Episodes

  • Giving Back to Your Hometown with Bean Path’s Nashlie Sephus

    Giving Back to Your Hometown with Bean Path’s Nashlie Sephus
    Jan 23 2025
    Nashlie Sephus, Ph.D. brought her passion for technology and experience as an entrepreneur back to her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi to bridge the technology gap and plant the seeds for a thriving community. Nashlie joins Phil and Grace in the season four finale to share how the nonprofit she founded, Bean Path, went from informal drop-in hours at the local library to a vital community organization with event spaces, expert-taught courses, and a growing track record of success in helping people of all ages gain essential tech skills. Nashlie also shares what surprised her about moving from the business world to running a nonprofit and offers advice for other donors with a vision. Additional Resources The Bean Path Praxis Society of Women Engineers
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Taking on Philanthropy’s Toughest Critiques with Beth Breeze

    Taking on Philanthropy’s Toughest Critiques with Beth Breeze
    Jan 16 2025
    Philanthropy has been the subject of intensifying criticism, so how should donors think about their role in creating a better world? Beth Breeze, Ph.D., director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, has spent more than a decade examining and responding to critiques of philanthropy, most recently authoring the 2021 book, “In Defence of Philanthropy.” In conversation with Phil and Grace, she makes the case that the critics are largely getting it wrong, overlooking the positive results of giving and the unique role that civil society and nonprofits play in any thriving democracy. Additional Resources In Defence of Philanthropy by Beth Breeze University of Kent Centre for Philanthropy Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas Munk Debate on Billionaire Philanthropy: Rob Reich vs. Beth Breeze The Roddick Foundation Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Giving Cash to Those in Need with Paul Niehaus of GiveDirectly

    Giving Cash to Those in Need with Paul Niehaus of GiveDirectly
    Jan 9 2025
    As we begin a new year, we’re sharing a classic from the Giving Done Right archive in which Phil and Grace talk with Paul Niehaus, co-founder and chairman of GiveDirectly. Paul discusses the power of direct cash transfers – how they work, why trusting those in need with cash can be extremely effective, and when certain issue areas might warrant a different philanthropic approach. They also discuss the effective altruism movement and how to consider giving domestically versus internationally. Additional Resources GiveDirectly Cash transfer research via GiveDirectly GiveWell The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically by Peter Singer Universal Basic Income project in Kenya
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Julián Castro on Supporting a Diverse Latino Community after Trump’s Win

    Julián Castro on Supporting a Diverse Latino Community after Trump’s Win
    Dec 19 2024
    From his days as mayor of San Antonio, Texas to serving as a Cabinet Secretary under former President Barack Obama to leading the nation's largest Latino-serving foundation, Julián Castro has always sought to create positive change in people's lives. As CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, Julián joins Phil and Grace to discuss his vision for a thriving Latino community in the U.S., sharing how philanthropy can enhance civic engagement and improve educational, health, and employment outcomes for Latinos. They also delve into the implications of the 2024 election results, including the shift rightward among at least a segment of Latino voters, the incoming Trump administration’s potential implementation of mass deportations, and challenges to the nonprofit sector broadly including proposed legislation in Congress. Additional Resources Latino Community Foundation UnidosUS H.R.9495 - Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • Get Curious and Stay the Course: Advice for Donors from Philanthropists Jeff and Tricia Raikes

    Get Curious and Stay the Course: Advice for Donors from Philanthropists Jeff and Tricia Raikes
    Dec 12 2024
    Jeff and Tricia Raikes, co-founders of the Raikes Foundation, join Phil and Grace to share their path to philanthropy, their focus on creating supportive systems and fostering belonging for youth, and their belief in proximity and partnership with both nonprofits and beneficiaries of their funding. They discuss what they learned as they transitioned to full-time philanthropy and how donors can avoid common pitfalls. Phil and Jeff also debate the merits of comparing giving to investing. Additional Resources Raikes Foundation CEP’s Grantee Perception Report YouthTruth Giving Compass’ Learning Center CEP’s Resources for Individual Donors Solidaire Network Women Donors Network Find your local community foundation
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • What Does a Trump Victory Mean for Nonprofits and Donors Focused on Democracy? With Stephen Heintz

    What Does a Trump Victory Mean for Nonprofits and Donors Focused on Democracy? With Stephen Heintz
    Dec 5 2024
    Stephen Heintz, president and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, joins Phil and Grace to discuss the results of the 2024 presidential election, whether there is merit to the argument of journalist Ezra Klein and others that certain nonprofit organizations are having an outsized impact on the Democratic party, the role of nonprofits in a functioning democracy, and what it will take to rebuild trust across ideological divides. Stephen offers insight into the long-term, community-based work he believes will help nurture civic engagement and bolster democracy, suggesting both where donors can give as well as actions they can take. He also shares the story behind the Rockefeller Brothers Fund decision to be a leader in the movement to divest from fossil fuels, and the unexpected ripple effects that created. Additional Resources When Will Democrats Learn to Say No? by Adam Jentleson in the New York Times The End of the Obama Coalition - Michael Lind on The Ezra Klein Show “The New Class War: Saving Democracy from the Managerial Elite” by Michael Lind Ezra Klein on Where Democrats Go From Here - Pod Save America Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century American Academy of Arts and Sciences Brennan Center for Justice Dēmos Eric Liu on Revitalizing Faith in American Democracy - The Giving Done Right Podcast Citizen University Habits of the Heart and Mind: How to Fortify Civic Culture Trust for Civic Life
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Giving Locally with Mike Bontrager and Stephanie Almanza

    Giving Locally with Mike Bontrager and Stephanie Almanza
    Dec 3 2024
    Father-daughter duo Mike Bontrager and Stephanie Almanza join Phil and Grace to share their approach to building both for-profit and nonprofit ventures in their local community that are rooted in trust, partnership, and shared goals. Mike offers insight into how he found success in the financial industry by putting trust ahead of profit and how that principle has informed his philanthropic and entrepreneurial ventures in his hometown of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The two also discuss how they chose to invest locally and the way they work in partnership with other community nonprofits, city government, and their neighbors to help build a thriving community. Additional Resources Square Roots Collective Voices Underground Project Praxis Labs The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul From the Revolution to the Civil War by Andrew Delbanco The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Tackling the Root Causes of Homelessness with Susan Thomas

    Tackling the Root Causes of Homelessness with Susan Thomas
    Nov 21 2024
    What can donors do to address the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness? Susan Thomas, president of the Melville Charitable Trust, joins Phil and Grace to discuss the systems and barriers in place in the U.S. that result in well over a half million unhoused Americans. Susan draws on her own personal and familial story as well as decades of experience, arguing that homelessness and structural racism are intrinsically linked, both historically and today. Additional Resources Melville Charitable Trust The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee Listen to “Heather McGhee on the Zero Sum Lie” on the Giving Done Right podcast
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins