Societies can’t thrive without sufficient levels of trust – trust in our elected officials, in our major institutions, the value of the dollar bill in our wallet, and even in our belief that our fellow motorists will abide by the traffic laws when we enter an intersection.

You know where this is going, don’t you? We have a trust problem that threatens every organization in our country. Kristen Grimm and her colleagues Claire De Leon, Michael Crawford, and Diana Chun at Spitfire Strategies have created a resource called Replenishing Trust: Civil Society’s Guide to Reversing the Trust Deficit™ that is designed to help organizations build trust at a time when it has never been more necessary.

Kristen speaks with Eric about why this matters, and more importantly, how to do it. This is another great resource from one of our field’s true visionaries.

When Chris DeCardy took the reins of the Heinz Endowments last year, he was one of the very few former foundation communications directors to ascend to the lofty heights of president. And Chris has dived in with the energy of a teenager. Indeed, if there is a more energetic – nay, ebullient – foundation president in the land, we haven’t met them.

Chris makes an extremely compelling case about how crucial western Pennsylvania is to our national and even international politics, and while he’s at it he reminds us how important intelligent communications strategies will be to build on important victories (like significant advances on climate, for one example).

Don’t miss this conversation between Eric and Chris, whose friendship dates back to the twentieth century, as they talk about how Chris’s background in journalism, environmental communications, and foundation leadership have led him to this place – the center of the universe!

Governments have money and foundations can take risks. Shouldn’t these be marriages made in heaven? Amazingly they’re not, but in California, we’re starting to see partnerships that are bucking the trend, which can be spectacularly good examples of how to make great collaborations work.

On this episode of Let’s Hear It, Eric speaks with Elena Chavez Quezada, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Don Howard, president and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, who are working together to create government/foundation partnerships that are making a real difference.

Don and Elena recently co-authored a piece for the Philanthropy News Digest called “How Philanthropy Can Partner with the Public Sector to Build Equitable Infrastructure,” which sets the stage for this really lively and fun discussion.

Check out this conversation that shows how governments and foundations can work together to unlock money, ideas, and energy for social good.

Academy Award season is here, but while the rest of the world may be debating which half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon will take home the most trophies, at Let’s Hear It we’re putting all our chips on Best Documentary Short nominee “The Barber of Little Rock,” co-directed by Christine Turner and our dear friend John Hoffman.

Eric and John reunite to talk about the extraordinary film John has co-directed. They appeal to foundations to fund more documentary films, and they marvel at the movie’s amazing protagonist Arlo Washington as he opens a Community Development Financial Institution to create opportunities for members of his community.

Take a few minutes to watch this incredible story, produced in partnership with the New Yorker. You can find the 34-minute documentary on the New Yorker website and on YouTube. And if any of you happen to be members the Academy, well…you know what to do.

Please enjoy the film and the interview and let us know what you thought of The Barber of Little Rock!

In this episode of Let’s Hear It, our guest is none other than one of Hollywood’s most passionate and entertaining environmentalists – the amazing Ed Begley, Jr.

As it happens, Ed and Eric go way, way, back, having worked together in Hollywood in the last millennium.

Today, they’re both working in environmental communications, after a fashion, and Ed talks about how he was inspired to become an environmental activist on the first Earth Day in 1970, and how he has used his position as a celebrity to preach a message of sustainability ever since.

We also want to give a plug to his terrific new book, “To the Temple of Tranquility, And Step on It!” from Hachette Books. It’s a great story about a great life.   

Ed is a funny, committed, optimistic, and incredibly gracious guest, and we can’t wait for you to listen to this episode.  

We are so delighted to present the legendary Anat Shenker-Osorio. Yes, that’s right, that Anat Shenker-Osorio. Maybe you’ve heard her on Ezra Klein, MSNBC, on her excellent podcast Words to Win By, or read her work in the New York Times, the Guardian, and more. On our latest episode of Let’s Hear It, Anat goes deep on how to create messages that will help progressive causes succeed.  

Anat is a political strategist and progressive messaging genius. She is founder and Principal of ASO Communications, author of Don’t Buy It: The Trouble with Talking Nonsense about the Economy, and host of the amazingly good podcast Words to Win By.

Her work on messaging and strategy across the globe is at once revolutionary and devastatingly simple, and she is using her gift for gab and sharp-as-a-tack snark to change how politicians, nonprofit leaders, foundation CEOs – and really, anyone with a cause – can use communications to achieve their goals. No easy feat, huh? Well, Anat does it so well that you’ll feel slightly dizzy after listening to her speak. Eric certainly was.

We know we say this every time, but this is a show that you simply must not miss. Please enjoy and then tell your friends, your colleagues, and your boss (as long as they’re cool with a little salty language).

How many of us in the nonprofit world can track our interest in climate to nightmares we had about natural disasters at age ten? Anyone? Oh, right, just Don Chen, President of the Surdna Foundation, former director of the Cities and States program at the Ford Foundation, former CEO (and founder!) of Smart Growth America, and this week’s guest on Let’s Hear It.

Don is a fabulous guest to start our new year and sixth season – he is uncommonly thoughtful, optimistic, and soulful, and his ideas on how to run a foundation will have you filling notebooks. Eric and Don put their heads together to discuss how to combine trust-based and strategic philanthropy without having to find a magic wand, what Don learned from being a CEO at age 30, and lots more.

By the way, we are so happy to welcome Don – and you! – to our sixth season of Let’s Hear It. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for five wonderful years of listening, learning, and building connections in this vast and exciting field. We hope you enjoy this new season, and if you do, please continue to like, follow, and spread the word.

Here is another one of our favorite interviews - Shanelle Matthews, founder of the Radical Communicators Network, former communications director for the Movement for Black Lives, and now Distinguished Lecturer at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College at the City University of New York.

Today, we offer another one of our favorite interviews - a blast from the past with the inimitable Jim Canales, President and Trustee of the Barr Foundation. Jim is charming, funny, and one of they absolute nicest people in philanthropy. If you didn't get a chance to hear this conversation the first time, you're in for a treat.

This holiday season we're re-releasing some of our favorite and most popular episodes. Today - Trabian Shorters, one of our leading thinkers on asset framing - defining people by what they're hopes and dreams and what they have to offer. He has been such an important influence on so many of us.