
Impact Audio
The podcast for social impact practitioners looking to connect big ideas with real impact. Join host Sam Caplan as he curates practical advice and inspiring stories from the people changing how we think about social change.
Latest episodes

Jul 8, 2025 • 37min
What is the new normal in government grantmaking?
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Matthew Hanson, managing director of grants and policy at Witt O’Brien’s. He shares the effects of change at the federal level and how public sector grantmakers can help reshape the future of the sector. Matthew covers:• The expanded role states will likely play in delivering funds • How grantmakers can break down silos between departments • Where grant management tech fits into the new landscape of public sector fundingThe episode was recorded just before the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025.

Jun 10, 2025 • 30min
How to actually make the business case for corporate social impact
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Andrea Wood, president and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP). She shares insights about how today’s CSR professionals can best make the business case for their programs.Andrea digs into:• Data that highlights the value of CSR• Fresh communication strategies for CSR teams• How the current political climate plays a role

May 20, 2025 • 30min
SixDegrees of Kevin Bacon and how nonprofits can cut through the noise
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Stacy Huston, executive director of SixDegrees.org. She shares how her organization partners with nonprofits to fill the resource gap and spread the word about community programs.Stacy covers:• Why the resource gap is about more than funding• How to best help nonprofits tell their stories• The strategy behind SixDegrees’ most successful projects

Apr 23, 2025 • 11min
Dispatch from PEAK 2025: Leading with courage
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Submittable colleagues Sam Caplan and Laura Steele, who sat down to discuss takeaways from the 2025 PEAK Grantmaking Conference.They cover:• How the conversation around equity has evolved• The sector’s reactions to new external pressures• What grantmakers are focused on in the year ahead

Apr 8, 2025 • 33min
How Microsoft makes giving personal for all of its 228,000 employees
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Karen Bergin, senior director of employee engagement and disaster response at Microsoft. She shares how the company sustains one of the world’s biggest and most impactful employee giving programs.Karen covers:• How Microsoft creates a personalized experience for employees• The feedback loops that help the program evolve• What it takes to measure the impact of employee giving

Mar 25, 2025 • 20min
Dispatch from NGMA 2025: A seismic shift
This episode of the Impact Audio is a conversation between Submittable Sam Caplan and Ian Witthoeft, who sat down to discuss their experience at the 2025 National Grant Management Association Conference.They cover:• How recent budget cuts are changing government grantmaking • The dueling priorities of compliance and impact reporting • AI’s potential role in fraud prevention

Mar 11, 2025 • 33min
GE Healthcare Foundation, year one: On choosing a mission and nonprofit partners
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Abigail Epane-Osuala, president of the GE Healthcare Foundation, and Ash Rogers, Co-CEO of Lwala Community Alliance. They share how they built a partnership that utilizes the inherent strengths of each organization. They cover:• The principles and practices that create strong funder-grantee relationships • How to build short-term benchmarks for long-term impact measurement• Forging partnerships across the public and private sectors

Feb 11, 2025 • 37min
Foundations building for foundations: How the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation develops AI tech
This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Nick Cain, VP of strategy and innovation at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. He shares the foundation’s approach to AI, and how the nonprofit sector can start building the technology they need for themselves.He digs into:• Real-world examples of AI shaping social impact outcomes • How the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation builds the technology their grantees need• The story behind Grant Guardian, a financial due diligence tool for foundations

Jan 14, 2025 • 44min
CSR’s deskless conundrum: On engaging hard-to-reach employees
This episode of Impact Audio features Tom Knowlton, CEO of CSR Talent Group. He shares how some companies are tailoring CSR programs to better meet employee needs. He digs into: • The keys to engaging hard-to-reach employees• How to think more holistically about employee engagement• Real-world examples of individualized volunteer programs

Nov 19, 2024 • 34min
A compliance wonk breaks down Uniform Guidance changes
One trillion dollars of federal funding was distributed via government grants last year. We all have a stake in how this money moves and how these decisions are made. Today on Impact Audio, David Clark, managing director at BDO and self-described “compliance nerd,” explores how the expectations and goals around government grantmaking are shifting.He covers:• How the legislative process shapes funding • Specifics updates to Uniform Guidance• What transparency and equity look like in the public sector