Giving Ventures

This episode of Giving Ventures is a rerun of an evergreen conversation between Peter and author Gideon Bernstein about the upside of giving. Learn how the tragedy of Gideon's son's murder changed the way he views the world and his philanthropy. You won't want to miss this poignant conversation, especially if you need a fresh outlook and roadmap for your giving.

With the 2017 tax cuts about to expire and major leadership changes in the executive and legislative branches coming in January, now is a critical time for the future of philanthropy. Reforms to the tax code and IRS regulations about charitable giving will affect not only your tax bill and deductions but also the future of donor privacy, donor intent protection, and key considerations for estate planning.To think ahead about what's in store for conservative and libertarian charitable givers, DonorsTrust recently held a webinar conversation with three experts to explore coming policy changes. This episode of Giving Ventures brings that discussion to you. In the episode we hear from: Stephen Moore, an economist and advisor to President Trump. Steve was a key voice behind the scenes when Republican lawmakers drafted the 2017 Trump tax cuts and offers an inside look into what is likely to come in the second Trump administration.  Christie Herrera, President and CEO of Philanthropy Roundtable, the nation’s leading network for conservative givers. Christie's work gives her a close-up view to the myriad proposals in Congress and the IRS that would significantly alter philanthropic giving.  Michael Whitty, a seasoned expert in estate tax law and planning and partner at Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP in Chicago. Michael gives a view to the estate planning tools we can use as we consider possible changes to the tax code.

This Election Day, Giving Ventures brings you interviews with three groups working to expand the coalition of limited government, pro-liberty Americans by engaging independents who aren't already among the free-market fold.Scott Rasmussen is the founder of the Napolitan Institute, which was formed to deliver accurate, unbiased polling of the American people.Adam Brandon's work with the Independent Center advances the common-sense center of American politics and advocates for Americans who believe in genuine compromise.Christian Robey, president of Our America, which was established to unite a broad and diverse coalition of Americans around a shared sense of patriotism and advance principles like criminal justice reform, freedom of thought, and voter integrity.

Earlier this month, DonorsTrust partnered with the Goldwater Institute and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club for a special event in Phoenix, Arizona. At the event, Peter was joined by DonorsTrust philanthropic advisor Lukas Dwelly and Yellowstone Trust Administration executive vice president Randy Huston for a discussion about the powerful charitable tools you can employ in your planned giving.Lukas is a chartered philanthropic advisor, an accredited estate planner, and charted financial advisor. Randy is certified financial planner with expertise in charitable estate planning and has worked in the charitable trust field for nearly 40 years.In this episode, Lukas covers the basics of bequest gifts, life insurance, and leveraging the full power of your IRA. And Randy gives an excellent overview of charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts. The panel discussion will help you think more strategically about the tools available to you, including donor-advised funds.

What is America’s role in the world? It’s a hotly contested question in American politics that cuts across the left-right divide. Whereas a Reaganite policy view of a strong and robust national defensive capability coupled with American-led diplomacy around the world used to be the norm, leaders on both the left and right can now be found on either side of this issue.This episode explores three groups that go along with John Bolton's view of strong American leadership. Michael Doran, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, explains the evolution of the think tank from its origins in the Cold War to today. From a newer group, Vandenberg Coalition, Carrie Filipetti delves into the organization’s mission and the way it uses its powerhouse advisory board to advance a stronger America. Finally, Alexander Hamilton Society executive director Gabriel Scheinmann emphasizes the importance of cultivating future leaders in the space through AHS’s programming.

While curmudgeonly complaining about “kids these days” is nothing new, it’s hard to deny that there’s cause for genuine concern about America’s youngest generations. The combination of radicalism and ignorance displayed in campus protests may be a variation on an old theme in higher education, but the fragility and emotional instability of these Gen Z students is notable. And even among their younger peers the effects of pandemic learning loss and years of screen addiction are evident in the aimlessness and prevalence of mental health issues in America’s children. Underneath all of these trends are a set of ideas and attitudes toward parenting that have grown in their prevalence in recent decades.This episode features Lenore Skenazy and Andrea Keith from Let Grow, an organization dedicated to promoting childhood independence, along with John Tomasi, who leads Heterodox Academy in its mission to push back against troubling trends on campus and restore academic values like free inquiry and civil debate.

Autocracy is on the rise. There are only 34 liberal democracies – the lowest number in more than 25 years – and they are home to just 13 percent of the world population. How can we reverse that trend?Our guests today are at the vanguard of that work to reverse this decline in global freedom. First we will hear from World Liberty Congress, a newer group created and led by the very dissidents that the group aims to serve. Then, Human Rights Foundation, known for its important work highlighting the dangerous trend toward autocracy. Finally, Ideas Beyond Borders takes the fight to the Middle East region, and you'll enjoy hearing how it goes about its challenging work.

American conservatives and libertarians can get really excited about ideas but aren’t generally known for their enthusiasm about Congress. Among free marketers, “government” can almost sound like a bad word. Yet seeing the ideas of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise put into action means engaging with the legislative process. Peter recently sat down with some of the folks doing this important work in the latest episode of Giving Ventures.First, Committee to Unleash Prosperity (CUP) co-founder Steve Moore, a Heritage Foundation scholar and former senior economist of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, outlines the importance of championing fiscal responsibility and pro-growth economic policy to elected officials.Next, Paul Winfree, a three-time Heritage alumnus with experience as an economist in the White House and U.S. Senate, tells Peter about his work as president of the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC).Rounding out the lineup, Senator Jim DeMint, who has himself served as a legislator in both houses of the U.S. Congress and previously led the Heritage Foundation, shares about the powerhouse organization he founded in 2017, the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI).

Stories have incredible power to shape us. From the bedtime tales we tell our children to the latest installments of multi-billion-dollar film franchises, compelling characters and skillful storytelling grab our attention like nothing else. On the most recent episode of Giving Ventures, Peter is joined by guests from a trio of groups whose visual storytelling is capturing audiences with the message of freedom. First, Nick Reid and Lana Link from the Moving Picture Institute describe how their incubator and workshop programs cultivate the talents of young creatives with stories about human freedom. Then, Free the People president Matt Kibbe considers the power of video content to reach America’s young and “liberty curious.” Finally, Jim Tusty of Sky Films draws on his extensive career to explain how compelling documentaries can persuade without telling the audience what to think.

How do you know if an organization you support is really effective? What are the metrics you as a donor should be looking for? And are they hard metrics like numbers of policy wins, softer metrics like the amount of press coverage, or really amorphous metrics like a feeling that the organization is going in the right direction? Today, we talk with Leah Kral of the Mercatus Center about how donors should consider effectiveness of organizations they support. We also explore how we can go beyond looking at metrics to actually helping inspire groups we care for to innovate and grow.