What Donors Want

In the thirty-fifth episode, Lauren Gross chairs our launch event for The Mesa! (https://www.themesa.org) The Mesa is the only digital platform designed to help you bring your philanthropic community online to connect, grow, and give better. Created by us at I.G. Advisors, in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Mesa is your completely customizable, private hub for members and clients to learn and explore how they can make a positive impact. Lauren is The Mesa's Managing Director, and an expert on technology and philanthropy. At the launch event, she tells you a little more about what the platform is, shares insights from our extensive design process, and moderates a conversation with three incredible next gen philanthropists + Emily Inslee, Program Officer for Philanthropic Partnerships at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. You can explore the learnings from our Mesa Pilot Period in our report (https://bit.ly/33GMybG) and please do get in touch if you want to learn more! (Contact details are on our website: https://www.themesa.org). This episode is generously sponsored by Segal Family Foundation, and our Media Partner is Alliance Magazine. Head to alliancemagazine.org for lots of interesting philanthropic insights. Plus, you can get a 25% discount on an Alliance subscription by using the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the thirty-fourth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Jasmine Awad speak with Ximena Andión Ibañez, Programme Officer for Mexico and Central America at the Ford Foundation. Today’s episode is a special one because not only did we have a fantastic conversation with Ximena about all things fundraising and philanthropy, but we also announced the release of I.G.’s latest free sector resource: the Field Guide to Relationship-Based Fundraising. The Ford Foundation is of course the well-known US-based private foundation with the mission of advancing human welfare and supporting diversity, equality, and inclusion globally. It stewards a $13.7 billion endowment – one of the wealthiest private endowments in the world - and makes $500 million in global grants each year. In 2020, I.G. partnered with the Foundation to develop the Field Guide to Relationship-Based Fundraising: a completely free, interactive resource aimed at organisations of every size wanting to create a realistic, bespoke fundraising strategy that leverages existing assets to grow and diversify their income. The Guide is available for free download at https://www.fundraisingfieldguide.org/. This episode is generously sponsored by Segal Family Foundation, and our Media Partner is Alliance Magazine. Head to https://www.alliancemagazine.org/ for lots of interesting, progressive philanthropic insights. Plus, you can get a 25% discount on an Alliance subscription by using the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the thirty-first episode, Emily Collins-Ellis and Rachel Stephenson Sheff speak with zohra moosa - Executive Director of Mama Cash - about all things related to feminism, fundraising and activism. In 1983, Mama Cash became the first international women’s fund; what began as a small-scale - but incredibly visionary - initiative of five lesbian feminists around a kitchen table in Amsterdam, has since grown into one of the largest public funds that supports the rights of women, girls, trans people and intersex people around the world. Their slogan “Because Feminist Activism Works” says it all - Mama Cash mobilises resources from individuals and institutions, and makes grants to self-led, feminist organisations around the world. Mama Cash also helps to build the partnerships and networks needed to successfully defend and advance their rights. zohra is a passionate feminist activist who has been working with Mama Cash since 2013, and she is also the co-host of Mama Cash’s brilliant podcast, Tea With Mama Cash, which we highly recommend. She shares so much brilliant advice on this episode, and it must be said - gives the best answer to the ultimate speed round question: Beyoncé or Destiny's Child? This episode is generously sponsored by Segal Family Foundation, and our Media Partner is Alliance Magazine. Head to https://www.alliancemagazine.org/ for lots of interesting, progressive philanthropic insights. Plus, you can get a 25% discount on an Alliance subscription by using the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the thirtieth episode, Carlos Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff speak with David Simas – CEO of the Obama Foundation – about all things related to philanthropy, politics and democracy. The Obama Foundation, of course, is the philanthropic legacy of former US President and former First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama – and its mission is to inspire, empower and connect people to change their world. David leads the Foundation's core programmes, and works closely with the Obamas on strategy and vision. David has had an incredible career prior to leading the Foundation – he joined the Obama Administration in 2009 as a Deputy Assistant to the President, served as Director of Opinion Research for President Obama’s re-election in 2012, and following the re-election, returned to the White House as Assistant to the President, and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach. As you'll quickly hear, David is a brilliant storyteller and partnership-building expert (and 70s pop culture fan), and there are so many gems of advice you won't want to miss. This episode is