Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact
Episodes
Jonathan's Back? Wins, Struggles, and What We Learned in 2025
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After months away, Jonathan Hicken returns to Designing Tomorrow — and this time, we're recording from the brand new Seymour Studios at the Sey...
Design Your Board (Or It Will Design Itself)
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the biggest barrier to your mission isn't funding, or talent, or market conditions — but the people sitting in your boardroom?Not becau...
What Happens When Organizations Can't Dream
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when organizations can't dream?Not because they lack vision. But because they're too busy scrambling to make payroll, chasing e...
Fewer Donors, Bigger Checks. Interpreting the Latest Giving Data.
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We break down the 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy with the researchers who created it — exploring what this concentration means for nonpr...
Why Good Orgs Stall Out
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 wh...
Why Facts Don't Change Minds
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 organizati...
Growth Isn't Linear. It's Cyclical.
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once you see the pattern, you can't unsee it.Listeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.*** If you liked thi...
What Political Campaigns Know That Nonprofits Don't
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Nellis has raised over $1 billion for progressive campaigns and causes. As the founder of Authentic and former Senior Advisor to Vice President K...
What If It’s Not All Falling Apart?
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The dominant narrative this year has been that everything’s falling apart. But what if we're manifesting a social impact doom loop? Why I have ...
The Funder Breaking All the (Fake) Rules
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if philanthropy, as we know it, is a flawed system?In this episode, we're joined by Jen Nguyen, a director at the Stupski Foundation, a uniq...
You Can’t Control Everything (But You Can Control This)
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Reflections on fear, control, and what you can actually do about it. As we head into year-end — often the most high-stakes season in our sector —...
What If the Economy Were Built on Care?
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if everything you’ve been taught about economic progress is wrong?In this episode, Stacey Edgar — social worker turned social entrepreneur an...
The Vision Window is Open...For Now
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How to recognize and act on the rare moments when transformation is possible.Join the conversation on substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/eressler...
Amanda Litman on How Real Change Happens
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if real change doesn't begin with institutions, campaigns, or capital — but with the people we invite into our lives?In this episode, Eric...
What's Your Truth?
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I’m exploring a question that’s been showing up in a lot of our recent work — and in my own thinking:What is your truth?Links: ...
The Power (and Pitfalls) of Partnerships
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves the idea of collaboration — but real partnership? That’s harder.From mismatched visions to unclear roles, even the most well-intent...
How to Build a Strong Case for Support
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Too many social impact leaders step into donor meetings with a bold vision — but an unclear case for why anyone should support it.Your case for supp...
Is Our Obsession with Efficiency Backfiring?
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re constantly told to “do more with less” — but what if that’s the wrong goal altogether?In this episode, Eric and Jonathan challenge the...
Storytelling For Complex Missions
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Too many social impact organizations are stuck trying to explain everything they do — and in the process, end up saying nothing that sticks. When yo...
Pros and Cons of Major Donors
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Major donor funding can feel like the holy grail of nonprofit growth — big checks, deep relationships, and potentially game-changing support. But wh...
Designing Impact Reports That Actually Work
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Annual reports shouldn’t feel like an obligation — they should feel like a gift. But for too many nonprofits, impact reporting is still stuck in t...
How to Sell a Vision Before It’s Real
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Social impact leaders are visionaries — but getting others to see what you see isn’t easy. When your work hasn’t caught up to your ambitions, ho...
Eric’s 3-Part Content Strategy That Works Every Time
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nonprofit leaders know storytelling matters — but many are missing a critical opportunity to move hearts, shift narratives, and deepen support. In t...
What to Do When Funders Say "No"
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Not all “no’s” are equal—and if you’re in fundraising, you know that firsthand.In this episode, Eric and Jonathan unpack the three types of ...
The Sector Is Shifting: Here's How to Lead
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Social impact leaders are scaling back, funding streams are evaporating, and public trust is eroding. In this candid kickoff to Season 4, Eric and Jon...
