The podcast for social impact practitioners looking to connect big ideas with real impact. Join host Sam Caplan as he curates practical advice and inspiring stories from the people changing how we think about social change.
Dispatch from ACCP 2025: Andrea Bell & Sam Caplan On How CSR Is Adapting
Sam Caplan and Andrea Bell from ACCP share their thoughts and takeaways from the 2025 ACCP Annual Conference.

Andrea Bell

Sam Caplan
David Callahan on the rise of mega donors 'parachuting in' to reshape philanthropy
David Callahan, founder and editor-in-chief of Inside Philanthropy, explores how today’s ultrarich mega donors (and their heirs) are shaping the future of philanthropy.

David Callahan

Sam Caplan
Project Evident on why AI could be philanthropy’s ‘coming of age’ moment
Project Evident’s founder and CEO Kelly Fitzsimmons and CIO Sarah Di Troia break down how AI is opening up new possibilities in the social sector.

Kelly Fitzsimmons

Sarah Di Troia

Sam Caplan
All the small print: Government grantmakers redefine their role in 2025
Tip Tucker Kendall and Lashon Brown dig into the new reality in the public sector and how grantmakers can set themselves up for long-term success.

Tip Tucker Kendall

Lashon Brown

Sam Caplan
What is the new normal in government grantmaking?
Matthew Hanson, managing director of grants and policy at Witt O’Brien's, sheds light on the ways government grantmakers are shifting their strategies to meet the moment.

Matthew Hanson

Sam Caplan
How to actually make the business case for corporate social impact
Andrea Wood, president and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals, shares the secret to communicating the value of corporate social impact.

Andrea Wood

Sam Caplan
SixDegrees of Kevin Bacon and how nonprofits can cut through the noise
Stacy Huston, executive director of SixDegrees.org, shares how the organization creates impactful campaigns while boosting awareness for small community nonprofits.

Stacy Huston

Sam Caplan
Dispatch from PEAK 2025: Leading with courage
Hear about Sam Caplan’s experience at the 2025 PEAK Grantmaking Conference and how he sees philanthropy meeting the moment.

Sam Caplan

Laura Steele
How Microsoft makes giving personal for all of its 228,000 employees
Karen Bergin, senior director of employee engagement and disaster response at Microsoft, shares how she inspires high participation in workplace giving programs.

Karen Bergin

Sam Caplan
Dispatch from NGMA 2025: A seismic shift
Hear about Sam Caplan and Ian Witthoeft’s experiences at the 2025 NGMA Conference with government grantmakers.

Ian Witthoeft

Sam Caplan
GE Healthcare Foundation, year one: On choosing a mission and nonprofit partners
Abigail Epane-Osuala, president of the GE Healthcare Foundation, and Ash Rogers, Co-CEO of Lwala Community Alliance, share how they built a partnership around a common mission of improving women’s health.

Abigail Epane-Osuala
Ash Rogers

Sam Caplan
Foundations building for foundations: How the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation develops AI tech
Nick Cain explores how foundations can step up to fill the gap between the technology nonprofits have and what they need.

Nick Cain

Sam Caplan
CSR’s deskless conundrum: On engaging hard-to-reach employees
Tom Knowlton shares real-world examples of companies getting employee engagement right.

Tom Knowlton

Sam Caplan
A compliance wonk breaks down Uniform Guidance changes
David Clark explores what transparency and equity mean in the context of public sector funding.
David Clark

Sam Caplan
How to use partnerships + transparency to address big social problems
Fred Tan lays out how HPE found its social impact niche and built a network of partners to tackle some of the world’s most complex problems.

Fred Tan

Sam Caplan
How GivingTuesday went from grassroots movement to data powerhouse
Woodrow Rosenbaum shares the story behind GivingTuesday’s evolution from a grassroots giving movement to a global institution working to make data more accessible and actionable.

Woodrow Rosenbaum

Sam Caplan
How to (and why you should!) build an employee volunteer network
Megan Strand breaks down how to build an employee volunteer network that taps into people’s natural desire to get involved.

Megan Strand

Sam Caplan
Start with the story: A guide to social impact messaging
Erin Combs shares the secret to creating a social impact messaging strategy that feels authentic.

Erin Combs

Sam Caplan
The AI imperative: How tech nonprofits are leading the way
Shannon Farley digs into the landscape of tech nonprofits using AI for good and reshaping how the social impact sector thinks about technology.

Shannon Farley

Sam Caplan
From inbox filler to company mantra: How to nail your CSR comms
Rich Maiore gives tactical advice about how to get your CSR communication plan on track.

