Using Data to Save Lives: Inside a Smarter Approach to Philanthropy

In a moment when critical global health programs are under threat due to sweeping USAID cuts, two organizations are stepping up. The Life You Can Save and Founders Pledge have teamed up to launch the Rapid Response Fund, directing urgent philanthropic capital to the highest-impact, evidence-based interventions. Joining us today are Jessica LaMesa, Co-CEO of The Life You Can Save, and David Goldberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders Pledge.

As David explains, “The heart shouldn’t really decide how we give. It should bring us to give, but the head should be the one that helps us to figure out what to give to.”

In this episode, we’ll explore how these organizations are using evidence, speed, and collaboration to fill urgent funding gaps—and how their work might just reshape how philanthropy responds to a global crises.