Stuff We've Messed Up (and Learned From)
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To wrap Season 3, Eric and Jonathan are doing something different — and a little vulnerable.In this raw and unfiltered finale, they look back on the...
Jonathan’s Big Problem
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when your mission is evolving… but your brand, programs, and funding strategy haven’t caught up yet?In this episode, Jonathan bring...
How to Build a Sustainable Revenue Stream
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The funding landscape is shifting, and relying on the same revenue strategies that got you here may not be enough to take your organization to the nex...
Social Impact in the Era of Misinformation & Media Chaos
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are living through the biggest shift in media and marketing of our lifetimes. Misinformation spreads faster than ever, trust in institutions is cru...
Beyond Vanity Metrics: Measuring Real Impact
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most social impact leaders think they’re measuring their impact — but are they really? Measuring impact is especially difficult when change happe...
The Secret Behind High Growth Nonprofits
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nonprofit leaders constantly hear that diversifying revenue streams is the key to financial stability. But what if that advice isn't the whole st...
Rethinking Failure in Social Impact
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Failure isn’t just a possibility in social impact work — it’s inevitable. But are we failing constructively? In this episode, Eric and Jonathan ...
The Last Messaging Framework You’ll Ever Need
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever felt like your messaging isn’t quite landing — like people don’t get it or aren’t inspired to take action — you’re not al...
The Changing Work Culture in Social Impact
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The way we work is changing — fast. Remote work, shifting boundaries, and evolving expectations have reshaped what it means to work in the social im...
Why Confident Leaders Build Stronger Organizations
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Confidence: it’s one of the most critical traits for effective leadership, but also one of the trickiest to master. In this episode of Designing To...
The Right Way to Align Marketing and Fundraising
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marketing and fundraising are the lifeblood of social impact organizations. But too often, they're working in silos, disconnected, or even at odd...
The Art and Science of Trust Building
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trust is not a given — it’s earned. In this episode, Eric and Jonathan explore how trust is shifting away from institutions and toward relationsh...
Why Your Team Is Losing Motivation—and How to Stop It.
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you keep your team energized, engaged, and aligned—especially in the demanding world of social impact? Passion and purpose are key, but they’...
Rewind: When You Should (And Shouldn't) Rebrand
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rewind: This episode was orginally published in Season 2, Episode 1. New episodes from Season 3 will continue to publish next week. — You probably ...
Rewind: How Top Brands Win Your Attention. Every Time.
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
REWIND: This episode was originally released in Season 1, Episode 2. New episodes from Season 3 will drop in 2025. —Today, you’ll consume 74GB of...
Why Most Activation Plans Fail and How to Fix Yours
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is your organization struggling to turn awareness into meaningful action? You’ve nailed the brand and the website, but supporters still aren’t ste...
Ending Low Pay in the Social Impact Sector
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Low pay the social impact sector is reaching a critical point.Leaders and workers alike are grappling with the harsh realities of compensation in an i...
How to Stop Planning and Start Doing
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Is your strategic plan collecting digital dust?"That's the question every social impact leader needs to ask themselves. We've al...
Signs You’ve Lost Touch with Your Community
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you losing touch with your community? It might be time to reconnect.As social impact leaders, we pour our hearts and souls into our work. But some...
Getting Community Input Without Getting Derailed
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"This looks great. Let me just get the board's input."Those words strike fear into the heart of every social impact leader. You've...
The Trap of Transactional Marketing
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you falling into the trap of transactional marketing without even realizing it?In this episode of Designing Tomorrow, we dive deep into why social...
When (and How) to Take Big Risks
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The social impact sector isn’t known for being very risky. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite. Too many orgs play it safe, afraid of over-scru...
When Your Purpose Becomes a Problem
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is your organization's purpose secretly undermining its impact?In our latest episode of Designing Tomorrow, Jonathan and Eric tackle a provocativ...
Brand Building is Hard to Measure. Here’s How You Do It.
