From the Ground Up: Community Development & Nonprofit Leadership

A Conversation with Stachen Lett-Frederick

Stachen Lett-Frederick, a dynamic leader in the nonprofit space, joined Daniel Francavilla of The Good Growth Company for an inspiring conversation about community development and nonprofit leadership. From grassroots activism to scaling organizations, Stachen shared her journey and offered practical insights for leaders looking to build impactful organizations from the ground up.

Top Takeaways

1. Starting Strong: Building a Foundation for Nonprofits

Stachen emphasized the importance of understanding the unique value proposition of your nonprofit. Instead of duplicating existing services, assess what makes your organization different and explore partnerships or mergers where alignment exists. “The sector is facing rising expenses and decreased revenue,” she explained. “This means collaboration and innovative approaches are more critical than ever.”

2. The Power of Relationships in Fundraising

When discussing fundraising, Stachen highlighted the value of building strong relationships. She shared her experience leveraging board members’ networks and accessing open funding calls to secure resources. Her advice? Look beyond traditional grants and engage corporate partners and local subsidies. “Strong connections can open doors to opportunities you might not have considered,” she shared.

3. Balancing Passion and Self-Care

Nonprofit work often demands emotional resilience, but Stachen stressed the importance of self-care to avoid burnout. She shared her own practice of taking Sundays off and encouraged leaders to prioritize rest. “You can’t serve others if you’re incapacitated,” she noted.

4. Engaging the Community Authentically

Community engagement requires honesty and directness. Stachen urged leaders to “tell people the problem so they can respond to it.” She shared an example of recruiting mentors for youth by clearly communicating the need and leveraging ambassadors, such as board members and volunteers, to spread the word.

5. Building Organizational Culture

For youth-focused nonprofits, hiring young people and amplifying their voices within the organization are essential. Stachen shared her belief that “you can’t advocate for youth employment if you’re not employing youth yourself.” She also encouraged leaders to maintain a humane and values-driven culture, even when making tough decisions like layoffs.

6. Strategic Thinking for Long-Term Impact

Stachen’s career path demonstrates the power of strategic planning. She recounted her deliberate decision to scale Frontlines, a grassroots organization, as a stepping stone toward becoming CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto. “Every move I made was strategic,” she said, emphasizing the importance of long-term vision in leadership.


Watch the Conversation

Your Questions, Answered

Audience Q&A from The Good Growth Company Community

Q: How do aspiring nonprofit leaders transition into senior leadership roles?

  • Volunteer for roles that align with your long-term goals.

  • Gain experience in areas like corporate social responsibility to build transferable skills.

  • Be intentional about learning business acumen and building networks, as Stachen did through her MBA journey.

Q: How can grassroots organizations stay connected to their communities after incorporation?

  • Conduct community asset mapping to identify local stakeholders and resources.

  • Establish open lines of communication to ensure community voices remain central.

Q: How do you approach setbacks in nonprofit work?

  • Identify whether the challenge is organizational or sector-wide.

  • Use setbacks as opportunities to innovate and reevaluate strategies.

  • Ask “why” when faced with rejection, whether it’s a declined grant or low volunteer engagement.

Q: How do you build belonging in a new community?

  • Get to know the area through asset mapping and stakeholder outreach.

  • Engage in strategic, one-on-one interactions to form meaningful connections.

  • For introverts, focus on quality over quantity when networking.

Q: What are your tips for engaging younger generations as donors and participants?

  • Meet young people where they are—both physically (malls, schools) and digitally (Instagram, TikTok).

  • Offer incentives like food or honorariums to encourage involvement.

  • Use their language and solicit direct feedback to tailor messaging.

Q: How can nonprofits address culturally sensitive issues with their communities?

  • Pair challenging topics with engaging activities, like hair braiding or cooking classes.

  • Lead with humanity and focus on root causes rather than directly addressing stigmatized issues.

  • Involve trusted community members or ambassadors to foster trust.

Q: How do you leverage partnerships for collective impact?

  • Align on shared goals and pool resources strategically.

  • Clearly define expectations and ensure communication flows smoothly between partners.

  • Stay transparent about what your organization hopes to gain from collaborations.

Q: How do you prioritize your first 90 days in a new development role?

  • Ask stakeholders questions like “What do you need?” and “Why have you given or not given in the past?”

  • Map programs and services to align them with funders’ priorities.

  • Identify untapped opportunities for funding by presenting innovative angles of existing programs.


Get to know our guest

​Stachen Lett-Frederick has over 20 years of experience in the field of community and program development internationally and in Canada (Ottawa, Greater Toronto Region including Peel Region), and has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women and a Woman of Influence by RBC.

​She is the Founder of BrAIDS for AIDS, a not-for-profit organization to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the African, Caribbean and Black Communities in Canada and internationally through a culturally relevant practice of hair braiding.

​She was the Executive Director of Weston Frontlines Centre which has ranked one of Canada's Top Youth Engagement charities under her leadership.

​As of October, Stachen became the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto.

​She has done a number of consultancy jobs for organizations such as the Municipality of York Region, Carleton University, City of Toronto, Jane and Finch Family and Community Centre- The Spot, the AIDS Committee of Toronto, Black Human Resource Professionals of Canada, Prince Trust Canada, Socacize, Gyallivant, Black Journalists of Canada, Black History Ottawa, Somerset West Community Health Centre and many more.

​Occasionally, she shares her knowledge as a Professor at Sheridan College.

​Her community development work has been recognized by Black History Ottawa, the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago and YMCA Canada, How She Hustles with CBC Toronto, the Black Health Alliance, The Minister of Immigration and Citizenship , L’Oreal Paris Canada, 100 Accomplished Black Women Network and the Women Executive Network (WXN). She is the recipient of scholarships and accolades in academia including an entrance scholarship for Chemistry to the University of Ottawa, Honor Society, Magna Cum Laude for Social Work at York University and a scholarship winner for her completed Executive MBA at Ivey Business School.


What’s next?

Stachen’s journey from grassroots activism to leading a major nonprofit illustrates the power of passion, strategy, and authenticity in nonprofit leadership. Her commitment to community and her values-driven approach offer valuable lessons for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact.

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