Chicks Who Give a Hoot · 2026-05-13 · 9 min
Key moments - from our scoring
Substance score
45 / 100
Five dimensions, 20 points each
Blake Zickafoose brings authenticity to the nonprofit leadership conversation, moving beyond 'impact' rhetoric to discuss the granular, often unglamorous work of running a multi-service YMCA branch. Her day-to-day reality spans childcare ratio coverage, aquatics management, senior services coordination, and even emergency response - she recently performed CPR on a cardiac arrest patient. Beyond operational versatility, Zickafoose emphasizes the misconceptions around nonprofit work and the importance of boundary-setting when wearing 'a hundred hats.' She advocates for values-driven leadership, including saying no to grants or programs that conflict with community needs or overburden already-stretched staff. For entrepreneurs considering nonprofit partnerships, Zickafoose highlights three levers: treasure (donations to scholarship funds), time (volunteer board service), and talent (strategic advisory board participation). Her message centers on alignment between organizational mission and actual impact, rejecting ego-driven decision-making in favor of genuine community need.
Days vary significantly and involve wearing many operational hats - Blake has covered childcare ratios, managed pool deck situations, and even performed CPR. The role encompasses childcare, aquatics, senior services, and facilities management simultaneously.
Blake emphasizes time, talent, and treasure: joining volunteer community advisory boards at local branches, offering strategic thinking and connections, or donating to specific scholarship funds to make programs accessible.
New programs and grants that don't align with community needs or that overburden already-stretched staff can be counterproductive; saying no preserves organizational integrity and staff wellbeing while keeping focus on genuine community impact.
People underestimate the complexity, problem-solving demands, and workload required in nonprofit roles; the sector involves constant multitasking and operational problem-solving while serving a mission-driven organization.
Our reviewer’s read on each dimension, with quotes from the episode.
The episode contains some genuine operational insights about nonprofit work (e.g., the need for boundaries, saying no despite pressure, advisory board strategy), but these are mixed heavily with soft anecdotes and inspirational framing rather than concrete, actionable learning. The substance-to-filler ratio is moderate, with meaningful moments buried in conversational padding.
I've learned over the years to have some boundaries about when I'm available and when I'm not available
there have been several times where I have had to kind of raise the flag and say no, um, in situations where I'm being asked to either start a new program or we got this grant money um, for something, can you make this happen?
The advice offered - donate time/talent/treasure, set boundaries, stay values-aligned, say no when needed - represents standard nonprofit best practices and well-worn leadership wisdom. There is no contrarian thinking, fresh framework, or first-principles analysis. The alliteration device ("time, talent and treasure") is formulaic.
Time, talent and treasure, I think, are all the things
if you're just firm and knowing what you believe and knowing what you feel is truly best for the people that you're serving
Blake Zickafoose is a legitimate nonprofit operator with ~11 years at the YMCA across three states, giving her relevant scale and tenure. However, the transcript provides no detail on her actual scope, budget, team size, or impact metrics that would signal true senior leadership caliber. She appears competent but not exceptionally distinguished.
Blake Zigafus, a nonprofit executive who's been serving communities through the YMCA since 2013 across three different states
I have like a strong sense of justice and I will fight for My staff and I will fight for my community
The episode is light on concrete data, metrics, or named examples. Blake mentions specific situations (cardiac arrest save, helping with childcare ratios, advisory board structure) but provides no numbers, budgets, outcomes, timelines, or measurable impact. The advisor board suggestion is somewhat concrete but lacks details on effectiveness or ROI.
Last week I was out on the pool deck helping out with the situation. I was jumping into childcare ratio in our preschool school because a teacher needed a bathroom break
Literally, um, three weeks ago, I helped save someone's life who was in cardiac arrest in the men's locker room
The host (Speaker D) asks reasonable setup questions but rarely pushes back, challenges assumptions, or probes deeper into Blake's answers. Follow-ups are minimal and largely surface-level ("what does day to day look like?"). The conversation feels like a cordial panel excerpt rather than rigorous interrogation of nonprofit strategy or impact.
