Send us a text Content Warning: Michelle briefly talks about the death of a loved one. Be mindful of your emotional capacity as you listen in. Storytelling in the nonprofit world is a powerful act of witness, but it can also take a quiet toll. When we listen to story after story of grief, injustice, or survival, our bodies absorb more than we realize. This is vicarious trauma, the invisible weight that settles in when we hold space for other people’s pain without tending to our ow...

Send us a text In this episode of When Bearing Witness, Maria sits down with Angela Soliz, a resilience coach, artist, and founder of Gela Road, a creative resilience agency helping people uncover their identity and build purpose-driven brands from the inside out. Angela’s journey weaves together artistry, trauma-informed coaching, and the wisdom gained from scaling both real and metaphorical mountains. She brings a grounded and courageous approach to transformation that challenges traditiona...

Send us a text For many nonprofits, earned media is a powerful way to raise awareness, build credibility, and connect with new supporters. But when stories involve lived experiences of trauma, the stakes are high. On this episode of When Bearing Witness, I’m joined by Amanda Clelland, Director of Communications and Advocacy at Thistle Farms in Nashville. Amanda has spent nearly 15 years in nonprofit and government communications, and today she leads the messaging, media, and advocacy wo...

Send us a text What happens when storytelling isn’t just about raising awareness or driving donations, but about creating a space where survivors can be truly seen, heard, and supported? On today’s episode of When Bearing Witness, I sit down with Anne Ream, founder of The Center for Story & Witness. Anne has spent two decades alongside survivors of gender-based violence, facilitating writing workshops and initiatives that honor lived experience while protecting the dignity and agency of e...

Send us a text What does it look like to practice trauma-informed storytelling behind the camera? In this episode of When Bearing Witness, filmmaker Heidi Burkey shares how she approaches documentary work with care and a deep respect for those she films. With projects featured on Netflix, Hulu, PBS, and Disney+, Heidi brings powerful insights into ethical storytelling practices that nonprofit leaders and communicators can learn from. Together, we explore the parallels between documentar...

Send us a text In this episode of When Bearing Witness, Dr. Desmond Upton Patton invites us into a conversation about humility, listening, and the ethics of digital storytelling. He shares what he has learned from years of research at the intersection of social work, technology, and racial justice. And he doesn’t stop at analysis, he challenges us to examine our own assumptions and shows how deep listening can disrupt bias and reshape how we understand digital expression. A researcher, ...

Send us a text Ensuring your digital marketing is accessible for all audiences may seem like a daunting task, but today’s guest, Dominique Dunlop, makes it feel not only doable but meaningful. Dominique is the founder of A11y Impact and a champion for digital inclusion in the nonprofit world. With her background in inclusive education and lived experience with ADHD, she brings both heart and strategy to this conversation. We talk about how trauma-informed storytelling, nonprofit communi...

Send us a text In nonprofit storytelling, there’s often a disconnect between the trauma-informed and ethical practices we aspire to and the systems we’re working within. Many of us feel the urgency to do less harm and tell stories with greater care, but when trauma-informed storytelling meets organizational resistance, it can be hard to know where to begin. Today’s guest, Dallase Scott, brings clarity and encouragement to that exact moment. Dallase is the founder of Trust, a consulting ...

Send us a text What does it really mean to create a work culture we don’t need to heal from? In this episode of When Bearing Witness, I’m joined by Lindsey Fuller, an educator, coach, and Executive Director of The Teaching Well, for a deep and necessary conversation on trauma-informed storytelling, nonprofit communication ethics, and collective care. We talk about how nonprofit storytelling impacts our nervous systems, why self-care alone isn’t enough, and what it looks like to build hu...

Send us a text How do we communicate with care when marketing and fundraising often rely on urgency and pressure? Today’s guest brings a thoughtful lens to one of the most overlooked areas in nonprofit storytelling: the words we choose and how they land. Stephanie Bilinsky is a trauma-informed copywriter who helps ethical entrepreneurs and organizations connect with their audiences through intentional, human-centered messaging. In this conversation, we explore how trauma-informed storyt...

