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Overview

Meet Sasha. We’ve been big fans of Sasha’s since reading his Manifesto for Nonprofit CEOs about how we have to stop apologizing about the value of the work that we do in the nonprofit sector. And, we loved his TedTalk about The Generosity Experiment where he said "yes" to all requests that came his way for a month😍He’s the Co-Founder and CEO of 60 Decibels, a company helping anyone, anywhere, listen to their customers to create more social impact. He’s sharing how you can truly listen to gather data that can change the game when it comes to how our sector delivers impact. This Ungettable Get totally lived up to the hype and we we can’t wait for you to tune in! 💃

💡Learn

Why nonprofits need to stop apologizing for raising money
How impact measurement can drive transformative change
Tips for changemakers about generosity, personal growth + resilience

Today’s Guest

Sasha Dichter, Co-Founder + CEO of 60 Decibels

“How do you make proximity part of your work, always?”

— Sasha Dichter, Co-Founder + CEO of 60 Decibels

Episode Transcript

Download Full Episode Transcript Here

Episode Highlights

Sasha’s story and journey to where he is today (2:40)
Stop apologizing for raising money (5:10)
What is the “bigger question” when it comes to impact measurement? (8:50)
About 60 Decibels (13:00)
Building a culture of listening (16:40)
Implementing improvement cycles with small nonprofits (23:00)
What listening and dialogue unlock (29:50)
Sasha’s generosity experiment and what was
awakened through that experiment (35:15)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Sasha’s life (40:45)
Sasha’s One Good Thing: Make it a practice to be connected to and be in conversation with your “why”. (44:30)
How to connect with Sasha and 60 Decibels (48:30)

POWERFUL QUOTES

“It was present for me that lots of hardship had pre-dated me so that being in my mind informed how I thought about what my life would become.” -Sasha

“This all comes down to people and our own sense of our work.” -Sasha

“We all exist in the context of culture and we live in a culture in which the value of wealth and extreme wealth has accelerated. There is a lot of luggage and baggage that comes with mobilizing resources, and that baggage still exists.” -Sasha

“It seems crazy to me that there would be human beings involved in the change you're trying to make in the world and your day to day practice would be never to listen to them, and never to speak to them. But I think you could describe most work that involves social change that way.” -Sasha

“We believe that comparable and scalable social metrics are the lifeblood of any organization that is trying to create social change.” -Sasha

“How do you make proximity part of your work, always?” -Sasha

“So if you're not proximate, you need to get proximate. But then if you get proximate, and then you start doing the work, how do you stay proximate?” -Sasha

“When you do great things, it doesn't generate more resource, unlike other parts of the economy so that's hard inherently. And then the second is, it is very hard to differentiate yourself and show objectively that you are in fact doing above average work.” -Sasha

“I think the question to ask is, are we regularly in conversation with folks? Are we asking them quantitative and qualitative questions, to understand what's working for them and what's not?” -Sasha

“The tremendous advantage that small organizations have is that there isn’t a large distance between them and the people they are serving. The dialogue will be really natural.” -Sasha

“Every time we refine, it shows our community that we're listening to them, that their voices matter, that their input is integral to building the bigger picture of what our vision is pointing toward.” -Becky

“Dialogue is such a different word than assess, monitor, and evaluate.” -Sasha

“This is about dialogue and conversation. We all know how to be in dialogue.” -Sasha

“Is this about proving or improving? Almost all of the measurement in the nonprofit space is a box-checking exercise to prove something to someone and then move on.” -Sasha

“What it unlocks is an iterative cycle of change.” -Sasha

“Stay close to the work and your reasons for doing the work.” -Sasha

“A lot of work that makes real change requires hard work, because it is hard work. Build whatever you need around you to keep at it.” -Sasha