Future Nonprofit is a Webby Awards honoree! Thank you to all our listeners and guests who make this show possible. You’re helping push nonprofit content into the creative industry limelight! Check out our latest episode!
When it comes to tackling the biggest global problems, there's a celebrated proverb that's strikingly noteworthy: "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."
That mindset guides Thaddaeus Nichols' work at International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization that combats trafficking and slavery, violence against women and children, and abuse of power. To help accomplish this, Thaddaeus is reaching millions of potential donors and activists. How? By harnessing partnerships. And, with the help of the NFL and passionate and committed football players, he’s even taken IJM’s message to the Super Bowl.
In this episode, you’ll hear Thaddaeus’ origin story. He shares how lessons he learned in childhood instilled in him an unwavering commitment to care for the poor and powerless—a legacy he continues to build on as Vice President of Partner Programs at IJM. You’ll also hear how solving global issues is a communal effort that takes more than one organization—and how harnessing partnerships helps build empathy, leverage scale, and create impact.
Contents
1 - A unique and formative upbringing
2 - Joining International Justice Mission
3 - Partnerships: Pathway to scale
4 - NFL Super Bowl partnership
5 - Harnessing engagement in the workplace
6 - How to get started and scale partnerships
Vice President, Partner Programs
Thaddaeus Nichols serves as the Vice President of Partner Programs, where he is at the helm of strategizing and leading the teams responsible for scaling IJM’s work. His team has launched new partnerships with Major League Baseball, the Super Bowl, the global rock band OneRepublic and others. They’ve also developed a social influencer program and innovative workplace engagements with corporations like Google, TopGolf and Chick-fil-A.
Prior to his current position, Thaddaeus served as IJM’s Director of Church Engagement, where he worked to equip churches to teach about God’s heart for justice. During that time, he scaled the U.S. Freedom Sunday campaign. This campaign empowers churches with resources to dedicate a Sunday to teaching their congregations about injustice and encouraging them to act in tangible ways.
Before joining IJM in 2017, Thaddaeus served in various development roles with other non-profits. He has an MBA from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in church history and philosophy from Moody Bible Institute. He lives in Washington, D.C., where he can often be found playing soccer or exploring the city.
