Aisha Benson: The Hidden Power of Nonprofits in Finance, Community, and Social Change

In this episode of The PlayFull Podcast, host Kristine Michie welcomes Aisha Benson, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, as part of the Brave Voices series. Aisha shares her journey from Harlem to national leadership, where she champions nonprofits as essential drivers of community well-being and economic power. Alongside the serious realities of inequitable funding, she brings a spirit of play, joy, and resilience that offers listeners both inspiration and encouragement. This conversation is a reminder of how leadership, grounded in equity and joy, can shape lasting impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Nonprofits are powerful economic engines that generate $1.4 trillion in impact and employ 12.5 million people, yet they are often undervalued.
• Many nonprofits face systemic challenges like delayed government and philanthropic payments that force them to front costs without timely reimbursement.
• Aisha argues nonprofits must be funded at their full cost to prevent cycles of scarcity, patchwork budgets, and staff burnout.
• Nonprofit leaders are urged to clearly communicate both the financial realities and the social impact of their work to inspire changes in funder practices.
• Advocacy is core work at Nonprofit Finance Fund for addressing inequities in funding systems and promoting trust-based philanthropy.
• Aisha’s personal journey was shaped by seeing how capital could be co-designed with communities for social good.
• Joy and playfulness are essential for resilience in leadership, and for Aisha, they come from her nine grandchildren, her ministry, and ice cream rituals.

"Nonprofits are thought of as charity, and it is a charitable sector, but it is not about charity. Nonprofits are economic engines, and we see it with employment. We see it with contribution to the tax base." — Aisha Benson

"Demand is on the rise, and at the same time, resources are disappearing. And I’m going to say resources are being stolen away and redistributed to those with wealth and power." — Aisha Benson

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