Self-Care & Wellness Episodes

If you feel devalued in transactional philanthropy, you're facing a real threat to your purpose‑driven work. You need a new model now. Using Black giving traditions, Heather Infantry , CEO of Giving Gap , shows you how to reclaim your joy, dignity, and worth so you and your nonprofit can create meaningful, purpose‑driven change without sacrificing yourselves. More resources at blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Follow @ blackphilanthropyourstories & @ michelle.renee.jackson (host)

On the eve of his last day with the Hewlett Foundation , Marcus McGrew shows you how to stop running yourself into the ground in philanthropy . Through his story, you learn to spot burnout, interrupt perfectionism, and rebuild healthier habits. This episode helps you claim work-life balance, protect your well‑being, and choose sustainability over self‑sacrifice. More resources at blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Follow @ blackphilanthropyourstories & @ michelle.renee.jackson (host)

In this episode, host Michelle Renee Jackson , MDiv speaks with Karen Isble , Vice President for College Advancement at Kalamazoo College about her work with the Collaborative for Respectful Workplaces in Higher Education Advancement. Karen shares her journey from opera singer and prospect researcher to frontline fundraising executive, offering insight into the often‑unspoken challenges frontline staffers in philanthropy face when their physical and emotional safety is compromised, and bad donor...

What does it mean to center Black women's healing, challenge philanthropy's contradictions, and reclaim joy as a radical act? In this episode of Black Philanthropy: Our Stories, host Michelle Renee Jackson, MDiv, sits down with Dr. Yanique Redwood—author, strategist, and former foundation CEO—to explore the emotional, structural, and spiritual dimensions of Black women's experiences in philanthropy. Dr. Redwood shares the journey behind her powerful book White Women Cry and Call Me Angry, a memo...

What does it mean to lead with courage, stay mission-driven, and institutionalize love in philanthropy? In this episode of Black Philanthropy: Our Stories, host Michelle Renee Jackson, MDiv, sits down with Edward Jones, Vice President of Programs and Philanthropic Advising Services at ABFE – A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities. Edward shares his journey from a temporary role in philanthropy to becoming one of the sector's most respected voices. He opens up about surviving stage fou...

If y ou're tired of code switching to survive at work, especially when employer loyalty isn't guaranteed, Steve Vassor , of Fund II Foundation and DJ, helps you rethink risk: how to decide when a workplace has earned you, when it hasn't, and how showing up as your authentic self in philanthropy can be a smarter career move than playing safe. More resources at blackphilanthropypodcast.com . Follow @ blackphilanthropyourstories & @ michelle.renee.jackson (host)