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This episode is brought to you by GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that started in 2012 with a simple idea: a day to do good.

This year, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

Use #GivingTuesday, tag @GivingTuesday, and visit GivingTuesday.org/Participate to get involved and inspire others!

She Tripled the Budget and Built a 3-Campus Nonprofit – Here’s How with Hope Pavich from Care for Friends

What does it take to triple your nonprofit’s operating budget, complete a $10 million facility renovation, and expand to three campuses, all in just six years? For Hope Pavich, Executive Director of Care for Friends, the answer lies in mission-aligned innovation and values-driven partnerships.

Under Hope’s leadership, this Chicago-based social services organization has done more than just grow; it’s reimagined how a community can care for its most vulnerable neighbors.

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Turning Setbacks into Strategic Partnerships

When construction delays threatened Care for Friends’ new community center, many leaders might have seen it as a roadblock. But Hope saw opportunity.

Rather than pause operations, she leaned into transparency and collaboration by forming a long-term partnership with the Church of the Atonement in Edgewater. What began as a temporary relocation turned into a thriving, shared community space that deepened local engagement.

“Focusing on shared values over speed created something sustainable,” Hope reflects. “Even after we move into the new center, we’ll keep our Edgewater presence. The community support has been incredible.”

That spirit of partnership became a blueprint for how Care for Friends approaches every challenge, with alignment, clarity, and community trust.

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Closing Gaps with Innovation: The CarePax Delivery Program

In 2020, amid the pandemic and citywide school closures, Care for Friends launched what would become one of Chicago’s most innovative youth support programs: CarePax Delivery.

The concept was simple yet revolutionary: deliver groceries directly to unhoused and housing-insecure youth, wherever they are. From doubled-up apartments to school offices to local post offices, no location was off-limits.

Within months, the program was reaching 30 of Chicago’s 50 wards, addressing both food and transportation deserts head-on.

“There were programs delivering to homebound adults, but none serving youth directly,” Hope explains. “We wanted to fill that gap and funders immediately saw the impact.”

What started with a microgrant has since become a cornerstone of Care for Friends’ programming, blending data, empathy, and adaptability in a way that appeals deeply to both foundations and individual donors.

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The Art of Funder-Friendly Storytelling

Behind every successful campaign is a clear story and Hope believes in keeping it simple.

“Funders don’t have time to wade through complexity,” she says. “Your job is to define the problem, show the solution, and make their role in that story unmistakable.”

This approach has not only fueled Care for Friends’ $3.3 million capital campaign but also fostered an ongoing culture of clarity, trust, and results-driven storytelling.

From annual impact letters to personal donor calls, every communication centers the funder as part of the solution; never just an observer of the problem.

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Leadership Lessons for Growth-Minded Nonprofits

For nonprofit leaders feeling stuck or under-resourced, Hope’s advice is simple yet powerful: look around.

“When you think the organization’s success only falls to you, that’s overwhelming and untrue,” she says. “Your community is already supporting you. You just have to see it.”

By focusing on community assets, strategic delegation, and values alignment, Care for Friends has built a model of growth that’s both scalable and sustainable.

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Key Takeaways

• Mission alignment drives sustainable growth.

• Shared values build stronger partnerships than speed ever can.

• Funders respond to clarity, innovation, and measurable community impact.

• Leadership begins with recognizing the support already around you.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Care for Friends, their programs, and how to donate.

Check out The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level.

This show is brought to you by GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that started in 2012 with a simple idea: a day to do good.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

Use #GivingTuesday, tag @GivingTuesday, and visit GivingTuesday.org/Participate to get involved and inspire others!

My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.

Join The Sustainers, my Slack community for nonprofit professionals growing and scaling a recurring giving program.

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