Episode 85: What to Expect from a Nonprofit Executive Director

A Modern Nonprofit Podcast

On today’s episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, we have the Executive Director of Only Make Believe, Tamela Aldridge. Only Make Believe (OMB) is a 501c3 organization that creates interactive theater environments for children in hospital, special education, and care facility settings. When talking with Tamela, we hear a powerful message from her leadership experience within the organization and when it comes to serving others. We all have unique talents and characteristics that make us who we are, but everyone has an imagination. Tamela and her team build off of this mindset to fulfill their mission at Only Make Believe. A Day in the Life of an Executive Director An Executive Director of a nonprofit organization typically wears many hats. Tamela shares that although she juggles many things, the most important to her is having a passion for the mission. When it comes to the mission of OMB, they meet children where they are by bringing performances to the care sites or educational systems they are present in. Essentially, making theater accessible to them by meeting them where they are. Tamela and her team bring the experience to the children. And speaking of experience, Tamela’s background began in acting, as she herself was an actor in NYC. With this, she studied human behavior which translated to her ability to recognize how children reacted to their performances. She says, “After years starting out as an actor, I always studied human behavior. So then working with specialized populations, it was truly intriguing to me how these young people engaged and how they interpreted the information. [And even more so] how they were able to then push it back out.” Because Tamela’s experience is unique in its own way, it still provided a specific avenue not only for herself, but also those who are in the acting career as well. Just because she originated in the arts, does not mean she wasn’t prepared to handle the business world either. We learn that she attended Howard University, where one of her professors taught her that ‘the word is showbusiness’, but before you can ever do a show, you have to be able to handle your business.’ Such a powerful message in its own way. Now Tamela and her team can provide opportunities for actors and take their talents to showcase to children for a fantastic cause. A true win-win. To learn more about Tamela, her team, and Only Make Believe, check out their website. Please be sure to engage with the interview. Whether you enjoy listening to it, reading about it, or watching us on YouTube, make sure you review, share, and engage with A Modern Nonprofit Podcast. You can find Tosha and the Charity CFO team on Youtube or our website, thecharitycfo.com!