The Business of Giving

The following is a conversation between Shona McDonald, the Founder and Executive Director of Shonaquip, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. Shonaquip is considered a model for many social enterprises all over the world. Founded in 1992, they improve the lives of people with severe disabilities by addressing mobility barriers through supplying appropriate devices, custom-made wheelchairs, related services, and training. And here with us to discuss their extraordinary work is Shona McDonald, the Founder and Executive Director of Shonaquip.

The following is a conversation between Artis Stevens, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has provided children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better and forever. Their breadth and reach is, well, breathtaking, with more than 2 million children served over the past 10 years, and with nearly 400,000 volunteer mentors and families currently engaged. But there is still so much more to be done; and here to discuss that with us, it's a pleasure to have Artis Stevens, the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Welcome to the Business of Giving, Artis.

The following is a conversation between Jennifer Blatz, President and CEO of StriveTogether, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. StriveTogether is a national nonprofit working in 70 communities across the United States to ensure that every child has every chance to succeed, because race, ethnicity, poverty, and circumstance should not determine opportunity or outcome. And here to tell us more about the work they do and how they do it is Jennifer Blatz, the president and CEO of StriveTogether.

The following is a conversation between Sean Doherty, the Chairman of the JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Fund, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. In 2015, a group of JDRF volunteers, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, observed that there was virtually no private investment in type 1 diabetes, which was causing a gap between scientific advancements and the delivery of solutions to the people who need them. Their solution: launch the JDRF T1D Fund, a venture philanthropy fund to create a market in T1D by using their capital and expertise to convince venture capital, biotech, and pharma to make the investments needed to cure type 1 diabetes. And here to tell us about how this work is going is Sean Doherty, the chairman of the T1D Fund.

In this edition of The Paths Forward we’ll speak with team members at Good360. Good360 is a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving. They partner with some of the world’s largest corporations to source essential goods and distribute them through their network of diverse nonprofits, supporting people in need and opening opportunity for all.

Recent events have compelled nonprofit organizations to change the way they get work done, how they deliver their services, and what they do to achieve a more just and equitable society. So, The Business of Giving has connected with those organizations that are doing this exceptionally well in a segment we call: The Paths Forward. Because there is more than just one way. On this edition of The Paths Forward, we’re going to speak to team members at The Freedom Fund. Their mission is to mobilise the knowledge, capital and will needed to end slavery. We’ll begin with their CEO, Nick Grono, and then hear from other members of the staff.

The following is a conversation between Neelam Chhiber, Co-Founder and Managing Trustee of Industree Foundation and Managing Director of Mother Earth, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. Neelam Chhiber is a co-founder and managing trustee of Industree Foundation and managing director of Mother Earth. She has worked for over two decades with rural artisans to help them with the skills and tools that can cater to India and global demand. She's a winner of the Charles Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is a founding member of Catalyst 2030, a collaborative movement to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Welcome to The Business of Giving, Neelam.

F. Warren McFarlan, a Harvard Business School professor and author specializing in nonprofit governance, dives into the crucial role of governance committees in effective fundraising. He explores how trustees can shift from just being major donors to essential connectors and fundraisers. The discussion also highlights the unique challenges nonprofits face post-pandemic, emphasizing relationship building and strategic planning for sustainability. McFarlan encourages rethinking fundraising as a mobilization of support rather than just a plea for money.

The following is a conversation between Nancy Roob, President and CEO of Blue Meridian Partners, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. Blue Meridian Partners is a new model for finding and funding scalable solutions to the problems that trap young people and families in poverty in the United States, problems such as unplanned pregnancy, foster care transitions and adoptions, employment opportunities, recidivism, and more. And here to discuss this work with us, it's a pleasure to have Nancy Roob, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Meridian Partners.

The following is a conversation between Dilip Kumar Pattubala, Co-Founder and CEO of Uninhibited, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving. Dilip Kumar Pattubala first learned about the lack of menstrual health options for women when he was working for a social enterprise in Bangalore. Surprised by this information, he began to research the problem and discovered that many women in India did not even know what a menstrual pad was. The end result, the co-founding of an organization which today goes by the name, Uninhibited, and he's with us now.