Every organization has a “someday” list.

The rebrand that never quite gets prioritized. The content strategy that’s been “in the works” for three years. The bold idea that came up in a board meeting, got tabled for further discussion — and was never discussed again.

But what if the right time already came and went?

In this episode, Eric and Jonathan go behind the scenes on a project that almost didn’t happen: building Seymour Studios, a turnkey media space designed to make storytelling fast, simple, and accessible for the social impact community in Santa Cruz.

Eric pitched this same concept to another local organization months earlier. They stalled. Jonathan saw the potential, moved on it, and now the opportunities are already flowing in.

They cover:

➔ Why rigid strategic plans often kill the opportunities they’re meant to create.
➔ The hidden friction that stops good ideas from ever getting off the ground.
➔ How to screen opportunities without defaulting to “someday.”
➔ What it looks like to pursue the end goal relentlessly — while staying flexible on the journey.
➔ The early returns from building momentum instead of waiting for perfect conditions.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between vision and execution — or wondered why some organizations seem to move while others stay frozen — this conversation will challenge how you think about timing, risk, and the real cost of deferral.

Stop waiting. Start building.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction: The cost of “someday” and why opportunities rarely wait
• [01:40] The pattern Eric has seen over 16 years of working with nonprofits
• [03:05] How the studio idea came to be, and why another org passed
• [04:38] Jonathan’s lightbulb moment: connecting the studio to a longstanding problem
• [06:18] The hidden friction of media production (and why it kills creativity)
• [08:00] Other flavors of “someday” — board approval, distractions, unclear ROI
• [10:04] Leadership, culture, and organizations in motion
• [14:05] Balancing opportunism with focus: how to avoid shiny object syndrome
• [14:30] Relentless pursuit of the end goal vs. rigid journey planning
• [17:30] Screening opportunities: the donor/supporter “look them in the face” test
• [19:49] Early feedback from the community — and why people see themselves in it
• [22:02] The future of content: accessible, human, less polished, more interesting
• [23:27] The quantity play: why more stories > fewer perfect ones
• [25:00] Challenge to listeners: shed the someday mentality in 2026

P.S. — Feeling stuck between where you are and where you know you could be? Cosmic helps social impact orgs build trust through story-rich brands, compelling campaigns, and values-aligned strategy. Let’s talk about how to get moving: https://designbycosmic.com/

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

In the social impact sector, we talk a lot about systems. Structural barriers. Root causes. Power structures. But I've watched systems-focused thinking become its own kind of trap: top-down, abstract, and alienating the very people it aims to serve.

Because systems aren't just structures and policies. They're people. And you can't change a system by imposing solutions from above. You have to build with the people living inside it.

My guest today calls herself a practical radical. After her father died when she was eleven, basketball saved her. For eight years, she coached high school girls in West Philadelphia, taking a program from 0-18 in her first season to state champions in her last.

But she noticed something: for some kids, sports is a hobby. For others, it's a lifeline. We celebrate the ones who make it out but rarely ask why so many need a lifeline in the first place.

Beulah Osueke is the Executive Director of New Voices for Reproductive Justice and the founder of PILR, a new initiative transforming youth sports into spaces of wellness, equity, and growth.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Introduction

[02:11] How basketball saved her after losing her father

[03:05] Why do we require resilience instead of building better systems?

[05:34] Sports as hobby vs. sports as lifeline

[08:47] From faith-based organizing to reproductive justice

[09:55] Releasing toxic theology

[13:30] "I don't have the answers. People have the answers."

