685. Begin Again: Reclaiming the Nonprofit Sector as Essential, Not Supplemental - Analía Weber, La Familia
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Today, Jon and Becky sit down with Analía Weber, Development Director at The Family Center / La Familia, to explore a bold paradigm shift for the nonprofit sector. One that begins with how we speak about ourselves.
Analia’s journey into fundraising didn’t follow a traditional path. A lifelong dancer and arts leader, she pivoted careers at 39 and stepped into nonprofit development with heart, courage, and a willingness to begin again. Now, less than four years later, she’s not only the Director of Development for a thriving, holistic family support organization — she’s chairing a regional nonprofit sector partnership and advocating for a 10-year movement to reposition nonprofits as trusted experts and essential community leaders.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why the language we use about “donors,” “nonprofits,” and “doing more with less” shapes power dynamics
How nonprofits can shift from being seen as supplemental to being recognized as experts at the decision-making table
The mindset of begin again — and why failure is part of the work
How La Familia funds the whole family through holistic, community-centered design
A dance-inspired framework for leadership: show up, pay attention, tell the truth, and don’t get attached to the results
If you’re a nonprofit leader navigating uncertainty, funding shifts, or systemic barriers, this episode is your reminder: you don’t have to have it all figured out. You get to begin again. And the sector’s transformation starts with us.
“Every day you make choices that have a rippling effect.”
Episode Transcript
Download Full Episode Transcript Here
Episode Highlights:
From dancer to development leader (2:46)
Finding La Familia and community (4:05)
Inside La Familia’s holistic mission (7:49)
Funding the whole family (10:15)
Fundraising with dignity and new language (12:20)
A 10-year paradigm shift for the sector (16:01)
“Begin again” as a leadership mindset (19:25)
Analia’s Story of Philanthropy (26:00)
Analia’s One Good Thing: Compositional improvisation for everyday choices (26:34)
Powerful Quotes
“If there are issues in your cities around housing, bring the organizations that provide shelter and housing in as experts.” -Analia Weber
“We really take that holistic approach of serving the human at whatever level they’re coming to us, whatever stage of life, and walking alongside them.” -Analia Weber
“Even the word nonprofit has some connotations that maybe we want to move away from.” -Analia Weber
“I think this paradigm shift has to start with us. It has to start with how we speak about us.” -Analia Weber
“We hope to slowly change that into us being the experts, and not just the other way around in how we’re treated as a nonprofit sector.” -Analia Weber
“Being able to see my kids’ little philanthropic minds and hearts grow…that’s been the most meaningful to me.” -Analia Weber
“Our hope is to not just be seen as supplemental, but essential for the community. Not to do more with less, but to be trusted as experts on issues in the community.” -Analia Weber
“Every day we get to begin again. We tried something, it didn’t work, we get to wake up tomorrow and just tweak it, try it again.” -Analia Weber
“One Good Thing: Show up, pay attention, notice what you notice, tell the truth, and don’t get attached to the results, because tomorrow you get to begin again.” -Analia Weber
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