Nonprofit Nation with Julia Campbell

Episode Summary: "Finding Your Place In The Movement: A Conversation with Rachel D’Souza"

Date: October 27, 2025
Guest: Rachel D’Souza, Founder of Gladiator Consulting, candidate for Missouri House of Representatives, and Community Centric Fundraising Global Council member

Episode Overview

This insightful episode features Julia Campbell in conversation with Rachel D’Souza. The two leaders discuss what it means to be a changemaker in the nonprofit sector today, how to find your unique place within social impact movements, and the overlapping roles of leadership, collaboration, fundraising, and digital community-building in effecting systemic change. Rachel shares her journey from nonprofit leader to political candidate, and together they dig into community-centric fundraising and strategies for nonprofits to adapt, collaborate, and thrive in a rapidly changing and often divisive world.

Key Discussion Points

Rachel’s Journey: From Nonprofits to Political Candidacy

• Rachel shares her personal and professional background, including her pivot from law school to nonprofit leadership and eventually founding Gladiator Consulting.
• Quote:

  “A lot of folks think about assets of organizations as only financial. And I've really found myself so deeply connected to the people assets in our community.” — Rachel (04:34)

• Her consulting work has evolved from fundraising into broader themes including strategy, organizational culture, and leadership development.
• Rachel discusses what propelled her toward public office: a desire to bridge the understanding and collaboration gap between the nonprofit sector and government, and to ensure public policy genuinely supports the crucial work nonprofits do.
• Quote:

  “For most of my life, even since I was a little girl, I have really sought to be a bridge between people that either don't understand each other, not communicating well with each other. And so I'm really looking at this opportunity not only as a way to represent the constituents ... but also to look at the organizations ... and get nonprofits, at least at a state level, more resources for them to continue to do this work.” — Rachel (07:34)

The Case for Nonprofit Voices in Government (08:54–11:11)

• Rachel emphasizes the unique perspective nonprofit professionals bring to public service, especially regarding the sector's value, challenges, and chronic underfunding.
• She highlights recent disconnects in Missouri’s legislative process, where policies approved by voters have been disregarded by officials—a motivator for her run.
• Quote:

  “I do think that in a representative democracy, your elected officials should make sure that they are doing what their people, their constituents ask of them.” — Rachel (09:56)

Finding Your Place in the Movement (11:12–12:28)

• Rachel encourages listeners to recognize that movements need diverse participation—leaders, volunteers, advocates, and those who know when to step forward or step back.
• Quote:

  “When I say no, or when I say I'm going to shift, that gives another person the opportunity to say, now it is my time and now it is my turn.” — Rachel (12:18)

Evolving Philanthropy: Community Centric Fundraising (13:17–19:20)

• Rachel describes the origins and expansion of the Community Centric Fundraising (CCF) movement, which seeks to shift philanthropic practice from charity and transactions to justice and systems change.
• She notes a growing curiosity among nonprofits in operationalizing these principles and shifting from donor-centric to community-rooted approaches.
• Quote:

  “How do we truly ... move away from the idea of charity and handouts to systems change, justice and liberation, which are really big words, really big concepts.” — Rachel (13:53)

• Julia and Rachel stress the importance of organizational self-examination, risk-taking, and bringing staff and community members into experimentation with new approaches.

The Need for Genuine Collaboration (20:53–23:29)

• The guests agree the sector’s competitiveness over limited resources constrains impact, and call for more authentic collaboration and abundance-minded thinking.
• Julia references data suggesting billions of dollars of generosity are “left on the table” due to sectoral silos and narrow thinking about giving.
• Quote:

  “Most people consider themselves generous, but a nonprofit isn't the core focus of that generosity. ... We actually do not make it easy for people to be generous.” — Rachel (21:54)

Nonprofits: Making Generosity Easy (23:29–25:27)

• Rachel recounts a personal story about how rigid fundraising systems can literally obstruct generosity, underlining the need for flexible, donor-friendly approaches.

Role of Social Media in Movement Building (25:27–36:07)

• Julia and Rachel examine how nonprofits can use social media to build community and trust in an era when digital algorithms often profit from outrage and division.
• Rachel urges nonprofits to approach online communication with curiosity, listening, transparency, and ethical storytelling.
• Quote:

  “We need to be curious about everything we see, even if we agree with it, even if it makes us feel good.” — Rachel (27:10)

• She shares an example where organizational accountability and transparent online dialogue after a social misstep actually strengthened community trust.

The Power of Value-Added Content (31:40–33:47)

• Rachel and Julia discuss organizations like A Mighty Girl, which have built followings by consistently providing resources and engaging content, leading to strong supporter loyalty and fundraising results.

Perseverance and Adaptability in Social Media

• Both stress the importance of experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from failures—especially for stretched-thin, understaffed nonprofits.
• Quote:

  “When I say be curious, I also mean take risks. ... You also want to learn what people aren't super into, right?” — Rachel (33:47)

• “You do not have to be slaves to the algorithms, friends. That does not have to be our story.” — Rachel (31:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When the time is right, the universe will make the space. So it must be our time to ... be in relationship with each other.” — Rachel (02:56)
• “If you want something done, give it to a working mom.” — Rachel (13:17)
• “There are thousands of entry points into making your organization more community centric or more equitable. You just have to assess where you are and pick the one thing. ... Because it is a culture of philanthropy, but where philanthropy means its root cause, which is love of humankind.” — Rachel (19:21)
• “Generosity actually doesn't wait for permission. If as a nonprofit, I'm not making it easy, people are going to continue to be generous ... And also we're not going to be the ones that experience it.” — Rachel (21:54)
• “Trust is fully decimated across the sector … It's just ... trust in nonprofits is down, I think a lot due to the rhetoric … and the federal government right now.” — Julia (36:07)

Key Timestamps

• 03:35: Rachel’s story: how family and education shaped her career shift
• 05:23: Launching Gladiator Consulting; how the work has evolved
• 06:14: Reflecting on public policy and the social safety net
• 09:56: Civic disconnect in Missouri spurring Rachel’s candidacy
• 13:36: The birth and growth of Community Centric Fundraising
• 17:27: How nonprofits start adopting community-led practices
• 21:54: Opportunities and barriers for generosity in the nonprofit context
• 25:27: Social media’s double-edged sword for movements and advocacy
• 29:48: Case example: Humanizing stories and learning from missteps online
• 31:34: Social media best practices—listening, experimentation, resisting the algorithm
• 37:18: Rachel’s closing challenge for the sector: “How do you move forward when the world is changing quickly?”
• 39:09: Excitement for the Nonprofit Social Media Summit and building something new together

Closing Thoughts & Calls to Action

• Rachel invites listeners to approach change with curiosity, bravery, and a willingness to be uncomfortable—to find their unique way to move movements forward together.
• Both Julia and Rachel express excitement about the upcoming Nonprofit Social Media Summit and urge listeners to register.
• Rachel encourages the audience to connect with Gladiator Consulting, her newsletter, and her local political campaign (while making clear these endeavors are separate and compliant with relevant laws).

How to Connect

• Gladiator Consulting Newsletter: gladiatorrds.com
• LinkedIn: Gladiator Consulting and Rachel D’Souza
• Instagram: @ConsultingGladiator
• Rachel’s Campaign: racheldsouzaforMo.com

This episode is a must-listen for nonprofit professionals seeking practical inspiration, a path forward in uncertain times, and concrete ideas for making social impact work more collaborative, responsive, and just.