New Study: Cost of Low Wages in Youth-Serving Nonprofits
Fund the People: A Podcast with Rusty StahlShow Notes
Are you concerned about high turnover in youth-serving nonprofits? Wondering why dedicated staff working with vulnerable young people struggle to make ends meet? In this episode, you’ll get findings from groundbreaking research on the wage crisis among youth-serving nonprofit workers in San Francisco, and what can be done to address it. Host Rusty Stahl interviews Madison Holland, founder of the Prosperity Initiative. Madison shares key findings from their recent report revealing that this workforce is predominantly women (69%) and people of color (80%), with over half not earning a living wage, and 40% working multiple jobs to survive. The research identifies how low wages create a harmful cycle: poor staff retention leads to deteriorating service quality, and ultimately worse outcomes for youth. Most critically, this undermines the trusted relationships that vulnerable young people need with consistent adult mentors, the very foundation of effective nonprofit youth work. The conversation explores solutions targeting different stakeholders: government funders must cover full program costs and reduce administrative burdens; philanthropic funders should provide unrestricted multi-year funding; and nonprofits themselves need to leverage collective power by refusing to underprice their services and explicitly prioritizing staff well-being in budgets. Madison emphasizes that investing in the nonprofit workforce isn't just about fairness to workers—it's essential for achieving meaningful outcomes for the young people these organizations serve. Bio: Madison Holland graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Childhood Development emphasis) and Political Studies (Social Justice emphasis). She later earned a Master’s degree in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of San Francisco, focusing her thesis on legislation related to juvenile hall closures. With over ten years of experience working with children in various roles and settings, Madison most recently served as the Director of Advocacy and Government Relations at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. There, she led advocacy efforts, managed government funding, and oversaw mentorship and youth advocacy programs. Madison has been actively involved in the Children & Youth Fund’s Service Providers Working Group for seven years, where she contributed significantly to budget advocacy work, membership engagement, resource and infrastructure development, and more. Madison is passionate about preventing burnout, building a healthier youth-serving nonprofit workforce, and redefining narratives around working in the nonprofit sector. She believes that choosing a career dedicated to serving others should not require sacrificing personal well-being. She was a fundamental part of driving the work to obtain grant funds that led to the creation of the Prosperity Initiative. You can find all the episodes of this podcast plus our blog, toolkit and other resources at fundthepeople.org. And we invite you to learn from all the amazing past guests of Fund the People - A Podcast with Rusty Stahl at fundthepeople.org/ftp_podcast. Resources: Prosperity Initiative - find the report, download related materials, subscribe to their newsletter, and connect with their work. [email protected] Wage Crisis One Pager 2.20.pdf Wage Crisis Report 2024.pdf Findings Summary - Prosperity Initiative.pdf
More from Fund the People: A Podcast with Rusty Stahl
What happens when fear pushes nonprofits to pull back from their missions, and how can the sector respond? In this episode, you’ll get a framework for understanding threats to American democracy and how nonprofits and funders can push back while staying true to their missions. Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman joins Fund the People CEO Rusty Stahl to examine four tests for democratic resilience: free and fair elections, the rule of law, communities’ ability to resist abuses of power, and support for leaders and organizations under attack. Part of FTP’s Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy series, Joe argues that retreating in the face of intimidation puts nonprofit independence at greater risk. He urges philanthropy to stand behind the organizations it funds and calls on nonprofits of every mission to reject isolation, build community, and stand together. From legal defense and donor pressure to neighbors helping neighbors, Joe makes the case for collective action rooted in a shared conviction: nonprofits still have the power to defend democracy and shape what comes next. Download a PDF of the episode transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lXsbmIHtL693H9XEOQqsVdqNG8guGhPa/view?usp=share_link About Joe Goldman: https://democracyfund.org/bio/joe-goldman/ Resources mentioned Joe Goldman, “Hope in the Dark: Four Tests for the Pro-Democracy Movement in 2026,” Nonprofit Quarterly: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/hope-in-the-dark-four-tests-for-the-pro-democracy-movement-in-2026/ “Trump Officials Ramp Up Investigations into Voter Registration