The problem you name is the solution you build

Nonprofits tackle big problems — but often without naming the root cause that actually drives their work. In this episode, Hillary Frances breaks down how clarifying your problem statement can transform your strategy, sharpen your identity, and make your interventions more potent.Featuring Josh Jones, CEO of Neighborhood in Virginia, who has spent years reshaping his beliefs about poverty from a personal failure to systemic inequity. Josh and Hillary discuss what workforce development programming would look like if we believed it was caused by systemic forces.This episode gives you a formula to write a problem statement that identifies the real forces at play and sets you up for a unique and specific solution.Mentioned: Josh’s article published in the Virginian Pilot on “Lifting our neighbors up requires systematic change,” Feb 8, 2025.Guest: Josh Jones is the CEO of Neighborhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he leads a bold effort to address poverty not as a personal failure but as the predictable result of structural inequities. Under his leadership since 2018, Neighborhood has evolved from an employment-focused startup to a community organization tackling the root causes of economic instability through workforce development, advocacy, and systems change.A thoughtful and deeply reflective leader, Josh is known for challenging common myths about poverty and for inviting his team—and his community—to interrogate the narratives that shape opportunity. His work centers on expanding economic mobility, strengthening families, and creating environments where every person has a fair shot at financial stability and thriving.Get in touch