The Heart of Giving Podcast

How can AI actually increase donor trust rather than erode it? In this conversation, Bennett Weiner (President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance) speaks with Jeremy Kirshbaum (Founder, Handshake) and Ezra Vázquez-D’Amico (Director of Digital Partnerships & Strategy, BBB Wise Giving Alliance) about AskGive—Give.org’s AI Powered Donor Advisor that helps people make wise, trust-centered giving...

About Our Guest Ken Phillips has decades of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience. He runs NGO Futures LLC, which provides training and consulting services to non-governmental organizations. In 2024, the Association of Fundraising Professionals honored him with their Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year. He previously served as President & CEO, Plan International USA, and...

We're excited to share our latest episode, "Passing the Torch: A Conversation with Art Taylor and Bennett Weiner," which marks a special transition in leadership at the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. In this unique episode, roles are reversed as our new president and CEO Bennett Weiner interviews the organization's former leader and podcast founder, Art Taylor.

This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast David Rhode, author of "Passion Isn't Enough," shares practical insights from his journey founding Pitchin' for Baseball and Softball to consulting with nonprofit leaders. Three key moments:   "Running a nonprofit organization is running a business. And so in order for your business to succeed long term, you need a business model. You need to be able to tra...

Mindset Matters Part 2: Dan Porterfield - Growth in Action: Markera Jones and the Transformative Power of Educational Opportunity   This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast - in Part 2: We continue our conversation with Dan Porterfield and Robert Diggs, then hear directly from Markera Jones, whose remarkable journey from a segregated school environment to academic excellence at Franklin & Mars...

This Week on The Heart of Giving - Part 1: Aspen Institute President and Former Franklin & Marshall College President Dan Porterfield joins Art Taylor to discuss his book "Mindset Matters," exploring how colleges can nurture talent and growth mindsets in students from all backgrounds. Joined by F&M alum Robert Diggs, they dive into the transformative power of higher education. Three illumi...

    This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast, Ben Erwin, CEO of Charity Buzz, reveals how his organization has transformed fundraising by creating a marketplace for unique experiences that benefits nonprofits of all sizes. Three compelling moments:   "Our mission at Charity Buzz is to deliver the most unique and exciting inventory opportunities on the Internet for good... a curated marketplace for...

  🎙️ This Week on The Heart of Giving: Christa Stelzmuller, Chief Technology Officer at Charity Water, reveals how innovative technology is transforming both global water access and donor engagement. Three illuminating moments: "10% of the world today lives without access, basic access to clean water. And that translates to over 700 million people... Basic access means water that is less than 30 m...

This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast, Kate Schecter shares World Neighbors' remarkable 73-year journey helping rural communities across 14 countries achieve lasting self-sufficiency. Three standout moments:   "Our founder understood in 1951 how important it is not to give things to people, but to help them to help themselves. He understood the importance of the dignity of every human being, ev...

This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast: Mark Falzone, President and CEO of Scenic America, discusses how his organization is working to preserve and enhance the visual character of our nation. Three illuminating moments:   "Our mission is to preserve and enhance the visual character and scenic beauty of our country... We're advocating that every American should have the opportunity to live, work...

🎙️ This Week on The Heart of Giving: Teresa Tyson shares the remarkable story of The Health Wagon, America's oldest mobile free clinic serving Central Appalachia. Three powerful moments: "We were founded by Sister Bernie Kenny... She actually started the clinic first of all in the back of a Volkswagen Beetle, just going up and down these mountain roads. That was over 40 some years ago." "Virginia...

This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast, Rick Lofgren, CEO of COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association), reveals how his organization helps families navigate the overwhelming financial challenges of organ transplants. Three compelling moments: "Every day in the United States, about 18 people pass away waiting for that life-saving transplant that never comes. And so our goal is to make sure t...

This Week on The Heart of Giving: Join Art Taylor in conversation with Lindsay Torrico, Senior VP of Bank Community Engagement at the American Bankers Association and Executive Director of the ABA Foundation. Lindsay shares her vision for transforming how banks engage with communities and drive economic mobility. Three standout moments: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu" - Lindsay on...

