Leading with Heart and Passion: Julia Healey’s Social Impact Journey

• Initially intending to work in finance, Julia shifted to the nonprofit sector after personal experiences broadened her understanding of social issues.
• She successfully combines her business skills with nonprofit work to create sustainable change.
• As a leader, Julia believes in leading with vulnerability and openness to build a stronger team.
• She encourages young leaders to find and pursue their passions to drive social impact.

1. Tell us about your childhood.

I am Italian, but I grew up in New Jersey. So being a Jersey girl has always been part of my identity. My mother was a teacher and had a proper way of doing everything, from assignments to schedules. I grew up in a household full of love, but being the child of a teacher, much was expected of me. As an only child, I had to initiate conversations and make friends with other children as I did not have an automatic one. Even today, I can build community wherever I go. Starting at a young age, I always wanted people to play how I wanted. I did a lot of activities, including tap dancing, and my parents were incredibly supportive of everything I wanted to do. There was a healthy amount of encouragement to try anything, with the understanding that commitment was necessary. If I failed, it wasn’t a big deal. This was the time to learn what I was good at and what I was not.

2. Tell us about your professional journey and your motivation to do so.

My undergrad degrees are in finance and accounting, and I have an MBA in finance. I thought I was going to enter the financial world, then I fell in love. I had a wonderful upbringing; my parents gave me every opportunity. I fell in love with someone who didn’t have the same, and I started to learn about his life. My husband and I have been together for 20 years; next year will be our 20th anniversary. He faced struggles and hardships including not having access to the same information and media I had. For me, going to college was never a question. You go to elementary school, then middle school, then high school, and then college—it was never optional for me. I didn’t realize it was optional for others. This realization led me to research nonprofits. Initially, I thought I might not fit into a nonprofit because of my business background. However, I realized that creating sustainability and sustainable change is essential, and having a business background is perfect for that. It was cool to see both sides of my passion—accounting and finance—combined with building a sustainable business and applying that to the nonprofit world. My business background helps make my projects and programs sustainable. It allows me to evaluate if a program should be implemented and how to rally donor bases around it. There are many ways to create sustainability in nonprofit projects, and I realized that the nonprofit industry could benefit from someone like me.

3. What inspired the establishment of The Athletes Charitable?

As a big Philadelphia Eagles fan, I learned a lot about philanthropy through the charitable efforts of my favorite players. Issues like food insecurity in inner-city Philadelphia and spreading the word of God to certain communities caught my attention. I was fascinated by what my favorite athletes were doing off the field, which educated me about various social issues I hadn’t been aware of before. This experience was empowering and made me think, “What if I could bring this to more professional athletes? How many more people could be inspired and educated about important issues or how they can help?”

My parents were also involved in philanthropy, but their causes didn’t resonate with me as much. My dad supported MathCounts, a math program, and my mom fought for teachers’ rights in New Jersey. While I supported them, it wasn’t my passion. My real interest sparked when I saw how athletes used their platforms to raise awareness about significant issues.

This led me to wonder, “What if we made it easier for professional athletes to get involved in philanthropy? Could we create more impact?” And that’s how The Athletes Charitable was born.

4. What has been the biggest challenge in your life so far?

Sometimes, the biggest challenge for me is creating a team. I often look for people with similar skill sets to mine, but I realize I also need to consider values. Finding the right team of people to come together to promote this cause has been a challenge. Believing in your ideas can also be challenging. Sometimes you have an idea and think it’s really good, but then you doubt yourself. In 2022, we launched our professional athletes division of United Charitable, called Athletes Charitable. We support professional athletes in their philanthropic journey, helping them create their programs from the ground up. I wondered, “Is this a good idea? How do I go to my board of directors and say we are pursuing this?” Two years later, we had over 30 players, raised millions of dollars, and had more impact than I expected. It has gone really well, but there’s always that little seed of doubt.

5. As the CEO and President of United Charitable, what is your leadership style?

I truly believe in leading with your vulnerabilities and not being afraid to show them. It’s how you will get people to be around you and share their vulnerabilities as well so you can become stronger together. My leadership style has changed over time, and embracing that change is incredibly important. Listening to the people around you is crucial. Being a blunt person means you sometimes put people off by saying exactly what you feel. However, I share my vulnerabilities and invest in people, showing them I want them to succeed. I share the problems we face, my insecurities, and what we need help with. Being honest about everything is the first step to fixing problems. Dictator-style leadership, where problems are hidden, makes me laugh because problems are inevitable and need to be addressed openly. It’s important to listen to people, know your values, and understand how you want to lead. This way, you won’t be swayed by what everyone else wants from you, which is challenging as you move up the ranks. Many people are afraid to discuss mistakes with their bosses. But we are all fallible; that is the definition of being human. Creating an environment where mistakes can be discussed and learned from is essential.

