The Value of Equity-Based Leadership in Nonprofits

The Value of Equity-Based Leadership in Nonprofits

This episode of Little Bit of Good Presents: The Board Shake Up is a fiery finale on what it truly means to lead with equity, courage, and conviction. Guests ⁠Kishshana Palmer⁠ and ⁠Marie Dautruche⁠ bring bold honesty and brilliance to the mic, diving deep into what equity-based leadership really looks like beyond the buzzwords. Together, they unpack how boards can move from performative inclusion to systemic change, embracing shared power, accountability, and care as core leadership values. With humor, heart, and hard truths, they challenge leaders to reimagine governance through an equity lens and to build cultures where people can lead, and thrive, as their full selves. It’s an unapologetically powerful close to the season, spicy, soulful, and exactly the kind of conversation that reminds us why shaking up the boardroom matters. About the Guests: ⁠Kishshana Palmer, CFRE⁠ is an executive coach, organizational development expert, and CEO of ManageMint, Inc. With over 15 years of experience helping leaders and organizations scale with purpose, she’s a dynamic voice in the nonprofit and social impact sector known for transforming how leaders live and lead. ⁠Marie Dautruche⁠, CAP is a leadership coach, facilitator, and strategist who helps changemakers lead with authenticity, imagination, and integrity. With experience spanning philanthropy, racial equity, and nonprofit development, she guides organizations in building cultures grounded in accountability and collective care. --- Powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Bit of Good⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlebitofgood.org/] Follow us on social! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/littlebitofgood_/?hl=en] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/90398447/admin/dashboard/] Did you enjoy todays episode?! We'd love your thoughts. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and SHARE!

Don’t Touch My Hair: Black Women Owning the Boardroom

This episode of Little Bit of Good Presents: The Board Shake Up is a love letter to Black women in governance, those claiming their space, shaping culture, and bringing others along. Guests Aquanetta Betts and Kenya Roberts open up about what it means to lead boldly and authentically in rooms that weren’t built with them in mind. From navigating bias to building community, they share stories of grace, grit, growth, and how they’re redefining professionalism on their own terms. Together, they explore the power of showing up fully as yourself, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it looks like to build boards that truly reflect the communities they serve. It’s a conversation about leadership, liberation, and legacy, and a challenge to every board to make room for the brilliance of Black women. About the Guests: Aquanetta Betts [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aquanettabetts/], JD, CAP®, AEP®, CFRE, is the Director of Planned Giving at George Mason University and an accomplished philanthropic strategist. A former estate planning attorney, she’s a national leader in charitable gift planning and serves on multiple boards advancing equity and inclusion in the sector. Kenya Roberts [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyarobertscfre/] is a results-driven fundraising executive with more than 20 years of experience leading development teams and campaigns that pair strategy, storytelling, and authentic connection. Passionate about social change, Kenya believes collaboration and bold leadership are the keys to creating lasting community impact. --- Powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Bit of Good⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlebitofgood.org/] Follow us on social! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/littlebitofgood_/?hl=en] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/90398447/admin/dashboard/] Did you enjoy todays episode?! We'd love your thoughts. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and SHARE!

From Passive to Powerful: Keeping Your Board Engaged

Why do board members check out, and how do you bring them back? In this episode of Little Bit of Good Presents: The Board Shake Up, Dr. Renee Rubin Ross gets real about turning seat-warmers into co-owners of the mission. We dig into meeting design that sparks participation (think small-group connection, not endless reports), onboarding that builds belonging from day one, and practical accountability, like clear expectations, attendance tracking, and term limits that actually mean something. Renee breaks board engagement into three levers: formal structures (role clarity, job descriptions, commitments), informal practices (relationship-building, story-sharing, culture statements, meeting agreements), and equity (who’s at the table, whose voices shape strategy). We explore “power with” instead of “power over,” keeping trustees connected between meetings, and why a strong board chair can make, or stall, momentum. Plus, a real-world case of a board shifting from policy-only to true governance by co-creating an authentic ambassador pitch with staff. About Dr. Ross:Founder of The Ross Collective, Renee is a strategist, facilitator, and educator who designs inclusive, participatory processes for boards and staff. She directs Cal State East Bay’s Nonprofit Management Certificate program, teaches Strategic Planning and Board Development, and is a former board member of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. Her work centers racial equity, community engagement, and governance that drives social change. If your board meetings need less rubber-stamping and more shared ownership, this conversation is your playbook. --- Powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Bit of Good⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlebitofgood.org/] Follow us on social! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/littlebitofgood_/?hl=en] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/90398447/admin/dashboard/] Did you enjoy todays episode?! We'd love your thoughts. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and SHARE!

Governance Reimagined: Community Led Leadership

What happens when boardrooms make space for humanity? In this transformative episode of Little Bit of Good Presents: The Board Shake Up, Ananda Valenzuela challenges the traditional nonprofit power structures that keep governance tied to hierarchy and distance from community. Ananda explores what happens when leadership becomes collective, care-centered, and accountable to the people it serves. Drawing on years of experience as an interim executive director, facilitator, and coach, Ananda unpacks how organizations can move from “power over” to power with, fostering equity, trust, and liberation in practice, not just in mission statements. Together, we explore what community-led leadership really looks like when boards share decision-making, reimagine accountability as love in action, and build governance ecosystems that reflect the communities they serve. About Ananda: Ananda (any pronouns) provides interim executive leadership, facilitates organizational transformation, and coaches values-aligned leaders. They are passionate about building joyful, equitable, and liberatory organizational cultures. With over a decade of experience supporting nonprofits, Ananda currently serves as Practitioner-in-Residence at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and has served as interim executive director for multiple organizations. A native of Puerto Rico, Ananda brings a global, justice-rooted perspective to leadership, governance, and organizational care. --- Powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Bit of Good⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlebitofgood.org/] Follow us on social! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/littlebitofgood_/?hl=en] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/90398447/admin/dashboard/] Did you enjoy todays episode?! We'd love your thoughts. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and SHARE!

Turning Boards into Fundraising Powerhouses

“I hate asking for money.” Brian Saber has heard it all, and he’s here to turn that anxiety into confident, values-aligned engagement. In this episode of Little Bit of Good Presents: The Board Shake Up, Brian reframes board fundraising as long-game relationship-building and true mission ownership. From introverts to natural networkers, he shows how every trustee can play a meaningful role, cultivating, thanking, inviting, and (when it’s right) asking with clarity and care. About Brian:Brian has spent his entire career raising major gifts and leading nonprofits, from student caller to two-time executive director to overseeing major and principal gifts across the Midwest for Brandeis University. Today, he trains boards and staff, builds major-gift programs, runs campaign studies, and coaches executives around the world. As co-founder of Asking Matters, he created an accessible, web-based training hub built especially for small and mid-sized organizations. He’s the author of Asking Styles: Revolutionize Your Fundraising and Boards and Asking Styles: A Roadmap to Success, with Rubber Stamps Don’t Fundraise out this fall. When he’s not teaching, Brian’s a proud dad, yoga and puzzle devotee, volunteer CASA, and active arts/community advocate. Listen in for practical ways to activate your board, without cornering friends and family, and build loyal, long-term support for your mission. --- Powered by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Bit of Good⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlebitofgood.org/] Follow us on social! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/littlebitofgood_/?hl=en] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/90398447/admin/dashboard/] Did you enjoy todays episode?! We'd love your thoughts. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe and SHARE!