[16:44] The three pillars of reproductive justice

[18:30] The People's Portal: Making social justice accessible

[24:38] Making the movement irresistible

[26:06] PILR: Transforming youth sports

[29:30] Testing assumptions through co-creation

[34:44] Why the most effective leaders are servant leaders

[38:27] Discipline and learning to see rejection as data

[42:47] "What's destined for you is far greater than what you desire"

Notable Quotes

"Why do we require resilience of individual people as opposed to making tenacious structures and systems that look out for the good of people?" — Beulah Osueke [03:05]

"There are some people that get to play sports as a hobby, and there are some people that are playing sports as a lifeline." — Beulah Osueke [05:34]

"I believe in being a practical radical — showing people what's possible through the lens of what already exists and just improving what already exists." — Beulah Osueke [08:00]

"We have to be very careful to build power with our people, otherwise we're going to replicate the very same power structures that we're now critiquing." — Beulah Osueke [25:26]

"You cannot say something is co-created if you're not willing to make shifts once people show up and give you free wisdom." — Beulah Osueke [32:08]

"What's destined for you is far greater than what you desire. This is why surrender is essential." — Beulah Osueke [42:47]

P.S. — Struggling to make your message accessible without watering it down? Cosmic helps social impact leaders build trust through story-rich brands, compelling campa

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

After months away, Jonathan Hicken returns to Designing Tomorrow — and this time, we're recording from the brand new Seymour Studios at the Seymour Center in Santa Cruz.

In this episode, Eric and Jonathan take a real look back at 2025: a year that felt like a grind but delivered surprising wins across the sector. They dig into what the data actually says about giving (spoiler: it's not all doom), why the story you tell yourself shapes your reality, what it means to actually invest in storytelling instead of just talking about it, and the personal lessons they're carrying into 2026.

If you're ready to shed 2025 and enter the new year with big moves and big ideas, this one's for you.

Notable Quotes

"Those beliefs drive your actions, they drive your perception, they drive how you show up in real life, how you show up in your work." — Eric [28:51]
"We just kept banging that drum. We kept banging that drum as long as things were working and we were moving in the same direction." — Jonathan [25:31]
"Everyone says they want to do storytelling. You just don't see it in their investments. You don't see it in their energy. You don't see it in the dollars." — Eric [20:07]
"Vulnerability and radical honesty — it's been a superpower. And it's something I want to carry into 2026." — Jonathan [31:16]
"In my work, I'm seeing these huge wins from these growing nonprofit organizations, and it just gave me a lot of hope and kept me going." — Eric [10:00]

Episode Highlights

0:00 — Jonathan's Back: Welcome to Seymour Studios
2:06 — Looking Back on 2025: What Went Well
3:43 — The $350K House Party and Santa Cruz Generosity
5:00 — Why Jonathan's Been Missing from the Show
6:12 — The Interviews That Kept Us Going
6:30 — Major Donor Giving Is Up (What the Data Says)
7:46 — Should We Worry About Fewer Donors?
9:00 — Client Wins: $13M, $14M, and More
11:00 — How Cosmic Celebrates Client Success
12:43 — Eating Our Own Dog Food: The Case for Support
15:00 — The Questions That Forced Hard Conversations
17:00 — What Even Is a Case for Support?
19:00 — Building a Storytelling Engine (Content Brokerage)
20:07 — Why Most Orgs Talk Storytelling But Don't Invest
22:00 — What Charity Water Knows About Storytelling
23:26 — Getting the Whole Team Aligned
25:27 — Growth Isn't Linear, It's Cyclical
27:00 — Big Moves Aren't Knee-Jerk (They're Secretly Researched)
28:00 — "What If It's Not All Falling Apart?"
30:00 — Turning 40 and the Midlife Recalibration
30:44 — Jonathan on Vulnerability and Radical Honesty
32:00 — Thank You, Listeners — and What's Next

Referenced Episodes & Resources

Fewer Donors, Bigger Checks: Interpreting the Latest Giving Data
https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/nonprofit-donor-trends-2025/

Growth Isn't Linear. It's Cyclical.
https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/growth-isnt-linear.-its-cyclical.

How to Build a Strong Case for Support
https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/how-to-build-a-strong-case-for-support/

Seymour Center Case for Support Example
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Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

What if the biggest barrier to your mission isn't funding, or talent, or market conditions — but the people sitting in your boardroom?

Not because they're bad people. But because they don't have clear expectations about their role. They weren't trained on the very real skills required for governance. And they're shoved into systems that don't allow them to bring their best strengths to the table.

