Power Station

What compels men and women to leave their home countries behind to migrate to the United States? Oscar Chacon, executive director of Alianza Americas, has made it his mission to answer this question for our elected leaders whose policies determine the quality of life for some 22 million Latin American and the Caribbean immigrants, the largest segment of America’s foreign born population who now reside in the U.S. As Oscar shares on this episode of Power Station, until America’s leaders understand the political, economic, and environmental conditions in El Salvador, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico, and other countries of origin, they cannot fully appreciate what drives migration. He defies conventional advocacy strategies by sending American policy makers to embed with families and communities in Latin America and bringing Latin Americans to tell their stories in America. Alianza is a safe space for Latin American and Caribbean leaders of community based nonprofits here to tackle inequities both in the US and

Consider the implications of undertaking a 10-year strategic plan during a global pandemic. The Greater Washington Community Foundation did just that, bringing its intentionally diverse constituency of civic, business, nonprofit and community leaders together to inform the process and vision. In the Washington DC region, the pandemic exposed the thin economic margins, structural racism, and lack of access to resources that Black and other communities of color have grappled with in and around our nation’s capital for generations. As Tonia Wellons, President, and CEO of Greater Washington Community Foundation explains on this episode of Power Station, the moment created an opportunity to engage its unique cohort in building on the Foundation’s core competencies, identifying barriers to economic justice, investing in groundbreaking solutions, and aligning itself with change making, high impact nonprofits. Tonia breaks down how closing the racial wealth gap is embedded in every issue the Foundation tackles and in

In 1996, a small group of Asian American civil rights leaders in Washington, DC stepped up to launch a new and inclusive organization, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. The vision was to create a home for, and combine the forces of, a diverse constituency that includes South Asians, East Asians, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders and more to ensure that their voices and expertise were heard and included at public policy making tables. NCAPA is now where 40+ national AAPI nonprofits with expertise in healthcare, education, immigration, housing, and technology make recommendations and, when needed, demands to the White House, Congress, and federal agencies. This work is critical to raising the profile, needs and contributions of communities that too often have been invisible to decision-makers. In this episode of Power Station, National Director Gregg Orton, who learned the hard scrabble but exhilarating world of policy making as a Congressional staffer, shares NCAPA’s recent accomplishments. Afte

  In 1996, a small group of Asian American civil rights leaders in Washington DC stepped up to launch a new and inclusive organization, the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. The vision was to create a home for, and combine the forces of, a diverse constituency that includes South Asians, East Asians, Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders and more to ensure that their voices and expertise were heard and included at public policy making tables. NCAPA is now where 40+ national AANHPI nonprofits that advocate for advancements in healthcare, education, immigration, housing, and technology make recommendations and, when needed, demands to the White House, Congress, and federal agencies. This work is critical to raising the profile, needs and contributions of communities that too often have been invisible to decision-makers. In this episode of Power Station, National Director Gregg Orton, who learned the hard scrabble but exhilarating world of policy making as a Congressional staffer, shares NCAPA’s most rece

The story of Mothers Outreach Network is about what happens when women stand up for other women who live in poverty and are entangled in the child welfare system. It is about being a Black mother in Washington DC where 13% of families live under the federal poverty guidelines and face a loss of benefits when they get a job or their income increases. It is about moms who lack the basic resources, including strollers, needed to navigate their daily lives. Melody Webb, a Harvard trained public interest lawyer, founded Mother’s Outreach Network to build economic security and power among women in these circumstances. It took a global pandemic and the death of George Floyd to push the philanthropic sector to deepen their investments in Black-led nonprofits, including Mothers Outreach Network. In this episode of Power Station, Melody shares stories about women who are blossoming as advocates who testify before the DC City Council to identify policy solutions. She explains how Mother Up, her new pilot project that ta

The most powerful advocacy begins at home. This is the case for Staci Lofton, who loved growing up in Queens, New York but realized as she got older that her family and neighbors had to leave their community to buy groceries, find a doctor and connect to the many resources needed to maintain their lives. As Staci explains on this episode of Power Station, her experience is shared by countless other underinvested Black and Brown communities that lack what research has determined is necessary to thrive: clean air, open spaces, healthy food, a safe environment, and access to community-based health care. As Senior Director of Health Equity at Families USA, a powerhouse national nonprofit, recognized for its leadership in bringing the Affordable Care Act over the finish line and making Medicare drug price negotiations possible, Staci is driven to preserve and expand on these achievements. She talks about what is at stake in our upcoming elections, including women’s bodily autonomy and funding for community health

There is power that comes from privilege and position and there is power that communities who have been excluded from decision making tables, claim. It is built over time with a commitment to meeting needs, creating personal bonds, and deepening community connections. This is the origin story of MANA, the oldest and largest Hispanic Women’s nonprofit organization in the nation. Amy Hinojosa, MANA’s dynamic, and inspiring CEO knows that her influence in the halls of Congress and in the White House is powered by MANA’s impressive footprint of on-the-ground Latina-led chapters and affiliates. On this episode of Power Station, Amy talks about MANA’s impactful initiatives, including Hermanitas, the only mentoring program in the nation created by Latinas for Latinas. It has been, most recently, a critical lifeline for middle and high school girls navigating mental health challenges spurred by isolation and social media during the pandemic. Over time it has generated thousands of Latina change makers, from educators

