Podcast
Giving Ventures
Hosted by DonorsTrust · EN
As the landscape of nonprofits continues to grow, trying to stay current on all the good work going on can be overwhelming--especially if you target your support to efforts that help reduce government's size and people's dependence on it. Giving Ventures is designed to help charitable givers discover new opportunities to change the world for the better. Twice a month, the Giving Ventures podcast will highlight several non-profit efforts, initiatives, and projects that leverage private philanthropy to solve public problems.
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12episodes
Episodes
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Ep. 107 - How Public Interest Law Firms Protect American Freedoms
3w ago00:39:27Tap to summarizeThe legal battles shaping the future of liberty often unfold behind the scenes, yet their impact resonates across society. This episode of Giving Ventures explores how public interest law firms like Liberty Justice Center are leveraging strategic litigation to reinforce constitutional rights and curb government overreach. Sara Albrecht, chairman of the Liberty Justice Center, joins Peter to dissect landmark LJC wins at the Supreme Court like Janus v. AFSCME, which banned mandatory union dues for public-sector employees, and VOS Selections v. Trump, which ruled the Trump administration's tariffs unconstitutional. These cases reveal the intricate, multi-year process of securing a public interest legal win, from identifying plaintiffs to preparing for trial. Sara shares how the organization’s success hinges on disciplined messaging, careful plaintiff selection, and unwavering dedication to constitutional principles. For strategic donors interested in long-term impact, this conversation illustrates how targeted legal action can protect individual freedoms by establishing important precedents.
Transcribe →Ep. 106 - The Importance of Donor Intent
Apr 1400:51:35Tap to summarizeMost donors overlook the one thing that could undermine their entire legacy: donor intent—and a simple strategy to safeguard it. In this episode of Giving Ventures, we’re sharing a recent webinar we hosted for our clients on the topic of donor intent. Kim Dennis, co-founder of DonorsTrust and a longtime advocate for protecting donor intent, reveals how the concept of donor intent was born out of resistance to external pressures—and why it’s more relevant today than ever. Discover how well-crafted donor intent statements can prevent your philanthropic vision from drifting, even when organizations change or close their doors. You’ll learn specific tactics for clarifying and recording your intent, including the critical importance of granular, airtight language. Kim shares the wisdom behind “sunsetting” accounts, the most effective ways to prepare for organizational shifts, and how engaging your advisors and successors now can ensure your values endure. Webinar on crafting your donor intent statement (4/22/26) Webinar on how DonorsTrust safeguards donor intent (5/12/26)
Transcribe →Ep. 105 - Blueprint for State-Level Change
Mar 2400:38:18Tap to summarizeMost state-level political breakthroughs happen when social entrepreneurs step up — but few leverage the full potential of strategic philanthropy and advocacy. Matt Brouillette, the architect behind Pennsylvania’s powerful free-market movement, reveals the blueprint social entrepreneurs can follow to transform states from within. This episode of Giving Ventures explores the unique role of entrepreneurial leaders in shaping public policy and building durable infrastructure for freedom. Matt Brouillette is the president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners, leading efforts to shift state policy and race ahead of progressive infrastructure. His work demonstrates that real change begins with bold, entrepreneurial leadership — and that everyone, from philanthropists to grassroots citizens, has a part to play. Matt's newest book is You Gotta Win Pennsylvania. Americans for Fair Treatment Black Pastors United for Education Commonwealth Foundation Commonwealth Partners The Fairness Center The Joshua Group Mackinac Center State Policy Network
Transcribe →Ep. 104 - America's Poverty Trap
Mar 1000:48:42Tap to summarizeFilmmaker and Acton Institute scholar Michael Matheson Miller joins Peter to discuss poverty in America. Back in 2014, Michael directed Poverty, Inc., an award-winning documentary that investigated and challenged the multi-billion-dollar poverty industrial complex around the world. His soon-coming film is Poverty Trap, which turns its attention to the failures of America's anti-poverty efforts.
