The Business of Giving

Welcome to The Business of Giving. I’m Denver Frederick, and today we’re joined by Michele Jawando , President of the Omidyar Network . Michele’s journey has taken her from Capitol Hill to Google to one of philanthropy’s most forward-looking technology ventures, giving her a rare perspective as both builder and translator — connecting policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society. At a moment...

The nonprofit sector is hemorrhaging talent—10,000 full-time jobs vanished in the first 70 days of 2025. While many leaders wait for the storm to pass, Nancy Murphy , CEO of CSR Communications , has a blunt reality check: the storm isn’t passing. It’s the new weather. Nancy has spent her career helping nonprofits navigate disruption and developed the sector’s first objective measure of board chang...

Welcome to The Business of Giving. I’m Denver Frederick, and today we’re joined by Ryan Dewey Smith , founder and leader of Inperium , one of the most expansive nonprofit networks in the country. Operating across 20 states, Inperium has pioneered a revolutionary affiliation model that’s transforming how nonprofits achieve sustainability and scale. Ryan started Inperium nearly a decade ago when he...

What if the key to solving urban poverty isn’t creating new programs, but matching proven solutions with communities that need them most? Ali Knight , CEO of GreenLight Fund , joins us to discuss a revolutionary approach that’s quietly transformed cities across America for two decades. From his journey as a “latchkey kid” in New York City to leading a national organization that’s invested over $40...

Welcome to The Business of Giving. Today, we’re examining America’s animal welfare crisis with someone who’s been fighting it for over a decade. Cathy Bissell founded the BISSELL Pet Foundation in 2011, evolving from local shelter fundraising into a national force. Their programs have found homes for 17,000 pets in a single event and performed over 120,000 spay and neuter procedures this year alon...

What happens when you inherit billions to give away, but the weight of that responsibility threatens to define you more than your own dreams? And how do you honor a grandfather who was simultaneously the “father of fracking” and one of America’s most passionate environmentalists? Welcome to The Business of Giving. I’m your host, Denver Frederick. Today we examine next-generation philanthropy with...

A child is drowning in a pond. You’re wearing an expensive suit. Do you jump in and save them? Of course you do. But philosopher Peter Singer asks the uncomfortable follow-up: If you’ll ruin a $300 suit to save that child, why won’t you donate that same $300 to save a child dying from malaria in Africa? Welcome to The Business of Giving. I’m Denver Frederick. Today we’re exploring one of the most...

Today we’re joined by David Coman-Hidy , who leads The Navigation Fund , a $100 million philanthropic organization tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. From his punk rock roots to running a major foundation, David brings a unique do-it-yourself mentality to philanthropy that’s shaking up how we think about creating change. David will share how The Navigation Fund is moving faster...

Today I’m thrilled to have Bertina Ceccarelli , CEO of NPower , joining us from their headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. What happens when you combine military-trained problem solvers with cutting-edge cybersecurity skills? Magic. Under Bertina’s leadership since 2016, NPower has scaled from $6 million to $35 million while achieving something remarkable: many of their veteran graduates are earnin...

What if the secret to fixing America’s democracy isn’t in Washington, but in neighborhood meetings and local organizing? Emma Bloomberg believes that’s exactly where our civic future lies. After seven years at Robin Hood Foundation , Emma saw a critical gap: while philanthropy addressed today’s crises, it couldn’t prevent tomorrow’s. The community organizations working to create systemic change we...

Welcome to The Business of Giving! Today, we’re thrilled to have Dr. Russell James , a trailblazing professor at Texas Tech University , renowned for his groundbreaking work in charitable giving and planned giving. With a Ph. D. in consumer economics, experience as a tax attorney, and a passion for neuroimaging, Russell blends hard data with the art of storytelling to uncover what drives generosit...

Most nonprofit boards treat technology as an operational afterthought—a cost center to manage rather than a strategic lever for mission achievement. But with AI reshaping everything, that approach isn’t just outdated, it could be existential. My guest today is Alethea Hannemann , Co-founder and CEO of Board. Dev . Working alongside Aaron Hurst, she’s helping nonprofit boards become more tech-fluen...

