Review of philanthropic and non-profit podcasts

These reviews were written by Lani Evans for Philanthropy New Zealand | Tōpūtanga Tuku Aroha 0 Aotearoa members.

If you’re keen to get your philanthropy fix via audio, then good news! There are dozens of philanthropy and non-profit podcasts available for free, online. Here are some picks for the best philanthropy-specific listens. 

Philanthropisms: Topical, engaging and founded in a deep knowledge of philanthropy, Philanthropisms is a personal favourite. The UK based host, Rhodri Davies is Director of Philanthropy Matters and his podcast covers philanthropic philosophies, interviews with authors and deep dives into current affairs. With the help of expert guests, he provides useful commentary on news items, such as the impact SBF has had on Effective Altruism, and philanthropy’s role in the cost of living crisis. The podcast is very western-centric and at times acutely academic (be prepared to do some googling), but definitely worth a listen. 

Philanthropy and Social Movements: A 10-part series, created by Masters students at the Harvard Kennedy School during the early days of the pandemic, this podcast is idealistic, critical, curious and probably not for everyone. Centering indigenous and black experiences, it features organisers, activists and radical change agents in the USA. Topics include what happens when the interests of funders and grantees clash, philanthropy’s influence on democracy, and the value of social change fellowships.

Conversations on African Philanthropy: This podcast features interviews with leaders working in social investment and philanthropy across the African continent. Produced by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, each episode is an interview with an individual, who brings their own cultural and personal perspectives to the conversation. This podcast may be useful to folks looking at development and cross-border giving, and anyone interested in different cultural approaches to philanthropy.

Giving With Impact: A very professional podcast, Giving with Impact is a partnership between the Stanford Social Innovation Review and Schwab Charitable. Each episode includes multiple guests and covers a range of topics from place based giving, to venture philanthropy and how to address injustice. Though focused on North American philanthropy, there are interesting perspectives and useful crossovers with Aotearoa. 

Others worth a listen include the Philanthropy Australia podcast, The Business of Giving (with more than 400 episodes of varying quality) and Giving Done Right from the Centre for Effective Philanthropy. If you have a favourite philanthropy podcast contact lani.b.evans@gmail.com!