This week on The Philanthropy Podcast, we're joined by Brenda Palms Barber, Executive Director of the North Lawndale Employment Network and founding CEO of SweetBeginnings a social venture which produces an all natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products while providing important transitional job opportunities for individuals who struggle with barriers to employment. Brenda and I discuss nonprofits and social ventures and hit on a range of topics including: her experience of launching a social venture from within the umbrella of her nonprofit organization, the pros and cons of being not-for-profit and for-profit, what lessons and metrics Brenda has brought from one world to the other, and how combining the two creates for some great opportunities for symbiotic relationships, and more. 

Today, on The Philanthropy Podcast Patrick Van Der Tuin, Executive Director of St. Louis Bicycle Works shares his insights on running a nonprofit and how having a retail operation shapes organizational funding. Patrick discusses the pros and cons of having a retail side of the house, staffing issues that arise, board oversight, benchmarking, volunteer recruitment, and how Bicycle Works is able to generate unrestricted revenue from their retail effort. I think this is a great dive into a nonprofit model that makes a lot of sense for many nonprofits but might not be utilized as widely as it could be. 

Our discussion with Patrick also shows how Bicycle Works and the other BWorks efforts help St. Louis’ youth learn valuable skills and take ownership in the mission of a nonprofit. Patrick also touches on the importance of self-care when you’re a nonprofit executive director and gives his advice for nonprofits thinking of dipping their toes into this space and those looking to dive into the deep end of launching a retail operation and much more.