Giving Voices

Why does the American public punish nonprofits for spending money? Why do we, as a society, apply different operating and economic standards to charitable entities than we do to commercial businesses? Rick Peck , independent philanthropy advisor with Richard C. Peck Consulting, LLC and founder of The Philanthropy Guy, LLC , joins me in discussing the full-length documentary film, UnCharitable , th...

Deborah Goldstein and I cover the map today, going deep into a discussion about 'meaningful moments,' what is meant by the term 'philanthropic journey,' and how the word 'burden' is sometimes applied to the concept of philanthropy <-- what could possibly be burdensome about having such abundance that you can give money away?! As Founder and Principal of Enlightened...

John Farnam and Paul Heitzenrater describe the myriad ways they engage with their community (Denver) from collecting and donating socks and suitcases, growing and giving away fresh produce, to chairing galas that raise $1 million. Their combined generosity of time, treasure, talent (and ties and testimony) fulfills both urgent and basic needs as well as addresses systemic issues, even as they each...

Valerie Kind-Rubin is simultaneously a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, an aunt, a sister-in-law, and Managing Trustee of the Patricia Kind Family Foundation . Patience, humility, and her careful attention to and passion for relationships contribute to her success in navigating the complexity of being both a family member and the executive leader of the private foundation her mom founded in 1...

Welcome Back, Giving Voices Community! In the Season 2 opener, I'm musing on the history of the word "philanthropy," attempts to break down that concept by applying the 5 Ts - globally understood to be Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties and Testimony - and on the importance of storytelling as a method for building understanding about philanthropy and the social sector.  Bonus : For more a...

“ Giving Circles are not cute ,” is just one of several strong points that Sara Lomelin, CEO of Philanthropy Together makes today. Sara shares her journey from being a Catholic schoolgirl in Mexico to now leading and advocating for the global movement of collective giving, a movement “by the people, for the people,” that – in the last 6 years – has moved $3.1 billion through 4,000 giving circles ....

Entrepreneur Erinn Andrews , Founder & CEO of Give Team , shares her insights, research, and observations about the philanthropists we don’t usually hear about: donors giving between $10,000 - $50,000 annually (versus millions and billions every year). Her enthusiasm and passion for the social sector is abundant and is showcased in this conversation where she explains Give Team’s approach and...

The words “heritage,” “humble,” and “help” are on repeat as Chuck Knabusch shares stories of the founding, history, and spending down of the Edward M. and Henrietta M. Knabusch Charitable Trust established by his grandfather. The foundation was set up to last only 30 years and, at the airing of this episode, is in its final months.  Bonus : Here’s a little more history of La-Z-Boy , the furniture...

Much has been studied and written about Generation Z , commonly considered to encompass those born between the mid-1990s (around 1995) to the mid-2010s (around 2010 or 2012). Whether any of what has been written is true I don't know, but I do agree with previous guest Emily Goodstein 's assessment that "all the wisdom in the world is held by girls."  Here is one such girl, LJ B...

Founder + CEO of Greater Good Strategy Emily Goodstein joins Giving Voices in today’s episode that centers around the theme of communication. We cover all manner of topics ranging from our mutual disappointment in the results of Exponent Philanthropy’s survey, “How Grantees Think Funders Should Improve” to whether Pinterest is still relevant, with lots of personal nuggets and professional observat...

Trustees from two generations of the sunsetting Donley Foundation, Tom Donley and Jenny Convey, speak frankly about the history, evolution, and decision to dissolve their family’s foundation. In just over one year following the board’s decision to spend-down, the assets were distributed, and the foundation closed. They’re honest, direct, reflective, and generous in sharing their experience and per...

What do stories about a rug, a cat, and the minister of a Congregational church have in common, and what do they have to do with philanthropy? You’ll understand once you hear Mary Phillips, founder and senior advisor of GMA Foundations , one of the country’s first philanthropic advisory firms, help explain myriad governance options for private foundations. If you’re contemplating starting a privat...

Hello, Giving Voices Community! Join Danielle Scott and me as we reflect on her 26-year path to leading the Pincus Family Foundation as its first-ever President & CEO . With her trademark grace and vulnerability, Danielle highlights moments of growth and truth in working with the foundation, including her experience as a Black leader in the philanthropy sector, and reveals what she and the fou...

Greetings, Giving Voices community!  Listen-in on my coffee chat with my longtime friend, Stephen Jakab . As has been typical throughout our friendship, we cover a lot of territory!   With personal and professional observations and anecdotes, Steve talks about family legacy, describes a new joint philanthropic initiative connecting three generations of Jakabs, and shares a recent conversation with...

Welcome to the “Giving Voices” community!   In this episode, I share the origin of this new podcast series, which features stories told by and about philanthropists. You’ll hear a bit about me (your host) and how “Giving Voices” evolved from a passion project concept to the development and production of a full-fledged show. My intention is to foster connections among stakeholders in the social cha...