Show Notes
Dave LeVan is President and CEO of Water for Good. They transform lives by providing access to reliable water, sanitation, and hygiene in needy communities. He recently led a merger with Lifewater International.
Key Takeaways:
Successful mergers start as honest conversations about where each organization wants to go and what assets they bring, not as a rushed decision to combine. Fear of change is universal, even among leaders who specialize in transformation, so acknowledging loss, grief, and uncertainty is essential. Over-communicating the “why” behind big changes, long after leaders are tired of saying it, is what finally helps staff, donors, and partners internalize the vision. Honoring history and founders while clearly articulating a new shared identity allows people to see the merger as an evolution, not an erasure. When nonprofits collaborate and share proven models instead of staying in silos, they can dramatically increase impact, sometimes doubling the number of people served without doubling revenue.
“People just want to be seen and heard, even more so than they want to be right.”
“We don't have to double our revenue to double our impact.”
“You need to communicate and communicate and communicate and keep sharing that vision.”- Dave LeVan
Reach out to Dave LeVan at:
Website: https://waterforgood.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/water4good/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/water_for_good
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlevan/
More from The Influential Nonprofit
When a donor goes quiet, should you follow up—or let go? This episode explores how to tell the difference between trust, control, and avoidance, and how to act without trying to control someone else’s choice.
Burnout isn’t a badge of effective leadership—and rest doesn’t have to mean stepping away for weeks. This conversation explores practical ways to delegate, challenge assumptions, and help teams navigate change with greater care.
Why do people say yes or pull away even when the choice seems logical? Explore how trust, safety, autonomy, and the freedom to say no shape meaningful decisions.
Running a nonprofit can be lonely, and your board of directors may never think about your growth as a leader. In this episode, Allison Wyatt explains how to build a personal "circle of champions," so you always have someone to call when things get hard.
At 60, Maryanne discovered her hair had been naturally wavy all along — she'd just never created the conditions for it to show. In this solo episode, she turns that surprise into a fundraising lesson: your next donor, partner, and big idea are probably already in your orbit, waiting to be activated.