What if art wasn’t just something we experienced but something that moved us to act? This week’s Charity Matters episode introduces you to Jessie Fahay, a true “Ripple Effects Artist” who is transforming the way we think about theater, storytelling, and service. Jessie doesn’t just create powerful productions ....she creates experiences that spark conversations, challenge perspectives, and connect audiences directly to the people and causes working to change our world. Her work sits at the intersection of art and advocacy, reminding us that when we feel something deeply, we have a responsibility to do something with it. This episode will leave you thinking differently about the power of creativity and your own ability to make a difference.

What if the moment that changed your life… became the reason you changed someone else’s?In this week’s Charity Matters Podcast, Episode 104: The Power of Sight, we meet Gianny Cardenas, founder of Power of Sight, a mobile nonprofit bringing vision care directly to underserved communities. But this story is about so much more than glasses. It’s about loss, faith, and the unexpected way purpose can emerge from pain. After the tragic loss of his mother, Gianny found himself searching for healing and what he discovered was that by helping others see, he began to see his own life differently. This powerful conversation is a reminder that sometimes the greatest impact begins with simply noticing and seeing a need, seeing a person, and choosing to act.

Some stories ask you to listen. Others ask you to feel. And then there are the rare ones, like this one, that ask you to walk alongside them. This episode introduces listeners to Robb Pollard, a husband, father, entrepreneur, and now the founder of Walk With Me Brother, who is about to do something extraordinary. On Monday, Robb began a 2,500-mile run across America.....not because he’s a runner, not because it’s easy, but because he knows what it feels like to be at the very bottom and wonders if his journey might help someone else choose to stay. This isn’t about miles. It’s about meaning. It’s about one man’s decision to turn pain into purpose and to remind us all that asking for help might be the bravest step we ever take. Tune in!

In this inspiring episode, Diane and Scott Strand, founders of JDS Creative Academy, share how a simple “what if?” turned their creative careers into a nonprofit that is transforming lives through the arts. Using filmmaking, acting, and digital media, they help youth and adults, including individuals with developmental disabilities, build confidence, communication skills, and pathways to independence.Diane and Scott reflect on the personal experiences that shaped their mission, the challenges of growing a nonprofit, and the powerful moments that remind them why their work matters. Their story is a reminder that real impact often begins by saying yes to one opportunity and helping one person at a time.

In this powerful episode, Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, shares the unforgettable moment that opened his eyes to the hidden crisis of child bedlessness and the little girl named Haley whose first bed changed the trajectory of his life. What began as a small Christmas project in his garage with a few teenage boys and a power drill has grown into a global movement dedicated to making sure no child sleeps on the floor. From one bunk bed to more than 425,000 beds delivered to children around the world, Luke’s story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the simplest acts of kindness create the biggest ripple effects. This conversation will inspire you to look at the world a little differently and maybe even pick up a hammer and help change a child’s life.

For our 100th episode of the Charity Matters Podcast, we are celebrating in the most meaningful way possible....by spotlighting a true innovator, a quiet disruptor, and a modern-day hero who dared to ask a simple but world-changing question: What if no parent ever had to say, “I have no one to call?” When psychologist Dave Anderson saw firsthand the devastating ripple effects of child abuse and foster care, he didn’t just shake his head at a broken system, he built something different. He shares how his bricklayer father’s words, “If I don’t help them, who will?” became the blueprint for Safe Families for Children, a revolutionary approach that mobilizes communities to step in before a crisis becomes a catastrophe. This episode is about courage, radical hospitality, and the extraordinary impact of ordinary people choosing to care.

Episode 99 is a pause. A breath. A moment to look back at the people who showed us what courage, compassion, community, and faith really look like. These are the stories that didn’t just inspire us....they changed us. So this moment, before we step off into a new season, seemed like that moment to reflect on so many incredible life lessons learned from 99 incredible guests! We’ll touch on some of Charity Matter’s most impactful moments, and revisit conversations with many incredible heroes. Happy listening! I’m so glad you’re here.

Nonprofit founders are some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs on the planet. They see a problem and create a solution. Today's guest, Drew Long is no exception. Her first entrepreneurial journey was to create a shopping cart for her disabled daughter, Caroline. Drew is an Alabama mom with a big heart, a thick skin, and the kind of determination that changes systems. After solving that problem for millions of families she went on to solve another. Drew founded Caroline’s Cause, a scholarship nonprofit created for the typical siblings of children with special needs. In the middle of caregiving, life, and all the messy real-world logistics, Drew looked at those overlooked siblings and said, “We see you.” That simple sentence becomes a force in this incredible conversation.

Dana DiPrima didn’t know that a simple “yes” to backyard chickens would quietly change everything. She soon realized that farmers, the people feeding us every day, whose work is nothing short of miraculous, yet largely invisible, were not being valued. For Farmers Movement, a bold, grassroots effort is built on small actions with big impact. Since 2022, Dana has helped distribute hundreds of grants to farmers across nearly every state, proving that even $1, when multiplied by community, can change lives. Her story will forever change the way you think about the food on your table and the people who make it possible.

Wendy Strauss’s story began with a slip of paper discovered in her late mother’s tidy little office. It was a simple note titled “Mom’s Christmas Stocking,” asking her children to keep filling a stocking for Mom by giving it to a woman who needed “a shot of love.” That tender request became a calling. What started as one timid lunch-hour drop-off blossomed into an annual community tradition that now fills hundreds of beautifully curated stockings for women in shelters, prisons, and recovery programs across New York City, each one a love letter, a reminder that someone sees you and you matter. In this episode, Wendy shares how she transformed her grief into grace, how a single note became a nationwide movement (Mom’s Christmas Stocking), and how giving on any scale can be profoundly healing.