The Business of Giving

When your consulting firm has guided nonprofits through a full century of giving, from the Great Depression to today’s AI revolution, you develop some hard earned wisdom about what actually works. My guest, Doug Stewart, is the CEO of Marts & Lundy, the legendary fundraising consultancy celebrating its 100th anniversary next year. And after working with everyone from Ivy League universities to community arts organizations, Doug has a provocative take that challenges how most nonprofits think about fundraising. That mindset shift, from treating fundraising as a side function to making it central to everything you do, is just the beginning of our conversation.We’ll dig into why Doug is telling clients to move forward with major campaigns despite unprecedented uncertainty. How the most successful nonprofits are sustaining momentum through eight year campaigns. Why he believes the middle of the donor pyramid holds untapped treasure. And his surprisingly skeptical view of AI taking over donor relationships. Plus, Doug shares the fundraising metric that most organizations completely miss and why it might be the difference between struggling with annual gifts and unlocking transformational support.Ready to discover what a century of fundraising wisdom looks like in practice? Here’s my conversation with Doug Stewart.

My guest today is a bold and passionate leader guiding one of the country’s most vital humanitarian organizations. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is the President and CEO of Global Refuge, formerly known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Under her leadership, the organization has scaled its operations dramatically while reshaping how we think about welcome, dignity, and the extraordinary resilience refugees bring to America. Today, we’ll explore how Krish is transforming the refugee resettlement model, what she sees ahead in the climate migration era, and how Global Refuge is defending the soul of America—one family at a time.

My guest today is Aaron Hurst, founder of the Taproot Foundation and author of The Purpose Economy. He’s spent decades helping people and organizations find deeper meaning in their work. Today, he’s tackling two urgent issues: bridging the tech gap in nonprofits through Board.Dev, and strengthening civic life through the U.S. Chamber of Connection.He joins us now to reflect on the deeper threads that have guided his journey and to share what he’s learning as he builds the next wave of impact.

Scott Brighton didn’t set out to revolutionize charitable giving in America. But after witnessing his wife struggle to run a nonprofit with just three staff members—and discovering that charitable giving had remained stubbornly flat at 2.5% of GDP for half a century—he knew something had to change. As CEO of Bonterra, one of the social sector’s most influential technology companies, Brighton is now pursuing an audacious goal: lifting charitable giving to 3% of GDP by 2033. That seemingly modest increase would double total giving, unlocking over $580 billion in new funding. But optimizing donation amounts is just one piece of Brighton’s broader strategy. He’s also transforming Bonterra into a “Tinder for nonprofits”—a platform that helps nonprofits and funders discover each other, then uses AI to amplify their capacity to build lasting relationships. Scott joins me now to discuss this bold vision, the surprising insights from Bonterra’s latest data, and why he believes AI will be the great equalizer for resource-strapped nonprofits.

My guest today is one of Boston’s most respected civic leaders and a nationally recognized voice in youth development. Robert Lewis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, where he leads a vibrant network of eight clubs and community sites serving more than 12,000 young people annually. A Club kid himself, Robert has spent his life investing in youth, building opportunity, and challenging outdated narratives about talent and potential.He brings a deeply personal, place-based approach to leadership—one grounded in love, grit, and high expectations. From health equity to workforce readiness, from cultural pride to redefining return on community, Robert Lewis is helping reshape what it means to grow up strong in Boston—and what it means to lead with heart.

When ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff was catastrophically injured in Iraq in 2006, his family made a vow: if he survived, they’d use their platform to support others returning from war without the same safety net. Nearly 20 years later, that promise lives on through the Bob Woodruff Foundation.Its CEO, Anne Marie Dougherty, has scaled that vision into a national force for connection, dignity, and service—reaching 98.5% of all U.S. veterans through a powerful network of partners.She joins us now to share the Foundation’s remarkable journey—and the quiet acts of kindness that make it all work.

What does it mean to live—and lead—with clarity, restraint, and purpose? Robert Rosenkranz, a renowned investor, philanthropist, and author of The Stoic Capitalist, believes that ancient wisdom offers modern guidance—especially in how we respond to emotion. From founding a private equity firm by risking his entire net worth, to backing civil discourse through Open to Debate, to championing breakthroughs in healthspan science and immersive art, Robert offers a masterclass in rational decision-making and values-driven leadership. You’ll hear why he rejects the idea of “giving back,” how he navigates risk, and why—when it comes to building a life of impact—being busy is no substitute for being thoughtful.

Few issues more urgent—or more misunderstood—than poverty in America. And even fewer solutions as bold as simply giving people cash. Jeff Atwood, the tech entrepreneur behind Stack Overflow, and his partner Betsy Burton, a trained scientist with a deep commitment to equity, are working to change that. Together, they’ve launched a $50 million guaranteed minimum income initiative across some of the poorest rural counties in the country—places that mirror their own family roots. In this episode, Jeff and Betsy share a story that is as personal as it is political. From the hills of West Virginia to their home in Alameda, California, they speak candidly about wealth, dignity, hope, and the American Dream. We’ll explore how their own childhoods and their children have shaped their philanthropy, how storytelling is challenging tired myths about the poor, and why 2025 is the moment to rewrite the social contract in America. This is not your typical conversation about poverty—and it’s not your typical couple trying to solve it. Here is Jeff Atwood and Betsy Burton on The Business of Giving.

My guest today leads an organization with one of the simplest and most powerful models in philanthropy. It’s called 1% for the Planet, and the premise is this: businesses commit 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes—and 1% for the Planet ensures those funds are directed with purpose and impact.With over 5,000 members in 60 countries and more than $750 million certified in giving, it’s a movement built on clarity, trust, and community. And Kate, who found her leadership voice on a snowy mountain pass at age 18, has carried that spirit of joy, grit, and teamwork into everything she does.She joins us now to talk about movement-building, climate leadership, and the power of collective action.

This week on The Business of Giving, the focus is on one of the most distressing — and solvable — crises in America today: medical debt.Each year, millions of families are forced to choose between paying their bills and getting the care they need. But what if there were a way to erase that debt — not just for a few, but for thousands at a time?That’s exactly what Undue Medical Debt does. Led by CEO Allison Sesso, the organization buys medical debt the way a for-profit company would — but instead of collecting it, they forgive it. The return on investment? For every $1 donated, $100 of medical debt is wiped away.Allison also shares how a nurse working during the pandemic found herself in medical debt at the very hospital where she worked — a stark example of how broken the system is, and why it must change.Here is my conversation with Allison Sesso, CEO of Undue Medical Debt.