Nonprofit People to Pay Attention to in 2022

Check out the nonprofit changemakers, fundraisers, founders and leaders I'm paying attention to in 2022.

My eyes and ears are always open. I’m like a sneaky watcher of all things nonprofits. I read all of the articles, I search all of the hashtags, I listen to all of the podcasts. 


And it’s then - that when I see or hear someone in the nonprofit sector doing something smart, saying something unique, or just doing something really well that I pay attention. It often results in me going down a long rabbit hole where I eventually have to decide: do I want to follow this person?


With that - here is my list of people who I’ve said “yes” to (in my own brain of course).


People I’m paying attention to in 2022:


MEET IARA PENG | Nonprofit leader & social entrepreneur


By the grace of the LinkedIn gods - I came across Iara and her work at JustFund, an organization built to streamline the grantmaking process for both organizations AND funders (so smart, right?). One of the reasons you almost never hear me talking about grant writing is because of the hoop-jumping nonprofits often have to go through to successfully get a grant. For me, I’d rather teach my clients how to execute a killer campaign, launch a monthly giving program or make a giant 7-figure gift, but what Iara and her team are doing is changing my mind. According to their recent stats, JustFund’s community is now 5,162 organizations strong alongside 725 funders. My favorite thing I learned in 2021 about Iara and her team at JustFund? They moved $100M+ to chronically underfunded communities. 


Quick hits: 



MEET MOLLY DAY | Advocate & accidental CEO 


I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Molly when we both worked for an organization called LIFT. A few years and one beautiful daughter later - Molly found herself as the COO of PL+US: Paid Leave For the United States. After a founder transition, Molly is now the Executive Director who is leading an organization at the forefront of keeping paid family leave in the Build Back Better plan trying to make its way through policy makers. When I tell you that Molly is putting in triple time to make paid family leave a reality for all Americans - I’m not exaggerating. Between doing media blitzes with 30+ outlets in a day or hopping on the train to DC get a chance to converse with Senator Manchin - Molly and her team are pulling out all of the stops. If and hopefully when paid family leave passes - I know who I am thanking first. 


Quick hits: 



MEET JAMYLE CANNON | Nonprofit founder & youth development radical


Jamyle is a nonprofit founder of an organization on the West Side of Chicago called The Bloc. He is all the things you would expect a boxer to be: patient yet fierce. I wouldn’t want to challenge Jamyle in anything - from fundraising to parenthood because I know he’ll have me beat. My favorite thing about Jamyle and The Bloc? He reaches for 100%. 100% of boxers who go through The Bloc’s program graduate from high school and get accepted into college. Not 99%, not 98% but ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. These last 22 months Jamyle has bobbed and weaved his way through this pandemic to keep, The Bloc at 100%. From providing food assistance to the families of the fighters to putting the facility back together after an unfortunate robbery. It’s a no excuse, just keep showing up kind of attitude that is definitely worth a follow. 


Quick hits: 



MEET BECKY EDICOTT & JON MCCOY | Big dreamers with even bigger hearts


If you have even a toe dipped in nonprofit fundraising, you’ve likely crossed Becky and Jon and their incredible podcast: We Are For Good. They mix their fundraising chops (both worked in house as fundraisers for many years) with a heart-centered approach to provide nonprofit leaders and fundraisers with the tools and stories they need to feel empowered to be the best at whatever version of the job you want to be the best at. And they are just getting started. In addition to dropping 3 (yes 3!) mouth-watering episodes each week featuring nonprofit leaders and changemakers, they also launched PRO or as they like to call it, “It’s Netflix for nonprofit education.” And that’s what they’ve done in the last year which is why I have my eyes on them to see all that they will accomplish in 2022. 


Quick hits:


MEET BREAUNA ARTEESE DORELUS | Community centered straight talker


Breauna is the founder of Connecting the Cause, a volunteer engagement consultancy dedicated to community-centered service. Her mission is to lead with the community held at the center and in a way - she acts as both a guardian angel and mama bear. And like any good mother - she shoots it straight. As someone who has more than once left reading one of her posts feeling triggered - after sitting in that discomfort - she has taught me so much. Especially when it comes to the “give back” mentality. If you are a donor, board member, volunteer and especially if you are a nonprofit fundraiser - you need to be following Breauna’s work. 


Quick hits: 


MEET SIERRA LADUKE OF NEW STORY | Taking social media to the next level


Unless you are living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the rapidly growing nonprofit New Story that is aiming to end global homelessness via their innovative 3D printing technology. Storytelling is at their core and just recently they brought on the talented Sierra to oversee social media for the brand. When I say they have set a new bar - I’m not exaggerating. Their Reels are on point and I see they are innovating over on TikTok too (which I predict to be H-U-G-E in the next 12 months). With Sierra leading the social media charge, I know New Story will reach a wider (and younger) audience that will sign up as champions for the organization for years to come. 


Quick hits: 


MEET COMMUNITY CENTRIC-FUNDRAISING | The future of fundraising 


In 2020, there was thankfully a huge awakening (for me!) when it came to the power dynamics in philanthropy. One of the resources I uncovered and still continue to learn from is the group behind Community Centric Fundraising which teaches about a fundraising model that is grounded in equity and social justice that prioritizes entire communities over individual organizations. One thing I’ve found really helpful is hearing stories and experiences from folks in the BIPOC community. I’ve also appreciated tactical changes that any organization can make to incorporate this model into their fundraising practice. For example, treating a $5 donor the same as a $5,000 donor, paying client/member participants for their time if you need to for example, to collect stories of impact or one of my favorites - eliminating sponsorship levels. There is a lot to be learned and this comprehensive resource has so many tools you can dive into. 


Quick hits: 


MEET MARIA OCHOA | Bilingual social media and marketing strategist


Maria is the powerhouse behind Emprender Creative, a social media and marketing agency providing bilingual services. She nearly blew my socks off when she let me know that by providing resources and information in English only - there is a massive amount of people unable to access my content. Same goes for your donors. It spurred a serious self-reflection about access in general that ranges from language to disabilities. If you are a nonprofit that serves a Spanish speaking community - I highly recommend you reach out to Maria and her team to help you make a bilingual strategy for 2022. 


Quick hits:


MEET THURMAN & TORRENCE THOMAS | Brothers + Founders of Tankproof


I first heard about Tankproof through Sara Hale of Austin Angels. They had partnered on some swim lessons and the former swim instructor in me (it was my summer job for like 6 years) ears perked up. I went to their Instagram page and was struck by their branding (obvi). After some digging, I learned that 64% of minority children do not learn how to swim and black children are 5.5x more likely to drown compared to white children. To me, this is a perfect example of seeing a very specific problem and then working to solve it. And now, Thurman and Torrence can’t be stopped. What started in 2011 has grown to programs across nine cities in 2022. I’ve taken a personal interest into this organization and if you’d like to learn more about what the Thomas Brothers are building you can do so here. 


Quick hits: 

fundraising, nonprofitsJessica CampbellPeople to pay attention toComment