This Week on The Heart of Giving Podcast Ana Federica Convit shares how she left her career in banking to continue her grandfather's pioneering medical research in Venezuela. She offers candid insights about balancing motherhood with leading groundbreaking cancer research initiatives, while carrying forward her grandfather's 100-year legacy of serving those most in need. Three noteworthy moments:...

Dear Friends of The Heart of Giving,   This week's conversation features Scott Santarella, CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation, revealing how a rare genetic condition affecting 100,000 Americans is being addressed through innovative research, community support, and unwavering hope.   Key moments: "If you feel like you did something good in the world or helped somebody, it makes you feel good." - Discove...

Dear Friends of The Heart of Giving,   This week's conversation features Ozzy Samad, President of Brothers Brother Foundation, sharing how a chance meeting at a World Affairs Council event led him from investment banking to leading an organization that distributes 200 million doses of medicine annually to those in need.   Key moments: "Having the opportunity to give back in this kind of way was ju...

Discover how a small NYC nonprofit is creating big impact through the arts! Join us as Aidan Davis, co-director of Statement Arts, reveals how their innovative programs are providing crucial arts education in a city where over 300 schools lack any arts programming.   Key moments: "Community is a tremendous portion of what I was able to gain through the performing arts... celebrating the individual...

Step into the remarkable world of volunteer-powered healthcare with Amanda Missey, CEO of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI). Discover how this innovative organization provides comprehensive medical care to the uninsured through an extraordinary network of 160+ volunteers, including a 95-year-old diabetes specialist who still serves patients via telehealth!   Key highlights: "Powered by vo...

Step into the world of transformative mental health care with John Damon, CEO of Canopy Children's Solutions, Mississippi's largest nonprofit provider of children's behavioral health services. From personal tragedy to purpose, Damon shares how one meaningful relationship changed his life's trajectory and now drives his mission to help over 8,000 children annually across Mississippi.   Key moments:...

It's #GivingTuesday so naturally, our latest episode is with Giving Tuesday CEO Asha Curran, who takes us behind the scenes of a movement that's revolutionizing global generosity. With real-time tracking of $3.1B in donations across 105 countries, Asha reveals how data is reshaping philanthropy's future. She challenges traditional giving narratives, showing how everyday acts of generosity create l...

This week's show is my eye-opening conversation with Anera CEO Sean Carroll, who takes us inside the immense challenges of delivering aid in Gaza. Sean shares the stark reality of what's happening on the ground:   • How Anera's team has managed to deliver 41 million meals and 8 million medical treatments despite tremendous obstacles • Why only 20% of needed aid is getting through, and what that me...

This week, we explore how the Y-USA is adapting to serve America while staying true to its 175-year legacy. CEO Suzanne McCormick shares insights on:   • How YMCAs serve as community hubs, engaging 13 million members nationwide (5 million under age 18) • The innovative "Team Up Project" partnering with Interfaith America, Catholic Charities USA, and Habitat for Humanity to bridge societal divides...

This week, I spoke with Abby Ross, CEO of Network for Good, for an enlightening discussion about the future of digital giving. Her entrepreneurial background brings a fresh perspective to how technology can unleash generosity:   "We think of ourselves as the engine for meaningful giving across the world's most influential platforms" - Abby explains how Network for Good is helping major brands like...

This week, I sat down with William Warshauer, CEO of TechnoServe, who shared remarkable stories of sustainable poverty alleviation through business solutions. Some powerful insights from our conversation:   "Intelligence and industriousness is distributed equally around the globe, but opportunity is not." William shared how TechnoServe turns this reality into action, helping create $5.60 in additi...

What happens when charitable giving declines in America? The Generosity Commission set out to answer this critical question, and I sat down with two key leaders to discuss their findings. Jane Wales, Co-Chair of the Commission and VP at the Aspen Institute, explains why this matters: 'Civil society is a singular asset of American democracy... powered by everyday givers, everyday volunteers.' She s...