Groups,” The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/07/us/politics/trump-voter-registration-noncitizens-investigation.html Free Your DAF — https://freeyourdaf.org/#/ Connect with Joe Goldman Democracy Fund: https://democracyfund.org/ Joe Goldman’s columns in Nonprofit Quarterly: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/series/hope-in-the-dark/ Joe Goldman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepgoldman/ Fund the People Links: Fund the People website: https://fundthepeople.org/ Fund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people Join the FTP Podcast Premium community over on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus content, and more: http://patreon.com/fundthepeople Related FTP Episodes Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Series (Spotify Playlist): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45UnbWYeqzDY9U2DVWDcHm?si=jtviLQ_3RbCuilHzTGpmRQ&utm_source=copy-link&pi=i_mnLbmeTjqnk Level Up: Helping Funders Give More, Faster — with Jodeen Olguín-Tayler, CHANGE Philanthropy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5fImhmrnZXZ1rhdu3UvSfr?si=8EPlBHbhQhSv07OzDgEuYA Minnesota Nice, Nonprofit Fierce: Defending the Sector, Midwest Style — with Nonoko Sato, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3RYBKdgY0yqGOwIRmhzkUY?si=f071f110617e4e87 Silence Isolates, Solidarity Shields — with Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tpJidVf192lowo6vBMmbo?si=e2e08b26ba0d43ad
What if one of the most powerful ways nonprofits can strengthen their workforce is to make people spend less time at work? Today's co-host Dr. Betsy Leondar-Wright (Fund the People) introduces the Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces case studes, which documents how nonprofits are improving job quality and working conditions to increase their impact. This episode focuses on our case study on work time. Adam Jespersen (Montana Nonprofit Association) describes how his organization moved from pandemic exhaustion to a four-day workweek with no reduction in pay—and why the change has stuck. Then Dr. Juliet Schor (Boston College and Four Day Week Global) puts the case study into context. Drawing on research involving hundreds of organizations, she discusses what happens to workers, jobs, and organizational performance when work time is reduced. The episode closes by considering what shorter workweeks could mean for nonprofits in an era of AI-driven productivity gains. Download the transcript in .pdf format. Guests: Adam Jespersen, MBA, became the executive director of the Montana Nonprofit Network after more than a decade of progressive experience in nonprofit leadership. Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, is the Research Director at Fund the People, coordinating the Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces study. A long-time economic justice advocate, she is the author of Missing Class and a co-author of Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? and The Color of Wealth Juliet Schor, PhD, an economist and professor of sociology at Boston College, is a principal researcher on 4 Day Week Global’s international study of companies implementing four day workweeks. She is author of The Overworked American and The Overspent American, as well as the new book Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter. Links to Resources: Flourishing with Fewer Hours - Fund the People Case Study featuring Montana Nonprofit Association https://fundthepeople.org/case-study-hours-of-work/ Upgrading Nonprofit Workplaces - Research series from Fund the People https://fundthepeople.org/upgrading-nonprofit-workplaces/ Montana Nonprofit Association - Organizational website https://mtnonprofit.org/ Four Days a Week - Book by Dr. Juliet Schor https://www.harpercollins.com/products/four-days-a-week-juliet-schor?variant=43110374866978 The Overworked American book by Dr. Juliet Schor https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/juliet-b-schor/the-overworked-american/9780465054343/?lens=basic-books The Overspent American - Book by Dr. Juliet Schor: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-overspent-american-juliet-b-schor?variant=32154061406242 4 Day Global - International support organization for four-day workweek: https://www.4dayweek.com/ Work Four - The National Campaign for the 4-Day Workweek https://workfour.org/ Doing More With Less: Positive Results of a Four-Day Work Week in the Community Impact Sector - Report by Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, April 2024 https://ions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IONS-Possibility-Brief_Spring-2024.pdf All Due Respect appearances on the Fund the People Podcast: From 7% to 107%: Investing in Organizers Supercharges Impact - with Geraldine Alcid (Filipino Advocates for Justice) and Rebecca Gorena (All Due Respect), S9:E16, published 05/06/26, 44 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-7-to-107-investing-in-organizers-supercharges/id1531813289?i=1000766550744 Thriving Wages for Community Organizers - with Gaby Hernandez (Oralé), and Kara Park (All Due Respect), S7:E26, published 06/04/25, 53 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thriving-wages-for-community-organizers/id1531813289?i=1000711155176 Fair Labor Standards for Community Organizers with Kinzie Mabon (All Due Respect) and Kevin Simowitz (All Due Respect), S3:E8, published 11/09/22, 47 min. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fair-labor-standards-for-community-organizers-with/id1531813289?i=1000585612468