So I would love for you to share what are some of the missed opportunities or ways in which we can kind of build more of that bridge between some of the entrepreneurs in the room and your all organizations
I would love to hear just a decision that you had to make in order to remain aligned to your values inside of your organization
Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.
Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.
Speaker A: At our 2026 chicks who give a
Speaker B: Hoot Live event, we hosted a live
Speaker A: panel with three incredible nonprofit leaders and we captured the whole conversation on Mike. But we're releasing each panelist as a standalone episode so that nothing gets lost. Today you're hearing from Blake Zigafus, a nonprofit executive who's been serving communities through the YMCA since 2013 across three different states. She leads with her values first, and it shows in everything she does. Here is her piece of the conversation.
Speaker C: Welcome to Chicks who Give a Hoot. This is a podcast for women who are building bold businesses, unapologetic brands and lives that actually align with who they are.
Speaker B: I'm your host, Sarah Chambers.
Speaker C: I'm a brand strategist, TEDx speaker, best selling author, and the CEO of Ellie and Nora Creative. I also founded Chicks who Give a who as a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing women entrepreneurs as a force for good through media, mentorship and community. This podcast is one part of that mission. Each episode is done in under 10 minutes and designed to respect your time while delivering something real. Sometimes you'll hear from me, sometimes from a guest. You might not recognize her name, but you'll always know exactly what you're going to walk away with before you even press play. We skip the long origin stories and surface level advice. Instead we focus on one clear idea at the intersection of branding, visibility, business and impact so that you can leave with an insight you'll actually use. If you care about substance over noise, clarity over hype, and building something meaningful without disappearing in the process, then you're
Speaker B: in the right place.
Speaker C: Let's get into it.
Speaker D: Um, people like to talk a lot about impact, but I don't think that they really understand exactly like what it takes. And there's definitely, like I alluded to it to get to earlier, is that working in nonprofit is no joke. It takes a lot of work and you have a lot of like misconceptions, I think. So I want to know what does a day to day reality really look like for you? Because you are in constant problem solving mode regularly because you have these big missions that you are. And naturally nonprofits are solving problems. Entrepreneurship does that also. But they're solving a problem that exists in the world. So you're going to come up against problems, right? You're like naturally signing up for that. And then in that I feel like there's a lot of misconceptions. So what does day to day look like for you in how you're solving problems for your organization? And what are some of like, the big misconceptions. You think that you have a open microphone here to, like, put any of those to bed.
Speaker E: So I think one thing. For me, the Y does a lot. I don't know how familiar, um, some of you are with a Y, but we're way more than just a gym and swim. We have childcare, we have aquatics, we have senior services. And so a day in the life for me changes every day. Um, but I have, like, a hundred hats that I wear in my role. And I'll give you an example. Last week I was out on the pool deck helping out with the situation. I was jumping into childcare ratio in our preschool school because a teacher needed a bathroom break. Literally, um, three weeks ago, I helped save someone's life who was in cardiac arrest in the men's locker room.
Speaker D: So it is. I think we need an applause for that. Sorry.
Speaker E: Yeah, that was wild. You always know, like, something like that is going to happen and you never think it's going to happen to you. And then it does, um, really great scenario and the why did great. But yeah, we do all the things all the time. And, um, it's a lot. And so I think I've learned over the years to have some boundaries about when I'm available and when I'm not available. And, um, because when I'm at work, I am on. And, um, it is really hard for me, um, to break away from so wearing all the hats all the time. We're not just one thing. We're not. We don't just do one thing, we do it all. Um, including janitorial work. So if anyone needs me to, like, fix their toilet, I've googled and youtubed how to do that.
Speaker D: We love a resourceful lady. So I would love for you to share what are some of the missed opportunities or ways in which we can kind of build more of that bridge between some of the entrepreneurs in the room and your all organizations.
