Inside Change

In the last four years, we've seen a really stunning explosion of progressive energy. There's been new activists who've arrived on the scene, new organizations have emerged and existing groups on the left have dramatically expanded. Since the 2016 election, there is a long list of who's been giving, but one of the funders that really sticks out as a key player in building up a new progressive infrastructure has been Propel Capital, which is based in Brooklyn. 

Just a few of the groups it's backed include Indivisible, Swing Left and Color of Change. Propel also supports a lot of organizations you've probably never heard of. Host David Callahan spoke with Sarah Williams, co-founder and CEO of Propel Capital, the key person at Propel directing this money.

Inside Change is produced by David Callahan and Kayan Tara.

For years during the 1980s and 1990s, progressives struggled to build powerful think tanks. One major milestone in changing that was the creation of the Center for American Progress (CAP) in 2005. Today, CAP has a budget of more than $50 million a year. You'll see CAP's people and policy ideas all over the place. Most recently, it's been playing a role in helping shape the agenda of the Biden administration.

Host David Callahan spoke with Neera Tanden on the work of CAP just weeks before Tanden was nominated by President Biden to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

Inside Change is produced by David Callahan and Kayan Tara.

The world of philanthropy has seen tremendous change in recent years. One really important trend here has been how a growing number of foundations have elevated issues of equity and race to the very top of their agenda. This trend started well before the pandemic spotlighted how grossly unfair economic life really is in this country. And it started before the death of George Floyd, which sparked nationwide protests in June 2020. A case in point is the Weingart Foundation, which is based in Los Angeles and focuses its work exclusively on Southern California. 

The person who led the Weingart Foundation as it made this major shift was Fred Ali who has served as its president since 1999. Fred also led Weingart as it responded to the pandemic, a crisis which dramatically spotlighted the deep inequities in Los Angeles. This episode host David Callahan speaks with Fred Ali, outgoing President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. 

Inside Change is produced by David Callahan and Kayan Tara.