Women in Philanthropy Dr. Michele Fugiel Gartner

Welcome to a special episode of Women in Philanthropy. It's our Season 1 wrap-up! Thank you to all the listeners who have joined us this season. In this episode, responding to requests, we're turning the tables as I delve into my own experiences and insights after interviewing 14 incredible women in philanthropy this season.

In the spotlight today: my unexpected journey into philanthropy and how curiosity and a research-driven mindset shaped my path. I'll share more about how the podcast came together and what we've learned in the process.

Season 1 brought up several important themes, and I reflect on the context of women in philanthropy, their challenges, and the opportunities. We delved into valuing behind-the-scenes roles, addressing the opacity in philanthropic pathways, and navigating the dichotomies within the field. Challenges, such as the underrepresentation of women in leadership and the presence of bad actors, were not overlooked. However, amidst these challenges, opportunities emerged—driven by purpose, creativity, and the utilization of diverse resources.

In a rapid-fire round, I'll share my thoughts on the worst philanthropic jargon ("Theory of change"), the most inspiring trend ("Mutual Aid"), and my speculation on AI's potential impact on philanthropic roles. Will it streamline processes or introduce biases? The future remains intriguing.

Remember, the spaces we create are not just the end; they're the beginning of meaningful dialogues. Looking ahead, partnerships and the promise of Season 2 are on the horizon—this is just the beginning.

Connect with Michele and the Women in Philanthropy podcast.

TL; DL?: Check out our conversation and resources in the ⁠⁠⁠Episode Notes Available Here⁠⁠⁠.

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Women in Philanthropy is a podcast created by women, for women working in the giving and social impact sector. This includes fundraisers, grantmakers, and advisors. While giving has a significant impact, it is not always visible who is behind the scenes making it possible. This podcast strives to unite women across the sector and beyond borders. It aims to highlight women's experiences in philanthropy, which are often neglected in research and history.

We look forward to bringing you ~20-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.


Click the link for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠⁠.
If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

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The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions. It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus.

Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠⁠.

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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.

Welcome to the 11th installment of Women in Philanthropy! As we approach the conclusion of Season 1, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your steadfast support throughout the past year. Please stay tuned for our upcoming wrap-up episode next month.

Throughout Season 1, we've shed light on the diverse roles within philanthropy. The interconnections between these roles have become increasingly evident as you've followed our episodes. In this particular installment, we delve into how these roles coalesce within a single organization, focusing on the progression from securing donors' contributions to disbursing them to the community. This model is employed by numerous philanthropic organizations, and comprehending the synergy of these roles provides a clearer understanding of how funds are mobilized and how services are extended to both donors and charitable entities.

In Episode 11, we embark on a journey from gifts to grants, accompanied by our guests, Philippa Cornish and Ashling Cashmore, who elucidate the interplay of their roles within the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). Philippa expounds on her work with corporations in crafting strategic gift strategies, which dovetail with Ashling's responsibility of channeling these strategies into meaningful grants.

Our guests also share insights into their prior experiences in client-facing positions and how these experiences aided their transition into the philanthropic sector. They offer perspectives on the evolving landscape of corporate giving, the burgeoning demand for donor advisory services, the imperative for enhanced transparency, and the challenge of addressing philanthropic polarization.

We discuss the jargon of "donators" and of impact, positive trends of the democratization of impact and the upsurge in strategic corporate philanthropy, and wonder about the prospects for more philanthropic futurists and Chief Purpose Officers.

Connect with Philippa and Ashling⁠.

TL; DL?: Check out our conversation and resources in the ⁠⁠Episode Notes Available Here⁠⁠.

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Women in Philanthropy is a podcast created by women, for women working in the giving and social impact sector. This includes fundraisers, grantmakers, and advisors. While giving has a significant impact, it is not always visible who is behind the scenes making it possible. This podcast strives to unite women across the sector and beyond borders. It aims to highlight women's experiences in philanthropy, which are often neglected in research and history.

We look forward to bringing you ~15-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.


Click the link for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠.
If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

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The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions. It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus.

Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠.

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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.

Welcome to the 10th episode of Women in Philanthropy! In this episode, Kari Chaudhry sheds light on social investment as a powerful tool in the realm of philanthropy. She highlights the social power that comes with the combination of women, wealth and investing. Kari also shares her personal experience as a social impact investor, talking about her journey from the fashion industry to promoting social investment across the Atlantic.

Our wide-ranging conversation touches on the barriers which still exist for women and wealth, how we educate our girls on finance, and company diversity which remains more window-dressing than reality.


Share your thoughts on our episode question: What is the most impactful social investment you have ever come across?

Kari discusses the need to rebrand philanthropy, the inspiring trend of social impact investing, and the potential for altruism advisors in the field.

You can learn more about Kari's work at the Atlantic Society ⁠here⁠.

TL; DL?: Check out Kari's thoughts and resources on ⁠⁠Episode Notes Available Here⁠⁠.

*******************************

Women in Philanthropy is a podcast created by women, for women working in the giving and social impact sector. This includes fundraisers, grantmakers, and advisors. While giving has a significant impact, it is not always visible who is behind the scenes making it possible. This podcast strives to unite women across the sector and beyond borders. It aims to highlight women's experiences in philanthropy, which are often neglected in research and history.

We look forward to bringing you ~15-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.


Click the link for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠.
If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

********************************

The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions. It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus.

Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠.

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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.

Welcome back to episode 9 of Women in Philanthropy!

