E7 S15 Connecting Communities for Impact

Episode 7 of Season 15 of The Social Change Career Podcast explores what it really looks like to link digital nomads to locally led community impact—moving beyond one-off volunteering toward consistent, ethical engagement. Hosted by Craig Zelizer, the episode features Sabine Bouwmeester, Director of Operations at Digital Nomads for Good, sharing lessons from the field on partnerships, power dynamics, and practical ways globally mobile professionals can contribute meaningfully wherever they live.

Why take a listen:

• You want a practical framework for responsible giving-back as a digital nomad—time, skills, and money aligned to local priorities.

• You’re curious how to volunteer without reinforcing harmful dynamics (and how host orgs can structure roles that truly help).

• You care about community-first models that can work in multiple cities, not just one neighborhood or one moment.

• You’re building an impact career and want a real example of how operations, fundraising, communications, and partnerships fit together in day-to-day social change work.

• You want actionable next steps—where to plug in, what questions to ask, and how to support organizations doing long-term work.

Resources covered in the episode

• Digital Nomads for Good (website)

• Digital Nomads for Good (DNfG official site)

• Digital Nomads for Good (Instagram)

• Get involved / donate

• Children of Medellín – Fundación Caminos

• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

• Sabine Bouwmeester (LinkedIn)

Bio:

Sabine Bouwmeester is a humanitarian and development professional with over nine years of experience across international development, community foundations, fundraising, and communications. She is currently Director of Operations at Digital Nomads for Good, supporting daily operations and partnerships that bridge international volunteers, donors, and locally led foundations in Colombia. You can connect with her here: https://lnkd.in/exf8z9mg.

From 2019 to 2025, Sabine served as International Director at Children of Medellín – Fundación Caminos, a community foundation working with over 500 children in neighborhoods shaped by displacement and violence. Her work included international communication, fundraising, volunteer coordination, project design, and long-term community engagement.

Earlier in her career, Sabine worked as a sports and movement professional, group fitness instructor, and sports broker in Amsterdam-Noord, using sport as a tool for inclusion, coaching, and youth engagement. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural and Social Development from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, with a minor in International Social Development.