NGO Soul + Strategy

Summary In this final episode of NGO Soul + Strategy, Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken sits down with Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International—one of the most recognized and influential global NGOs. Together, they explore what it means to lead transformative change inside a large, complex confederation while navigating a shifting political, economic, and cultural landscape. Their conversation spans Oxfam’s ongoing change journey, its efforts to become a truly global organization roo...

Summary Innovation is often treated as a buzzword—but few nonprofit leaders take a hard look at the cultural, structural, and leadership obstacles that keep it from taking root. In this episode, Tosca talks with Carlos Simon, an innovation strategist and longtime leader at World Vision, about what it really takes to build innovation-ready organizations. From internal mindsets to outdated processes, they explore what’s getting in the way—and what to do about it. Guest Bio: CEO of World Vision ...

In this episode, I speak with Andrew Henck, a scholar-practitioner whose recent PhD research offers a nuanced take on organizational culture in humanitarian NGOs. Together, we explore how culture goes far beyond shared values—it is a lens through which organizations make sense of their reality. They also examine what this means for safeguarding, accountability, and leadership in NGOs, especially amid increasing scrutiny and systemic change. Guest’s Bio Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian Universit...

Show Notes Summary Land rights are at the heart of building a sustainable and equitable future. Yet securing these rights—especially for marginalized communities—remains a profound global challenge. In this episode of NGO Soul + Strategy, I sit down with Amy Coughenour Betancourt, President and CEO of Cadasta, a global social innovation organization dedicated to advancing affordable, accessible land rights documentation. Drawing on her leadership at the intersection of technology, social inno...

Summary What does it take to lead an organization through a responsible and strategic closure? In this episode, I speak with Amy Miller-Taylor, former Executive Director of Global Integrity, about her experience navigating the complex decision to wind down an organization while ensuring its legacy, people, and resources were safeguarded. We explore the financial and strategic challenges that led to this decision, the leadership lessons Amy learned, and how organizations can approach closure a...

Summary: What are the attributes of the modern humanitarian and development leader? Why modern? In what ways? How does one become one? Torrey’s Bio: As a certified coach with twelve years’ experience in international development Torrey Peace facilitates rising and established leaders in the humanitarian and development world to become the leaders they admire, or “people centered leaders.” She has taught and coached over 400 supervisors globally from the UN, INGO and civil societ...

Summary What does the concept of Ubuntu teach us about leadership, community, and the well-being of people in organizations? How can African leadership models inform and enhance global approaches to management and organizational development? How do we navigate the challenges of avoiding romanticizing Ubuntu while honoring its depth and practical value? In this NGO Soul + Strategy podcast episode, Martin Kalugu-Banda, a thought leader on organizational development and leadership coach (among...

Summary How can nonprofit organizations leverage human emotions to enhance the impact of their campaigns? What can NGOs learn from cognitive science to create more effective, empathetic communication strategies during a time of poly-crisis? How can organizations shift from traditional advocacy approaches to more agile, psychology-driven methods for mobilizing communities? In this NGO Soul+Strategy podcast episode, I interview Diya Deb, Executive Director at MindWorks Lab, about harnessing the...

Summary Is it that people resist change? That they fear change? Or rather that people fear loss? As a change management consultant, what is the most difficult or frustrating while supporting clients with change management efforts? What is one word most alive right now in the world of change management support? In this NGO Soul+Strategy podcast episode, I interview Michael Randel, Founder of Randel Consulting Associates, on mastering the ever-complex world of organizational change management....

Summary How should INGOs discern what roles are still relevant, legitimate, and needed, at this moment in civil society history?­­ And which roles they therefore should *stop* playing? Is there more here, over and beyond stopping service delivery? (Which on its own is quite the shift) In this NGO Soul+Strategy podcast episode, I interview Dylan Mathews, Chief Executive Officer at Peace Direct. Peace Direct has been quite vocal, and has acted as a thought leader on this role que...

Summary What constitutes a culture of philanthropy within nonprofits and NGOs? It's a term easily bandied around, but how do I see when it's in place? How has the field of direct giving by small donors, and monthly giving as one donor practice in particular changed in the last 10-20 years? Are there hurdles to be overcome in persuading donors to adopt monthly giving? Finally, there is a lot of discussion about the need for a shift towards ethical storytelling, with local program partic...

Summary Quite a few smaller size social sector organizations assume that program evaluation is too complex or demanding an undertaking for them. Is that the case, though? If we want to introduce program evaluation to staff, leadership, and boards who have not yet been inducted into the importance of program evaluation: what are the most effective questions to generate genuine interest in and motivation to engage in such program evaluation? How can we build a more evaluation-friendly culture ...

Summary Conflict within our organizations: we often don't really want to face them, but they are very much there. The result? Plenty of passive aggression to go around. What are the implications of such forms of conflict avoidance? In other NGOs on the other hand -- especially in the last few years it seems -- internal strife has come out into the open - sometimes spilling into the media in an unwanted fashion. On another note: is interest-based problem-solving still a helpful approach...