Let’s create something extraordinary together.
When we share strengths, learn from one another, and support each other along the way, amazing things happen.
Collaboration isn’t just a valid option.
It’s the way forward.
Hello! I’m Angela Webster, MSW, IECMH-E®, and I have the privilege of serving as the Chief Executive Officer of a statewide nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the infant and early childhood workforce. My journey began in early childhood classrooms, where I first learned the language of play, relationships, and development. Later, I followed my heart into social work, earning both my BSW and MSW and immersing myself in community development, advocacy, and nonprofit administration. Along the way, I became fluent in what I call “nonprofit-eese.”
Today, I blend these worlds - early childhood expertise and nonprofit leadership - because I believe both are about building systems that hold people well. My strengths lie in systems change, organizational and community development, strategy, advocacy, and relationship-based practice. In every role, my compass remains clear: it’s all about relationships.
The Story Behind
RAISING A NONPROFIT in an early childhood world
This book has been years in the making—and a lifetime in the dreaming. Since I was a young girl, writing a book has been on my heart. A few years ago, I began focusing that dream on a question that kept surfacing in my work: What if we looked at nonprofit leadership through an early childhood lens?
That question grew into Raising a Nonprofit in an early childhood world. It’s a guide for anyone building, leading, or growing an early childhood-focused nonprofit. Or any mission-driven organization that wants to lead with heart and strength.
Why this perspective? Because early childhood teaches us profound truths about development, relationships, and resilience. Those same principles can transform the way nonprofits work. This book explores:
What helps nonprofits grow. And the pitfalls that hold them back.
How early childhood nonprofits are both unique and connected to the wider sector.
The essentials every early childhood leader should know about governance, strategy, finance, and sustainability.
How to measure and share the impact of your work in ways that inspire others.
Why relationships, resilience, and joy are as vital to nonprofits as they are to young children. And how to lead with the same care and intentionality we give to young children.
Why the Title?
“RAISING A NONPROFIT in an early childhood world” isn’t just a catchy phrase. It reflects my lived reality. I lead a nonprofit dedicated to young children and families, and I’ve walked the path from start-up to sustainability. I know the sleepless nights, the growth spurts, and the joy of seeing something you care about come to life.
Why Now?
The truth? This book almost didn’t happen - because I thought it had to be perfect. For years, I filled notebooks, color-coded outlines, and wrote pieces of chapters… but then life happened: staffing shifts, increased workloads, a pandemic. Sound familiar?
One day, the old adage hit me: If not now, when? Just like the founders I work with, I realized I didn’t need to wait for perfect. I just needed to start. So, I did. And now, the dream is real: the book is here, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
If you’ve been waiting on your dream too, consider this your nudge: start. Begin. Take the next right step.
To learn more about my professional background, visit my LinkedIn or connect with me on Facebook. None of us need to do this alone. Let’s raise something remarkable together.
“I hope that when I leave it will just be said: I did what I could.”
— Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller (1945–2010)
As I step into this journey with you, I feel a deep pull to honor my Native roots and the wisdom that shaped me. Chief Wilma Mankiller was a powerful presence in my youth. A trailblazer who showed me that a girl could lead, could create change, could carry the weight of her people’s hopes and dreams and still walk with grace.
Her words echo in my heart today as we begin this work together. “I did what I could.” Simple. Strong. Enough.
My hope? That when we look back, we can say the same—we did what we could—to lift up little ones, families, and communities, and to strengthen the nonprofits that hold them close.
Who else remembers Wilma Mankiller? The fierce, inspiring leader who made us believe that anything was possible?