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling to measure the impact of your branding and marketing efforts? You're not alone.Ironically, the more analytics tools we have to measure...
Justifying the Investment in Brand Building
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Branding/marketing isn’t going to do anything for your org…if you can’t fund it in the first place. Unfortunately, justifying the investment in...
Why Social Impact Brands Under Invest in Brand and Marketing
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Social impact orgs aren’t known for being great at branding and marketing.But it's NOT just about limited resources — there's a deeper s...
Cosmetic vs. Strategic Branding
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Branding is about far more than just slick, eye-catching aesthetics.What truly transforms an organization is a brand built on vision and strategy. Wit...
How to Get Your Social Impact Flywheel Turning
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you’re just STUCK?Like no matter what you try or how hard you work you just can’t seem to get traction?We’ve all been ther...
Are You Using Your Power or Giving it Away?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Far too many social impact orgs are giving their power away — and they don’t even know they’re doing it. There’s a fundamental tension in the...
Core Values That Actually Work
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Core brand values aren’t just fluffy words you put on posters. But without the right approach, that’s all they’ll ever be. Core brand values —...
What Makes a Great Social Impact Marketing Team?
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What makes an EXCEPTIONAL social impact marketing team?Often, when we get this question from clients, they are trying to determine what ROLES to hire ...
Test Your Niche with These 5 Questions
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s one thing the most successful social impact orgs get right, every time.They truly define and own a niche.Owning a niche as a social impact b...
Embodying Your Brand in Real Life
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your brand is not your logo. It’s not your fonts, or your colors, or your voice. It’s not your content. It’s not your mission. Your brand is:↳...
When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Rebrand
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You probably shouldn’t rebrand your social impact organization. Except, of course, when you really should. (wait, what?)Because when the conditions...
A HUGE Designing Tomorrow Update
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, we're kicking off Season 2 with a new co-host, Jonathan Hicken.Learn about Jonathan’s path to social impact, from being ...
Designing Tomorrow — Season 2 Trailer
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back with Season 2 of Designing Tomorrow, and we’ve got an exciting update. This season, we’re joined by our new cohost, Jonathan Hicken....
Are You Bold Enough To Lead The Conversation?
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is going to be a little different. Because this is the last episode in our first season of Designing Tomorrow. Today, we’re not go...
Stop Chasing Revenue. Learn to ATTRACT it Instead.
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is your social impact brand attracting enough revenue to power your mission and build a healthy, sustainable organization? Or do you feel like you’r...
How to Build a Community People Will ACTUALLY Join
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is community in decline, or is the way we’re participating just changing?The data and statistics, as always, are messy. And there’s valid opinions...
Create LESS Content to Get Better Results
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if we told you that there is a way to work smarter, not harder, with your content strategy that can help you get the absolute most out of each pi...
Why No One Cares About Your Content (And How to Fix It)
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you tired of putting time and energy into creating content that just doesn’t get meaningful engagement from your community?We’ve all been ther...
Are Websites Dead? Not When They Grow Your Revenue Like THIS.
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are websites a dying relic of the internet’s past? With so much of our digital engagement today happening through social channels, there’s an eve...
We’ve GOT to Stop Marketing Like This.
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Picture this: You’re scrolling through your inbox and see a message from an organization you support. But something’s not quite right.The subject ...
The ONE THING All Successful Social Impact Brands Get Right
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s one critical piece of your social impact strategy that you have to get right. When you don’t get it right, it holds back every facet of y...
How Top Brands Win Your Attention. Every Time.
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, you’ll consume 74GB of information. That’s the equivalent of watching 16 movies. In one day. Our inboxes are overflowing, our social strea...
The Modern Playbook for Social Impact Brands
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our rapidly-evolving world, today’s social impact brands are falling behind their profit-driven competitors.The old playbook for creating meaning...
Introducing Designing Tomorrow
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some social impact brands thrive, while so many others fail to get traction, build support for their cause, and make meaningful progress toward...