Impact Audio

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Sam Caplan alongside PEAK Grantmaking managing director Sara Richman Sanders. They discuss their takeaways from the 2026 PEAK Grantmaking conference. They explore: • The evolving role of grant managers • How nonprofit leaders are leading with courage • What systems courageous leaders need

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Submittable colleagues Sam Caplan and Ian Witthoeft, who sat down to discuss their experience at the 2026 National Grant Management Association Conference. They cover: • The new compliance paradigm • What to expect for Uniform Guidance • How governments are closing the tech gap

This Impact Audio LIVE episode brings together five people who came up in the punk scene and now shape philanthropy and the nonprofit world. Together they’ll dig into the overlap between the punk ethos and purpose-driven work, including: • Honest takes on power and gatekeeping • Practical ideas for how the nonprofit sector can keep its edge while doing long-haul change work • How to prio...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Ann Mei Change, CEO of Candid. She digs into how data can help create a new status quo for the nonprofit sector. She explores: • The tools that are changing how nonprofits use data • How timelines and expectations can shift to better support innovation • How nonprofits should calibrate their approach to AI

This episode of the Impact Audio explores the invisible forces that can nudge people away from (or toward) charitable giving. Sam Caplan digs into research, chats with a social psychologist, and breaks down why some common tactics to encourage donations can actually backfire. He covers: • Why context is more important than you think • How a focus on ROI can get in the way • What to do when the pro...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Andrea Bell, Director of CSR Learning Programs at ACCP. She sits down with Sam Caplan to share their thoughts and takeaways from the 2025 ACCP Annual Conference. Andrea and Sam discuss: Why CSR leaders must develop serious business acumen alongside their impact expertise The shift from measuring only external impact to demonstrating internal busine...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features David Callahan, founder and editor-in-chief of Inside Philanthropy. Sam and David explore the current landscape of today’s mega donors and how the ultrarich will shape the future of philanthropy. David breaks down: • The current “cultures” of mega donors in the US. • Why and how mega donors are rejecting the traditional foundation model. • The role...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Project Evident’s founder and CEO Kelly Fitzsimmons and CIO Sarah Di Troia. They dig into how AI is empowering the social impact sector and what practitioners need to do their best work. They break down: • Why “do no harm” is not a solid AI strategy • How evidence powers innovation •Why AI requires a new level of collaboration for the social sector

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Tip Tucker Kendall, executive director of NGMA, and Lashon Brown, president of NGMA. They break down how the role of public sector grantmakers is changing. They cover: • Where grantmakers’ focus should be right now • How public scrutiny is reshaping the landscape • What community means to the sector

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Matthew Hanson, managing director of grants and policy at Witt O’Brien’s. He shares the effects of change at the federal level and how public sector grantmakers can help reshape the future of the sector. Matthew covers: • The expanded role states will likely play in delivering funds • How grantmakers can break down silos between departments • Where...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Andrea Wood, president and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP). She shares insights about how today’s CSR professionals can best make the business case for their programs. Andrea digs into: • Data that highlights the value of CSR • Fresh communication strategies for CSR teams • How the current political climate play...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Stacy Huston, executive director of SixDegrees.org. She shares how her organization partners with nonprofits to fill the resource gap and spread the word about community programs. Stacy covers: • Why the resource gap is about more than funding • How to best help nonprofits tell their stories • The strategy behind SixDegrees’ most successful pr...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Submittable colleagues Sam Caplan and Laura Steele, who sat down to discuss takeaways from the 2025 PEAK Grantmaking Conference. They cover: • How the conversation around equity has evolved • The sector’s reactions to new external pressures • What grantmakers are focused on in the year ahead

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Karen Bergin, senior director of employee engagement and disaster response at Microsoft. She shares how the company sustains one of the world’s biggest and most impactful employee giving programs. Karen covers: • How Microsoft creates a personalized experience for employees • The feedback loops that help the program evolve • What it takes to m...

This episode of the Impact Audio is a conversation between Submittable Sam Caplan and Ian Witthoeft, who sat down to discuss their experience at the 2025 National Grant Management Association Conference. They cover: • How recent budget cuts are changing government grantmaking • The dueling priorities of compliance and impact reporting • AI’s potential role in fraud prevention

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Abigail Epane-Osuala, president of the GE Healthcare Foundation, and Ash Rogers, Co-CEO of Lwala Community Alliance. They share how they built a partnership that utilizes the inherent strengths of each organization. They cover: • The principles and practices that create strong funder-grantee relationships • How to build short-term benchmarks f...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Nick Cain, VP of strategy and innovation at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. He shares the foundation’s approach to AI, and how the nonprofit sector can start building the technology they need for themselves. He digs into: • Real-world examples of AI shaping social impact outcomes • How the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation builds the technology th...

This episode of Impact Audio features Tom Knowlton, CEO of CSR Talent Group. He shares how some companies are tailoring CSR programs to better meet employee needs. He digs into: • The keys to engaging hard-to-reach employees • How to think more holistically about employee engagement • Real-world examples of individualized volunteer programs

One trillion dollars of federal funding was distributed via government grants last year. We all have a stake in how this money moves and how these decisions are made. Today on Impact Audio, David Clark, managing director at BDO and self-described “compliance nerd,” explores how the expectations and goals around government grantmaking are shifting. He covers: • How the legislative process shapes fu...

This episode of the Impact Audio features Fred Tan, head of social impact at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He shares how HPE teams up with their customers to make meaningful progress on some of the world’s most pressing issues. He digs into: • Building partnerships at the personal and organizational level • Strategies to find the right social impact niche for your company • The mechanisms that creat...

This episode of Impact Audio features Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer at GivingTuesday. He shares how the organization has stepped up to help solve one of the most common issues facing nonprofits—how to access and derive insights from data. He digs into: • The story behind GivingTuesday’s data strategy • Why standardization is not the endgame • The data that reveals a big opportuni...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Megan Strand, director of strategic consulting at Realized Worth. She lays out how an employee volunteer network can transform employees’ relationships with their company’s social impact work. She shares: • The structures that underpin genuine engagement • How to balance your focus between current state and future state • Why you should be aim...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Erin Combs, founder of Artio Strategies. Erin has worked with brands such as Amazon, Starbucks, and Lyft to build CSR programs and to craft an authentic messaging strategy. She shares how companies can tell effective social impact stories. She digs into: • What’s at the center of a good CSR story • The difference between marketing and social impact...

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Shannon Farley, co-founder and executive director of Fast Forward. She digs into the ways tech nonprofits are using AI to make a deeper impact and shares her takeaways from the Google.org Impact Summit. She explores: • Real-world examples of nonprofits building AI tools • How to avoid “shiny object” funding • What nonprofits can teach the for-profi...

Today on Impact Audio, Rich Maiore, founder and CEO of Rocket Social Impact lays out what you need to do to get your CSR comms on track. He shares: • The four main tools in his messaging toolbox • Why you should lean into an imperfect story • The best first step to take today