, and long-term relationships with funders. He also outlines how The Diabetes Link diversifies its funding through corporate partnerships, foundation grants, individual giving, and emerging earned-income strategies such as content licensing and referral-based revenue models.
A powerful story from the episode centers on a student-founded chapter at Columbia University. A young woman living with diabetes builds a campus community from the ground up, which later becomes a lifeline for another student recently diagnosed. Their connection transforms both of their lives and ultimately leads them into advocacy roles within the broader diabetes community.
The episode closes with reflections on leadership and personal growth, emphasizing humility, clarity, and the importance of listening more than speaking. Manny underscores that sustainable impact comes from staying aligned with mission, building strong relationships, and being willing to say no to opportunities that pull organizations off course.
This episode is especially valuable for nonprofit leaders, funders, and anyone interested in building mission-driven organizations grounded in clarity, collaboration, and community empowerment.
Explore The Diabetes Link: https://thediabeteslink.org/ [https://thediabeteslink.org/]
Explore Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC): https://www.diabetespac.org/ [https://www.diabetespac.org/]
Timestamped Overview
00:25:03 Building youth communities across cities and universities
00:25:31 Expansion into Canada and global online community
00:26:23 Expanding into community colleges and trade schools
00:27:09 Workforce readiness and long-term youth impact
00:28:20 Collaboration as the foundation of nonprofit success
00:29:02 Staying in your lane and recognizing core strengths
00:30:21 Partnering for policy advocacy impact
00:31:43 Example: connecting youth to insulin policy advocacy partners
00:33:19 Columbia University student-led chapter story begins
00:35:05 Newly diagnosed student finds community support
00:36:14 “Life is never going to be the same for them”
00:37:00 Funding mix: corporate, foundations, and industry support
00:40:49 Nonprofit funding pressures and increasing competition
00:42:09 Earned income: licensing and referral models
00:45:09 Expense discipline and mission focus
00:47:42 Relationships as the core of fundraising success
00:50:49 The importance of saying no to misaligned funding
00:53:16 Advice to younger self: listen more, speak less
#nonprofit #socialimpact #leadership #fundraising #communitybuilding #healthcare #diabetesawareness #youthdevelopment #collaboration #impact
