Lysa Ratliff Wants You to Trust Her
As nonprofits face sharply increased demand, deep federal funding cuts, and a fundraising climate unlike anything in recent memory, Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!, joins Phil Buchanan for an unusually candid conversation about what it takes to lead right now, and why she refuses to soften the truth to make anyone comfortable.
Ratliff discusses KABOOM!’s new report, “State of Our Kids”, which finds that 28 million children in the U.S. don’t have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk from their home. She explains why play is the foundation of childhood development, and walks through the report’s unflinching look at the mental health crisis facing young people, including the adultification of Black children and the impact of a rise in ICE arrests on Latino families. She also talks candidly about the promise and limits of a landmark, unrestricted MacKenzie Scott gift, why so few other funders have followed that lead, and why she believes donors need to stop nitpicking nonprofits’ budgets and start trusting their expertise to solve solvable problems.
In a time defined by uncertainty, Ratliff makes the case for honesty over comfort: “It’s not someone’s right and someone’s wrong. It’s how do we, as adults, have really honest conversations that allow us to see very clearly what’s going on around us and what we need to do to solve those challenges.”
Guest Info:
Lysa Ratliff is CEO of KABOOM!, a national nonprofit working to end playspace inequity for kids, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Under her leadership since 2020, KABOOM! has built or improved more than 17,000 playspaces, engaged more than 1.5 million community members, and impacted more than 11 million kids nationwide. She is currently leading an effort to bring playspaces to 25 priority communities across the U.S. to demonstrate that playspace equity is achievable. Prior to KABOOM!, Lysa held leadership roles at Habitat for Humanity and Save the Children.
Credits:
Podcast Production: Cold Italian
Artwork: Jay Kustka
Resources:
KABOOM!
State of Our Kids Report
The 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity
Center for Effective Philanthropy State of Nonprofits 2026: What Donors Need to Know
YouthTruth