What is the role of philanthropy, business, and government in creating long-term impact? Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, joins us to explores why “either/or” thinking can limit progress, and why the most effective solutions often come from a both/and approach. We talk about how nonprofits are pioneering solutions to problems before there’s a marketplace, how the billionaires bailing on The Giving Pledge are missing the bigger picture, and how the new wave of businesses are deciding that profitability and positive impact can go work together. Kate then tells us about 1% for the Planet, how the membership works, and how the members are giving back and reaping the rewards. Tune in as we discuss how money, power, and responsibility shape the future.
Key Topics
- The role of philanthropy in society today
- How philanthropy differs from government action
- Why nonprofits often address problems outside the marketplace
- The “false dichotomy” between investing in businesses and funding nonprofits
- The Giving Pledge and why those bailing on the pledge are missing the bigger picture
- Why nonprofits are often unfairly judged on efficiency and overhead
- How business, nonprofits, and government can work together for long-term impact
- How 1% for the Planet operates and why its model matters
- The organization’s expanded definition of environmental giving
- The connection between climate change, systems thinking, and cooperative action
Sound Bites
- “One of the challenges with businesses giving back is that they have to focus on quarterly and yearly financials, not decades or centuries, which are more often the timescale of impact.
- “Nonprofits are more willing to get in and do a multi-stakeholder ,long-term approach that focuses on global impact and not just any one entity’s challenges.”
- “In an ideal world, we have both businesses and nonprofits working together either directly or indirectly, and all the systems are oriented towards a thriving future.”
- “I think the problem with where The Giving Pledge bailers is that they made it into a false dichotomy by saying they’re going to exclude nonprofits to focus on businesses because they think businesses are the ones that build our future.”
- “Nonprofits are not a nice to have. They play a really critical role in addressing those things for which there is not a marketplace.”
- “Nonprofits sometimes appear to be held to a higher standard with weird expectations that they can somehow deliver results without paying their staff or having resources to buy computers or whatever the tools of the job are.”
- “MacKenzie Scott is a great example. She's done her homework, has made some really sizable unrestricted grants, meaning she's trusting those organizations to allocate the resources where they can to have the greatest impact.”
- “Our amazing members at 1% for the Planet donate 1% of their annual revenues to environmental partners. So they're taking these market-driven resources and placing it in the nonprofit marketplace.”
- “We're not creating a false dichotomy between the business succeeding in the marketplace and the business contributing to positive outcomes for the future. It's the business saying they go together.”
Chapters
03:00 Intro and Kate Williams introduction
04:04 What philanthropy is for
05:14 Philanthropy vs. government
06:36 What “outside the marketplace” means
08:30 Why time horizons matter
09:39 Nonprofits as innovators in complex systems
10:53 Why business and nonprofit can both matter
12:18 The Giving Pledge and why some are “bailing”
17:19 Nonprofit overhead, efficiency, and unfair standards
21:01 Trusting nonprofits with unrestricted giving
23:34 The role of corporations and impact-driven businesses
25:33 How businesses can use capitalism differently
31:20 Self-funding impact through mission-driven business models
34:29 Why extractive models are a problem
35:29 How 1% for the Planet works
37:34 1% of revenue vs. 1% of profit
39:29 Defining “planet” in the network
40:06 Expanded impact areas at 1% for the Planet
44:37 Individual vs. corporate participation
45:18 Where the network is thriving right now
48:06 Challenges and opportunities for nonprofits
52:13 The wicked problem of climate change
54:13 Advice for following a similar path
55:33 Finding your own path with self-awareness
56:41 Ikigai framework for purpose
58:24 Snack and book recommendations
60:03 Who to interview next
61:12 What a better world means
Links
Kate Williams on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewilliams87
1% for the Planet - https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/
1% for the Planet on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/one-percent-for-the-planet/
1% for the Planet on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/1percentftp
1% for the Planet on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/onepercent
1% for the Planet on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7Vb_t-ATwvYHTqs4Q2frQ
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The Giving Pledge - https://www.givingpledge.org/
The Purpose Pledge - https://purposepledge.org/
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Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/
Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/
Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/
Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/
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Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/
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Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/
Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/
Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetwork
Heritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_Radio
Heritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/
Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio
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The Food Institute - https://foodinstitute.com/
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