Perdure

Heifer International: A cow, a cup, or cash?

Pop quiz: What do Heifer International and World Central Kitchen have in common? For decades, Heifer International has let us give Uncle Gary a goat for his birthday — o

The Sierra Club: Secret money, board coups, and the trouble with anonymous gifts.

This episode traces its remarkable origin story, from Muir’s devastating loss at Hetch Hetchy to the audacious campaign that stopped two Grand Canyon dams and provoked th

What if everything you've been taught about running a non-profit is backwards? An interview with David Schizer.

What if everything you've been taught about running a nonprofit is backwards? In this episode of Perdure, we sit down with David Schizer—Dean Emeritus of Columbia Law Sc

Susan G. Komen Foundation: Can a non-profit own a color? The business and backlash behind the pink ribbon.

Can a nonprofit own a color? For decades, pink meant breast cancer awareness. But what happens when a symbol becomes so successful that it takes on a life of its own? F

UNICEF: How $17 became a global fundraising machine

You've probably shaken it—an orange cardboard box on Halloween night. But that box is just the beginning of one of history's most ingenious fundraising stories. We unpack

Girl Scouts: Why the brilliant cookie business became a trap

In this episode, we unpack the surprisingly complex business model behind the Girl Scouts of the USA cookie empire. From Thin Mints and local troop politics to national f

Save the Children: Where did all the penpals go?

In this episode, we unpack how Save the Children built—and ultimately walked away from—a 100+ year fundraising machine, and why one of the most emotionally powerful ideas