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Acton, founder of Cause Strategy Partners, to explore what separates boards that multiply impact from boards that drain resources. After serving as a nonprofit CEO for 11 years and watching boards either accelerate or anchor organizations, Rob has spent the last decade placing over 3,000 board members across 1,500 organizations — and he's figured out exactly what makes the difference.

It's not about finding wealthy donors or well-connected people. It's about design. Because most nonprofit boards aren't built — they just happen. A friend of a friend. Someone who can write a check. A warm body to fill a seat. That's governance by accident. And governance by accident creates dysfunction by design.

In our conversation, we explore:

• The invisible hand problem: when boards feel like barriers instead of assets [01:59]
• The three foundations of effective boards: expectations, design, and culture [04:43]
• Why you shouldn't apologize for setting high expectations [06:33]
• Building strategic diversity beyond demographics [07:42]
• Getting outside your existing network to find the right candidates [09:46]
• Where to draw the line between board and staff work [10:15]
• The collaboration model: why boards can't set strategy alone (but CEOs can't either) [12:27]
• What fiduciary oversight actually means in practice [13:54]
• The B minus problem: why boards get mediocre grades from their CEOs [14:48]
• Why less than 5% of board members ever receive governance training [17:28]
• Where the buck stops: who's responsible for board training [18:32]
• What crisis reveals about board quality [42:38]
• Why high-capacity people lean in when things get hard [43:36]

Notable Quotes

"I can't think of anything worse than a nonprofit organization — we don't operate around the edges of society, we're taking care of homelessness, kids, the sick, the environment — to have a board that's actually draining resources instead of contributing." — Rob Acton [04:03]

"I've seen people apologize for the roles and responsibilities and expectations. That makes me sad. There's no apology. You're stepping into a role where you'll be one of 10, 12, 15 people shepherding this important work." — Rob Acton [04:43]

"Don't just ask 'who do we know?' Really be thoughtful around what is the right mix of backgrounds, experiences, skill sets, industries that we need represented in these strategic conversations." — Rob Acton [05:11]

"When a board has delegated everything else to the CEO and said 'okay, we'll just raise money,' they've really lost track of their core responsibilities." — Rob Acton [09:18]

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

What happens when organizations can't dream?

Not because they lack vision. But because they're too busy scrambling to make payroll, chasing emergency grants, firefighting the latest crisis. Scarcity doesn't just drain bank accounts — it steals the capacity to imagine what's possible.

In this episode, I sit down with Jamye Wooten, founder of CLLCTIVLY in Baltimore, to explore what he calls "reactivism" and how the social impact sector got trapped in a cycle of moving from crisis to crisis, hashtag to hashtag, never building the institutions we actually need.

After years on the front lines in Ferguson and Baltimore, Jamye stepped back to create what he calls an "imagination incubator" — and he's putting real resources behind it. We dig into what it actually takes to give leaders the space they need to dream, the hidden costs of the grind we celebrate, and why capital (not training) is what builds capacity.

In our conversation, we explore:

• Why scarcity steals imagination — and what that costs us [01:47]
• Creating containers for imagination: CLLCTIVLY's $75K residency program [04:30]
• The capacity building myth: why organizations need capital, not more training [12:22]
• What funders get wrong about outcomes and sustainability [06:08]
• Participatory grantmaking and putting people before projects [09:22]
• How philanthropy shifts priorities every 3-5 years — and why that's devastating [10:09]
• The missing VC-style pipeline for social impact organizations [12:00]
• Partnership vs. paternalism: reimagining funder-grantee relationships [19:27]
• Navigating the DEI backlash and building sustainable funding models [16:31]
• From $5,000 to $1.2 million: how individual donors built Collective Give [19:00]
• Creating power balance in philanthropy spaces [22:12]
• The personal cost: "Dad, you're so close, but so far" [30:44]
• What keeps Jamye going when the work is relentless [29:17]
• Connect with CLLCTIVLY and what's next [33:56]

Notable Quotes

"We've been trying to create a container for imagination and to provide space for other folks to pause and imagine the future that they want to see." — Jamye Wooten [03:43]

"Capital will help you build capacity. What does it mean to get the upfront capital that allows me to go hire my CFO and my CEO and begin to build out a team? Most folks are building as they climb without this type of infrastructure." — Jamye Wooten [13:40]

