{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Charity Charge Show - Nonprofit Podcast","title":"SAY San Diego: A CEO’s Playbook for Diversifying Revenue and Protecting Community Programs","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2220,"description":"In this episode, we sit down with Louie Nguyen, CEO of Say San Diego, to discuss what it really means to run a nonprofit like a business while staying deeply committed to mission.\nLouie shares his journey from institutional investor and impact investing leader to nonprofit CEO, and how that financial discipline is now shaping SAY San Diego’s strategy. The conversation covers revenue diversification, reserve policy design, social enterprise models, mental health innovation, and what responsible risk-taking looks like in the nonprofit sector.\nIf you are a nonprofit executive, board member, or impact investor thinking about long term sustainability, this episode is worth your time.\nAbout SAY San Diego\n\nFounded in 1971, SAY San Diego has grown from one employee to more than 500 staff members serving approximately 45,000 San Diegans each year.\nKey program areas include:\nAfter school programs serving 4,000 students daily\nMental health services at 26 school sites\nSupport for young mothers from pregnancy through early childhood\nFatherhood engagement programs\nCommunity advocacy and education\nWith annual revenue near $30 million, SAY San Diego operates at a scale most nonprofits never reach.\nWhat You Will Learn in This Episode\nWhy nonprofits should aim to generate positive margins\nThe importance of unrestricted capital\nHow to calculate a true rainy day reserve\nWhy holding real estate is not always the best strategy\nHow to diversify revenue beyond grants and contracts\nWhat investment risk looks like inside a nonprofit\nHow to structure social enterprise investment opportunities\nWhy mental health funding needs long term endowment solutions\nKey Topics Covered\n\n1. Transitioning from Finance to Nonprofit Leadership\nLouie explains how his background in institutional investing and impact finance shaped his approach to leadership at SAY San Diego.\n2. Revenue Diversification in a Volatile Funding Environment\nWith federal and state funding uncertainty, Louie shares how SAY is...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/XfkPvOlEEMAiRczB_OiHMT_xGDPC0tHWtbRnnXwHQcI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82OGVj/NzlkMTIxY2E0MjU1/ZTg3YjE4MjQ5Yjg0/ZTcyOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}