Derrick Feldmann is the creator of the Millennial Impact Project, a multi-year study of how the next generation supports causes.  He is also the author of "Social Movements for Good: How Companies and Causes Create Viral Change." In this podcast he discusses the elements of effective social movements, whether that means advocating for public policy change, or fundraising for an important social cause. The millennial generation is engaged in social issues like never before, and companies and organizations are still trying to understand how to capture their attention, their time, and their talents. Derrick is a well-regarded author and speaker, and this episode is a fascinating look into what drives movements, and how to sustain them for lasting impact. 

Claire Fiddian-Green is president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1986 by Richard M. (“Dick”) Fairbanks, whose mission is to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people. They achieve this by focusing on the core issues of health, education, and vitality of Indianapolis.

Ms. Fiddian-Green joins us today to discuss the Foundation, its programs, and how the Foundation has taken a prominent role in addressing the opioid epidemic that is afflicting the Indianapolis community, as well as the entire country. We discuss the implications of the epidemic, how bad it has become, and the role of philanthropy in combatting the problem. It is an insightful look into how one philanthropic organization can truly have an impact. 

Andrea Chen is CEO and Co-Founder of Propeller, a tech incubator and accelerator that has generated over $60mm in revenues and financing from the ventures it has helped launch. Propeller’s accelerator programs help entrepreneurs get the resources and mentorship they need to launch and grow their ideas, startups, businesses or nonprofits. They support entrepreneurs need at every stage of development – from launching an early-stage startup to expanding an established business. Propeller’s 10,000 square foot Incubator facility is now home to over 150 socially minded companies.  

Andrea was named “40 Under 40” by Gambit Magazine, 2014 Aspen Institute Scholar, 2014 BALLE Fellow, 2014 Norman C. Francis Institute Fellow, and 2010 City Business Women of the Year. She completed her B.A. at Stanford University and M.Ed. at NO and Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 Julie Hirshey serves as the Philadelphia Eagle’s director of community relations. This program has been part of the NFL team’s philanthropic mission since 2013. Born from the team’s core values of partnerships and teamwork, the Eagles Care initiative began in 2013 focusing on nonprofit capacity building.  Through the program, the team partners with nonprofits to provide mostly non‐traditional assets which strengthen and support their growth.  Partners receive a year of full, unrestricted support across the board via education, mentoring and resource allocation designed to increase the Eagles’ and nonprofit’s impact. 

The Eagles work to strengthen and support a high quality of life for generations offans because we believe there is no offseason to good citizenship. 

Carla Javits, CEO of REDF, discusses the venture philanthropy model, the significance of employment and job creation for our economy and our society, and the REDF expansion into cities across the country, including a successful partnership model in Los Angeles. We talk about REDF as a venture philanthropy model that invests in the growth and effectiveness of social enterprises dedicated to helping people who otherwise would be excluded from the workforce, get jobs, keep jobs, and build a better life. 

Claudia Juech is Associate Vice President for Strategic Insights at The Rockefeller Foundation. She joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2007 and currently leads the work to maximize insight—both internally and externally—from the various channels the Foundation uses to learn about new ideas. Today she talks to the Philanthropy Hour about the Scan and Search approaches, which she manages for the Foundation. This is an opportunistic model that proactively surveys the landscapes of several sectors at once, brings more diverse voices into the earliest stages of its work through interviews and listening tours, and ultimately maximizes the Foundation's reach through evidence-based learning and research. It is just another method by which a traditional Foundation like Rockfeller, which has existed for over 100 years, is able to remain innovative, adaptive, and impactful. 

Bonnie Horrigan was the Executive Director of the Bravewell Collaborated for the final four years until the project concluded in 2015. She joins the Philanthropy Hour today to discuss her experience with this innovative group of philanthropists who managed a collective trust of funds from 20+ leading U.S. donors, all eager to have an active role in changing healthcare. She discusses her findings in the book The Bravewell Story: How a Small Community of Philanthropists Made a Big Difference in Healthcare, which highlights their key principals and successes.  MORE TO SAY HERE...

Richard Woo is the CEO of the Russell Family Foundation, based in the Puget Sound region. Richard joins the Philanthropy Hour to discuss their work in tackling renewable energy efforts, water quality, environmental sustainability, and leadership development. We talk about the concepts of collective impact, responsive grantmaking, and impact investing as an effective vehicle. Richard addresses the importance of fostering strong relationships, approachability, and inclusiveness. The role of the Foundation is to be accessible to the local community, to strive for endless curiosity and lifelong learning, and support those change agents who are making a difference in the world. This is a reflection of the values of the founders, George and Jane Russell. Take a listen!

Vikki, President and CEO of Council on Foundations, speaks to the Philanthropy Hour on the work of the Council, how they represent all of various grantmakers across the country, and how they provide effective resources. Vikki addresses the impact and value of American philanthropy in general, as well as the importance of charitable giving. She discusses some of the emerging trends in philanthropy, and how Foundations are responding to these different charitable vehicles. And we address some of the public policy issues affecting the social sector, including the foundation excise tax and a rollover to donor advised funds. Vikki has a great understanding of the philanthropic climate, and what it will take to advocate on behalf of the sector. 

Roger Nozaki of the Barr Foundation joins the show today to discuss the funding priorities of the Barr Foundation, what it means to be a community funder, and the advantages of having deep roots in the community, with strong partnerships. Roger also delves into learning and evaluation of grants for greater impact, and we explore some of the important trends taking place in philanthropy. Roger has a lot of keen insights into effective philanthropic models, how we can affect the most change.

