Strengthening Our Democracy

Sep 12, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Michael and Phebe return for the second half of Season Two of For the Good of the Public podcast with six conversations from last year’s For the Good of the Public Summit. We start this week with a talk by Romanita Hairston, CEO of M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, a 50-year-old organization that partners with non-profit organizations and community leaders around the Pacific Northwest to invest in transformational ideas that enable the region to flourish. Romanita is a respected national leader who not only guides the Murdock Trust, but shapes the entire philanthropic sector’s approach to strengthening democracy. In her talk, she shares her vision for the role philanthropy can play in shaping and supporting civic life, drawing on her experience leading the Trust, her broader philanthropic experience and her faith. She believes philanthropy can lead the way to civic renewal through these highly polarized times within a trifecta society, the civic and social sector, and its relation to faith.

Watch the video recording of this talk on YouTube!

“Romanita is someone with real vision for the future of philanthropy." -Michael [02:57]

“One of the reasons why we wanted to host this conversation is because we believe philanthropy is an essential and powerful lever in the work towards civic renewal.” -Phebe [03:27]

“The best gift we give is love. Transforming enemies into friends, healing the divides, and honoring diversity. Not only can we all be philanthropists, we in fact, all are philanthropists, with every choice we make for our time, our resources, and our money to different degrees.” -Romanita [24:51]

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[04:46] About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

[09:57] Philanthropy in the tri-sector

[13:56] Philanthropy's role within the civic and social sector

[18:59] Philanthropy in faith

[22:38] In summary

[25:43] An act of prayer

[26:42] Outro

REFERENCES

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: www.ccpubliclife.org