Ep 198| Community Care Beyond the 9 to 5 - Lessons for Nonprofits
The Nonprofit Podcast
Conflict, relationships, and sustaining movements
Esther discusses inevitable conflict in community work and the need to maintain relationships to advance shared goals.
Are we overlooking one of the most powerful forces behind nonprofit work?
For many nonprofit professionals, care for community doesn’t switch off at the end of the workday. Long after the job is done, we’re still showing up, supporting causes, helping neighbors...living the values that drew us to this work to begin with.
In this episode, Britt sits down with Esther Saehyun Lee, founder of Elevate Philanthropy Consulting and a leading voice in Community-Centric Fundraising, to explore the deeper motivations that shape nonprofit work - and the often unseen ways those values continue to strengthen communities beyond the 9-to-5.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Why the values that draw people into nonprofit work often show up far beyond the workplace
- How everyday acts of community care reflect the principles of community-centric philanthropy
- Why this “invisible work” carries real value for the communities nonprofits serve
- How recognizing these motivations can reshape the way organizations think about fundraising and leadership
- What nonprofit leaders can learn from the care and commitment their teams bring into community life
The core insight: The work nonprofit professionals do outside formal roles often reflects the same values that power the sector itself - care, community, and commitment to something larger than the job. When we recognize that connection, we gain a clearer understanding of what truly drives nonprofit work.
About Esther Saehyun Lee
Esther Saehyun Lee is the founder of Elevate Philanthropy Consulting, where she works with nonprofit organizations to build fundraising practices rooted in equity, community trust, and the principles of Community-Centric Fundraising. Her work focuses on helping organizations align fundraising with the values of the communities they serve.
Chapters
00:00 Work vs Community: The Two Ways We Show Up
02:28 The Invisible Care That Happens Outside the Job
07:21 Formal vs Informal Community Spaces
12:19 Relationships, Conflict, and Peer-Led Community Care
16:30 Fatigue, Burnout, and Why Community Matters
22:12 Supporting the People Who Do the Caring
What makes Donorbox the Best Nonprofit Fundraising Platform to Achieve Your Strategic Goals?
Easy to customize, available in multiple languages and currencies, and supported by leading payment processors (Stripe and PayPal), Donorbox’s nonprofit fundraising solution is used by 80,000+ global organizations and individuals. From animal rescue to schools, places of worship, and research groups, nonprofits use Donorbox to raise more funds, manage donors efficiently, and make a bigger impact.
Discover how Donorbox can help you help others!
The Nonprofit Podcast, along with a wealth of nonprofit leadership tutorials, expert advice, tips, and tactics, is available on the Donorbox YouTube channel. Subscribe today and never miss an episode.
The AI-powered Podcast Player
