E39: Corporate Culture and Leadership in Your Nonprofit with Marine Corps Veteran & Founder And CEO of Groundswell, Jake Wood

Lead with Heart | Philanthropy, Nonprofit Leadership, Nonprofit Management & Fundraising

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Welcome back to the Lead with Heart podcast. I'm very honored to have Jake Wood as my guest today. Jake is a Marine Corps veteran and the founder and CEO of Groundswell- a software company that enables companies to help their employees become modern philanthropists by providing tech-enabled donor-advised funds. Prior to launching Groundswell, Jake served as the founder and CEO of Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization that is widely considered one of America’s leading nonprofits.
We discuss scaling an organization, the importance of storytelling in fundraising, developing a strong corporate culture, and the future of philanthropy.
In this episode:

• [01:15] Jake’s background and what led him to found Team Rubicon and Groundswell
• [07:16] Founder syndrome and delegating responsibilities
• [12:07] Instilling a strong corporate culture
• [15:52] Strategies to maintain a strong company culture throughout scaling
• [19:52] Strategies for scaling your nonprofit
• [23:36] The ethics of storytelling
• [27:37] Donor-advised funds and nonprofit collaboration

RESOURCES
CONNECT WITH JAKE
Jake is the founder and CEO of Groundswell - a venture backed software company aiming to democratize philanthropy by building a new category at the intersection of fintech, benefits tech, and charity. Prior to launching Groundswell, Wood served as the founder and CEO of Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization that is widely considered one of America’s leading nonprofits. Before this, Wood served four years in a Marine Corps scout-sniper unit, leading Marines in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a dual degree in Business and Political Science. Jake’s memoir, Once A Warrior, was an Amazon best-seller.
LinkedIn: Jake Wood
Instagram:

My book, Sow, Grow, Lead is live on Amazon! It shares my journey of starting a nonprofit in Malawi and offers practical strategies to help nonprofit leaders turn visions into reality, and create meaningful impact

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CONNECT WITH HALEY
Haley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Stress Management Coach, and EmC trainer. She founded The Savvy Fundraiser, a nonprofit consulting and coaching business, and has experience with nonprofits in human services, homelessness, and youth sectors. Specializing in EmC, leadership, board development, and fundraising, Haley is dedicated to empowering nonprofit leaders to create thriving organizations.
Instagram: @thesavvyfundraiser
LinkedIn: Haley Cooper, CFRE
Website: thesavvyfundraiser.com
Produced by Ideablossoms