I am Joe Darago, co-founder and Executive Director of The Hope Effect. For the past decade I have worked to change the way the world cares for orphaned and vulnerable children by moving them out of institutions and into families. Together with an amazing team, we have helped over 500 children find the love of a family and grown from nothing to just over $1 million annually.

My passion for this work is deeply personal. In 1999 my wife and I adopted our daughter Sydney from Korea. She never spent time in an orphanage. Several years later, we adopted again—this time an older child from Thailand who spent the early part of her life in an institution. I have seen firsthand what happens when children grow up in institutions versus families. The difference is profound. That experience shaped everything that came next.

Before launching The Hope Effect, I spent over 25 years in pastoral ministry, leading churches and working with people through some of their hardest seasons. That background taught me how to cast vision, build teams, navigate complex relationships, communicate, work with a board, and lead through change. But it did not prepare me for everything that came with starting a nonprofit.

When we launched The Hope Effect in 2015, I was still a full-time pastor trying to juggle a growing church and a new international nonprofit. I had no playbook. I made mistakes. I learned lessons the hard way. And slowly, I discovered what it really takes to build something that lasts.

That is why I started NGOJoe.

I want to share the behind-the-scenes reality of nonprofit leadership so other leaders do not have to figure it all out alone. A few times a week I write about what I am trying, what I have messed up, and what I am learning. My goal is simple: to help leaders do more good, better.

If you are building a nonprofit and currently have a budget under $1 million, if you are wearing multiple hats and trying to figure it out as you go, if you care deeply about your mission but need help with the business side of doing good—this is for you.

Let's build something meaningful together.

I'm cheering for you.