"We may celebrate the hustle, the bootstrapping and the grind and resilience of community. It will also take you out." — Jamye Wooten [09:45]

"I would love to see foundations and funders make a long-term commitment to really bet like they want organizations to win." — Jamye Wooten [11:22]

"The times are urgent, we must slow down." — Jamye Wooten [29:40]

P.S. — Struggling to align your mission with your message? Cosmic helps social impact leaders build brands that actually reflect the change you're creating. Let's talk about your vision:

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

We break down the 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy with the researchers who created it — exploring what this concentration means for nonprofit sustainability and the future of philanthropy.

There’s a number that keeps showing up in conversations about American philanthropy. And it tells two completely different stories depending on how you read it.

Over the past decade, charitable giving from affluent households increased more than 30%. That’s remarkable. That suggests a sector that’s thriving. Resilient. Responding to need.

But here’s the other story that same data tells.

Donor participation dropped from 91% to 81%. Twenty million American households stopped giving to charity entirely. First-time donor retention? Below 20%.

Fewer people are writing checks. They’re just writing much bigger ones.

So which story matters more? The one about record-breaking totals? Or the one about democratic participation collapsing?

To answer that question, I wanted to talk with the researchers who created the data in the first place.

Amir Pasic is the Dean of Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. It’s the world’s first and only school devoted entirely to the study of generosity. He oversees Giving USA — the longest-running report on American charitable giving.

Bill Jarvis is the Managing Director at Bank of America Private Bank. He’s spent nearly two decades tracking how wealthy Americans give through the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy. He bridges wealth management and charitable giving in ways few others can.

Together, they’ve surveyed over 15,000 affluent households since 2006. Their 2025 findings reveal a sector at a crossroads.

And that crossroads is exactly what we’re exploring today.

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

The biggest barrier to your next stage isn’t lack of vision or resources. It’s the moment you stop imagining what could be and start protecting what already is.

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

In this episode, we're joined by Drew Dumsch, President and CEO of the Ecology School at River Bend Farm in Maine. Drew co-founded the organization 26 years ago with a premise that felt radical then and feels essential now: that ecological literacy — learning to read the landscape the way you learn to read a book — is foundational to creating engaged, compassionate citizens capable of understanding complex systems.

This conversation challenges the assumption that more information will save us. Instead, it offers a different path: one grounded in systems thinking, regenerative principles, and the radical act of kindness in a moment defined by casual cruelty.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why traditional environmental education fails to create lasting change
• The disconnect between climate knowledge and climate action
• Systems thinking vs. factual learning: what creates ecological literacy
• How regenerative principles extend beyond agriculture to learning and leadership
• Building bipartisan consensus in an era of toxic polarization
• The relationship between hope, understanding, and agency
• Meeting people where they are vs. demanding perfection
• Why collaboration (not competition) is the only path forward
• The role of compassion in climate action
• What it means to reimagine the future now, not later

Notable Quotes

"Being told facts is not the purpose of education. Facts are part of becoming a well-rounded human being and an engaged citizen, but I think a huge gap is that as a society, we lack the ability to understand systems." — Drew Dumsch

"You could create sustainability through fascism and cruelty. It may be sustainable, but is that a vibrant community you want to live in?" — Drew Dumsch

"Showing up to work every day is my act of rebellion." — Drew Dumsch

"Hope is based on both understanding of what can be and then agency to be a part of that." — Drew Dumsch

"People want the simple solution. That's boring. I think the level of diversity in solutions is exciting and creative." — Drew Dumsch

Resources

The Ecology School at River Bend Farm
Website: theecologyschool.org
LinkedIn: The Ecology School
Instagram: @ecologyschool

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge
• Maine Outdoor School for All network
• Living Building Challenge

P.S. — Feeling a disconnect between your mission and your brand? Cosmic helps social impact leaders build trust through story-rich brands, compelling campaigns, and values-aligned strategy. Let's talk about how to elevate your impact: https://designbycosmic.com/

Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.

*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!

We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you’d like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.com

Thank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.