When your consulting firm has guided nonprofits through a full century of giving, from the Great Depression to today’s AI revolution, you develop some hard earned wisdom about what actually works. My guest, Doug Stewart , is the CEO of Marts & Lundy , the legendary fundraising consultancy celebrating its 100th anniversary next year. And after working with everyone from Ivy League universities...

My guest today is a bold and passionate leader guiding one of the country’s most vital humanitarian organizations. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is the President and CEO of Global Refuge , formerly known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Under her leadership, the organization has scaled its operations dramatically while reshaping how we think about welcome, dignity, and the extraordinary resi...

My guest today is Aaron Hurst , founder of the Taproot Foundation and author of The Purpose Economy . He’s spent decades helping people and organizations find deeper meaning in their work. Today, he’s tackling two urgent issues: bridging the tech gap in nonprofits through Board. Dev , and strengthening civic life through the U.S. Chamber of Connection. He joins us now to reflect on the deeper thre...

Scott Brighton didn’t set out to revolutionize charitable giving in America. But after witnessing his wife struggle to run a nonprofit with just three staff members—and discovering that charitable giving had remained stubbornly flat at 2.5% of GDP for half a century—he knew something had to change. As CEO of Bonterra , one of the social sector’s most influential technology companies, Brighton is n...

My guest today is one of Boston’s most respected civic leaders and a nationally recognized voice in youth development. Robert Lewis, Jr . is the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston , where he leads a vibrant network of eight clubs and community sites serving more than 12,000 young people annually. A Club kid himself, Robert has spent his life investing in youth, building oppo...

When ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff was catastrophically injured in Iraq in 2006, his family made a vow: if he survived, they’d use their platform to support others returning from war without the same safety net. Nearly 20 years later, that promise lives on through the Bob Woodruff Foundation . Its CEO, Anne Marie Dougherty , has scaled that vision into a national force for connection, dignity, and...

What does it mean to live—and lead—with clarity, restraint, and purpose? Robert Rosenkranz , a renowned investor, philanthropist, and author of  The Stoic Capitalist , believes that ancient wisdom offers modern guidance—especially in how we respond to emotion. From founding a private equity firm by risking his entire net worth, to backing civil discourse through Open to Debate, to championing brea...

Few issues more urgent—or more misunderstood—than poverty in America. And even fewer solutions as bold as simply giving people cash.  Jeff Atwood , the tech entrepreneur behind Stack Overflow , and his partner Betsy Burton, a trained scientist with a deep commitment to equity, are working to change that. Together, they’ve launched a $50 million guaranteed minimum income initiative across some of t...

My guest today leads an organization with one of the simplest and most powerful models in philanthropy. It’s called 1% for the Planet , and the premise is this: businesses commit 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes—and 1% for the Planet ensures those funds are directed with purpose and impact. With over 5,000 members in 60 countries and more than $750 million certified in giving, it...

This week on The Business of Giving, the focus is on one of the most distressing — and solvable — crises in America today: medical debt. Each year, millions of families are forced to choose between paying their bills and getting the care they need. But what if there were a way to erase that debt — not just for a few, but for thousands at a time? That’s exactly what Undue Medical Debt does. Led by...

My guest today believes that the greatest barrier to nonprofit fundraising success isn’t money—it’s clarity. Kevin L. Brown is the co-founder of Mighty Ally and the author of Fundable & Findable: The Brand-New Way to Fix Your Nonprofit Fundraising. In this conversation, Kevin explains why most organizations are stuck in a donor-chasing cycle and what it takes to become truly fundable and finda...

What if your supporters could step inside your story—feel it, not just hear it? In this episode of The Business of Giving, I speak with Chip Giller , co-founder of Agog , a groundbreaking philanthropic initiative helping nonprofits explore immersive storytelling through XR, or extended reality.  From Human Rights Watch to Harlem youth programs, Chip’s work is proving that the future of nonprofit c...

This is The Business of Giving. I’m your host, Denver Frederick. Today, we’re joined by Jon Kane , President and CEO of CCS Fundraising , a global leader in strategic fundraising consulting. With a career spanning McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, and his own advisory firm, Jon has tripled CCS’s size since 2016, blending for-profit expertise with nonprofit impact. So let’s get started with Jon Kane.