Download PDF of episode transcript What does it look like when a major foundation decides that a crisis calls for more than business as usual? Bold but smart!This episode offers amazing insights and inspiration from Brenda Solórzano, President and CEO of The California Endowment. Brenda shares about how philanthropy can respond when nonprofits face rising demand, shrinking resources, and mounting pressure. She discusses how The California Endowment decided to substantially increase its spending, eliminate grantee reporting requirements, accelerate resource flows, and experiment! She explains why the Endowment signed the Level Up pledge and how it's spending the additional funds. For funders and nonprofit leaders alike, this conversation offers practical ideas for moving from risk-aversion toward responsive partnership. Solórzano discusses what it takes to build trust between foundations and nonprofits; why multi-year funding alone isn't enough; how funders can create relationships where grantees feel safe talking honestly about burnout; and why philanthropy may need to rethink payout. perpetuity, and the business model of foundations. She also makes the case that, rather than simply trying to preserve existing systems, funders can help communities build what comes next. For a Guest Bio, please click here: https://candid.org/authors/brenda-solorzano/ Key Links to Resources: Featured Guest & Institution Links: The California Endowment: https://www.calendow.org The California Endowment: Increased Spending: https://www.calendow.org/tce-board-approves-increased-spending/ Level Up & CHANGE Philanthropy Links: Level Up Campaign: https://levelupphilanthropy.org/ CHANGE Philanthropy: https://changephilanthropy.org CHANGE Philanthropy / Our Work: https://changephilanthropy.org/elementor-397/ Trust-Based Philanthropy Links: The California Endowment’s Go! Gifts: https://www.calendow.org/gogifts/ Headwaters Foundation of Montana’s Go Grants: https://www.headwatersmt.org/what-we-fund/go-grants/ Trust-Based Philanthropy Project: https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org CHANGE Philanthropy Member Organizations Links: Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): https://aapip.org ABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: https://www.abfe.org Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: https://www.epip.org Funders for LGBTQ Issues: https://lgbtfunders.org Hispanics in Philanthropy: https://hipfunds.org Native Americans in Philanthropy: https://nativephilanthropy.org National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: https://ncrp.org Neighborhood Funders Group: https://nfg.org Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: https://racialequity.org Women’s Funding Network: https://www.womensfundingnetwork.org Fund the People Links: Fund the People website: https://fundthepeople.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Fund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people Join the FTP Podcast Premium community over on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus content, and more: http://patreon.com/fundthepeople Relevant FTP Podcast Episodes Links: Level Up: Helping Funders Give More, Faster with Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, CHANGE Philanthropy (S10:E01 published 09/09/26) https://www.podpage.com/fund-the-people-a-podcast-with-rusty-stahl/level-up-helping-funders-give-more-faster-with-jodeen-olguin-tayler-change-philanthropy/ Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Funders with Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (S07:E17 published 04/02/25): https://fundthepeople.org/meet-the-moment/ MacArthur President Chooses Courage, Not Quiet with John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation (S07:E27 published 06/11/25): https://fundthepeople.org/palfrey Do Funders Understand the Nonprofit Burnout Crisis? with Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Center for Effective Philanthropy (S07:E01 published): https://fundthepeople.org/funders-understand