Rich Maiore

Sam Caplan
How to adapt when your CSR budget doesn’t match your vision
Melanie LeGrande walks through how she scaled her CSR vision to create a lasting employee giving program.

Melanie LeGrande

Sam Caplan
Less boring, more authentic: On the future of nonprofit boards
John Brothers sets a new vision for how nonprofit boards can become a stronger force for democracy.

John Brothers

Sam Caplan
25 years in CSR tech: Hard-won advice from an industry insider
Chris Battles explores how technology is unlocking a new level of employee engagement in CSR.

Chris Battles

Sam Caplan
Dispatch: EFG 2024 and a peek at the future of CSR
Sam and Madi reflect on this year’s EFG conference and share what they learned about the future of CSR.

Madison Silver

Sam Caplan
Dispatch: NASCIO 2024 Midyear & what state CIOs care about most
Hear about Sam’s experience at the NASCIO 2024 Midyear conference.

Stacey Sveum

Sam Caplan
FOMO vs skepticism: AI strategy for grantmakers who feel both
Jean Westrick explores how funders can navigate the new era of technology without disrupting their mission.

Jean Westrick

Sam Caplan
How Morgan Stanley finds & funds solutions for youth mental health
Joan Steinberg explains why Morgan Stanley focuses their funding on children’s mental health and the mechanics behind getting that funding into the hands of innovators.

Joan Steinberg

Sam Caplan
Closegap & Morgan Stanley: Where innovation arises & how it gets funded
Rachel Miller, founder and CEO of Closegap, and Sam Caplan explore how innovation arises in the social impact sector and how it gets funded.

Rachel Miller

Joan Steinberg
Dispatch: The biggest takeaways from PEAK2024
Hear Sam’s biggest insights from PEAK2024 that you might’ve missed.

Sam Caplan
Sam Ellsworth
Dispatch: What You Missed at the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit
Go behind the scenes of the exclusive event to learn how top social impact experts think AI will redefine their work.
Sam Ellsworth

Sam Caplan
Beth Kanter on AI & the One Question That Will Help You Make Sense of It
Beth Kanter, nonprofit trainer and author, and Sam Caplan explore the nuances of how nonprofits can start using AI today in a responsible way.

Beth Kanter

Sam Caplan
The starvation cycle in corporate social responsibility: How CSR professionals can right the ship
Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO of ACCP, and Sam Caplan explore how CSR professionals can get their teams out of the starvation cycle.

Carolyn Berkowitz

Sam Caplan
Systemic change requires bold solutions
Partners from the Bold Solutions Network sit down with Sam Caplan to share how support from Lever for Change enables them to make long-term, systemic progress.

Native Women Lead

New Mexico Community Capital

Communities United

JUST Community
What is the ‘S’ in ESG, and how do you measure it?
Carmen Perez, founder and partner at Better Next, and Sam Caplan tackle one of the trickiest aspects of CSR and grantmaking—measuring impact.

Carmen Perez

Sam Caplan
The challenge model: How to flip the philanthropy script
Kristen Molyneaux, vice president of program strategy & learning at Lever for Change, and Sam Caplan break down how to avoid the traps of traditional philanthropy.

Kristen Molyneaux

Sam Caplan
A blueprint for high-engagement CSR programs
Patricia Toothman, social impact manager at Splunk, and Sam Caplan explore what it takes to turn employees into CSR champions.

Patricia Toothman

Sam Caplan
What the data says about the future of social impact
Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, managing director of corporate insights & engagement for CECP, and Sam Caplan map out how individual efforts connect to systemic change.

Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas

Sam Caplan
Constructing a Purpose-Built Career
Angela Parker, CEO and co-founder of Realized Worth, and Sam Caplan discuss the realities of what it takes to build a career around a strong sense of purpose.

Angela Parker

Sam Caplan
Breakthroughs in Social Impact: How Integrated CSR Unlocks Innovation
Erin Baudo Felter, VP of social impact and sustainability at Okta, and Sam Caplan break down what should drive CSR programs.

Erin Baudo Felter

Sam Caplan
Lessons from the Future of CSR and Corporate Volunteering
Jen Carter, global head of technology & volunteering at Google.org, and Sam Caplan explore what it means to take a “moonshot” approach to social impact.

Jen Carter

Sam Caplan
The Opportunity Motivation: Effective Altruism and Our Impetus to Give
Join Submittable with Giving What We Can's Luke Freeman in a discussion about the motivations and methodology behind effective altruism.

Luke Freeman

Rachel Mindell
Leaders Never Stop Emerging: Embracing the Next Generation of Philanthropic Changemakers
Join Submittable with philanthropy leader Storme Gray in a discussion about how emerging social impact leaders can unlock the right doors and keep them open.

