Break Fake Rules

Progressives have lost sight of a central issue: class. Lawyer, professor, and author Joan C. Williams joins Break Fake Rules to unpack how the Left lost touch with working-class Americans—and how we can win them back. As income inequality deepens across the U.S. and Europe, Joan explains how class blind spots and broken promises have fueled distrust and driven voters toward the far right. Joan offers actionable, research-backed steps for funders and policymakers to rebuild trust, restore credibility, and reconnect with the working class.Joan C. Williams: “Not only have we been class clueless, we've often been class condescending.”Read Joan’s book, Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back.Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Joan C. WilliamsProducer: Claire Callahan

“It's only when you show your own courage that the performativeness of being inspired by others moves to allied-ness.”Ludovic Blain returns to Break Fake Rules, this time at a live recording at California Donor Table’s 20th anniversary convening and celebration! Last season, Ludovic delivered a master class in philanthropic giving across tax statuses. Now he’s back to urge us to play offense — by funding bold, long-term investments to counter the well-coordinated efforts of conservative groups and donors that harm our communities. How can donors fund initiatives that not only defend democracy but also create a better government for all? What lessons can we take from local-level wins to build progressive power at the national level? Tune in to find out. Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn more about the California Donor Table.Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Ludovic BlainProducer: Claire CallahanMentioned in this episode:Designing Tomorrow PodcastCheck out another social impact podcast called Designing Tomorrow. It’s hosted by Eric Ressler — founder of the creative agency Cosmic — and Jonathan Hicken, executive director at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. If you’re looking for a show that’s real, smart, and made for this moment in social impact — give Designing Tomorrow a listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Farhad Ebrahimi: “What utility is it for grantmakers to survive this political moment if none of the organizations we believe in survive?”In this episode, Farhad Ebrahimi—Philanthropic Transformation Strategist and co-founder at Solidaire Network—joins Break Fake Rules to deliver a total takedown of philanthropy’s most pernicious fake rules. And he comes with receipts! Hear why Farhad spent down the Chorus Foundation’s endowment in 2023 and what it really means to organize and mobilize funders to support a just transition to a regenerative economy that no longer feeds the philanthropic industrial compex. In a period when fear and political retribution are on the rise, Farhad calls us to prioritize grantee survival over grantmaker self-preservation. Learn about and join the Solidaire Network.Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Farhad EbrahimiProducer: Claire CallahanDesigning Tomorrow PodcastCheck out another social impact podcast called Designing Tomorrow. It’s hosted by Eric Ressler — founder of the creative agency Cosmic — and Jonathan Hicken, executive director at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. If you’re looking for a show that’s real, smart, and made for this moment in social impact — give Designing Tomorrow a listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.

💡Ari: “Spending less now only protects institutions. Spending more now protects communities.”💡Malila: “Foundations in general have the least to lose. This is the time to step up and take on more risk.”What happens when philanthropy stops playing it safe? In this episode, we go behind the scenes at the Stupski Foundation to reveal why we’re speeding up our spend down and putting 76% of our remaining grant funds to work now.Hear from two of Stupski’s resident rule-breakers, Malila Becton-Conusegra, our Bay Area postsecondary success program officer, and Ari Datta, our food justice program manager. They shared why they advocated to push more dollars out today: because communities can’t afford for us to wait and see. Tune in to hear Malila and Ari share how all foundations—not just spenddowns—can spend more to respond to urgent needs in our communities today and prevent future harm. Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski's Foundation decision to accelerate its spend down.Host: Glen GalaichGuests: Ari Datta and Malila Becton-ConsuegraProducer: Claire Callahan

💡Marc Philpart: “I do have fear, but I refuse to be paralyzed by it. I refuse to not take action. I refuse to shy away from our commitment to our community.”How can we respond amid growing fear and political backlash against racial justice? In this inspiring episode, Marc Philpart, President and CEO of the Black Freedom Fund, discusses the Fund’s unwavering commitment to advancing Black freedom through the largest transfer of wealth to Black organizing in history. Tune in to hear Marc speak to the courage required to act in this moment and why we must stay the course.Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about and donate to the Black Freedom Fund.Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Marc PhilpartProducer: Claire Callahan