Speaker E: Um, Time, talent and treasure, I think, are all the things that you just spoke about. I love alliteration. So nonprofit work. And yes, of course, obviously your treasure, um, makes a huge difference. Um, donating to our scholarship fund so that we can provide financial assistance for people who cannot afford our services or our programs is a huge. And there's nothing like it. Um, I will always continue it's fundraising is always going to be a part of my job. Um, another way, um, besides volunteering, we have tons of volunteer opportunities. Um, my favorite volunteer opportunity is to join an advisory board at the Y. So every Branch um, has a board of community members. Um, it's not a fiduciary board so just um, a board to help support the branch and to support the exec there. And they are just a group of strategic thinkers who have connections. And so I love, it's like my favorite part of my job is to meet monthly with my advisory board members and how uh, can we align the needs of the community with the why and what are we missing? Is there anyone that we're missing? That's one of my absolute favorite things. Um, apart this about this role. So I think um, treasure is important, um, time and talent as well. Consider joining, joining a board.
Speaker B: Quick gut check.
Speaker D: If a stranger landed on your website
Speaker B: today, would they get it or bounce in five seconds? I, I created a brand audit self assessment that helps you to see your brand the way that the market sees it. Not vibes, not guesses. Real clarity across your messaging, positioning, visuals and call to action. It's free, it's sharp and it will absolutely expose what's working and what's quietly costing you clients. Grab it for free now@eliandnoracreative.com brand audit
Speaker C: or you can snag the direct link
Speaker B: in the show notes back to the show.
Speaker D: Often like a line, we have to be really thoughtful and intentional about what those values are. And from like a brand perspective we're often talking about that quite a bit. It's not just what you do, but it's what you care about. I would love to hear just a decision that you had to make in order to remain aligned to your values inside of your organization. Because sometimes that's not easy. Sometimes our values based decisions asks us to make a sacrifice.
Speaker E: One thing I love about working for the Y is that it is a say yes, do yes organization. But in line with this, there have been several times where I have had to kind of raise the flag and say no, um, in situations where I'm being asked to either start a new program or we got this grant money um, for something, can you make this happen? And it's actually to the detriment of what I believe the community really needs or if it's going to really put too much on my staff, um, because they're already so busy with all the things, um, so I have had to say no, which does not look good to my leaders. I have had a lot of pushback um, in my career because I don't know if it's the odd hd but I have like a strong sense of justice and I will fight for My staff and I will fight for my community. And while, yes, we always want to say yes, there are times where it makes sense to say no. Um, and some people don't like to hear that. But I think, um, if you're just firm and knowing what you believe and knowing what you feel is truly best for the people that you're serving, um, and for the people who work for you, um, sometimes no is truly the best answer.
Speaker D: No is a full sentence, right?
Speaker E: Yeah. Full stop.
Speaker D: Full stop. So in my time in nonprofit, one of the things that I feel like I really, truly learned, like, that experience really shaped a lot of my worldview, is so much of, like, what we think is going to be beneficial has more to do with us and less to do with the communities that we're seeking to serve. Right. So one of the best things that I think we can do is make sure that we're being thoughtful and intentional about keeping our eyes on that particular goal. To say, like, is this actually helping or hurting? Is this more serving my ego, or is this actually doing good work that we set out to do? Right. Um, please consider if you have a donation amount in your mind, and you can donate all of it to one of these organizations or disperse that across all of them, and if that is not the answer for you today, that's okay. There's no shame. Um, I would love for you to think about how you might engage with these organizations in other ways just so that they walk out of this room feeling incredibly supported by the community here.
Speaker F: Thank you so much for joining me
Speaker E: on this episode of the Chicks who
Speaker C: Give a who podcast.
Speaker F: I hope that you found permission and inspiration to grow your own brand of incredible impact. Please remember to subscribe to the show so that you never miss a powerful conversation. And please be sure to leave a review so that more women can find the power of this space. Please visit chickshoogiveahoot.com for more resources and show notes. Uh, from today's episode, until next time, friends.
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