In this episode, Jay discusses artificial intelligence tools with Michelle West,  founder and President of Chamber Speak. Michelle shares her thoughts on how to use AI tools to save time when you’re busy or short on resources. She and Jay discuss ways to prompt AI tools to produce rich, helpful information that saves time in the long run. Using AI in this way can also help chambers segment their audiences, identify their target audience, and tailor their messaging so they reach the right...

In this episode, Jay engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Mark C. Perna, the founder and CEO of TFS Results. Together, they delve into the intricate relationship between workforce development and generational disparities. Mark, a passionate advocate for bridging the gap between education and employment, shares his insights on the vital role of workforce development in shaping the future. Focusing on Generation Z, hailed as the "benchmark generation," Mark and Jay dissect the unique...

Join us for an insightful episode of The Difference, featuring Chuck Sexton, the dynamic CEO of The Next Move Group. In this engaging conversation, Sexton unravels the intricate aspects of successful economic development. Explore the importance of a clear vision, collaboration among stakeholders, strategic planning, and adaptability in the pursuit of economic growth. Gain valuable insights into the significance of resources, investment, and effective marketing strategies. Discover how regions...

Join us on The Difference as Debbie Irwin, co-founder of the Manufactory Collective, shares the dynamic evolution of this unique shared space for makers and entrepreneurs. Discover how a strategic shift from seeking funds to exploring creative solutions attracted investors and led to collaborations with JMU for a rapid prototyping center. Learn about the crucial role of John Downey's certificate program in the collective's success and the broader vision of fostering entrepreneurship and...

Discover the dynamic world of corporate philanthropy on The Difference! Join us as we chat with Matt Nash, Executive Director of Blackbaud Giving Fund. Learn how this 501(c)(3) charity revolutionizes workplace giving through donor-advised funds and diverse charity options. Uncover the crucial link between executive engagement, a company's purpose, and employee participation in social initiatives. Tune in for insights into driving meaningful change through purposeful giving!

In this episode of The Difference, Beth Napleton, a seasoned leadership coach, shares key insights on leading with empathy and achieving success in nonprofit organizations. She identifies challenges in external factors, team dynamics, and personal struggles. Beth emphasizes the use of personality assessments like Myers Briggs and StrengthsFinder for self-awareness and team improvement. From leadership strategies to fundraising tools, she provides practical advice. Drawing from her...

In this podcast, Jay Langston, Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, shares his rich background in economic development and discusses the profound changes witnessed over the past four decades, accentuated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jay highlights the growing significance of quality of life in decision-making and explores how the Shenandoah Valley, despite its rural setting, has experienced both economic and population growth. He emphasizes the importance of...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Susan Norris, the director of the Pierce County Economic Development Corporation in Nebraska. Susan shares her experience with economic development and rural communities. Susan's insights into how the residents of Pierce County view economic development shed light on the unique perspectives of rural America. She reminds us that it's not all about wealth creation; in rural settings, it encompasses community placemaking, parks, recreation,...

Discover the art of planned giving fundraising with Tony Martignetti, a 26-year veteran in the field and the driving force behind Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors. Tony shares why planned giving remains remarkably stable and discusses how even small nonprofits can launch successful planned giving. Is planned giving really that complicated? With all these myths floating around, it might seem like a tricky road to navigate. Delve into the podcast to have these myths debunked and complexities...

In this episode of The Difference podcast, Dan Rogers, Senior Project Director and Consultant at Convergent joins us for a discussion on redefining homelessness as a humanitarian crisis. Discover why this shift in terminology is significant and gain insights into the challenges nonprofits face in the social services sector when it comes to fundraising. Learn from Dan's experiences coaching nonprofits and how his insider perspective informs effective fundraising strategies. Tune in for an...

Join us on this episode of "The Difference" as we engage in a captivating conversation with Michael Papa, consultant at Convergent and Head of School Emeritus at Bayside Academy. With an impressive tenure of over four decades as an academic leader, Michael Papa possesses a profound expertise in formulating effective funding strategies for independent schools. In this enlightening podcast, we will delve into crucial subjects such as the fundamental pillars of strategic planning, maintaining a...

Join Convergent Nonprofit Solutions for a discussion with Horton Hobbs IV, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Springfield Partnership. As a highly successful economic development leader, Horton has helped to guide Springfield, Ohio through a dramatic revitalization. Thousands of jobs have been created and that’s created an increased need for workforce development and attraction. As an organization, the Greater Springfield Partnership decided to begin by engaging youth in...