💡Richard Tate: “It’s time we recognize that there is an increased level of risk, but it's a risk worth taking.” What keeps philanthropy from speaking out? And how can funders overcome fear and use our voices to protect communities against forces that seek to silence us? In this episode, Richard Tate from the California Wellness Foundation takes the mic to talk about how his foundation made the decision to speak out against the rise of authoritarianism. Risky? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Tune in to hear Richard’s vision for how much more we can accomplish in philanthropy by standing up together.Read more from Richard about the impacts of funding cuts to health services and why “We Shall Not Be Moved.” Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Richard TateProducer: Claire Callahan

💡Leah Hunt-Hendrix: “The 501(c)(3) is a social construct meant to protect wealth and give wealthy people a tax break for making a charitable contribution. It's not a necessity. You don't have to abide by it. A lot of mutual aid can happen outside of that structure.”Can solidarity heal our fractured democracy? In this episode, organizer, donor, and writer, Leah Hunt-Hendrix, shares how solidarity can be the antidote in divisive times. Hear Leah challenge traditional models of philanthropy that limit social change and call for a transformative approach rooted in solidarity. In her recent book, Solidarity for Social Change: The Past, Present, and Future of a World Changing Idea, Leah highlights how standing together can help us overcome the forces that seek to divide us. How can we shed the constraints of how philanthropy "has always been done?” Tune in to find out from Leah.Meet Leah: Leah Hunt-Hendrix is an organizer and writer who works on economic inequality and democracy. She has a Ph.D from Princeton University and is co-author of Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World Changing Idea, with Astra Taylor, which was published by Pantheon in 2024. Leah is the co-founder of Solidaire Network, a network that supports progressive social movements, and Way to Win, a fund that resources progressive electoral strategies. She currently leads Democracy Takes Work, a new project which aims to bolster worker organizing. Read Solidarity for Social Change: The Past, Present, and Future of a World Changing Idea by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor.Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Leah Hunt-HendrixProducer: Claire Callahan

Dr. Sulma Gandhi: “This is what I mean by the 'frustrating funder.’ When I was a grantee for all those years, I was always trying to fit my proposal or how I was pitching into the box of the funder who had a particular strategy from some other community, not that of ours.”What does it take to break free from frustrating funding practices? This month, Stupski Foundation’s Hawaiʻi health program officer, Dr. Sulma Gandhi, shares her journey from grant-seeker to grant-maker and how she embraces trust-based practices to fully invest in community-led holistic health initiatives across Hawaiʻi. Think multi-year general operating support grants without the burdens of proposals, term limits, and cumbersome reporting— how refreshing! Hear how Dr. Gandhi is giving at the intersection of trust and urgency so communities can direct resources where they know they’ll work best.  Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Dr. Sulma GandhiProducer: Claire Callahan

In this episode of Break Fake Rules, author and philanthropic rule-breaker Dimple Abichandani joins us at the Global Philanthropy Forum Leaders Summit to spill the tea on her new book, A New Era of Philanthropy. 💡Dimple Abichandani: “Philanthropy is unique because the rule that we need to move towards is that these funds are not meant to be maintained and grown. They're actually meant to be transformed.”Learn more from Dimple in her new book, A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth into a More Just and Sustainable Future. Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Dimple AbichandaniProducer: Claire Callahan

Sarah Longwell returns to Break Fake Rules, this time at the Forward Global Summit! In this episode, Sarah breaks down the state of American democracy and the fractured media landscape in the wake of the election. How can philanthropists play a positive role in the effort to defend democracy and counter misinformation? Listen to Sarah to find out. 💡Sarah Longwell: “What is the point of having FU money if you don't tell bad people to FU?”Hear more from Sarah and learn what real American voters think on The Focus Group podcast. For honest news and smart analysis, check out The Bulwark.  Break Fake Rules is a podcast from the Stupski Foundation that questions philanthropy’s self-imposed rules and looks for ways philanthropy can better serve communities and contribute to lasting change. Learn about the Stupski Foundation’s work.Host: Glen GalaichGuest: Sarah LongwellProducer: Claire Callahan