What Donors Want

In the eighteenth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff travelled to New York to host a very special live recording at Segal Family Foundation's Annual General Meeting. We are thrilled to announce that the podcast is now officially sponsored by the Segal Family Foundation - and to kick this off Rachel co-hosted a panel discussion with the Foundation's Director of Partnerships, Cher-Wen DeWitt, featuring three of Segal's brilliant grantees: Solomon King Benge, Ash Rogers and Peggy Walenda Mativo. As we near the end of two seasons, this episode featured What Donors Want with a twist: instead of interviewing a donor, this time we sense-checked the advice donors have given on the show with fundraisers themselves. Their take on this is not to be missed!

In the seventeenth episode, Alisha Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Sara Elisa Miller, Director of Philanthropy and Special Projects at 5000 Broadway Productions – production company of the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda. We’re often asked by our charity and non-profit clients about the role of celebrity talent in fundraising and advocacy, and how organisations can strategically engage high-profile people in their work. We were thrilled to explore this topic with Sara on the show – trusted collaborator and philanthropic advisor to one of the most A-list, philanthropically engaged celebrities in the world. Let us know your thoughts (and also your favourite Hamilton song)!

In the sixteenth episode, Carlos Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Kabir Kumar, Senior Director at Walmart.org, to explore the philanthropic approach of one of the world's largest corporate donors. From grant-making and in-kind donations, to employee volunteering and shared-value partnerships - this conversation is an exclusive look behind the CSR curtain of the brand we all know, and is a great resource for any fundraiser looking to strengthen their corporate portfolio. Be sure to give it a listen (and 10 points for anyone who picks up on our Fresh Prince reference!).

In the fifteenth episode - recorded live with a studio audience - Emily Collins-Ellis and Rachel Stephenson Sheff sit down with philanthropist, Sonal Sachdev Patel, at the Institute of Fundraising's 2019 Fundraising Convention in London. They delve into Sonal's experience as the CEO of her family's foundation, explore the crucial elements of relationship-building (in Sonal's words, "it's a lot like dating") and talk about the elements needed for a longer-term funding relationship. That, plus a bunch of live questions from the room and Sonal's excellent ace-ing of our speed round, make this an episode not to miss!

In the fourteenth episode, Rachel Stephenson Sheff sits down with social justice philanthropy expert, Edgar Villanueva, to discuss 'Decolonizing Wealth' - his book that offers hopeful and compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonisation in the philanthropic and social finance sectors. They delve into Edgar's advice on fundraising as a grant-maker and non-profit leader, explore considerations around ethical fundraising, and discuss the unique role of non-profits in decolonisation. Edgar has undoubtedly shaken up the social impact space on both sides of the pond, and has given us all a lot to think about. Have a listen and let us know what you think!

In the thirteenth episode, Emily Collins-Ellis and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Emma Turner, Head of Client Philanthropy Services at Barclays Private Bank. Emma has been leading this service since its inception in 2008, and is an expert advisor to HNWIs and their families on their global giving strategies. With her, they discuss the unique intersection of wealth management and philanthropy, next gen clients and fundraising techniques from the perspective of an intermediary. On top of our usual, cheeky speed round - Emma's brilliance is not to be missed!

To kick off Season Two, Alisha Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Tillie Peacock, Head of Partnership Insight at Oxfam. They discuss a brilliant piece of philanthropic research Oxfam has just released around donor preferences, ambitions and experiences. From issues of transparency to a deep-dive of donor ambitions, these reports put evidence to intuition and are something no fundraiser should miss. To download the research, simply use the links below - and listen for a short, sharp recap of key findings (and to find out what Beyoncé Tillie is!). Trusts & Foundations Research: www.oxfam.org.uk/trusts-research Major Donor Research: www.oxfam.org.uk/philanthropy-research

After Season One, producer Rachel Stephenson Sheff sits down with the I.G. team to discuss key insights from the first 10 episodes. In this roundtable discussion, the team reflects on the diverse range of Season One guests - from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to entrepreneurial philanthropists - and highlights the 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 2 coming to your headphones shortly!

In the tenth episode, I.G.'s Emily Collins-Ellis and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Zia Khan, Vice President of Innovation at the Rockefeller Foundation. They discuss innovative financial mechanisms and how they differ from traditional grant relationships, what motivates a donor to explore these alternative financial models, and their collective fandom for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.' This conversation is a refreshing look at the world of blended finance and impact innovation that takes the jargon we all hear and distills it into tangible advice for organisations at all stages.

In the ninth episode - recorded live with a studio audience - I.G.'s Carlos Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Andy Bryant, Executive Director of the Segal Family Foundation. They discuss how to stand out when submitting to an open portal, fundraising from American donors, the unique characteristics of family foundations, and so much more. With a live Q&A from fundraisers (alongside our usual, irreverent questions) - this conversation is a brilliant behind-the-scenes view into the philanthropic philosophy of one of the most generous and influential international development funders.

In the eighth episode, I.G.'s Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Amy Whight chat with philanthropist, Paul Lindley - Founder of the UK's number one baby food brand, Ella's Kitchen, and The Lindley Foundation. With Paul, they discuss the varying motivations of individual donors and what they commonly seek from charitable partnerships, entrepreneurs vs. fundraisers, and so much more. He shares incredible stories that illuminate his philanthropic history, and provide an excellent guide for any organisation looking to dive into the bespoke and unique world of individual donor cultivation. Plus our usual cheeky speed round - Paul's brilliance is not to be missed.

In the seventh episode, I.G.'s Alisha Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Ramatu Bangura from the NoVo Foundation. As one of the most progressive foundations out there, NoVo brings an incredibly unique perspective to the table, particularly around supporting women and girls; they discuss how to fundraise for grassroots movements, the work (and time) that actually goes into building relationships, how to articulate impact in a way that's useful, and so much more. While we are no doubt living in challenging times - Ramatu's brilliant insights, alongside NoVo's powerful and inclusive ideologies, fill this conversation with the hope and inspiration we all need. Trust us on this one.

In the sixth episode - recorded live with a studio audience - I.G.'s Alisha Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Nicolas Patrick, Partner and Head of Responsible Business at global law firm, DLA Piper. They discuss fundraising from corporate partners, the unique characteristics of law firms, internal decision-making structures at DLA, and so much more. With a live Q&A from fundraisers and corporate impact leaders across London (alongside our usual, cheeky questions) - this conversation is the perfect way to shake up your corporate fundraising ambitions.

In the fifth episode, I.G.'s Carlos Miranda and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Jennifer Alcorn and Emily Inslee of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They discuss the internal decision-making structures at Gates, the qualities of a dream fundraiser, the importance of complete honesty in a donor partnership, and so much more. This episode is an exclusive deep dive into the world's largest Foundation: from unrestricted vs. restricted support to Britney vs. Christina - it's the conversation no fundraiser should miss.

In the fourth episode, I.G.'s Juliet Cockram Agnew and Rachel Stephenson Sheff chat with Nick Jenkins - Founder of Moonpig.com and former Dragons' Den judge. They discuss how strategic philanthropists want to really understand the issues and expect approaches to be well researched, as well as what fundraising charities can learn from entrepreneurs on Dragons' Den. They also uncover some of Nick's surprising language skills (which you won't want to miss).