We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits 682. Shift 12 — Boards: You Are The Culture Carriers (How Boards and Staff Shape Leadership Together) - Nakia James-Jenkins
Today’s episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking the mindset and strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the full series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.
Shift 12 / Boards Are Culture Carriers
In this final episode of the 12 Shifts series, Jon and Becky close things out with a powerful conversation about boards, culture, and shared leadership — and they’re joined by the perfect voice to put a bow on it all.
They sit down with Nakia James Jenkins, people and culture leader, board chair of STEM From Dance, and partner at On-Ramps, to explore why boards aren’t just governance bodies — they’re culture carriers who shape trust, voice, and leadership, often without even realizing it.
Together, they unpack how boards and executive leaders co-create organizational culture, what it looks like to move beyond outdated, transactional board models, and how leaders can intentionally activate boards as authentic partners in mission, storytelling, and growth. Nakia shares hard-earned wisdom from across the nonprofit, public, and education sectors — plus real, practical ways leaders can redesign board engagement for today’s realities.
If you’re ready to reimagine your board as a source of trust, courage, and shared leadership — not just oversight — this conversation is your invitation.
Takeaways:
- Why boards can only be true culture carriers when CEOs and executive directors create intentional space
- How outdated board models limit trust — and what co-creation with boards really looks like
- What healthy, values-aligned board and executive partnerships require in practice
- How to activate board members beyond fundraising by clarifying expectations and “the ask”
- Why onboarding, training, and ongoing relationship-building are essential to board effectiveness
- How small wins, honest conversations, and shared stories unlock deeper board engagement
Episode Highlights:
- Board Evolution: From Stable Funding to Strategic Redesign (07:37)
- The Gap in Board Role Perception and True Influence (12:18)
- Authentic Mission Connections Through Program Exposure (15:11)
- Healthy Partnerships = Brené Brown's "Rumbling" (16:44)
- Intentional Engagement Beyond Meetings (19:16)
- Activating + Training Your Boards (20:30)
- Activate with Specific Asks and Training (23:31)
- Bring Programs to Boards for Storytelling Power (24:11)
- Nakia's One Good Thing: Intentions, Space, Small Wins (27:03)
Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/682
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