Let’s Hear It

Philanthropy Shocker! Marguerite Casey Foundation’s Carmen Rojas and Daniel Gould Put Mission Ahead of Hoarding Money

When federal funding for nonprofits started disappearing last year, the Marguerite Casey Foundation didn't put out a pithy statement, they pulled out their checkbook. The

Most Conferences Suck, But Not This One! - A Bonus Preview of ComNet26

Eric went to the Communications Network annual conference for 21 years in a row, so he knows a little bit about what makes this gathering special. In this bonus episode,

So You Wanna Start a Podcast? With Emily Shaw and Bridget Conley

This podcast exists because Kirk Brown had what Eric thinks was a very stupid idea, to start a podcast about foundation and nonprofit communications. Seven years later, t

Eloy Ortiz Oakley Shows How Valuable College Really Is

We are delighted to have College Futures Foundation CEO Eloy Ortiz Oakley back on the show to talk about one of our favorite subjects – the value of a college degree or c

Fiona Guthrie of the Innocence Project on Using Story to Fight for the Wrongfully Convicted

Fiona Guthrie spent decades reporting stories as a broadcast journalist and later served as Director of Story at the Ford Foundation. Now, she’s using storytelling to hel

Please Be Good at Philanthropy with Jen Ford Reedy

Jen Ford Reedy has spent more than a decade leading the Bush Foundation, and over that time she has come to a conclusion that should be a challenge to the field—nobody ac

What Every Nonprofit Communicator Can Learn From Arts Marketing Genius Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly is one of the sharpest marketing minds Eric has ever met — and he's spent his career doing something all arts organizations dearly want to do: truly understand

Marc Moorghen of Lever for Change – the Elvis of the Nonprofit World

On the latest Let's Hear It, Eric sits down with Marc Moorghen, VP of Marketing and Communications at Lever for Change. Founded by the MacArthur Foundation, Lever for Ch

So You Wanna Be a Consultant? Going Independent with Regan Douglass

A lot of people who work in nonprofits and foundations eventually get the tickle. You know the one. What if I just... went out on my own? Regan Douglass did something ab

Glen Galaich on Why Big Giving Falls Short

Glen Galaich is the CEO of the Stupski Foundation — and he just wrote a book that bites the hand that feeds him and serves it up in a 236-page meal. Control: Why Big Giv

From Presence to Power: A Conversation with Rashad Robinson

There's a question Rashad Robinson wants every nonprofit and foundation leader to sit with right now: Are you building power — or just showing up? Rashad spent 13 years

A Sector in Crisis: CEP’s Elisha Smith Arrillaga Exposes the Dangerous Disconnect Between Foundations and Nonprofits

This might be the most important episode we've ever done, and we swear we’re not just saying that. If you work in or around philanthropy, stop what you're doing and liste

Making Meaning of the Madness With Kristen Grimm

Kristen Grimm is back—and she’s making Let’s Hear It history as the show’s first three-time guest. In this episode, Eric and Kirk dive into Kristen’s latest thinking on

Dr. Sacoby Wilson on the Dirty Secret of AI—and the Communities That Are Fighting Back

AI needs power. A lot of power. But what happens when that power comes from 35 unpermitted gas turbines dropped into the middle of a historic Black neighborhood? In this

Amanda Renteria on Making Government Work for Everyone

On the latest Let’s Hear It, Eric sits down with the unstoppable Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America — and wow, is this one a shot of optimism for your civic soul.

Nonprofit AF: Vu Le on Crappy Funding Practices, Hope, and Hard Truths

Nonprofits are essential, but are they getting what they need to succeed? And what happens when philanthropy clings to old habits while democracy teeters? In this episod

The Public Interest Comms Textbook We Needed Yesterday - with Ann Christiano and Angela Bradbery

In this episode of Let's Hear It, Eric sits down with two public interest comms powerhouses—Ann Searight Christiano and Angela Bradbery—who’ve just dropped what might be

A Playbook for Change — Rachael Kagan on Journalism, Philanthropy, and Ending Domestic Violence

Let’s Hear It is back after a brief break—and we’re diving into one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had yet. In this episode, Eric sits down with Rachael Kagan,

The Great Doug Hattaway on the Art and Science of Effective Communications

What makes an effective communicator in today’s chaotic political landscape? This week, Eric sits down with the legendary Doug Hattaway—founder of Hattaway Communications

The Politics of Beauty with John de Graaf

What’s the economy for, anyway? Shouldn’t time, happiness, and beauty be at the center of our lives? We know this sounds, er, quaint, given the times, but don’t we all ne