ROI Driven Philanthropy with Mark Gerson

What if you approached philanthropy like a startup? The results might shock you and completely rewire how you think about giving.

I sit down with Mark Gerson, Cofounder of GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) and Cofounder and Chair of 3i Members, to dive deep into how you can treat generosity like a capital allocation decision. We unpack a framework for ROI-driven giving that prioritizes measurable impact over emotional check-writing.

Whether you give already or you’re just starting to think about it, this is a practical, purpose-driven guide to doing the most good in a faster and smarter way

Special thanks to Mark for joining me on the pod and for all the amazing work he does.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction to Mark Gerson & GLG Origins

02:45 – The Accidental Start of a $650M Business

06:00 – Lessons in Entrepreneurship from GLG’s Growth

08:50 – Why Business Advice is Often Useless

09:30 – The Life-Saving Problem in Global Emergency Response

11:00 – United Hatzalah: Crowdsourcing First Response in Israel

13:30 – Politics, Union Challenges & US Expansion

15:00 – How an Orange Jacket Saves Lives

16:45 – ROI-Driven Philanthropy: Measuring Cost per Life Saved

18:30 – African Mission Healthcare: Saving Lives with $350 C-Sections

21:00 – Partnering with Christian Missionary Doctors

25:00 – Effective Philanthropy vs. Emotional or Prestige Giving

29:00 – The True Definition of Charity & ROI vs. Emotion

32:30 – When and How Much Should You Give?

36:00 – Why Giving Never Makes You Poor

37:45 – Books, Content & Torah as Self-Help

40:00 – 3i: A Crowdsourced Investment + Community Platform

43:00 – How Business & Charity Reinforce Each Other

Links

• Mark Gerson 3i Members, United Hatzalah of Israel, African Mission Healthcare, GLG, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Books: God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah Is True, The Telling: How Judaism’s Essential Book Reveals the Meaning of Life
• MPD: LinkedIn, Twitter
• Interplay: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter