Shows
The Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastA Master Class in Making Change - Building a New FieldWhen board and staff of The Music Man Foundation shifted from funding immediate needs to focusing on long-term systemic change, the foundation went all-in. Engaging partners in open-ended conversations revealed opportunities to integrate music and the arts into the nation's fabric in new and permanent ways. The foundation chose one of these big ideas - the significant opportunity to embed music and the arts into the nation's healthcare practices, and committed itself. Executive Director Sarah Lyding shares how her staff and board pursued a strategy embracing convening, advocacy, and multi-year general operating support to advance the goal and build...
2026-02-1917 min
Mentoring IRLEp #16 - GUEST: Jeannie Affelder, Board Chair for Friends of the Children, ChicagoContact us: mentoringirl@gmail.comKeywordsmentoring, youth development, Friends of the Children, nonprofit, community support, education, Chicago, mentorship, social impact, long-term commitmentSummaryIn this episode of Mentoring Real Life, hosts Angela and Bill engage with Jeannie Affelder, board chair of Friends of the Children in Chicago. They discuss the innovative mentoring model of the organization, which focuses on long-term support for children facing significant challenges. Jeannie shares insights on measuring success, adapting to local needs, and the personal impact of mentoring. The conversation highlights the importance of p...
2026-01-1934 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastAsking "What Do You Need?" Led Us to Fund AI & Other Trainings for NonprofitsThe Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund shifted its grant reporting process from written reports to inviting conversations with partners. Executive Director Lauren Scott approached these conversations by asking open-ended questions, and listening. What she and her staff heard offered a window into what nonprofit leaders across the city were struggling with. Hear how Lauren opened up these conversations, and the actions taken to respond. The foundation funded and also created capacity building programs for grantees and the wider community of nonprofits. As Lauren reflects on this work, she asks, "If our partners are asking for something, why wouldn't we p...
2025-12-1820 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMaking a Case for Foundations Spending More to Meet the MomentDuring a year of massive funding cuts to the nation's social service providers, the Weissberg Foundation is challenging traditional assumptions in philanthropy about foundation spending. As Executive Director Ricshawn Adkins Roane puts it, "Five percent is a floor, not a ceiling." Find out why staff and board members decided to spend twice the amount originally budgeted, to support their nonprofit partners and the vulnerable communities they serve. Hear the case Ricshawn and her board make to other foundations.
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Ricshawn Adkins Roane works at the intersection of philanthropy, public opinion, and policy for economic, racial, and gender justice. Since late 2021, she...
2025-10-2811 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastHow a Lean Foundation Doubled Its Spending to Meet Urgent NeedsThe Weissberg Foundation, a leanly staffed foundation in Virginia, chose to double its spending to support partners and communities in a year of massive funding cuts to nonprofit organizations. Executive Director Ricshawn Adkins Roane shares the staff and board's decision process for spending considerably more, and their goals for supporting communities facing unprecedented hardship and threats. She also shares how the foundation accelerated funding and streamlined application and reporting.
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Ricshawn Adkins Roane works at the intersection of philanthropy, public opinion, and policy for economic, racial, and gender justice. Since late 2021, she has served as Executive Dire...
2025-10-2828 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastBuilding Alliances Between a City's Nonprofits and Its Business CommunityIn Oklahoma City, the Expressions of Hope Foundation, the corporate foundation for Express Employment International, leverages its ties to Oklahoma City businesses to build and strengthen nonprofits. Director of Corporate Philanthropy Jessica Gilmore shares how and why she finances memberships for nonprofits to the network of Chambers of Commerce across the city. The idea emerged while Jessica was doing listening interviews as a cohort member in Exponent's Intro to Catalytic Leadership Program. Jessica explores the very tangible and also the more intangible benefits that nonprofits gain from sitting at tables with the city's corporations.
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2025-07-2519 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastEntrepreneurial Philanthropy: Expanding Childcare by Nurturing New Childcare Businesses - Part 1Lean foundations make bets on new, creative ideas for addressing social and environmental challenges. Learn how a foundation with one staff person helped tackle the childcare scarcity in Connecticut, by helping build a new incubator model to help women start and grow family childcare businesses. In this two-part Podcast, Kimberley Russo of the Fund for Greater Hartford shares, step-by-step, how the foundation uses its powers to convene, advocate, collaborate, and champion, to help catalyze a new vision and model for solving a critical issue, while building economic opportunity for women.
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Kimberley Russo is Executive...
2025-06-0427 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastEntrepreneurial Philanthropy: Expanding Childcare by Nurturing New Childcare Businesses - Part 2Lean foundations make bets on new, creative ideas for addressing social and environmental challenges. Learn how a foundation with one staff person helped tackle the childcare scarcity in Connecticut, by helping build a new incubator model to help women start and grow family childcare businesses. In the 2nd part of her Podcast, Kimberley Russo of the Fund for Greater Hartford shares, step-by-step, how the foundation uses its powers to convene, advocate, collaborate, and champion, to help catalyze a new vision and model for solving a critical issue, while building economic opportunity for women.
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Kimberley Rus...
2025-06-0419 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastBreaking Down Walls Between Foundation and Community: How Transformation BeginsNo matter their mission, culture, or focus, every foundation's first steps toward Catalytic Leadership follow a similar path. A foundation staff person, trustee, donor, or family member ventures into the community to listen, get to know people, and become immersed in an issue. Immersing oneself and getting close to people with knowledge reveals opportunities to use grants and the foundation's other resources in targeted, powerful ways. In this Podcast, we explore these early stages in funders' evolution from grantmaker to changemaker through the lens of funders' experience in Exponent Philanthropy's Intro to Catalytic Leadership Program. The program provides skills...
2025-03-1225 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastCatalyzing Generosity: Newman's Own Foundation Models Giving 100% for PhilanthropyLeanly staffed foundations can influence how other foundations practice philanthropy. By working in creative, entrepreneurial ways, these agile funders make new or non-traditional practices more accessible for their peers. Newman's Own Foundation is a lean foundation breaking the mold of corporate philanthropy. Paul Newman's legacy of giving 100 percent of the profits from the food company he established, sets the foundation apart from most models of corporate giving, where the norm is giving five percent or less. Join Alex Amouyel, the foundation's President and CEO, as she explores Newman's vision of generosity, and the unique arrangement established between the foundation...
2025-02-1817 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastSupercharging Impact: Recruiting Community Leaders for Our Foundation BoardDeveloping knowledge and insight into a specific issue positions foundations to catalyze change. Learning deeply about an issue reveals gaps and leverage points where you can target foundation resources in the smartest ways. Malcolm Macleod, Board Chair of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, highlights a powerful way to acquire knowledge and insight - recruiting people in the community and field who have deep knowledge and lived experience, to serve on your foundation board. Malcolm explores how board recruitment has transformed the philanthropy, and how the foundation positions itself to find extraordinary leaders.
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Malcolm Macleod was born in...
2025-01-2420 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDebra Jacobs - Catalyzing Systems Change by Fostering Wide Participation Around Shared AspirationsFoundations practicing Catalytic Leadership understand that making deeper, lasting progress on a priority issue requires working with organizations across all sectors, and with community members directly. Catalytic leaders use their unique powers to connect, convene, and support collaboration. In this Podcast, President and CEO Debra Jacobs of the Patterson Foundation shares how her foundation applies this systems approach to helping children achieve grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Debra and her colleagues engage and support the persistent involvement of not only educators, but parents, families, caregivers, after-school programs, local businesses, local media, and other people who play...
2024-11-2618 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDanielle Reyes - Going Beyond Scholarships to Increase Student Participation in Tuition-Based EducationStaff and board of the Crimsonbridge Foundation know that scholarship dollars have long played an important and familiar role to support student participation in tuition-based education. They've invested in building the capacity of schools from kindergarten through college to create welcoming, inclusive institutions that foster the sense of belonging needed to support student success. So when they looked for solutions to increase the participation of Hispanic students in Catholic schools, they proposed outreach, engagement, and communication strategies that went beyond traditional scholarships. These "beyond the grant" strategies not only increased school capacity, but student enrollment and family engagement.
2024-10-2215 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDanielle Reyes - Money Alone Won't Make Systemic Change. Our Foundation Uses Our Full Social and Human Capital - Part 2Danielle Reyes, President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, observes that many times, discussions about improving philanthropy call upon foundations to minimize their presence and agency. Danielle invites us to take a more complex view of foundations' role. In a series of Podcasts, she reminds us that money alone is not enough to make deeper, longer-lasting systems change. She observes that social sector organizations want their funders to do more - to step up and take actions that draw upon foundations' unique abilities, assets, and position. In Part 2, Danielle shares an example how the foundation goes far beyond grants...
2024-08-2715 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDanielle Reyes - Money Alone Won't Make Systemic Change. Our Foundation Uses Our Full Social and Human CapitalDanielle Reyes, President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, observes that many times, discussions about improving philanthropy call upon foundations to minimize their presence and agency. Danielle invites us to take a more complex view of foundations' role. In a series of Podcasts, she reminds us that money alone is not enough to make deeper, longer-lasting systems change. She observes that social sector organizations want their funders to do more - to step up and take actions that draw upon foundations' unique abilities, assets, and positions. In Part 1, Danielle explores why the Crimsonbridge Foundation uses all the assets and...
2024-07-1822 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastBrett Howell and Kirsten Midura - Being The First Funder: Empowering Investment in New Projects, Organizations, and Visionary IdeasSome say the highest and best use of philanthropy is to drive innovation and creativity. Champions of this role emphasize foundations' and donors' freedom to support - with grants and also connections - entrepreneurial people seeking to develop, test, and scale new approaches to the toughest issues. In this Podcast, meet Brett Howell and Kirsten Midura, the founder and lead staff of the Howell Conservation Fund (HCF). HCF is a lean funder dedicated to supporting innovation and market-based approaches in the environmental field. Across the U.S. and globally, nonprofit leaders and entrepreneurs have visionary ideas that can take...
2024-05-2424 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastAbigail Seldin - Creative Philanthropy: Catalyzing a New Way to Help Parents Attend College - Part 2It was a win-win solution, hiding in plain sight. Community colleges could serve more parents with young children, if parents had easier access to affordable childcare. Head Start Centers, for their part, want to serve more families. Idea: If more community colleges could host Head Start Centers right on their campuses, eligible parents would have immediate access to free child care, colleges could better tap into a population of potential students, and Head Start centers could get free space and access to aspiring teachers. Abigail Seldin, founder of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, did what leanly staffed foundations are perfectly...
2024-04-1809 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastAbigail Seldin - Creative Philanthropy: Catalyzing a New Way to Help Parents Attend College - Part 1It was a win-win solution, hiding in plain sight. Community colleges could serve more parents with young children if parents had easier access to affordable childcare. Head Start Centers, for their part, want to serve more families. Idea: If more community colleges could host Head Start Centers right on their campuses, eligible parents would have immediate access to free child care, colleges could better tap into a population of potential students, and Head Start centers could get free space and access to aspiring teachers. Abigail Seldin, founder of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, did what leanly staffed foundations are perfectly...
2024-04-1814 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastSPECIAL EPISODE - Andy Carroll & Paul D. Daugherty Talk Catalytic Leadership in PhilanthropyAny person at a leanly staffed foundation, no matter their role, can embrace Catalytic Leadership in Philanthropy (CLIP).
In this special podcast episode, Exponent Philanthropy CEO Paul D. Daugherty and senior advisor, producer, and host of the Catalytic Philanthropy Podcast, Andy Carroll discuss this critical mindset and practice, how it fills a gap in the space, and how anyone can begin to adopt CLIP.
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Andy Carroll is a senior advisor at Exponent Philanthropy and the producer and host of the Catalytic Philanthropy Podcast. Learn more about Andy Carroll »
Paul D. Daugherty is...
2024-04-0218 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMegan Oglesby & Joe Blosser - Catalyzing Job Creation by Supporting Our Region's Designers, Makers, and Creatives - Part 3In Part 3 of our Podcast exploring the catalyst role of the Earl & Kathryn Congdon Foundation in the economic revitalization of High Point, North Carolina, foundation staff Megan Oglesby and Joe Blosser chronicle the creation of a prototyping and training facility called the Generator. Furniture design and craftmanship has had a long history in High Point. Though manufacturing shifted to other countries, many professional designers and skilled craftspeople continue to reside in the area. To support these creatives and their businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, Business High Point, developed a space downtown for furniture design prototyping and training. Learn how...
2024-03-0715 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMegan Oglesby & Joe Blosser- Creating a Coworking Space Designed to Support Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in Our City - Part 2In Part 2 of our Podcast exploring the catalyst role of the Earl & Kathryn Congdon Foundation in the economic revitalization of High Point, North Carolina, foundation staff Megan Oglesby and Joe Blosser describe a key part of the project, a coworking space called the Commons. Megan and Joe share how the Commons was designed to promote networking and idea generation, why the foundation and its partners decided to make access free, and the programming offered by the Chamber of Commerce to meet the needs of both nonprofit and for-profit startups. Learn how the scale and design of the Commons evolved...
2024-02-1619 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMegan Oglesby & Joe Blosser - How a Lean Foundation Does What Government and Business Cannot Do, to Spark Job Growth and Economic Development - Part 1Small, place-based foundations operate in almost every rural region, town, and city in the U.S. Many of these communities have experienced a dramatic loss of jobs in the past decades. As local foundations make grants to meet immediate needs, their leaders consider whether the foundations might also play a part in rejuvenating local economies and lifting opportunity and hope for the residents of their towns and regions. In this podcast, meet the staff of a foundation of two committed to doing just that - nurturing economic development in a city that once flourished with manufacturing jobs that sustained...
2024-02-0721 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastAngela Hult – We Funded a Data Survey to Count People with Disabilities. The Results Were Stunning, and Helped Our Partners Change the Policy Landscape - Part 2When the Kuni Foundation asked its nonprofit partners in Washington State and Oregon what they most needed, the answer was "data." Their partners knew that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the two states were undercounted, and therefore public funding and services were inadequate. The foundation complied, and the results of the data study not only confirmed the gap but revealed, in a stunning way, a deep gulf between needs and services provided - including in housing designed for people with IDD, a key focus for the foundation. In this Podcast, Foundation President Angela Hult explains how sh...
2023-10-1312 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastAngela Hult – We Funded a Data Survey to Count People with Disabilities. The Results Were Stunning, and Helped Our Partners Change the Policy Landscape - Part 1When the Kuni Foundation asked its nonprofit partners in Washington State and Oregon what they most needed, the answer was "data." Their partners knew that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the two states were undercounted, and therefore public funding and services were inadequate. The foundation complied, and the results of the data study not only confirmed the gap but revealed, in a stunning way, a deep gulf between needs and services provided - including in housing designed for people with IDD, a key focus for the foundation. In this Podcast, Foundation President Angela Hult explains how...
2023-10-1322 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJohn Amoroso - Any Funder Can Support Issue Advocacy by Their Partners. A Step-By-Step Guide to Funding Advocacy and Engaging Your BoardThe David and Lura Lovell Foundation supports its nonprofit grantees to engage in a wide range of issue advocacy activities. Through this support, the foundation acts on its mission to help its partners achieve wins that not only alleviate issues but may actually solve persistent or urgent social problems. Among the successes of its grantee partners is the passing of two bipartisan federal bills that protect survivors of sexual misconduct from being silenced. In this Podcast, foundation Executive Director John Amoroso offers a step-by-step guide to funding issue advocacy. The process begins by educating your board and staff about...
2023-07-1027 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJennie Riley - How a Small Foundation Builds Communities’ Power to Advance Health Justice, by Supporting Advocacy, Organizing, and Civic Engagement - Part 2When the board of a foundation dedicated to innovation in healthcare delivery asked, "What could we achieve with advocacy?", the question changed the entire trajectory of its philanthropy. Executive Director Jennie Riley of the Rx Foundation began learning about advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement from other funders and communities. In this Podcast, Jennie shares how the foundation journeyed to pursue its current goal - to build and nurture long-term community power to advance health justice. The Rx Foundation empowers community residents of all backgrounds to call on leaders and elected officials to take action on the community's needs for...
2023-06-2014 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJennie Riley - How a Small Foundation Builds Communities’ Power to Advance Health Justice, by Supporting Advocacy, Organizing, and Civic Engagement - Part 1When the board of a foundation dedicated to innovation in healthcare delivery asked, "What could we achieve with advocacy?", the question changed the entire trajectory of its philanthropy. Executive Director Jennie Riley of the Rx Foundation began learning about advocacy, organizing, and civic engagement from other funders and communities. In this Podcast, Jennie shares how the foundation journeyed to pursue its current goal - to build and nurture long-term community power to advance health justice. The Rx Foundation empowers community residents of all backgrounds to call on leaders and elected officials to take action on the community's needs for...
2023-06-2019 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastLibby Kyles - Recognizing the Work of Community Leaders Who Dedicate Themselves to Social Justice Work, at Considerable Personal ExpenseListening to community members and people with field experience is an essential practice of funders who make outsized impact. Listening to the community revealed to the Tzedek Social Justice Fund in Asheville, North Carolina the need to offer respite and recognition to individuals who have devoted years of paid and unpaid labor to supporting fellow residents. Many of these individuals have worked to tear down systemic racism, gender inequality, and religious prejudice. The foundation decided to lift up and celebrate these often unrecognized leaders with grant awards. Libby Kyles, Director of Community Led Grantmaking, shares with us two kinds...
2023-04-2420 min
Do Your Good#123 Sybil Speaks: Put Your Best Foot Forward to Participate in Philanthropic NetworksSybil talks about how to participate in philanthropic networks because you should never fund and issue you care about all alone - there are others who are also thinking about solutions to the same problems you are trying to solve. Sybil explains three types of funder collaborations: general philanthropic groups that help you improve your craft, issue-centric philanthropic networks that help you improve knowledge about a given topic, and campaign-centric philanthropic collaborations. She offers examples and links to resources to help you find a philanthropic collaboration in the area you're interested in. She also shares her tips on finding...
2023-04-1013 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDan Ely - ”Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” When We Uncovered that Enslaved African People Contributed to the Wealth of the Foundation, Our Board and Staff Did More Than Make StatementsDan Ely, Vice President and former Board Chair of the 1772 Foundation, shares the actions board and staff took as soon as they uncovered the connection between the foundation and profits made from the labor of African peoples enslaved in the late 18th century by the forebears of the benefactor, Stewart B. Kean. One operating principle of catalytic funders like the 1772 Foundation, is taking responsibility for an issue and acting creatively and decisively. By taking a series of steps immediately upon learning this information, the foundation offers other funders an example of action and accountability. Thanks to Afia Amobeaa-Sakyi, Director...
2023-02-1014 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJoey Borgogna - Embracing a More Powerful Role for Our Foundation - Using Our Position to Nurture Leaders and Build a Peer Learning Community Part 2In Part 2, Joey Borgogna of the Speranza Foundation shares the techniques he uses to build a peer learning community for the foundation's artist fellows, and personalize learning and technical assistance to individual artists' needs. The leadership program encompasses one-on-one coaching, peer interviews to learn about the artists' work and life, individualized training and technical assistance, group workshops, in-person visits to experience artists' work, and celebrations. Joey urges foundations working in any field to connect people in their network and nourish their growth as leaders and as human beings.
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Funding the Arts Is Funding for S...
2022-12-2216 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJoey Borgogna - Embracing a More Powerful Role for Our Foundation - Using Our Position to Nurture Leaders and Build a Peer Learning Community Part 1The pandemic underscored challenges faced by artists and performers, and at the same time, the indispensable role they play in sustaining our culture and connecting us. As Joey Borgogna, director of the Speranza Foundation, puts it, "We get the gift of artists being in the world." The foundation shifted from supporting arts creation, to the more hands-on work of building community among its artist fellows, to nurture renewal, growth, and leadership in ways personalized to the artists' individual needs. In Part 1 of this Podcast, Joey explains the "Why?" of this shift; in Part 2 he describes how he designs the...
2022-12-2214 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastRichelle Todd-Yamoah ─ ”Not Thinking Anything Was Too Big” - A Small Foundation Partners with a CDFI and the State to Nurture Businesses and Fill Transportation Gaps in a Struggling RegionWhen working to advance its mission, the Pascale Sykes Foundation in New Jersey has never backed away from challenge and the need to venture into new kinds of work. The foundation focuses on nurturing opportunity and success for working families. Recognizing that lack of jobs and transportation in rural South Jersey undermined hope for families, the foundation built relationships with organizations in other parts of New Jersey to target resources to this underserved region. Richelle Todd-Yamoah explains how the relationships and expertise the foundation tapped into made it possible to fill gaps in the larger system that affects families...
2022-11-2220 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastColleen O’Keefe ─ ”We Never Would Have Made This Impact by Relying on Grant Proposals.” How Listening and Building Relationships Allowed a Small Foundation to Catalyze Transformation - Part 2Colleen O'Keefe, Executive Director of the Sauer Family Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, points out that all grantmaking is done in the context of large systems encompassing nonprofits as well as government agencies. Colleen realized she needed to talk with people who work in different parts of the child welfare system to understand the system as a whole and where the foundation could add real value. In this two-part Podcast, Colleen shares how listening without preconceptions, inviting people to step back and reflect, and convening staff from diverse agencies re-framed and transformed the work. By listening and convening, the...
2022-09-2620 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastColleen O’Keefe ─ ”We Never Would Have Made This Impact by Relying on Grant Proposals.” How Listening and Building Relationships Allowed a Small Foundation to Catalyze Transformation - Part 1Colleen O'Keefe, Executive Director of the Sauer Family Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, points out that all grantmaking is done in the context of large systems encompassing nonprofits as well as government agencies. Colleen realized she needed to talk with people who work in different parts of the child welfare system to understand the system as a whole and where the foundation could add real value. In this two-part Podcast, Colleen shares how listening without preconceptions, inviting people to step back and reflect, and convening staff from diverse agencies re-framed and transformed the work. By listening and convening, the...
2022-09-2622 min
Do Your Good#123 Sybil Speaks: Put Your Best Foot Forward to Participate in Philanthropic NetworksSybil talks about how to participate in philanthropic networks because you should never fund and issue you care about all alone - there are others who are also thinking about solutions to the same problems you are trying to solve. Sybil explains three types of funder collaborations: general philanthropic groups that help you improve your craft, issue-centric philanthropic networks that help you improve knowledge about a given topic, and campaign-centric philanthropic collaborations. She offers examples and links to resources to help you find a philanthropic collaboration in the area you're interested in. She also shares her tips on finding a...
2022-08-3113 min
Do Your Good#123 Sybil Speaks: Put Your Best Foot Forward to Participate in Philanthropic NetworksSybil talks about how to participate in philanthropic networks because you should never fund and issue you care about all alone - there are others who are also thinking about solutions to the same problems you are trying to solve. Sybil explains three types of funder collaborations: general philanthropic groups that help you improve your craft, issue-centric philanthropic networks that help you improve knowledge about a given topic, and campaign-centric philanthropic collaborations. She offers examples and links to resources to help you find a philanthropic collaboration in the area you're interested in. She also shares her tips on finding...
2022-08-3113 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastKimberly Quintero — How a Next Generation Influences Its Family to Embrace Environment, Social Justice as Integral to the MissionFamilies that welcome the engagement and ideas of their next generations open up the potential for innovation and new opportunity. Kimberly Quintero, Program Associate at the Pincus Family Foundation, explains how foundation staff facilitate involvement by the 3rd generation, their collaboration with the board, and partnership with grantees.
Hear how the next generation of foundation leaders honors the founders' values while linking the mission to address current and emerging issues. This evolution thrives because of mutual respect among the generations, constant conversation, and the support of talented and experienced staff. .
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Kimberly Quintero is the P...
2022-08-0317 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastHenry Rael — How a Small, Place-Based Foundation Was Instrumental in Catalyzing Investment in Native American Communities, in Ways Determined by the Communities Themselves Part 2What impact can result when a funder collaborative engages deeper and deeper with nonprofits, and keeps challenging how it does philanthropy? The journey of a collaborative catalyzed by the McCune Foundation, a small foundation in New Mexico, led to the design of a platform enabling a wide variety of private and public funders to build capacity and leadership in Native American communities, in ways prioritized by tribal leaders and community members. Henry Rael of the McCune Foundation shares how the platform structure also builds capacity of Native American-led groups to apply for millions of Federal dollars, and to direct...
2022-06-2316 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastHenry Rael — How a Small, Place-Based Foundation Was Instrumental in Catalyzing Investment in Native American Communities, in Ways Determined by the Communities Themselves Part 1What impact can result when a funder collaborative engages deeper and deeper with nonprofits, and keeps challenging how it does philanthropy? The journey of a collaborative catalyzed by the McCune Foundation, a small foundation in New Mexico, led to the design of a platform enabling a wide variety of private and public funders to build capacity and leadership in Native American communities, in ways prioritized by tribal leaders and community members. Henry Rael of the McCune Foundation shares how the platform structure also builds capacity of Native American-led groups to apply for millions of Federal dollars, and to direct...
2022-06-2320 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastSandy Cook — A Womens’ Collective Giving Group Asks Nonprofits, ”How Can We Support Transformation at Your Organization?” Part 2Creative, high-impact philanthropy is practiced by donors of all types - foundations, donor advised funds, social venture funders, and collective giving organizations. We visit with Sandy Cook, a leader at Impact100 Metro Denver, one of several hundred womens collective giving organizations around the country. Find out why Impact 100 Metro Denver invites nonprofits to step back and consider what they need to make significant shifts in how they work. Sandy shares examples how investing in nonprofits' unglamourous infrastructure needs, such as redesigning space, and buying trucks and equipment, helps organizations achieve exponentially more impact.
https://impact100metr...
2022-04-2209 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastSandy Cook — A Womens’ Collective Giving Group Asks Nonprofits, ”How Can We Support Transformation at Your Organization?” Part 1Creative, high-impact philanthropy is practiced by donors of all types - foundations, donor advised funds, social venture funders, and collective giving organizations. We visit with Sandy Cook, a leader at Impact100 Metro Denver, one of several hundred womens collective giving organizations around the country. Find out why Impact 100 Metro Denver invites nonprofits to step back and consider what they need to make significant shifts in how they work. Sandy shares examples how investing in nonprofits' unglamourous infrastructure needs, such as redesigning space, and buying trucks and equipment, helps organizations achieve exponentially more impact.
https://impact100metr...
2022-04-2215 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDon Carpenter — A Foundation Makes a Big Bet, and Transforms Its Philanthropy Part 2Galvanized by a statewide landscape scan revealing deep concern for the future of Maine's young people, the board of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation shifted from a portfolio of annual grants, to a laser-focused, multi-year commitment to a cohort of groups to raise youth aspirations. The Lerner board and staff also focused their own time in building relationships with grantee partners. Executive Director Don Carpenter shares how this big bet inspired the Lerner Foundation board to transform its philanthropy.
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Don Carpenter, executive director of the Lerner Foundation based in Portland, Maine, h...
2022-03-2212 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDon Carpenter — A Foundation Makes a Big Bet, and Transforms Its Philanthropy Part 1Galvanized by a statewide landscape scan revealing deep concern for the future of Maine's young people, the board of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation shifted from a portfolio of annual grants, to a laser-focused, multi-year commitment to a cohort of groups to raise youth aspirations. The Lerner board and staff also focused their own time in building relationships with grantee partners. Executive Director Don Carpenter shares how this big bet inspired the Lerner Foundation board to transform its philanthropy.
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Don Carpenter, executive director of the Lerner Foundation based in Portland, Maine, h...
2022-03-2214 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJackie Edwards — Building Sustainability by Connecting Grantee Partners with Business, Government, AcademiaMany foundations want their favorite grantee partners to expand their sources of support. But fewer take an active role in helping partners become more sustainable. The Pascale Sykes Foundation connects partners with many kinds of organizations working in the same field. Jackie Edwards shares how the relationships that result have led to greater coordination, synergy, and to new revenue streams.
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Jackie Edwards serves as Vice President of Strategic Engagement at the Pascale Sykes Foundation. With a deep understanding of the many challenges faced by disadvantaged, low-income families, Ms. Edwards has been a steadfast a...
2022-02-0210 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastCaroline Wertz — How Focusing Deeply Transformed a Foundation, Leading to Systems-Level WorkWhat opportunities emerge when a foundation focuses more deeply? Caroline Wertz of the Scheidel Foundation shares how she spent more time with a smaller number of grantee partners, and engaged them in conversations. Deep listening allowed Caroline to understand challenges that were common to several organizations working in the same field, and identify gaps. This opened the door to opportunities for collective impact, and systems-level change. The journey all started with focusing.
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Caroline Wertz is Senior Director of Programs at the Scheidel Foundation, which supports college success for underrepresented students, and advances the f...
2022-02-0218 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastLindsey Stammerjohn — From Supporting Programs to Building Organizations Part 2: Hosting Convenings and Funding TrainingThe John Gogian Foundation began its philanthropy by supporting individuals and families. As staff learned about challenges facing grantee partners and the field, it shifted its entire approach. Hear how listening deeply to nonprofit partners transformed the way a foundation worked - from supporting programs to strengthening organizations.
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Lindsey Stammerjohn served as executive director of the John Gogian Family Foundation, where she developed deep, long-term relationships with leaders of partner organizations. For a dozen years, Lindsey provided training and capacity building to the foundation’s key partners, convened them and built a networked com...
2021-12-2312 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastLindsey Stammerjohn — From Supporting Programs to Building Organizations Part 1: Making the Case to Our BoardThe John Gogian Foundation began its philanthropy by supporting individuals and families. As staff learned about challenges facing grantee partners and the field, it shifted its entire approach. Hear how listening deeply to nonprofit partners transformed the way a foundation worked - from supporting programs to strengthening organizations.
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Lindsey Stammerjohn served as executive director of the John Gogian Family Foundation, where she developed deep, long-term relationships with leaders of partner organizations. For a dozen years, Lindsey provided training and capacity building to the foundation’s key partners, convened them and built a networked com...
2021-12-2309 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastBonnie Gonzalez — A Foundation Leader Serves as Mentor and Coach in Her CommunityWorking on health access and economic development on the Texas - Mexico border, Bonnie Gonzalez uses her mentoring and coaching skills to help community members fulfill their goals, and realize their full potential. Hear how a foundation leader plays a mentoring role to build capacity and leadership in her community.
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Bonnie was named founding chief executive officer for Knapp Community Care Foundation in late 2013. KCCF invests in prevention/wellness, direct health services, health related education and behavioral health. Bonnie has been involved in public and higher education, health care, and public nonprofit work t...
2021-11-2315 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDiane Brown — How Community Participation Amplifies a Foundation‘s WorkA small foundation with four staff amplifies its work by engaging dozens of community members from all walks of life - government, business, civic, and nonprofit. Diane Brown explains how she and colleagues structure the work of volunteers, and make participation meaningful and fulfilling. As an example, the foundation collaborated with nonprofits and city leaders to establish a social purpose grocery store in a neighborhood without access to fresh food.
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Bio: A life-long resident of the Binghamton NY area, Diane Brown has been involved in nonprofit and community service for over 40 years. Currently s...
2021-11-2314 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMichael Weinberg — Advocating for State-Level Systems Change Part 3: Tips for Getting StartedMichael Weinberg reflects on what he learned working in a successful advocacy coalition over several years, and shares tips for how foundations of any size can lay the ground to catalyze significant policy-level change on issues they care about.
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Bio: Michael Weinberg is a Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. His previous roles include program evaluation manager for New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, public school teacher, and principal. Michael earned his doctorate in education from the University of New Mexico and lives in Albuquerque with his wife and two teenage daughters.
Mic...
2021-10-0413 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMichael Weinberg — Advocating for State-Level Systems Change Part 2: The Power of Joining a CoalitionA coalition is a powerful way for a group of foundations to learn together and build skills to do advocacy. Each member brings a different and valuable perspective. Michael Weinberg shares how a group of funders he brought together in New Mexico on early childhood got involved in advocacy, built relationships and trust with the state's legislature, and helped catalyze long-term public investments in the state's children and families.