Storme Gray

Laura Steele

Rachel Mindell
From Transactional to Transformative: How Intention Can Remake Corporate Volunteering
Join Submittable’s Sam Caplan in conversation with Chris Jarvis, an expert in volunteerism, corporate giving, and the neuroscience behind lasting change.

Chris Jarvis

Sam Caplan
Conversations at the Heart of CSR
Join Submittable with CSR-insider Alli Murphy for a discussion about the people, ideas, and resources propelling social good.

Alli Murphy

Rachel Mindell
Riding the Hype Curves: Community Foundations, Crypto, and DAFs
Join Submittable with philanthropy IT insider Leon Wilson for a conversation about tech adoption and strategy in the social sector.

Leon Wilson

Sam Caplan
How Tech Can Turn Silos Into Systems Change
Join Impact Audio for a conversation with Amy Sample Ward and Afua Bruce, experts and leaders in social impact technology.

Amy Sample Ward

Afua Bruce
4 Trends Shaping Philanthropy in 2022
Join Impact Audio producers as they discuss the ideas and people shaping philanthropy in 2022, and beyond.

Laura Steele

Rachel Mindell
Accessibility, Advocacy, Representation: How Philanthropy Can Step Up for the Disability Community
Join Submittable with special guest Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder of RespectAbility, for a powerful conversation on the “A” that’s missing from DEI.

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi

Sam Caplan
Advancing DEI Day to Day: From Why to How with WarnerMedia
Join Submittable with special guests Grace Moss, Sophia Zeinu, and Yvette Urbina of WarnerMedia for a discussion on operationalizing DEI.

Grace Moss

Sophia Zeinu

Yvette Urbina
From Evolution to Revolution: How Grants Managers Can Remake Philanthropy
Join Submittable with special guests Rachel Kimber and Adam Liebling, grants managers at the forefront of philanthropy’s future tense.

Rachel Kimber

Adam Liebling

Sam Caplan
The State of Corporate Purpose: Insights from CECP's 2021 Giving in Numbers Report
Join Submittable’s impact team to hear which trends are shaping the future of philanthropy.

Sam Caplan

Natalya Taylor

Laura Steele
John Mohr and Sam Caplan: Democratizing Philanthropy with the Common App
Join Submittable with special guest John Mohr, Chief Information Officer of the MacArthur Foundation, in conversation about his efforts to create a common grant application.

John Mohr

Sam Caplan
7 Principles for Measuring Impact
Join Submittable's marketing team to shift your perspective and discover seven principles that can help guide your impact measurement work.

Natalya Taylor

Rachel Mindell
Chantal Forster and Sam Caplan: Technology Accelerates Change
Join Submittable with special guest Chantal Forster, executive director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), in a conversation about the power of tech in philanthropy.

Chantal Forster

Sam Caplan
Kari Aanestad: Equity, Honesty, and #FixTheForm
Join Submittable and special guest Kari Aanestad as she shares context, insights, and insider tips from #FixTheForm.

Kari Aanestad
Edgar Villanueva and Sam Caplan: How Can Philanthropy Decolonize Wealth?
Join Submittable for a book club Q&A with Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth, facilitated by Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable.

Edgar Villanueva

Sam Caplan
Shaady Salehi: Tackling Common Misconceptions about Trust-Based Philanthropy
Join Submittable and special guest Shaady Salehi digging into the tenets behind trust-based philanthropy and how funders may misunderstand them.

Shaady Salehi
Luther Hughes and Lydia Boss: Antiracism, Community-building, and Grants for Artists
Join Submittable and special guests Luther Hughes and Lydia Boss in a discussion about strategies for improving equity in the grantmaking process.

Luther Hughes

Lydia Boss
Louise Bleach and Mark Horoszowski: CSR, Social Enterprise, and Doing Well by Doing Good
Join Submittable and special guests Louise Bleach and Mark Horoszowski in a conversation about the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the imperative for social and environmental change.

Louise Bleach

Mark Horoszowski
Satonya Fair and Sam Caplan: Philanthropy, Impact, and the Future of Grantmaking
Join Submittable for an in-depth Q&A between Satonya Fair, President and CEO at PEAK Grantmaking, and Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable, focused on philanthropy’s past, present, and future.

Sam Caplan

Satonya Fair
Impact Audio: Trailer
Join Submittable for a new audio series dedicated to social impact—highlights, insights, and in-depth exchanges. Here’s the lowdown on what’s coming up.

Rachel Mindell
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