There’s no doubt that we’ve moved into a new normal in our culture in the wake of the COVID pandemic. How should we lead in this new normal? Do nonprofit leaders need to shift their leadership style, change fundraising, or retool programs and services?
Rob’s guest today is Gaston Warner, the CEO of Zoe Empowers, a nonprofit organization that envisions children who once lived in poverty becoming entrepreneurs, providers and leaders in their community who know their worth and abilities. Zoe Empowers is the winner of the 2021 .ORG Impact Awards for the category of fighting hunger and poverty.
Gaston explains how Zoe Empowers was initially started in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 2004 and evolved to address the cycle of relief and dependency in Rwandan children by giving them tools to be self-empowered. He shares his greatest leadership challenge as a CEO and why leaders must be passionate, have an all-encompassing view of an organization’s needs and must be a leader among leaders, helping others develop their skills. He also discusses how he manages both doable and destructive stress within the organization by looking for opportunities to improve or create a path forward. Gaston breaks down why nonprofits of all sizes should focus on measurable impact and return on investment instead of low overheads and heartstrings, when it comes to sustainable fundraising. He explains how they have flipped upside down their org chart by starting with participants at the top, and how this structure helped address problems quickly during COVID. Finally, he talks about what leaders and resources have impacted his own leadership growth and how his board members often serve as excellent mentors.
Links to Resources:
Gaston Warner – gaston.warner@zoeempowers.org
Zoe Empowers – https://zoeempowers.org/
.Org Impact Awards – https://orgimpactawards.org
If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at rob@ccofpc.org
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