Transcribe →Ep. 103 - Hall of Fame for American Entrepreneurs
Feb 2400:34:40Tap to summarizeThere is a Hall of Fame for just about everything in this country. But where is the Hall of Fame celebrating the inventors, the creators, the entrepreneurs that have made America so great? Well, there isn't one yet. However, the great social entrepreneur John Tillman is working on a $350 million project aimed at building a hall of fame for entrepreneurship and American innovation, which he is calling the Hall of Giants. John joins Giving Ventures to share his vision and provide a peek at the special soft launch it has coming up on the mall later this summer. John is the chairman and former CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. He's also been founding or reviving other organizations from Center Square, Bearing Tree, Iron Light. And before all that, he was a business entrepreneur himself.
Transcribe →Ep. 102 - The Global Liberty Movement with Brad Lips
Feb 1000:42:32Tap to summarizeMany people underestimate how fragile liberty really is and how much it relies on a vibrant global movement. Brad Lips, CEO of Atlas Network, pulls back the curtain on the strategies empowering think tanks worldwide to defend freedom, fight corruption, and lift communities out of poverty. Brad describes how Atlas Network’s "Coach, Compete, Celebrate" model accelerates achievement among liberty advocates across more than one hundred countries—and what the liberty movement in the US can learn from our international friends. In a world where authoritarian regimes sometimes seem to have the upper hand, understanding how to nurture, fund, and scale liberty efforts is crucial. If you're you're a donor eager to deploy your resources smartly across borders to make an impact that lasts, this episode is essential listening.
Transcribe →Ep. 101 - Building on Policy Victories for School Choice
Jan 2700:43:08Tap to summarizeIn recent years, advocates of school choice have celebrated significant legislative victories. In many states, the challenge now lies in transforming these wins into tangible opportunities for families by building up new schools. This episode of Giving Ventures explores the challenges and opportunities of the implementation phase of school choice with two distinguished guests. Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, has been at the forefront of advocating for educational choice, ensuring that legislative gains translate into real-world benefits. Joining him is Ryan Delk, founder and CEO of Primer, an innovative organization that empowers educational entrepreneurs to establish micro schools, providing families with accessible and high-quality educational options.
Transcribe →Ep. 100 - Arabella: The Left's Dark Money with Scott Walter
Jan 1300:43:04Tap to summarizeFor the past decade, one entity has become predominant in secretive giving on the left of the political spectrum: Arabella Advisors. It goes by a lot of different names, like the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, 1630 Fund. This panoply of organizations represents hundreds of nonprofit entities ranging from full-fledged 501(c)3s and 501(c)4s to astroturf groups that only exist as websites. Billions of dollars have flowed into and out of these Arabella entities, all working to counter free markets and conservative ideas and to advance progressive ideology. Despite its major influence, Arabella is still pretty secretive. But one individual thoroughly understands the reach of Arabella and its tentacles: Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center, which focuses on the sources and influence of philanthropic dollars on the left.
Transcribe →Ep. 99 - Tackling America's Debt Problem with Romina Boccia
Dec 2300:39:32Tap to summarizeAmerica's national debt now has surpassed $38 trillion, and we're adding another $2 trillion each year with our deficit spending. The situation is even more bleak when you consider our unfunded liabilities for the future. Couple that with the cliffs we're facing on Social Security, the continued problems with Medicare and Medicaid that we're seeing play out in Congress now: It feels like an insurmountable problem.So how in the world do we get America's finances back to some orderly system? Romina Boccia is the Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy at the Cato Institute, and she spends her days analyzing problems and promoting solutions around debt, entitlement, federal spending broadly. She's the co-author of a new book, Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes. Romina also serves on the board of America's Future.
Transcribe →Ep. 98 - Do No Harm
Dec 900:39:33Tap to summarizeWe want our doctors to treat us as individuals, not members of an identity group, and we would hope that our medical establishments would resist today's fixation on identity politics. But unfortunately, that's not the case . We have seen identity politics creep into doctors' offices and medical schools, and we've seen its negative effects, particularly in the fight over gender-affirming care. In this episode of Giving Ventures, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb joins Peter to discuss these issues and describe the good work his organization, Do No Harm, is doing to combat progressive ideas in the medical field. Dr. Goldfarb has a long history as a teacher, researcher, and practitioner of medicine. He's also been a keen observer of the shift that the medical profession has taken over the last couple of decades. He is the author ofTake Two Aspirin and Call Me By My Pronouns and Doing Great Harm: How DEI and Identity Politics Are Infecting American Healthcare and How We Are Fighting Back.
Transcribe →