Join Convergent Nonprofit Solutions for a discussion with David Thornell, author and expert in economic development, as we discuss his newly released book Small Town Solutions. In this podcast we discuss strategies from Thornell’s new book like how to network your small town, along with his thoughts on new challenges small communities are facing and how to overcome them. Also find out why David Thornell himself prefers to live in small towns. 

Join us in a discussion with John Hull, Executive Director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, as we discuss workforce attraction. Is your community struggling to find its brand for workforce attraction? Then this is the podcast for you. In this conversation with Convergent Principal Jay Werth, he explains the importance of finding your community's brand and how that helps to bring in businesses and workers. John Hull also talks about the importance of attracting workforce through the...

Is your communication strategy leading to significant donations for your organization? If not, Tom Ahern, a noted nonprofit copywriting genius, may have the solution you’re looking for. In this conversation with Convergent Principal Jay Werth, Tom explains how to shift your copywriting to deepen donor relationships, turn donors into investors, and how to avoid the “7 deadly sins of writing the appeal or case statement.” He also elaborates on the power of storytelling and how nonprofits can...

Quality of life initiatives are essential in defining a community's sense of place and attracting and retaining residents. They are also crucial for attracting business investment - a key goal for any economic development organization. Convergent recently partnered with economic development marketing agency Golden Shovel on a whitepaper titled Strengthening Your Community's Competitive Potential By Improving Quality of Life. This episode dives further into this topic with Convergent Principal...

Two former nonprofit and chamber of commerce leaders who are currently in the field fundraising for major organizations join Jay to discuss the FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) that so many are feeling today and how it is (or is not) affecting their funding efforts. Dan Rogers and Doug Croft provided excellent insights in this episode on what investors and stakeholders want to know about a nonprofit in order to fund its future. We  talk "worry fatigue" and close with a great analogy on how...

From steel to a gallon of paint or even the tires for your car, supply chain disruption is being felt all over the country. We welcomed Chris Gullickson, Director of Development and Transportation Policy for the Port of Virginia, and Dennis Fraise, CEO of Lee County Economic Development Group and host of the popular DevelopThis! podcast, to discuss this issue in this episode. Chris and Dennis offer their viewpoints on how communities and businesses are dealing with the friction points in the...

We are joined in this episode by Tina Winner, CEO and Founder of Winner Partners, an executive search and recruitment firm in the economic development, chamber, and nonprofit space. Tina and Jay discuss the importance of being a "super collaborator" and activating relationships as a leader in your community. Tina also shares her experience with the changing face of public-private funding and how that is affecting leadership today. And, of course, we had to dig in to Tina's favorite recruiting...

Tim Kachuriak joins us in this episode for an interesting discussion on Why People Give. Tim is the Founder and Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer for NextAfter, a fundraising research lab consultancy and nonprofit training institute. He has spent his entire professional career digging into this question. Hint: he thinks it's an irrational decision that doesn't make sense. Tim is adamant in his belief that human connections are at the core of philanthropic donations, and there is ONE...

Antony Bell started his consulting firm, Leadership Development, Inc. after noticing that there were more than 64,000 books on leadership and yet still so many of the CEOs and leaders he was working with were struggling. He has consulted for Nike, Bank of America, the Girl Scouts, March of Dimes, the US Treasury, and more. In this episode, he tells us about his leadership framework that applies systems thinking to help drive success at any level, in any environment.  It starts with two...

Bethany Quinn, VP of Content and Strategy from Golden Shovel Agency, joins us to unpack the topic that is on everyone's mind these days: workforce shortages. Golden Shovel has helped hundreds of EDOs and Chambers shape and tell their stories through services including branding, marketing, strategy, web development, and online communications. Workforce shortages are a primary concern for their clients today. Bethany talks about some new solutions she's seeing in tackling this issue from mobile...

Tom Berquist, CMO of one of the largest financial institutions in the Northwest, joined our podcast for an interesting conversation from a funder's point of view. Tom discusses how he developed Boeing Employee Credit Union's philanthropic strategy over the last 20 years—and especially in the last 18 months—aligning their giving with their area of expertise and interest in impacting social justice. Who Tom meets with, who they decide to fund, how much support (and what kind) is offered. All of...

An expert in community growth, author, and respected chamber leader, Casey Steinbacher was a guest on this episode of our podcast.  Casey's book, From Relevant to Essential, talks about how chambers, EDOs, and nonprofits can ensure the critical status they achieved during COVID and work to combine their mission and model for success. Casey shared a few of her mantras on the symbiotic relationship of businesses and communities plus her thoughts on what's on every community leader's mind...