Send us a text What does it mean to lead with care when everything feels like it’s on fire? Today’s guest brings clarity to one of the most important tools we have in times of crisis: storytelling. Catherine Alonzo is a strategist, storyteller, and CEO of Javelina, a branding and marketing agency helping purpose-driven organizations deepen their social impact. From minimum wage to marriage equality to climate justice, Catherine has helped shape the messages behind some of the most influential...

Send us a text In This Episode What if ethical transformation in the nonprofit sector doesn't start with policy, but with people? In this episode, Maria Bryan is joined by Diana Farias Heinrich, founder of the Ethical Nonprofit Summit, to explore how courage, connection, and accountability can reshape the way we fundraise, communicate, and lead. This conversation isn't a checklist of best practices. It's a powerful reflection on what happens when we acknowledge our past harm, choose int...

Send us a text Content warnings have long been treated as mere disclaimers—brief nods to potential triggers without much thought to their real impact. But what if they could do more? Rachel Edwards believes they can. As a senior content designer at Content Design London and the creator of the book Designed with Care: Creating Trauma-Informed Content, Rachel brings together voices from health, government, and nonprofit sectors to explore how words can support those experiencing tra...

Send us a text In this episode, we explore how purpose, clarity, and sustainability can shape the way we show up as nonprofit storytellers and marketers. Our guest, Quinn Tempest, is a business and brand strategist and the founder of Create Your Purpose®, a movement that empowers women entrepreneurs to build meaningful, sustainable businesses without sacrificing what matters most. Through Quinn’s lens of purpose-driven marketing and her concept of “gentle consistency,” we reflect on what it m...

Send us a text In this episode, we navigate how nonprofit leaders can speak up with courage during politically divided times. Our guest today, Vu Le, a bold voice in the nonprofit sector, combines humor with unflinching honesty to challenge systemic issues. In this candid and vulnerable conversation, we'll explore the real costs and consequences of speaking truth to power, the responsibilities that come with privilege, and practical approaches to communicating during politically divided...

Send us a text In this eye-opening episode, Maria talks with Dr. Neeru Bakshi, a psychiatrist who's shaking things up in mental healthcare. Neeru, a South Asian woman, works in a field dominated by Western viewpoints. She offers insights on why diverse voices in leadership roles matter for mental health care. Neeru shares stories of questioning the system, from asking why certain patients were turned away to challenging culturally limited approaches to treatment. Her candid observations revea...

Send us a text Join Maria Bryan and Carly Euler, Marketing Director at MemoryFox, to explore the insights from the hot-off-the-press 2024 Ethical Storytelling Report. As nonprofits navigate the delicate balance between sharing compelling stories and respecting the dignity of those they serve, this conversation takes a deep dive into the evolving landscape of ethical storytelling practices in the nonprofit sector. Carly reveals the fascinating gap between what nonprofit professionals bel...

Send us a text When brand scientist Chloé Nwangwu discovered that crucial Yemen voices were excluded from peace talks during its civil war, she realized something profound: brands teach others how to treat you. This revelation led her to develop groundbreaking research on what she calls the "invisibility tax" - the hidden costs that under-recognized groups must pay to gain visibility in spaces where decisions are made. In this episode, Chloé illuminates how visibility biases shape whose voice...

Send us a text Gone are the days of guilt-driven appeals and false urgency in nonprofit marketing. In 2025, we are embracing trauma-informed storytelling that empowers, not exploits. In this episode, we unpack why ethical calls to action matter and how they can inspire meaningful engagement without manipulating emotions. We explore the harm caused by donor saviorism, shame-based giving, and misleading urgency—and offer practical ways to reframe your nonprofit’s messaging to honor the agency o...

Send us a textAs nonprofit storytellers, navigating the legal landscape of consent, privacy, and story ownership is daunting. In this episode of When Bearing Witness, we sit down with attorney Allie Levene to answer your most pressing questions about storytelling and the law.What elements should a media consent form include to truly protect both the storyteller and the organization? What should we keep in mind if we want to compensate story contributors? What rights do storyowners have i...