Let’s be real: If you work for a nonprofit with a social change mission you are probably not averse to taking on challenges. Whether a nonprofit’s charge is tackling hunger, homelessness, or access to healthcare you must be prepared to help people in crisis, provide resources, build community power and advocate for policy solutions. The truth is that nonprofits exist to take on deep-rooted problems that the private market will not solve. But where corporations are capitalized at levels needed to build a robust infrastructure and attract expertise, philanthropic support for nonprofit grantees is not commensurate with their capacities or the urgency of their mission. This tired and harmful paradigm is being brilliantly disrupted by Andrea Levere, a legend in the field of asset building and now, the founder and CEO of Capitalize Good. In this episode of Power Station Andrea shares her experience with making wealth inequality a national talking point and breaks down her blueprint for Enterprise Capital, a new mod

America’s housing affordability crisis is a well-documented reality not just in gentrifying cities but in virtually every corner of this nation. The persistence of the problem is particularly frustrating because we have proven policy solutions in hand, largely generated by nonprofits and community leaders. What is lacking is full-on political will at the federal level to break through barriers and make housing an accessible and affordable resource. Community Land Trusts, which have deep roots across the globe, were put on the map in the United States by civil rights icons Charles and Shirley Sherrod. Their founding of New Communities in Albany, Georgia, motivated by the violent displacement of Black farmers from their land and informed by their time on kibbutzim in Israel, galvanized a modern movement for the communal stewardship of land and housing whose affordability is permanent. In this episode of Power Station, Tony Pickett, CEO of Grounded Solutions Network, a powerdul cohort of CLT leaders, shares his

America’s progressive movement is a big tent of organizations and leaders whose passion for democracy runs deep. Imagine a Venn diagram with one circle representing these organizations and the issues they tackle, from choice, the environment, healthcare and housing to LGBTQ rights, labor rights, and immigration. A parallel circle would display the legislation and public investments needed to protect people and the earth. What is in the intersecting circle? As Daria Dawson, executive director of America Votes, explains on this episode of Power Station, it is voting for progressive changemakers. Every election, whether for president, city council or state election administrators, is our collective opportunity to make our beliefs and expectations known. This juncture is where America Votes thrives. Now in its 20th year, America Votes is the coordination hub for the big tent, the apparatus that labor unions, national and community-based advocacy oriented nonprofits look to for guidance and to make their on-the-gr

We want to believe that all children in America, from birth through high school, are  equally positioned to learn, dream, and thrive. The reality, which is well-documented through unassailable data collected by Kids Count, a national initiative funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is starkly different. As Kimberly Perry, executive director of DC Action says on this episode of Power Station, the input into our children isn’t equal so the outcome isn’t going to be equal. A failure to invest in quality childcare, public schools and out-of-school resources in Black and Brown communities is a direct result of public policies rooted in racism, leaving a legacy of discrimination that is embedded in our public systems. DC Action is dissecting these systems to better understand what is working and where change is needed. It works with parents and young people to create policy solutions and push for their passage into law by the DC Council and Mayor. DC Action is both a resource to lawmakers and a formidable advoca

The data tells the story: In the United States, 44 million people, including 1 in 5 children are food insecure, lacking the food and nutrition needed to thrive. This population includes not only individuals and families living in poverty and experiencing homelessness; it also extends to our employed neighbors, family members and the co-worker in the next cubicle. Until our national leaders fully invest in policy solutions that lift families out of poverty and make our transportation, health, and housing systems more equitable, hunger will persist. In fact, as L. Ron Pringle, President and CEO of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a North Carolina based nonprofit, explains on this episode of Power Station, the hardest part of his job is trying to convince people, from policymakers to corporate leaders, that hunger is a real issue. At the Food Shuttle, Ron and his team have created an eco-system of programs that feed people in need today while advocating for the elimination of hunger tomorrow. Feeding, teaching, growing

Facts matter. Data eclipses narratives steeped in bias, providing the foundation for policy solutions to economic inequities. At the Brookings Institution, a preeminent global think tank, scholars conduct research, generate data, and share knowledge for the purpose of improving policy and governance in America and around the world. That includes Senior Fellow Dr. Andre M. Perry whose research focuses on the value of assets, from homes to businesses and infrastructure, in American Black majority cities. His work exposes a devastating devaluation of assets, an underpricing of homes by 23%, robbing Black communities of some $156 billion in lost equity. As he shares in our conversation and in his tremendously important book: Know Your Price, Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities, these dollars could have financed millions of businesses, college educations, replaced water pipers in Flint, Michigan and more. His book bring policy to life by following his own trajectory as an infant raised by El