generously sponsored by Segal Family Foundation, and our Media Partner is Alliance Magazine. Head to https://www.alliancemagazine.org/ for lots of interesting, progressive philanthropic insights. Plus, you can get a 25% discount on an Alliance subscription by using the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-ninth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Gaby Cervera chat with Hannah Paterson, a Senior Portfolio Manager at the UK's National Lottery Community Fund. The Community Fund is one of the largest funders in the UK and distributes £600m+ a year to communities across the country, raised by players of The National Lottery itself. Our conversation with Hannah dives into all of this and more - including Hannah's passion for, and expertise in, participatory grant-making. Part of Hannah's role is to iterate and test participatory approaches across the National Lottery, and share best practices on how to operationalise this theory across the sector. Last year she was also the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, which enabled her to explore participatory grant-making in South Africa and the US. This episode is a must listen for fundraisers who are curious about how to navigate this new model - and for funders who are curious about how to implement it. If you have any questions for Hannah, you can reach out to her directly (Hannah.Paterson@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk). We also recommend reading her brilliant Medium blog (https://hannah-paterson.medium.com/) and listening to What Donors Want episode #21 featuring the With and For Girls Collective. As well, we're thrilled to announce our new Media Partner, Alliance Magazine! Head to their website https://www.alliancemagazine.org/ for lots of really interesting, progressive philanthropic insights. Plus, you can get a 25% discount on an Alliance subscription by using the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-eighth episode, Alisha Miranda and Emily Collins-Ellis chat with the legendary Richard Curtis. He is, of course, the BAFTA and Emmy award winning film writer and director, responsible for classics such as Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary and Love Actually - but films are just one part of his life. In the other half, Richard is a philanthropic leader, responsible for co-founding Comic Relief, leading the SDG-focused Project Everyone, and launching the ethical pension investment campaign Make My Money Matter. Richard has done so much for the social impact space, and is a passionate advocate for many causes. We dive into all of this with him on show and more (+ the ultimate speed round question: Hugh Grant or Colin Firth)? P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-seventh episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Jasmine Awad dive into the world of corporate impact with Katy Goodrich, Customer Success Director and Social Impact Team Lead at Adobe UK. Adobe, of course, is the American multinational computer software company responsible for Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere and Illustrator, among many other things. Adobe gives back in several different ways, and Katy provides an illuminating behind-the-scenes view into Adobe's impactful approach. On the show, we explore shared-value partnerships, employee volunteering and the dos and don'ts of partnership working - debunking the many misconceptions around corporate fundraising for charities of all sizes. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-sixth episode, Emily Collins-Ellis and Rachel Stephenson Sheff dive into the world of Donor Advised Funds (aka DAFs) with Anna Josse, CEO and Co-Founder of Prism the Gift Fund. Prism is a UK DAF established in 2005 with a mission to increase the flow of funds to the charitable sector. It’s one of the largest and most well-known DAFs in the country, with assets of over £100 million, and an annual donation income of over £45 million. DAFs have a range of benefits and uses for both donors and charitable organisations, and we explored all of this with Anna on the show. Whether you're looking to engage donors through tax efficient giving, fundraise oversees or even start your own charitable organisation - DAFs might be the solution, and are certainly worth exploring. Tune in to find out more! P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-fifth episode - streamed originally for IoF's virtual 2020 Convention (#IoFFC)- Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Erin Niimi Longhurst dive into the world of livestream fundraising with Alyssa Sweetman, Twitch's Charity Programme Manager, and Daniel 'Kasper' Bong, one of Twitch’s livestream fundraising influencers (known as 'Kasper' on the platform). Twitch is, of course, the world's largest live streaming platform, visited by over 15 million people every day. For charities, Twitch represents a huge and unprecedented opportunity for online fundraising. With more than $210 million raised for charities on the platform so far through influencers, it’s literally a complete game-changer. To learn more about how to take advantage of Twitch, and how to get your approach right, be sure to tune in! And if you're interested in learning more about the world of influencer fundraising more broadly, be sure to check out Alyssa's www.influencerfundraising.com and podcast, Influencer Fundraising (t.co/fJks4qQ9dn?amp=1), for some great insights. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future What Donors Want guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

