When it comes to Gen Z, there is a cultural investigation going on that is challenging older generations to reflect and in many cases reset. Danielle Farage, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, is a “Workplace Futurist” helping the first fully digital generation create a new sense of work-life harmony. As Director of Growth & Marketing at Café, a platform fostering development and collaboration within hybrid environments, Danielle’s mission is to leverage technology in bridging the gap between leaders and talent. The result? Workplace cultures that are more inclusive, equitable, and dynamic. Our conversation touched on everything from the biggest misconceptions about Gen Z’s collective commitment to self-care to the tendency among older generations to default to a workplace ethos that reflects different, less human-centric times. “We have an opportunity to reimagine the workforce and it’s not just about the younger generation. It’s about everyone,” says Danielle. “We have a serious opportunity to change the way things have been for the past however many centuries of work.”

Applying her prism as an advocate and educator to the nonprofit sector, in particular, Danielle helped me explore further the tendency among hard-working, committed fundraisers to stay focused on altruistic, empathetic external goals while internally working under toxic conditions. We have to pause and consider: How can we effectively market the core values of our missions if our own workplace practices don’t align? For leaders and team members alike, it all starts with offering vulnerability and authenticity. You’ll discover in this dynamic give-and-take the opportunity we all have to reshape our definitions of work, play, community, compassion, connection, and even marketing. Says Danielle: “The better we create a relationship with ourselves, the more confidently we can show up at work – and in life.” 


(02:23) Get to know Danielle, her journey and her work today.

(07:11) Impact of mindset coaching on Danielle’s trajectory. 

(08:05) How Danielle has helped evolve, rebrand and market the Café platform

(11:25) Defining “Work Futurist” 

(12:44) Work-life harmony 

(17:44) Tips for re-thinking boundaries

(19:23) How Danielle thinks about community engagement (and what it illuminates about fundraising dos and don’ts) 

(23:16) Why the silo-ing of nonprofit goals (by department or budget line item) is often counterproductive

(30:39) What Gen Z wants and the assumptions we hold that are all wrong 

(37:42) What leaders can do to respond to the needs of Gen Z 

(41:09) Where to find Danielle


Get all the resources from today’s episode here. 
Follow along on Instagram 
Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

Many thanks to our sponsor, Feathr for making this episode possible. Our friends at Feather help nonprofits like yours level up their digital campaigns every day through their nonprofit marketing platform. Don’t rely on magic this year. Check out Feathr to streamline your digital marketing campaigns and exceed your goals. Learn more and get started today at Feathr.co. And don’t forget to tell them that I sent you!

If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.

If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point