Giving Done Right

What can donors do to address the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness? Susan Thomas, president of the Melville Charitable Trust, joins Phil and Grace to discuss the systems and barriers in place in the U.S. that result in well over a half million unhoused Americans. Susan draws on her own personal and familial story as well as decades of experience, arguing that homelessness and structural racism are intrinsically linked, both historically and today.

Additional Resources

Melville Charitable Trust

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

Listen to “Heather McGhee on the Zero Sum Lie” on the Giving Done Right podcast

Join hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette from the Center for Effective Philanthropy as they welcome leaders from the nonprofit sector to answer philanthropy’s burning questions and bust some myths about giving that have long plagued donors and nonprofits alike. Subscribe now for updates.

Long Family Foundation Executive Director Vivian Long joins Phil and Grace to discuss her family’s approach to giving together, navigating intergenerational philanthropic priorities, and the long-term commitment from funders that true transformation requires. Vivian also addresses the Long Family Foundation’s approach to building close relationships with grantees and their focus on the “how” of giving. She also shares her family’s story of humble beginnings and her own path to leadership at the family foundation, and the surprises that came with it.

Additional Resources

The Long Family Foundation

CEP’s Overlooked reports on the experience of AAPI nonprofit leaders and Native American nonprofit leaders with funders: Overlooked, Part One and Overlooked, Part Two

The Science of Productive Conflict | WorkLife with Adam Grant

Starfish Project

Nearly everyone will age or be in a caregiving role for aging relatives at some point in their life, yet relatively few major donors or foundations make aging an explicit priority. In this episode, Phil and Grace discuss the importance of enabling everyone to age with dignity with Ramsey Alwin, president and CEO of the National Council on Aging, and Chad Federwitz, manager of Pitkin County Senior Services in Aspen, Colorado. Ramsey and Chad offer insight into the numerous opportunities for donors to support aging programs, from research and advocacy to local community efforts and discuss the vital role that senior centers and community programs play.

Additional Resources

National Council on Aging (NCOA)

Grantmakers in Aging

Information on the Older Americans Act for advocates

Eldercare Locator - find services for older adults and their families

As we begin a new year, we’re sharing a classic from the Giving Done Right archive in which Phil and Grace talk with Paul Niehaus, co-founder and chairman of GiveDirectly. Paul discusses the power of direct cash transfers – how they work, why trusting those in need with cash can be extremely effective, and when certain issue areas might warrant a different philanthropic approach. They also discuss the effective altruism movement and how to consider giving domestically versus internationally.

Additional Resources

GiveDirectly

Cash transfer research via GiveDirectly

GiveWell

The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically by Peter Singer

Universal Basic Income project in Kenya