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Bio: Michael Weinberg is a Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. His previous roles include program evaluation manager for New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Com...
2021-10-0419 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJanis Reischmann — Convening Nurtures Community and Powerful IdeasOver the course of 12 years, the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation in Hawai'i convened a group of organizations working in a new approach to education focused on the environment. Over time, the foundation and its partners nurtured and developed this emerging field through peer learning, developing different models of program delivery, and demonstrating impact. Organizations around the state are taking notice, creating the potential for larger numbers of children and youth to benefit. Learn how convening, a strategy available to the smallest foundations, can help catalyze large-scale change.
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Bio: Janis has served as the...
2021-08-1015 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastDoug Bauer — See the Big Picture, Become a Player in Your StateCatalytic funders work to understand the ecosystem of their issue or community. They find out what grantees need to perform well and be strong and sustainable. Doug Bauer talks about how listening also allows him to understand the relationship between the nonprofit and public sectors in New York State, and how engaging with diverse organizations connects him to this big ecosystem. By engaging constantly with other funders and networks, Doug becomes an active participant in the policy landscape, and empowers his foundation to play a role in making sure billions of dollars in state and federal money is spent in w...
2021-08-0919 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastPhil Li — Trust Puts You in a Learning StanceA powerful thing happens when philanthropists demonstrate humility through listening and respect - they earn trust. Trust allows funders to learn how they can support grantees to do bold, ambitious work. Trust also builds relationships with partners who are essential to advocacy and systems change. Phil Li, one of the country's foremost champions of a trust-based approach to philanthropy, explores how power dynamics undermine trust, and offers first steps to building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with grantees.
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Bio: Phil is president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, which aims to create a more...
2021-07-2916 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMichael Weinberg — Advocating for State-Level Systems Change Part 1Small, place-based foundations are uniquely positioned to make change in the policy arena. In this three-part Podcast, Michael Weinberg chronicles the Thornburg Foundation's move into advocacy, the first steps, the unfolding journey, and what the advocacy coalition ended up accomplishing, which surpassed expectations. Michael explores how successful advocacy work is grounded in research and data, collaboration, and focused persistence.
Part 2 will be published in June.
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Bio: Michael Weinberg is a Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation. His previous roles include program evaluation manager for New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, public school teacher, and...
2021-05-0611 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastSheena Solomon — The Power of ProximityThe Gifford Foundation is small, but its dedication to listening gives it a very big presence in Syracuse, New York. Executive Director Sheena Solomon sees listening to community members and building trust as a mindset; she calls it "Proximity." Proximity empowers Sheena and her staff to be better at the capacity building work they specialize in. Sheena wants to know what nonprofits' real needs are, and she wants to hear directly from diverse community members. Learn how Proximity helps the Gifford Foundation not just pursue Equity, but embody Equity in all its work.
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Bio: Sheena S...
2021-05-0616 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJohn Richardson — Finding and Supporting Breakthrough Ideas Part 2A challenge for people with promising ideas is to have someone believe in their work and offer the first grant. Philanthropy has the freedom to provide this risk capital, and small foundations excel in early-stage funding, backing ideas that later attract the attention of large foundations and government. Meet a small funder whose purpose is to find creative entrepreneurs in the environmental and energy fields, and provide early support -- plus the encouragement -- to begin turning powerful ideas into reality.
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Bio: John is the founding executive director of Blackstone Ranch Institute, which provides early s...
2021-04-2811 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastJohn Richardson — Finding and Supporting Breakthrough Ideas Part 1A challenge for people with promising ideas is to have someone believe in their work and offer the first grant. Philanthropy has the freedom to provide this risk capital, and small foundations excel in early-stage funding, backing ideas that later attract the attention of large foundations and government. Meet a small funder whose purpose is to find creative entrepreneurs in the environmental and energy fields, and provide early support -- plus the encouragement -- to begin turning powerful ideas into reality.
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Bio: John is the founding executive director of Blackstone Ranch Institute, which provides early s...
2021-04-2310 minThe Catalytic Philanthropy PodcastMary Anthony — Rejuvenating a Field by Backing Creative New ApproachesSmall foundations have the agility and openness to make bets on new ideas and mavericks, and help revitalize entire fields -- while unleashing creativity and sparking new collaborations. Meet a funder who became so knowledgeable about their field, that they could see the potential of a completely new way to do the work. Mary talks about the power of this "Insider/Outsider" role, and how her foundation nurtured and spread the new idea.
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Bio: Mary has served as the director of the 1772 Foundation since 2003. The foundation is committed to farmland conservation and historic preservation and...
2021-04-1912 min