Welcome to Forward Thinking, a podcast from Foundation Source. The best ideas in philanthropy aren’t always the tried and true. Trailblazing entrepreneurs and next generation philanthropists are transforming the sector with inspiring ideas and innovative strategies. Join us as we explore the advice, experience and insights of some of the creative minds shaping our collective future.
A parent’s success, fame, and achievement can be a complicated legacy for the next generation. Author Christina Lewis Halpern lost her father, Reginald F. Lewis, the famed entrepreneur and, at the time of his death, the richest black man in America. In this conversation, Christina shares her struggles and ultimate triumphs, as well as how philanthropy helped her forge a powerful identity of her own.
Susan Crites Price, family philanthropy expert and author of Generous Genes: Raising Caring Kids in a Digital Age explains how parents, grandparents, and extended family can become “generosity coaches,” using real-world and digital tools to inspire compassion and teach the fundamentals of philanthropy.
Mary Galeti shares how her family’s foundation became a tool for legacy and personal discovery after the deaths of the Tecovas Foundation’s founder and two family trustees. She provides a millennial lens to tackling issues that many next-generation successors of family foundations will ultimately face: finding one’s voice as a leader, navigating family dynamics, and uniting multi-generational members in shared purpose.
Increasingly, women are rising as leaders in philanthropy. They’re creating their own wealth, establishing private foundations, and collaborating with their philanthropic peers. In this podcast, we hear from two extraordinary women who are transforming the sector through research and convening power. Together, Jacki Zehner, Chief Engagement Officer of Women Moving Millions and President of The Jacqueline and Gregory Zehner Foundation, and Dr. Debra Mesch, Director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute discuss gender differences in giving and their significance as more women take the helm affecting social change.
What does it take to keep a foundation vital and effective for more than four generations? The Haas family’s William Penn Foundation, a recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, has been improving the quality of life in Philadelphia for more than 70 years—and it’s not slowing down. In this episode, we talk to Peter Haas, a fellow of the Foundation established by his great-grandparents, Otto and Phoebe Haas. He shares his family’s tips for success and explains how they’ve engaged foundation members to build an enduring philanthropic legacy.
Pioneering entrepreneur Peter Thum is a leader in creating businesses that do good while doing well. As the founder of Ethos Water, Peter turned his idea of bringing clean water to children into a successful social venture that was subsequently acquired by Starbucks. In this segment, we’ll explore Peter’s most recent venture targeting gun violence in the United States, the characteristics that drive effective social entrepreneurs, and how private foundations can invest in social enterprises.
Named to Barron’s “25 Best Givers” list, investor and Internet pioneer Jean Case discusses a bold approach to social change that requires taking risks, being innovative, and failing forward. Jean and her team at the Case Foundation embrace the same entrepreneurial approaches she and her husband, Steve Case, cultivated throughout their business careers. Their brand of philanthropy is celebrated in their campaign that encourages other changemakers to “Be Fearless.”
Carrie Morgridge discusses her book, Every Gift Matters: How Your Passion Can Change the World, in which she reveals her personal philanthropic journey as Vice President of the Morgridge Family Foundation. In this podcast, we hear more about the passion fueling Carrie’s philanthropy, how she leverages her networks for good, and how she embraces risk and learns from mistakes.
Now 20 years old, Sarina Dayal reflects on the six years she’s spent serving on the Tarsadia Foundation’s Junior Board with her sister and cousins. As she explains, the Junior Board helped learn about international and place-based family philanthropy while also imparting leadership skills. Sarina also offers insight into addressing a position of privilege among peers and grantees as well as the foundation’s role in cementing family values.
Ferguson. Staten Island. Baltimore. Charleston. Cleveland. These cities have become emblematic of the deep divides that still exist in this country, reigniting a national conversation about race and racism in the United States. President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in response to this unrest to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color. In this podcast, Michael Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs for My Brother’s Keeper, discusses the initiative’s progress and sense of urgency as the President’s second term ends. Our conversation reveals Michael’s deeply personal connection to this work and his suggestions to funders for more effective philanthropy.
Katherine Lorenz represents the succeeding generation of The Giving Pledge signators. As such, she’ll be responsible for fulfilling the philanthropic intentions of her grandparents, Cynthia and George Mitchell. In this podcast, Katherine shares her journey in preparing to lead her family’s foundation. Our conversation explores how her grandfather’s legacy influenced her style of philanthropy, the importance of sharing and learning from philanthropic failures, and the power of peer networks. By the end of the podcast, listeners will understand why Forbes magazine named Katherine among “Ones to Watch,” as a notable emerging philanthropist using her resources to make change in distinctive and innovative ways.
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