Today we're going to talk about family philanthropy, how families can manage conflict when it arises, and strategies for preparing a new generation of philanthropists to take the lead at family funds. We have three guests who have a vast amount of experience with family philanthropy across generations.

More and more people are displaced by droughts, storms, and floods that are exacerbated by a warming planet. And everyone from farmers to workers to the elderly are at greater risk when temperatures soar. In this episode, we’ll talk to two nonprofits on the front lines of mitigating the effects of climate change, and address more broadly an idea in climate philanthropy that supporting local leadership and local wisdom is the most just and most effective way to save and heal the planet.

Participants:Host: Barbara Wheeler-Bride, Editor, Stanford Social Innovation ReviewKyle Endres, Executive Director of We Don’t Waste, a food recovery organization working with communities across the Denver Metro region Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer at Feeding AmericaAlisia Robin, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Non-profit Outreach at DAFGiving360

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss St. Jude Global, an innovative endeavor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to take lifesaving cancer treatments to children around the world. With the launch of St. Jude Global, the research hospital has set an ambitious goal to cure at least 60% of children with the most common cancers worldwide by 2030. By sharing research and knowledge globally, St. Jude and its network of researchers and institutions seek to amplify their nonprofit social impact on a global scale. Their global approach is focused on capacity building and partnership, two ideas that have increasingly been part of conversations about effective philanthropy.

In this episode, we’re going to share a conversation about the impact of elections on charitable giving, and how non-profits can engage in advocacy for policies that are crucial to the communities they serve.

Today, we’re going to talk about the impact of recent cuts to foreign aid, and how donors can step in to fill the funding gap. Humanitarian aid plays a critical role in saving lives and alleviating suffering around the world. What do these cuts mean to the people in communities facing ongoing crises, such as war and climate disaster? How do non-profits and NGOs pick up the pieces and continue to provide things, like lifesaving medical treatments, preventative measures to protect against disease outbreaks or programs for things like education, maternal and child health, and nutrition?

Today, we are discussing social impact, from defining what impact means to the how and why behind it. Our guests will share how they think about impact in the work that they do, and the processes they use to measure impact and how those approaches have changed over time.

In its broadest sense, the field of impact investing can be defined as an investment strategy that seeks to generate financial returns while also creating a positive social or environmental impact. Impact investing is attracting growing numbers of organizations and increasing amounts of money. By some estimates there are nearly 200 registered impact investment funds, and many foundations, networks, and mainstream financial institutions are active in the field. Impact investing contains a range of expectations about appropriate financial and social returns. Some investors are drawn by the hope of earning substantial financial returns by investing in businesses that have a social mission, while others are drawn by the desire to achieve more sustainable impact than they could achieve through philanthropy alone. Although the growing interest in impact investing represents an opportunity for the social good sector and an important source of growth capital for social ventures, the excitement that surrounds the field is a growing source of concern. Exaggerated claims raise expectations about the ability of impact investing to provide both outsized financial and social returns, something that is not always possible. So, what should investors be considering when looking to have a positive impact in the world through their investments?

If you’re a frequent listener of this podcast, or have attended any of our SSIR conferences, you probably know that one of the maxims about social innovation that I believe strongly is the one that states “the most effected are the most effective” – that those who are closest to the problems are often the ones with the greatest insights into what needs to occur to address them. In many ways, this is the ethos behind the idea of “participatory grantmaking.” Participatory grantmaking encompasses a range of models and methods. At its core, this approach to funding cedes decision-making power about grants to the very communities impacted by funding decisions. As with so many other sectors, the philanthropic sector has seen a heightened demand for greater accountability and transparency, with people wanting greater voice in the decisions affecting their communities. But as with any other approach, what does this strategy look like in action? And what can we learn about our individual approach as donors from organizations that have adopted a participatory approach?