When Darryl Maxwell explains, on this episode of Power Station, that I in 7 Washingtonians are lawyers, I am taken aback. Yes, the federal government is our largest employer and many law firms are headquartered here but the abundance of expertise does not make access to justice equitable for all. The DC Bar Pro Bono Center exists to galvanize the legal community, from law firms to the Department of Justice, as volunteers, providing civil legal services to low-income people facing eviction, immigration challenges, child custody disputes, and denials of public benefits. It does the same for nonprofit organizations, a critical sector here, and small businesses striving to operate with limited resources in a regulated marketplace. As Director of Nonprofit and Small Business Legal Assistance, Darryl was my lifeline while establishing Power Station as an LLC. As he points out, supporting the legal needs of nonprofits that advocate for DC residents is another access to justice touchpoint. The same is true for small

Every person has a story to tell and the same is true for organizations founded by local leaders to tackle inequities in their communities. In Power Station’s first episode of 2024, the remarkable Lynn French shares both her own origin story and that of Hope and a Home, the changemaking nonprofit she leads. Her personal journey started in segregated Washington, DC where she grew up in a family of educators and civil rights activists who embraced the ethos of standing up for what is right. During her tenure in city government, Lynn pushed bureaucratic boundaries to bring equitable community development to Washington DC. She drafted the Homestead Preservation Act, allowing nonprofits to reclaim abandoned homes for families locked out of the housing market. When she retired from government, she was asked to lead Home and a Home, a nonprofit that emerged from the closure of Junior Village, an orphanage that systemically abused vulnerable children and families. Now Lynn French strengthens families by providing sta

On this 300th episode of Power Station, I am joined by my friend and colleague John Holdsclaw. Over the twenty plus years I have known John he has excelled as an organizer, public policy advocate, and leader in financial services that deepen racial and economic equity in under-resourced Black, Latino, Indigenous and AAPI communities. John launched Rochdale Capital, an emerging CDFI, with its strategic partner, National Cooperative Bank, to provide capital to enterprises, from affordable housing to health centers and grocery stores, structured as cooperatives and other forms of shared ownership. He views CDFIs not as an industry but as a movement that uplifts communities traditional banks have failed to serve. Take Rochdale’s investment in a line of credit for All-In Groceries, a store that was 58 years in the making in Waterloo, Iowa’s East Side, a neighborhood marginalized by decades of redlining and racism. This is the community and life-changing work that motivates Rochdale Capital’s fully engaged staff an

At a time when even faith is politicized it is essential to our nation that the national nonprofit Faith in Public Life persists. It is a safe space for leaders from diverse faith traditions to find common ground and speak out in support of a more just democracy. For almost 20 years FIPL has spoken up for equity and inclusion as champions of LGBTQ equality, immigration rights and strategies for reducing gun violence. Its focus now is on safeguarding voters and election administrators and all who participate in civil life from political violence. And it is supporting the right of all people to comprehensive reproductive healthcare. In this episode of Power Station, Faith in Public Life CEO Jeanné Lewis shares how she is driven by her own faith and a passion for empowering those who have not experienced the confidence and agency needed to act and lead. She further lives her values as a member-owner of Community Grocery Cooperative, a new economic model for bringing groceries to Washington DC’s under-resourced W

If you were to construct an organization with the capability to move bold public policy forward it would have to look like the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). It starts with a critical mission, to ensure decent and affordable housing for lowest income renters. The fact that 7.3 million Americans experience extremely low incomes, or put another way, that this nation has available and affordable housing for only 33 of every 100 extremely low income households has challenged NLIHC to create an infrastructure that optimizes its reach and impact. Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) is one such initiative, launched in 2018 to make affordable housing champions out of leaders from the civil rights, education,’ and health sectors. On this episode of Power Station, Chantelle Wilkinson, OSAH’s exceptional National Campaign Director, tells a powerful story about the national partners, from the NAACP to UnidosUS and the National Education Association that are embracing housing advocacy and elevating affordabl

A conversation with Steve Storkan is an education in the potential of employee ownership to build community, family, and intergenerational wealth. His passion for building a better future for workers was shaped by seeing his own father work multiple jobs to cover a mortgage. He knew that a strong work ethic is not a substitute for the assets needed to ensure a secure life and a viable retirement. When Steve became a certified financial planner, he introduced business owners whose families were not prepared to continue their legacy to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, a retirement plan that allows employees to purchase a company from the selling shareholders. As founder and Executive Director of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, Steve advances the mission of worker ownership through the creation of state-based centers. They are a resource for business owners to learn about this formula for wealth transfer and for new businesses to begin their journey as worker owned cooperatives. This episode of Power

There’s more to Capitol Hill than elbow jabs between elected officials and performative press conferences. Every day, members of Congress who take public service seriously take on our most consequential social and economic challenges. Pull the curtain back further and you will see nonprofit leaders who bring shared values, expertise, policy solutions to these decision makers. On this episode of Power Station, Eric Mitchell, President of the Alliance to End Hunger, shares his organizational strategies for tackling hunger at home and across the globe. It starts with building a powerful coalition of leaders from the corporate, faith-based, NGO, agricultural and academic sectors who are unified in their support for anti-hunger and anti-poverty policies and investments. Their work is vital to the futures of the 44 million Americans and 780 million people globally who experience hunger. Right now, the Alliance is laser-focused on modernizing the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), a