In the twenty-fourth episode, Alisha Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff speak with Victoria Vrana, Deputy Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, Victoria leads the Foundation’s Giving By All initiative, which aims to inspire and enable more informed and intentional generosity by everyday givers. Giving By All has been at the forefront of the philanthropic response to COVID-19, and this episode is all about that: exploring the current landscape of philanthropy in the time of coronavirus, and understanding what it means for the present (and future) of fundraising. From the loosening of grant restrictions, to more collaboration, rapid response, microdonations and direct cash transfers - the landscape is quickly changing and Victoria and her team are at the centre of it all. This is an episode every non-profit should pay attention to during this extraordinary time. P.S. Have any burning questions for a future guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

To kick off Season Three, the Hewlett Foundation is back! But this time with a twist: Alfonsina Peñaloza, Programme Officer at the Foundation (and first What Donors Want guest ever) co-hosts with Rachel Stephenson Sheff, and together they interview Hewlett’s President, Larry Kramer, to understand his unique role from a leadership perspective. Larry has been President of the Foundation since 2012 – and is a thought leader on issues related to effective philanthropy, including the importance of collaboration among funders and the need to provide grantees with long-term support. This episode is packed with valuable fundraising advice (+ Larry’s musical preferences). P.S. Have any burning questions for a future guest? Submit them here and you’ll get a shout out on air! https://bit.ly/3cLYGea

After Season Two, producer Rachel Stephenson Sheff sits down with the I.G. team to discuss key insights from this second round of interviews. In this roundtable discussion, the team reflects on the diverse range of Season Two guests - from foundations, to individuals, companies, intermediaries and thought leaders - and highlights key themes and takeaways. For anyone seeking a short, sharp recap of What Donors Want (as well as some cheeky, behind-the-scenes bloopers) this is the episode for you. And stay tuned for Season Three coming to your headphones shortly!

In the twenty-first episode - to celebrate #InternationalWomensDay - Rachel Stephenson Sheff interviews three panellists from the With and For Girls Collective, the world’s only participatory fund by, and for, adolescent girls. Founded in 2014, With and For Girls supports extraordinary girl-led and girl-centred organisations through an annual awards process. The twist? All awards are fully evaluated and decided on by panels of adolescent girls themselves. To explore this unique and inspiring model, Rachel spoke with three 2020 panellists: Andreea Olteanu (from Romania), Adebola Oluchi Aderibigbe (from Nigeria) and Reeya Rayamajhi (from Nepal). Don't let their age fool you - these girls are at the forefront of activism and movement-building in their countries, leaving us with only one question to ask ... who run the world?

In the twentieth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Amy Whight chat with Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody – co-authors of the groundbreaking book, ‘Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors Are Revolutionizing Giving.’ Based on years of research and candid insights from hundreds of next gen donors, this book offers a rare profile of the new face of philanthropy; these are the Gen X and Millennial philanthropists who are transforming and revolutionising the philanthropic landscape. Give this episode a listen for tangible recommendations on how to activate, engage and retain a next gen donor audience!

In the nineteenth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Jasmine Awad chat with Philippa Charles (Director) and Flora Craig (Head of Grants) from the Garfield Weston Foundation. No stranger to UK fundraisers, Garfield Weston is a family-founded, charitable grant-making Foundation, which supports a wide range of causes across the country, donating over £70 million annually - and this is episode is an exclusive, behind-the-scenes view into its grant-making processes. Philippa and Flora share tangible recommendations for anyone applying - including what they look for in a written proposal, what makes a successful in-person meeting, and how the team works with the Board to make decisions. Listen to find out more (including Philippa and Flora's superpowers, favourite movies and other important insights)!