Synopsis: In this episode, you’ll learn about a current organizing effort to get institutional funders to ‘level up’ their giving in response to attacks on nonprofits and communities. Host Rusty Stahl speaks with Jodeen Olguín-Tayler (CHANGE Philanthropy) about the Level Up campaign and its three-part pledge, in which funders agree to (1) increase giving for at least two years; (2) move money quickly and equitably to support 'frontline' communities; and (3) share how the commitments are put into practice. The conversation also explores why increased payout rates matter right now; the role of donor advised funds; protecting racial justice grantmaking; and how funders can learn from one another to overcome internal barriers and turn commitments into action. This Season 10 premiere is an installment of our Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Series. In a companion episode (S10:E2) next week, Brenda Solarzano shares why The California Endowment signed the Level Up pledge, and how its moving money in response to the current crisis. Download transcript .pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZpRvZ_zQQQkPSyX9t4FL0Uka0OcQgcAP/view?usp=sharing Guest Bio: Jodeen Olguín-Tayler (she/ella) is Director of Programs and Campaigns at CHANGE Philanthropy, where she supports the Level Up Campaign. Jodeen has served in executive roles in philanthropy, business, and nonprofits for over 20 years with a focus on democracy and an economy rooted in racial and gender equity. Her board service has included Movement Voter Fund, Poder Latinx, Chicana Empowerment Fund, Inclusive Democracy and Climate Equity Fund, and Movement Strategy Center. Her staff leadership has included the National Domestic and MoveOn. Full bio: https://changephilanthropy.org/about/team. Essential Links: Level Up Campaign: http://levelupphilanthropy.org Level Up Campaign email: [email protected] CHANGE Philanthropy: https://changephilanthropy.org/ Fund the People: http://fundthepeople.org Fund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people Fund the People Podcast Premium on Patreon: http://patreon.com/fundthepeople Key Resources from the Episode: Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative: https://www.abfe.org/racial-equity-advancement-and-defense-initiative-readi Free Your Donor Advised Fund (DAF) website: http://freeyourdaf.org CHANGE Philanthropy Member Organizations: Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): https://aapip.org ABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: https://www.abfe.org Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: https://www.epip.org Funders for LGBTQ Issues: https://lgbtfunders.org Hispanics in Philanthropy: https://hipfunds.org Native Americans in Philanthropy: https://nativephilanthropy.org National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: https://ncrp.org Neighborhood Funders Group: https://nfg.org Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: https://racialequity.org Women’s Funding Network: https://www.womensfundingnetwork.org Relevant FTP Podcast Episodes: How Nonprofits Fight Back Against Today’s Biggest Federal Threats w/ Sarah Saadian, National Council of Nonprofits (S9 Summer Bonus, 07.08.26) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-nonprofits-fight-back-against-todays-biggest-federal/id1531813289?i=1000775935067 ‘Silence Isolates, Solidarity Shields’ w/ Tonya Allen, McKnight Foundation (S8:E07, 11.05.25) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silence-isolates-solidarity-shields-with-tonya-allen/id1531813289?i=100073541767 Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Funders w/ Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (S7:E17, 04.02.25) - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-the-moment-a-call-to-action-for-funders/id1531813289?i=1000701886889 Want additional relevant episodes? Add our Defend Nonprofits, Defend Democracy Playlist to your Spotify library: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45UnbWYeqzDY9U2DVWDcHm?si=_KJDjjPpSIKNUdiUIhuDnA
Hi everybody – this is Rusty Stahl, CEO of Fund the People and host of your Fund the People Podcast. Season 10 starts next Wednesday, September 9th. New episodes will be available every Wednesday throughout the fall. So I wanted to say a quick hello to get you ready! As you probably know, Fund the People is the only national organization dedicated entirely to increasing investment in America's nonprofit workforce. Our podcast equips YOU to invest in the nonprofit workforce! Whatever your role in the sector, we provide you with the ideas, research, tools, and leading voices you need to hear in order to invest in the nonprofit people around you! Why does this matter? Because there's a chronic deficit of investment in the nonprofit workforce, which has undermined the effectiveness and impact of the sector for decades. But when nonprofits have the funding and incentive to invest in their people, they can dramatically increases the performance, results, and sustainability! During the current era of political attacks, federal funding cuts; heightened levels of burnout, churn-out, and crisis across the nonprofit sector, investing in nonprofit people is an even more essential strategy to save nonprofit jobs, services, and organizations. Which means it’s time for all of us to learn the art of talent-investing. Thankfully we’re making that easier than ever. As we enter our seventh year of podcasting, the show just keeps getting better and better. More incredible guests. More real talk. More hard-hitting coverage of our sector's workforce issues. In fact, our guests are so great that the show is now ranked # EIGHT on the top list of 100 Best Nonprofit Podcasts in the U.S (FeedSpot). This fall, Season 10 brings you even more wisdom and practical resources from across the sector. So come "find your people" on Fund the People: bee sure to subscribe, listen or watch, and share the show!