Uncommon Philanthropist

Uncommon Philanthropist with Rena Olsen
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Uncommon Philanthropist is hosted by Rena Olsen, an evangelist and advocate for philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. She believes that through philanthropy, we are all called to love and serve one another, through our gifts of time, talent and financial resources. The podcast discusses ways for every day people to mobilize and create a difference in their world as Uncommon Philanthropists and provides a platform for UPs and nonprofits to share their inspirational stories. Let go!

  1. Feb 23

    Next Gen Philanthropist with Morgan DeNicola

    In this episode, Rena sits down with Morgan DeNicola, a fresh voice in philanthropy.  Morgan leads The DeNicola Family Foundation a private, charitable foundation rooted in advancing World Health, Cultural Diplomacy, Humanitarian Recognition and Conservation. An extension of  Cosmo DeNicola Companies (CDC) – a privately held company with a diverse portfolio of businesses ranging from technology, publishing, professional sports and entertainment. Its mission is to continue the work of the family business, Cosmo DeNicola Companies and its legacy of doing good. The organization’s founding principle is caring is an action, not just an emotion. Let go! Https://denicolafamilyfoundation.org Https://uncommonphilanthropist.com

    44 min

  2. Feb 13

    Innovative Solutions for Complex Challenges with Dawn Pinnock

    In this fabulous conversation, Rena sits down with Dawn Pinnock, President and CEO of the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), one of New York’s most effective social service organizations. The organizations mission is “Helping New Yorkers rise from poverty, exit homelessness and be healthy.” With nearly three decades of experience in public service and nonprofit leadership, Dawn has transformed how communities think about housing, mental health, workforce development, and integrated care.  CUCS currently cares, uplifts, connects and serves 50,000 individual in New York and nationally.  Let go! To learn more: https://cucs.org https://uncommonphilanthropist.com #NYSolutions #NYHousing #HomelessSolutions #IntegratedCare

    52 min

  3. Jan 15

    Never Ever Give Up (NEGU) with Erik Rees

    It was not the illness that defined Erik's daughter, Jessie, but her ebullient spirit, her heart to serve others and the encouragement she delivered to other children battling cancer to "Never Ever Give Up" (NEGU.) Jessie's spirit lives on through the foundation her family founded to encourage children battling cancer. Jessie's dad, Erik, is here to share more about his daughter and family, Jessie’s JoyJars, and other initiatives led by the Jessie Rees Foundation. To learn more: ⁠⁠https://negu.org⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://uncommonphilanthropist.com⁠⁠ #hope #JoyJars #pediatric cancer #foundation #NEGU #neverevergiveup #philanthropy #uncommonphilanthropist

    38 min

  4. 12/16/2025

    The Power of Equine Therapy with Patrice Gibson

    Horses have power, intuition and gentleness within to be magical therapists. Hippotherapy can be used in a number of therapies--helping disabled children learn to walk and healing emotional wounds of veterans and other trauma survivors. Shining Hope Farms, a non-profit, is a three-farm facility in North Carolina that started small with tremendous results and is now delivering big impact for residents in that area.  Patrice Gibson, Executive Director of Shining Hope Farms, is here to share more. Our conversation includes details of a unique donation the organization received from a family to honor their loved one, who too loved horses:  the Ellie T. Tractor.   To learn more:  https://shininghopefarms.org https://uncommonphilanthropist.com

    49 min

  5. 11/22/2025

    Mentoring for Life with Dr. Deborah Heiser

    Dr. Deborah Heiser joins Rena for an inspiring word about aging (newsflash, it does have a few advantages) and how mentoring is a form of philanthropy.  Dr. Heiser is an Applied Developmental Psychologist and shares her brilliant insight on mentoring, generativity and how we can make the most of our later years. Let go! For more information: https://mentorproject.org Https://uncommonphilanthropist.com

    49 min

  6. 11/14/2025

    When Words Fail They Can Also Inspire with Marianne Sciucco

    Walking with a loved one through dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease can be a long and often lonely experience. It can also be offset by moments of love and joy. Family members who’ve traveled this path of caring for a loved one with dementia often learn valuable lessons along the way. Many are inspired to write and publish books to help process what they are going through and to provide a roadmap for others. The ALZ Authors organization is here to support those writers and to bridge the gap so that these books find their way to those who need it most. Marianne Sciucco, a nurse, author and one of the co-founders of ALZ Authors, is here to share more about when words fail they can also inspire. To learn more:  ALZauthors.com uncommonphilanthropist.com #dementia #alzheimers #homecare #servantleadership #caringforalovedone

    39 min

  7. 11/07/2025

    Delivering Hope with Ethan Forhetz

    In this episode of Uncommon Philanthropist, you'll learn more about the power of hope and help as shared by Ethan Forhetz, Vice President of Public Engagement/ National Spokesperson for Convoy of Hope. Convoy of Hope is a tremendous organization working to make a differenc ein the lives of children around the world. As UPs, let's connect, engage and support this faith-based organization with a passion to feed the world. Let go! P.S. Since this episode was recorded, Convoy of Hope is now on the ground in Jamaica serving our brothers and sisters with disaster recovery support services following Hurricane Melissa. Please remember the people of Jamaica in your prayers and give generously if you are able: https://convoyofhope. To learn more: https://convoyofhope.org https://uncommonphilanthropist.com Please accept our apologies and excuse the less than stellar audio in this episode as we experienced an audio feedback issue on Rena's mic that went undetected until the recording was over. This conversation was too good, however, not to share, thanks to the professionalism and talent of our guest, Ethan Forhetz, a former news anchor with over 25 years experience. We hope you enjoy their conversation. #disasterrecovery #hope #hurricanemelissa #giveservelove #convoyofhope #givetoday

    36 min

  8. 10/31/2025

    Building Purposeful Communities with David Homan

    Have you ever considered that connecting is a form of philanthropy? In this episode, you’ll meet David Homan, a next level connector, uncommon philanthropist, dad, author and composer. He is here today to challenge the way we think about connection and how we can maximize our ability as connectors to build purposeful communities.  Let go! To learn more: https://orchestratedconnecting.com Https://uncommonphilanthropist.com

    58 min
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About

Uncommon Philanthropist is hosted by Rena Olsen, an evangelist and advocate for philanthropy and nonprofit organizations. She believes that through philanthropy, we are all called to love and serve one another, through our gifts of time, talent and financial resources. The podcast discusses ways for every day people to mobilize and create a difference in their world as Uncommon Philanthropists and provides a platform for UPs and nonprofits to share their inspirational stories. Let go!

Information

  • Creator
    Uncommon Philanthropist with Rena Olsen
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Uncommon Philanthropist with Rena Olsen
  • Show Website
    Uncommon Philanthropist