Ethical video storytelling for nonprofits with Rachel Jellinek
Release Date: 04/15/2025
Letting Go of the Superhero Myth in Nonprofit Leadership
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Leaning into your humanity as a leader—rather than trying to be a superhero—creates healthier organizations, stronger teams, and more sustainable impact. In this reflective episode of the podcast, Carol Hamilton gathers together a series of “permission slips” shared by past guests: invitations for nonprofit leaders to embrace self-awareness, admit when they don’t know the answer, step away for reflection, build leadership in others, and remember that no one person carries the responsibility for solving every challenge alone. The episode offers a thoughtful counterbalance to burnout...
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Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: 4 Principles to Build Alignment and Impact
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: 4 Principles to Build Alignment and Impact A more effective approach to strategic planning centers on collaboration, shared ownership, and ongoing learning—rather than a top-down process. By designing planning as an inclusive, strengths-based, and adaptive practice, nonprofit leaders can build real alignment and momentum toward their mission. This episode of Nonprofit Mission: Impact explores four guiding principles that shift planning from a check the box exercise into a meaningful, living process. Collaborative by design: Engage...
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Is nonprofit leadership burnout a given? Rethinking the sector's culture
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Creating a healthier, more sustainable nonprofit sector requires shifting away from perfectionism, overwork, and martyrdom toward cultures that prioritize progress, humanity, and realistic expectations. As things fall apart around us, we have the opportunity to reimagine a better sector. In this episode 148, a re-release of episode 104, Carol Hamilton and her guests revisit insights that feel even more relevant in the current context. Center equity, inclusion, and cultural humility as foundational—not optional—elements of organizational culture Name and move away from toxic norms...
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Nonprofit Strategic Planning for Clarity, Alignment, and Focus in a Turbulent World
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Strategic planning at its best offers nonprofit leaders a way to create clarity, alignment, and shared direction in an increasingly uncertain environment. Unfortunately some have experienced strategic planning processes that felt like a really heavy lift—or even found the process and the resulting plan constraining. Episode Highlights 00:03:00 – Common fears and misconceptions about strategic planning 00:05:00 – How strategic planning creates alignment and shared direction 00:07:38 – Planning in times of uncertainty and the reality of disruption 00:09:00 – The value of...
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Strategic podcasting for nonprofits with Andrea Klunder
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
How can nonprofits use podcasting strategically to strengthen community engagement, support learning and evaluation, and build long-term relationships? In episode 146 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, host Carol Hamilton and Andrea Klunder, founder of Creative Imposter Studios discuss: how nonprofits can use podcasting intentionally—not as a shiny communications add-on that fizzles after the original project champion leaves the organization, but as a tool that solves real organizational problems. How podcasting is a flexible medium that can support learning, evaluation, community...
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Podcasthon 2026: Nonprofit Sector Under Pressure: Why It Matters More Than Ever
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
The nonprofit sector is under growing pressure, and this episode explores what’s at stake while making the case for its essential role in filling gaps, strengthening democracy, building community, and driving social change—grounded in a personal story of impact through The Arc of Montgomery County. In this special Podcasthon episode, Nonprofit Mission: Impact host Carol Hamilton situates the nonprofit sector within a broader moment of political and social pressure, naming both the challenges facing the sector and the essential role nonprofits play in society. She: - reflects on the...
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Conferences & Convenings that Engage for Nonprofits & Associations with Lee Gimpel
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Too many nonprofit and association conferences and convenings are built around logistics and tradition rather than purpose and participation. In episode 144 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Lee Gimpel challenge nonprofit and association leaders to rethink how convenings, conferences, and member events are designed. They discuss: why too many gatherings feel like a heavy lift that fails to deliver connection, energy, or real value. why traditional conference formats fall short—and what leaders can do differently. How effective events start with purpose,...
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People Centered HR for Nonprofits with MR Rolfe
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
People-centered HR isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. Learn how nonprofit leaders can build equitable, transparent, and humane people practices that strengthen their organizations, even amid uncertainty and limited resources. In episode 143 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton speaks with Megan Rolfe about: what it really means to practice people-centered HR in nonprofit and social-change organizations—especially small teams navigating limited resources, rising uncertainty, and growing demands for equity. reframing HR not as a compliance or risk-management function, but...
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When Strategy Meets Organization Design for Nonprofits with Jeanne Bell
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Nonprofit organization design is about how an organization works: how decisions get made, how power flows, how people collaborate across boundaries, and how strategy actually gets translated into day-to-day action. In episode 142, of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Jeanne Bell dig deeply into why organization design—often overlooked or reduced to org charts—is actually a missing discipline nonprofits need to truly operationalize their strategy and values. They discuss: How nonprofits are too often stuck in false dichotomies (flat vs. hierarchical), Why too many...
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Practicing Presence in Polarized Times for nonprofits and associations with Danielle Marshall
Nonprofit Mission: Impact
Polarization isn’t just a political issue—it’s a leadership challenge, and this episode examines how nonprofit leaders can respond with presence rather than reactivity. In this “Learning Out Loud" episode of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, host Carol Hamilton and guest Danielle Marshall explore how nonprofit leaders can navigate today’s polarized environment with greater awareness, empathy, and intention. Together they: Explore the tension between “winning” difficult conversations and staying grounded, clarifying purpose, and choosing ‘right relationship’ over being right. ...
info_outlineIn episode 121 of Nonprofit Mission: Impact, Carol Hamilton and Rachel Jellinek discuss the power of video storytelling for nonprofits. They talk about:
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how nonprofits can use video effectively to connect with their audiences,
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How to maintain ethical storytelling practices.
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the importance of focusing on strengths rather than deficits, ensuring those sharing their stories have agency, and balancing emotional impact with authenticity.
The conversation also explores common mistakes nonprofits make when creating videos and best practices for incorporating video storytelling into their communications strategy.
Episode highlights:
Strategic Video Planning vs. DIY Approach [00:06:53]
Key Storytelling Questions for Nonprofits [00:07:11]
Avoiding the "Tearjerker" Trap[00:09:45]
Ethical Storytelling: Moving Beyond the "Savior" Narrative[00:11:58]
Dispelling Myths and Misperceptions Through Video [00:13:54]
Ensuring Storyteller Agency and Power Dynamics Awareness[00:15:27]
Building Trust in the Storytelling Process [00:18:04]
The Role of B-Roll in Video Storytelling [00:18:45]
Common Nonprofit Video Mistakes [00:21:32]
Incorporating Inclusive Voices in Video Content [00:27:45]
The Value of Joy in Storytelling [00:33:33]
Guest Bio:
Rachel Jellinek is President of Reflection Films, a certified woman-owned video production company that does video storytelling and content creation for a variety of mission-driven organizations. Reflection Films does filming and animation, typically for a fundraising, marketing, or training purpose. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts from Harvard University. Prior to Reflection Films, she worked at several nonprofits focused on public health and education. She has served as a health educator for youth and adults; as a director of a literacy program, and as a community relations liaison at MIT. Her experience in the nonprofit world lends itself well to understanding how to tell client stories in an emotionally compelling and entertaining way.
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