Today's episode continues our 12-part series: 12 Shifts in 2026 for Social Impact. Over twelve episodes, we’re unpacking mindset + strategy shifts shaping the future of fundraising, leadership, and doing good in 2026. Explore the series at weareforgood.com/12shifts.

Shift 8 / Creators Are Your Amplifiers

In today’s episode, Jon and Becky sit down with Kathryn Baccash, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing at To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), for a powerful conversation about why creators aren’t just marketing channels — they’re relationship-driven partners who can extend trust, credibility, and impact far beyond what organizations can do alone.

Together, they unpack how TWLOHA has spent nearly two decades cultivating creators as collaborators rather than megaphones — prioritizing friendship over transactions, community over control, and long-term trust over short-term reach. Kat shares how creators function as core capacity inside TWLOHA’s storytelling ecosystem, how relationship-first partnerships have amplified their suicide prevention work, and why letting go of rigid expectations is often the unlock nonprofits are missing.

If you’re ready to rethink influence, move from staff-led to community-led storytelling, and build creator partnerships that actually scale trust in 2026, this episode is for you.

Takeaways:

• Why creators should be treated as a core capacity, not a campaign add-on
• How to build relationship-first creator partnerships rooted in trust and shared values
• What it really means to give up control without losing your message
• How creators help nonprofits scale impact through borrowed trust
• Why community depth and engagement matter more than audience size

Episode Highlights:

• Creators as a Core Capacity, Not a Nice-to-Have (2:15)
• Relationship-First Creator Partnerships (4:40)
• Borrowed Trust: Scaling Impact Through Creators (6:50)
• Giving Up Control to Build Real Influence (12:40)
• Why Community Depth Matters More Than Audience Size (21:30)
• One Good Thing: Create Something Yourself to Build Empathy (29:30)

Episode Shownotes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/678

TWLOHA

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