In this episode, Jessica Middleton discusses her role as a social insights (not impact) specialist. Drawing together experiences in research, charities, and grantmaking, Jessica weaves together information on emerging needs, funding priorities, and grantmaking approaches.

Jessica challenges us to consider how we approach research and data within the philanthropic field. Are we being intentional about how much we are asking of our grantees and research participants? For which purposes? To what ends?

She describes the power imbalances within funding, but also within research, and challenges that the pursuit of impact might be part of the problem.

Her use of the term "social insights" is an intentional shift away from impact. She is passionate about how we use language in philanthropy, as it often props up the power imbalance through exclusionary and jargon-filled terms.

Listen to why Jessica thinks impact is the worst jargon and how the field needs a role to facilitate greater sharing of organisational processes beyond grantmaking transparency.

(Note: We were so wrapped up in the language conversation I forgot to ask Jessica the "most inspiring trend". Needless to say, I think the conversation on language is an important answer.)


Share your thoughts on our episode question: A rapid-fire question for everyone: What is your worst philanthropic jargon?

You can learn more about Jessica ⁠here⁠.

TL; DL?: Check out Jessica's thoughts and resources in the Episode Notes linked here.

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Women in Philanthropy is a podcast by and for women working in the giving and social impact sector. Fundraisers, grantmakers, advisors. You
can't always see behind the scenes in giving, which means you can't see who enables this giving. This podcast hopes to connect women across the sector and borders. It seeks to amplify women's experiences working in philanthropy, which have too often been overlooked in our research and histories.

We look forward to bringing you ~15-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.

Click the ⁠link⁠ for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠.

If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

********************************
The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions.

It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus. Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠.
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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.

Welcome back to episode 8 of Women in Philanthropy! Thank you for your continued support of this podcast.

In this episode, Danielle Walker Palmour speaks with us about her roles across the philanthropic sector, from research and evaluation to leading a philanthropic foundation. As the Director of Friends Provident Foundation, Danielle's career development points to how one might find roles within foundations and, importantly, how the lack of diversity in these roles excludes many others.

Her approach to foundation work demonstrates the alchemy required to create social change through philanthropic vehicles. Her long-standing career has provided a range of tools which she draws upon in her current work. As she describes, a social issue might not need a grant, and it is within her role to blend the tools in order to address the social issue.

She has spearheaded the Foundation Practice Rating, which grades foundation behaviour based on publically available data in diversity, accountability, and transparency. The goal is to positively change foundation behaviour and eliminate the opacity surrounding foundation work.

Listen to why Danielle thinks movement building is the worst jargon, why accountability is an inspiring trend, and how the field needs behaviour change interventionists as the next roles.


Share your thoughts on our episode question: How can we move foundation behaviour towards greater diversity and inclusion?

You can learn more about Danielle here.

TL; DL?: Check out Danielle's thoughts and resources in the ⁠⁠Episode Notes Available Here⁠⁠.

*******************************
Women in Philanthropy is a podcast by and for women working in the giving and social impact sector. Fundraisers, grantmakers, advisors. You
can't always see behind the scenes in giving, which means you can't see who enables this giving. This podcast hopes to connect women across the sector and borders. It seeks to amplify women's experiences working in philanthropy, which have too often been overlooked in our research and histories.

We look forward to bringing you ~15-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.

Click the link for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠.

If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

********************************
The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions.

It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus. Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠.
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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.

Welcome back to episode 7 of Women in Philanthropy! Thank you for your continued support of this podcast.

In this episode, Zofia Sochanik and Juliet Valdinger describe their roles as philanthropic connectors. The philanthropic landscape is broad with various stakeholders, from charities, to foundations, to individual donors, government, private wealth advisors, etc. each seeking to create social change. More often than not these stakeholders remain siloed in their industries and organisations, leaving the fields' efforts at change fragmented.

Connectors are the people who are able to link and intersect across spaces. Zofia and Juliet talk about how they've each approached this role, why it is essential, and the effort which it takes. The Connector role is not always visible, and that means its not always fully valued (or funded). Yet, these roles run throughout the field and are essential for making philanthropy work.


Share your thoughts on our episode question: What characteristics make for a good connector?

You can learn more about Zofia and Juliet on their LinkedIn pages.
TL; DL?: Check out The Connectors thoughts and resources in the ⁠⁠Episode Notes Available Here⁠⁠.

*******************************
Women in Philanthropy is a podcast by and for women working in the giving and social impact sector. Fundraisers, grantmakers, advisors. You can't always see behind the scenes in giving, which means you can't see who enables this giving. This podcast hopes to connect women across the sector and borders. It seeks to amplify women's experiences working in philanthropy, which have too often been overlooked in our research and histories.


We look forward to bringing you ~15-minute episodes, connecting you with amazing women and hearing the stories of their philanthropic work.

Click the link for the website & more information on the ⁠⁠Women in Philanthropy podcast⁠⁠. If you are a Woman in Philanthropy and want to share your story, please email mfgartner@mfgchange.com

********************************
The podcast is generously supported by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network. VSSN functions to promote the advancement of knowledge about, and understanding of, organisations between the market and the state. It provides a virtual and actual meeting point for scholars and researchers both outside and within the voluntary (third or non-profit) sector(s), with a shared analytic interest in this set of institutions. It is multidisciplinary, seeking to engage economists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, policy analysts and others. It aspires to a UK-wide focus. Membership is invited from academics and practitioners. For more information, look at the website: ⁠⁠https://www.vssn.org.uk/about-us/⁠⁠.


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Thank you for listening and for your continued support! Please subscribe to be alerted to the release of our upcoming episodes.