Philanthropy Hour

Bonnie Horrigan was the Executive Director of the Bravewell Collaborated for the final four years until the project concluded in 2015. She joins the Philanthropy Hour today to discuss her experience with this innovative group of philanthropists who managed a collective trust of funds from 20+ leading U.S. donors, all eager to have an active role in changing healthcare. She discusses her findings in the book The Bravewell Story: How a Small Community of Philanthropists Made a Big Difference in Healthcare, which highlights their key principals and successes. This is a great interview on taking a different path to tackle a large, national issue. It is a great lesson for future models. 

Richard Woo is the CEO of the Russell Family Foundation, based in the Puget Sound region. Richard joins the Philanthropy Hour to discuss their work in tackling renewable energy efforts, water quality, environmental sustainability, and leadership development. We talk about the concepts of collective impact, responsive grant making, and impact investing as an effective vehicle. Richard addresses the importance of fostering strong relationships, approachability, and inclusiveness. The role of the Foundation is to be accessible to the local community, to strive for endless curiosity and lifelong learning, and support those change agents who are making a difference in the world. This is a reflection of the values of the founders, George and Jane Russell. Take a listen!

Roger Nozaki is the Vice President of the Barr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations serving the New England region. He oversees the grant making programs, learning and evaluation, and operational activities. Previously, Mr. Nozaki was the senior policy advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to joining the Education Department, Roger held posts at the Hitachi Foundation and GE Foundation, and as associate dean at Brown University.  

Roger Nozaki of the Barr Foundation joins the show today to discuss the funding priorities of the Barr Foundation, what it means to be a community funder, and the advantages of having deep roots in the community, with strong partnerships. Roger also delves into learning and evaluation of grants for greater impact, and we explore some of the important trends taking place in philanthropy. Roger has a lot of keen insights into effective philanthropic models, how we can affect the most change.

Dan Nigito

Dan joins the Philanthropy Hour to talk about how all Americans are philanthropists, but not necessarily in a good way. There is currently a "war on wealth," and we need to do a better job of understanding how the flow of money works in order to leverage our investments and protect our hard-earned money. By doing so, we all have more capacity to give, to be charitable, and to do more good. Because of our current tax laws and the structure of our government codes, Americans are well positioned to protect their finances and support charitable causes that they are passionate about. It is a perfect mix, but we must be better educated on how to leverage our current wealth. We can grow our nest egg while also creating a charitable legacy. It is time to become intentional philanthropists, not accidental ones. 

Mark Kramer is the co-Founder and Managing Director of FSG, as well as the co-Founder of Center for Effective Philanthropy. He is also an accomplished speaker and author, and has published extensively on topics in philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility.  

On the show, Mark discusses his theories of Collective Impact, Shared Value, and the secret to truly impactful, catalytic philanthropy. This is not about inventing new business models, or recreating systems, but about aligning our values with our intentions, and opening lines of communications. There must also be an understanding that catalytic change can never occur without the collaboration of multiple organizations, working across sectors, with a common agenda. The true path to real philanthropy is a passion for the cause, and an understanding of the underlying issues.