Podcast Summary:

Giving Done Right – Ezra Klein on Philanthropy’s Role at a Precarious Time
Date: December 2, 2025
Hosts: Grace Nicolette & Phil Buchanan (Center for Effective Philanthropy)
Guest: Ezra Klein, NYT columnist & co-author of Abundance

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded live at the CEP Conference in Los Angeles, features an in-depth conversation with Ezra Klein about the role of philanthropy and civil society at a turbulent time for American democracy. Klein discusses the challenges facing the nonprofit sector during federal funding cuts, the failures and responsibilities of civil society and business leaders, the political drift of the Democratic Party, and the need for practical coalition-building—even across deep differences. The conversation also delves into lessons from Klein's recent book, Abundance, and explores the complex relationship between philanthropy and government.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Erosion of Institutional Guardrails

• Power as a Social Construct & Lack of Resistance
  • Klein argues the limits of power depend on concerted opposition, not inherent institutional guardrails.
  • “Power is everywhere, a coordination problem ... If the President says he has power and nothing is done to assert that he does not … then that power comes into existence.” (Ezra Klein, 03:21–03:41)
  • He laments that many leaders in business, law, and academia failed to oppose undemocratic overreach:
    • “You look at the way the richest people in society, when the regime said you pay to play, they walked up and they paid.” (03:57)
    • Congress and other institutions haven’t acted as guardrails but have abdicated responsibility, making these problems worse.

2. Civil Society’s Responsibility & Calls for Courage

• On Moral Courage
  • Klein challenges those in positions of power to use their influence:
    • “What is the point of all this money if it doesn't give you independence? What are the point of these huge endowments if they don't give you freedom of movement?” (Ezra Klein, 11:25)
    • He points out that “the people who have the most optionality ... have decided they have the most to lose, but they don't have the most to lose.”
• High Stakes, But Not Unprecedented
  • The current moment calls for courage, but not more than other historical moments—invoking the Freedom Riders and other movements as examples.

3. Political Drift and Progressive Failure

• Progressives “Pushed the Party Too Far Left”

  • Klein says the Democratic Party failed by prioritizing ideological purity and performative progressivism over building broad, winning coalitions:
    • “We failed in every single way it was possible to fail. And in doing so, we allowed authoritarianism to break through containment.” (13:18–13:48)
    • He details a litany of political moves that alienated core voters (immigration, race, education, economics).

• The Online Attention Economy’s Toxic Effects

  • Mechanisms of social media incentivize conflict and extremity, shaping activism, funding, and even policy analysis:
    • “Online politics is highly expressive…. Position taking becomes the ultimate act of politics, but position taking isn't the ultimate act of politics. Building the power that allows you to do things is the act of politics.” (19:45–21:54)

4. The Necessity of Coalition–Even With Deep Disagreement

• Learning from Opponents

  • Klein discusses the assassination of right-wing leader Charlie Kirk. Despite deep opposition to Kirk’s views, Klein champions finding ways to grieve with opponents and not use tragedy to deepen division:
    • “You can use disagreement as a beginning of a political relationship as opposed to the end of it, and the left could actually use more of that energy.” (29:31)
  • He differentiates between refusing to include people who “want you dead” versus those with policy disagreements.

• Inclusivity and Respect as Strategic Imperatives

  • “If you are knocking out as deplorables 20, 30, 40% of this country … we are about to betray faith, betray the faith of those we need to protect.” (Ezra Klein, 41:13–41:35)
  • His view: a successful coalition must welcome disagreement akin to the Democratic Party of previous decades.

5. The Relationship Between Philanthropy and Government

• Government Can’t Be Counted On—But Philanthropy Has Limits
  • Klein notes traditional philanthropy saw itself as an incubator for ideas government would later scale; today, that pipeline is broken due to governmental dysfunction.
  • “If we want liberal democracy to be popular, then liberal democracy has to deliver for people.” (50:59)
• Structural Failings & Policy Paralysis
  • California’s struggles with housing, infrastructure, and affordability are presented as failures of left-leaning governance despite holding all power.
  • He contrasts the inability to build (trains, housing, etc.) with other countries or even Texas, attributing much of the gridlock to legalistic and outdated regulatory processes:
    • “If we had done the New Deal at this speed, we would have never gotten out of the Great Depression.” (53:45)

6. The Challenge of Trade-Offs and Institutional Reform

• Balancing Competing Priorities
  • Institutional reform isn’t static—new problems demand new solutions even if it means discarding legacy processes that once protected other priorities.
  • Using the California Environmental Quality Act as a case study, Klein illustrates how regulations originally meant to protect the environment now sometimes stifle progress.

7. Reasons for Action, If Not Conventional Hope

• Hope vs. Determination
  • “There’s reasons to organize. There’s reasons to make good decisions.... Hope depends on what we do.” (63:39–63:44)
  • Klein doesn’t offer easy optimism but instead issues a call for discipline, grit, and responsibility from civil society, philanthropy, and individuals who care about democracy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the state of civil society:

  "Civil society has largely been like a horrifying disappointment."
  – Ezra Klein (03:48)

• On the responsibility of leaders:

  "I would like to see the people who lead important parts of civil society not be cowards."
  – Ezra Klein (07:26)

• On risk and leadership:

  "It is the people who have the most optionality who have decided they have the most to lose, but they don't have the most to lose."
  – Ezra Klein (11:30)

• On coalition and power:

  "The Democratic Party that lost Roe was the purified Democratic Party… The Democratic Party that was able to protect it for so many years was big because it contained a lot of internal disagreement."
  – Ezra Klein (41:10–41:36)

• On coalition-building across difference:

  "If you are knocking out as deplorables 20, 30, 40% of this country… we are about to betray faith, betray the faith of those we need to protect."
  – Ezra Klein (41:35)

• On why the right coalition is essential:

  "What throws people under the bus is letting Donald Trump drive the bus."
  – Ezra Klein (45:24)

• On the true test of civil society:

  "What was all this civil society for if not to help us through a moment like this? What were we all doing here? Was it just for the good times?"
  – Ezra Klein (63:44)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• Power and Institutional Failure: 03:21–07:21
• Civil Society’s Responsibility: 07:21–12:58
• Why Progressives Lost Ground: 13:18–19:07
• Online Politics & Harm of Position-Taking: 19:31–28:12
• Charlies Kirk, Coalition, and Moral Complexity: 28:12–38:31
• Coalition-building & Internal Disagreement: 40:12–47:53
• Philanthropy, Government, and Policy Paralysis: 47:53–56:53
• Difficult Trade-Offs & Institutional Change: 56:53–63:06
• Reasons for Action, Not Hope: 63:39–67:19

Final Takeaways

Ezra Klein’s main message is a challenge to both philanthropists and nonprofit leaders: now is the crucial moment when your courage—or lack of it—matters most. Klein urges civil society to do the hard work of coalition-building, even across real differences; to focus less on expressive positioning and more on building and wielding power that produces real, inclusive outcomes; and to lead institutional reforms tuned to today’s challenges, not yesterday’s. For those in the philanthropic world, the episode serves as a sobering but galvanizing call to action—less about hope, more about responsibility, discipline, and the work of democracy itself.

Useful for listeners who want:

• A thorough understanding of Klein’s thinking on the failures and future of American civil society and progressive politics
• Practical insights on coalition-building, institutional reform, and the limitations—and responsibilities—of philanthropy
• Clarity on the importance of courage, self-reflection, and effective political strategy in a divided era

All commentary and analysis reflect the tone and language of the original conversation.