6. How do you empower your team at United Charitable to achieve their best work?

I give my team space to explore what’s important to them and allow them to implement their ideas. It’s challenging for me to step back, but it’s essential for their growth. For example, one of our employees recently earned a storytelling certificate from Georgetown and now oversees our communications. Her passion for storytelling enhances how we share the United Charitable mission. Similarly, our VP, Hannibal Navies, is pursuing a certificate in philanthropic thought leadership, which will help us integrate public, private, and nonprofit sectors to drive change.

Supporting our team’s passions fosters their growth and benefits United Charitable. This approach has led to meaningful content, like our blog highlighting clients and their charitable choices, inspired by our employee’s storytelling course. Allowing team members to pursue their interests and develop their skills creates a strong, motivated, and effective team.

7. How do you encourage people to get involved and support your cause?

I focus on meeting them where they are. Guilt is not a positive strategy, so I seek to understand their reasons for hesitating—whether it’s a lack of knowledge, feeling their impact won’t be significant, or financial concerns. Engaging donors often means facing rejection, but perseverance is key. For example, I once had a donor who could only give $50 a month and didn’t see themselves as a philanthropist. I suggested they find two or three friends to do the same, emphasizing how their contributions could support an after-school program.

The key is to make people feel connected and impactful, regardless of the amount they give. By showing them how even small donations can make a difference, we help them see their value. Personalizing our approach and understanding what matters to our donors has always been crucial for us.

8. What was it like to speak at the 5th Annual Sports Power Brunch with so many incredible women leaders?

It was the highlight of my career. Being up there addressing the amazing women in the room about the power of philanthropy and professional athletes was amazing. That was an idea I wasn’t sure about following. But just getting the clients, building Athletes Charitable, working with my amazing VP, Hannibal Navies, and then going up there and saying, “Hey, I had an idea, and now I’m here,” is pretty powerful. It’s one of those full-circle moments. I’m a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, as you’ve seen from all the material about me, and my starting quarterback’s agent was there, being honored for being an amazing woman.

9. Could you share a few insights from your podcast, the Inspired Changemakers?

Inspired Changemakers has been an incredible experience for me because I get to highlight people driving change in various areas. The podcast isn’t limited to a specific type of change; it covers a wide range, including personal development, fitness, mental health, environmental issues, and education. I feature guests who are committed to making a difference in any way they can.

As individuals, we often find ourselves stuck and in need of change. This is particularly true for women, who go through many different phases in life. For instance, I am a wife, a mother, and a CEO. Each phase requires significant personal change. Through these conversations, I explore how others approach change, make it less daunting, and transition from one stage to another. This dialogue is incredibly empowering.

The guests on Inspired Changemakers are people who have inspired me personally. They have either influenced my thinking or made a significant impact on my life. I find it fun and enriching to share their stories and insights, as they offer valuable perspectives on navigating and embracing change.

10. How do you balance your work and personal life and what is one thing you enjoy doing in your free time?

Balancing work and personal life is a daily struggle, but I continually work on it. Every day, I think about how I’d like to spend my time, whether it’s having a cleaner house, preparing fresh meals for my kids, or contributing more to meetings. It’s essential to recognize these thoughts and address them. For a long time, I believed balance would just happen, but it doesn’t. You have to actively work on it.

Recently, I’ve found gardening to be a grounding activity. I enjoy gardening with my kids, and it serves as a metaphor for life’s journey. Watching a tomato plant grow from seed to fruit reminds me that everything takes time and effort. Just like a plant needs sun, water, and soil, we need various elements to thrive. Gardening has helped me stay centered and appreciate the process of growth.

Another advice I’d give my younger self is to take five-minute walks. This simple act can be incredibly refreshing and grounding. Before responding to an email, taking a phone call, or starting a task, stepping outside for a few minutes—even if it is raining—can help clear your mind. It allows you to gather your thoughts and understand your values better. Knowing where you stand makes it easier to navigate your day.

11. How would you advise Young Leaders with a passion for social impact?

Just create change and find a way to be passionate about it every day. We often want to see change but align ourselves with an organization or something that may not necessarily help us be passionate every day to fight the cause. For me, my career in helping families incorporate charitable giving and legacy planning motivates me every single day. I am celebrating 14 years with United Charitable since its beginning in 2010. Every day, I wake up with the same mentality: my job is to inspire others to create change, whether through social entrepreneurship, legacy planning, or charitable gift planning. I am incredibly passionate about it, and that hasn’t changed. Find something you are passionate about. Some philanthropists may not know if their idea will work. As entrepreneurs trying to make change, we understand that change might not happen right away, and we do not know if it will work. You just need to do it every day and be passionate about it because that will give you the best chance to create change.

Julia Healey has embraced the power of love, authenticity, resilience, and community. Rooted in a philanthropic mindset, she helps families incorporate charitable giving and legacy planning. Her empowered outlook on life is reflected in her ability to gain clarity while navigating various roles in her personal and professional life.