Ann Lovell is a CPA and a philanthropist, serving as the Director of the David and Lura Lovell Foundation, the Valley Foundation in Tucson, and Women Moving Millions project. She joins the Philanthropy Hour today to speak about some of her accomplishments, namely in her work on the movement for women and girls. Ann is outspoken in her ideas of empowering women and girls, and providing them with a stronger voice. She points to some of the movements that she has been a part, from the One Billion Rising to the OpEd Project. And she talks about the importance of volunteer work, about everybody in the world getting involved and giving their time to projects they believe in. Ann brings the same level of passion and conviction to this interview as she does to everything else in life. 

Jacob Harold is the President and CEO of GuideStar USA, an organization dedicated to bringing better data and more transparency to the nonprofit sector, to help donors make more informed decisions when funding their favorite charities. Jacob has also written extensively on the field of philanthropy. He helped create an open letter to the donors of America, in partnership with Charity Navigator and BBB Wise Giving Alliance, on what to look for in funding decisions. He was one of 26 organizations who helped write an open letter to Foundations on investing in infrastructure. And he does a lot of thinking on how to strengthen nonprofit agencies, and improve the social sector as a whole.

Jacob is an excellent speaker and well-informed on the issues facing the industry. This is a highly informative and engaging interview. 

Craig Newmark is the well known Founder of CraigsList, although nowadays he doesn't have an active role in the company. Rather he dedicates his time to many other pursuits and interests, among them being his philanthropic activities and his support - not just financial support - for the organizations closest to his heart. 

Craig joins the Philanrhopy Hour today to talk about his own values, how his giving is an extension of those values, and why you don't need to make a killing to make a difference. He has always lived his life by the motto of "sending the elevator back down." It is an important message for everyone who wants to support the organizations they are passionate about, but have never seen themselves as philanthropists because they are not millionaires or billionaires. Craig shows that it is possible for everyone to do something, and he discusses it with us on the show. 

Dan Nigito has been serving the financial industry for nearly 40 years as the CEO of American Philanthropic Advisors, LLC. Today, Dan joins the Philanthropy Hour to talk about how all Americans are accidental philanthropists, which is not necessarily a good thing. We are currently at war with our wealth, and we need to do a better job of understanding how the flow of money works in order to leverage our investments, and protect our wealth. Learn how you can protect your own wealth, and become a more intentional philanthropist, not an accidental one. 

Mark Kramer is the co-Founder and Managing Director of FSG, as well as the co-Founder of Center for Effective Philanthropy. He is also an accomplished speaker and author, and has published extensively on topics in philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility.  

On the show, Mark discusses his theories of Collective Impact, Shared Value, and the secret to truly impactful, catalytic philanthropy. This is not about inventing new business models, or recreating systems, but about aligning our values with our intentions, and opening lines of communications. there must also be an understanding that catalytic change can ever occur without the collaboration of multiple organizations, working across sectors, with a common agenda. 

Margaret Hall is the Executive Director of The Greenlight Fund, a national venture philanthropy organization, which she co-founded with John Simon in Boston.  In the past 10 years, they have scaled this venture philanthropy model to five other cities, most recently in Detroit. Margaret explains the GreenLight Fund model, the inspiration for bringing venture philanthropy to the nonprofit sector, and how they are creating a more connected and integrated network of service partners. 

David Greco is the head of Social Sector Partners, working to transform organizations working to achieve social impact through strategic adaptation, business model repositioning, and scaling programs. 

In this interview, David talks about increasing capacity of nonprofits to serve more people sustainably, and about the flow of capital through the social sector. He argues that in order to improve the sector as a whole, we needed more capital and resources from both the private and public sectors, as well as organizations that can scale and meet the growing demands. 

Melissa Berman is the President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, an organization that manages or facilitates about $200 million in giving to more than 20 countries. 

On the show, Ms. Berman discusses the Theory of the Foundation framework for shaping, discussing and assessing the core beliefs and capabilities that underlie a foundation, or any giving program. This framework allows funders to look at their giving, the environments in which they operate, and their core competencies with fresh eyes and renewed commitment — potentially setting a new course and increasing impact for the social sector. 

We are currently entering a golden era of philanthropy, with an increase of committed donors and philanthropists, and a wide variety of Foundations that are tackling complex social issues. Ms. Berman reveals some of the major trends in Foundations and philanthropy in general, and lays out a path for a healthier and more robust sector. 

Antony Bugg-Levine is the CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund, a national nonprofit and financial intermediary that unlocks the potential of mission-driven organizations. through tailored investment, strategic advice, and accessible insights. In this interview, Antony delves deeper into the outcomes-based approaches that NFF has been taking on lately, in partnership with government, private sector, and philanthropic organizations. He gives concrete examples of organizations and movements that NFF has supported through outcomes-based funding. This includes the recently announced partnership that NFF made with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to provide a knowledge campaign around supporting outcomes-based approaches.

Antony also discusses some of the bigger trends in the philanthropic sector, and how NFF is keeping pace with the constant growth and innovation. This is an insightful and illuminating conversation with one of the sector's brightest minds. 

Paul Shoemaker is the Founding President of Social Venture Partners International, and he led SVP Seattle as the Executive Director for 17 years. He is fresh off of his recent book, 'Can't Not Do,' which is a call to action of sorts for the social sector, rich with personal stories and actionable advice.

In this interview, Paul discusses certain trends in the social sector. He talks about his experiences with Social Venture Partners, why the venture philanthropy model works, and how these ideas are manifesting themselves in different parts of the country, as well as spreading globally. As an author and frequent speaker, Paul is concerned with helping people focus on their commitment to social good, and overcoming the obstacles that stand in their way. Here he stresses getting back to the basics when it comes to philanthropy, and how we all play a part in strenghtening the social sector.