Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

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Valeria Scorza, CEO of Fundación Avina, on Driving Collaborative Action for Sustainable Development Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

Valeria Scorza, CEO of Fundación Avina, offers a compelling exploration of how philanthropy can act as an orchestrator in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing Latin America and the broader Global South. With a 30-year legacy of fostering sustainable development, Fundación Avina operates at the intersection of climate action, democratic innovation, and economic transformation, working through six key programs—climate, circular economy, labor innovation, biomes, democracy, and water. What sets the foundation apart is its commitment to building trust, promoting systemic change, and fostering co-creation among diverse stakeholders.

At its core, Fundación Avina embraces a decentralized model, with a team of 95 staff members across 15 countries, emphasizing coordination, autonomy, and self-regulation. Beyond simply deploying grants—having mobilized over $500 million across 13,000 initiatives—the foundation plays a catalytic role in multi-stakeholder collaborations, ensuring that local knowledge and grassroots organizations shape solutions tailored to their specific contexts. Expanding beyond Latin America, the organization is increasingly forging partnerships in Africa and Asia, reinforcing a philosophy that philanthropy must be complementary rather than prescriptive, engaging both grassroots actors and large institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank.

A particularly striking element of Fundación Avina’s work is its long-standing engagement with access to water, an issue affecting nearly a quarter of Latin Americans, with rural communities being disproportionately impacted. Viewing water access as a fundamental human right, the foundation draws from the principles of Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom, advocating for decentralized, community-led governance of shared resources. Through the Latin American Association of Community Water Management Organizations and other regional initiatives, Avina has helped scale innovative, locally-driven water management solutions, from rainwater harvesting to adaptive governance structures that enhance resilience in the face of climate change. The foundation’s work in Brazil’s semi-arid region, for example, illustrates the power of community networks in not only implementing practical solutions like cistern installations but also shaping public policy at the national level.

The conversation highlights key bottlenecks in water governance, including the misconception that solutions must always be top-down or infrastructure-heavy. Instead, Avina advocates for a model that aligns incentives across communities, governments, and the private sector, ensuring that solutions are sustainable and adapted to local realities. The role of trust is particularly emphasized as a crucial yet often overlooked form of infrastructure—essential for managing climate-induced conflicts over water scarcity and ensuring long-term collaboration across sectors.

Indigenous and tribal communities also play a central role in Avina’s approach, with a strong commitment to ensuring their participation in decision-making processes. From advocating for indigenous representation in climate governance discussions to recognizing traditional water conservation methods as legitimate forms of technological innovation, the foundation underscores the importance of cultural intelligence in addressing environmental challenges. This extends to Avina’s broader mission of reducing power asymmetries, ensuring that historically marginalized voices are not only heard but actively shape policy and investment decisions.

Fundación Avina’s collaborative ethos is further exemplified by its engagement with global and regional funders. From working with One Drop Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, and FEMSA in the Lazos de Agua initiative to partnerships with Skoll Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Packard Foundation, Avina positions itself as a key facilitator in bringing diverse actors together to drive systemic change. Whether working with corporate foundations, development banks, or local philanthropic funds, the foundation’s role is not merely to fund initiatives but to strengthen ecosystems that ensure solutions are deeply embedded in their communities and sustained over time.

Ultimately, this conversation sheds light on a model of philanthropy that moves beyond traditional grant-making to embrace systemic, collaborative, and trust-driven solutions. By leveraging its position as a convener, Fundación Avina is not only addressing immediate challenges but also reshaping the way sustainable development is approached across the Global South.

Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

A Partnership for Inclusion: Special Olympics and The Coca-Cola Company's Shared Mission to Change the World Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

The opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Winter Games have just taken place in Turin, Italy on 8th March 2025. Today, we welcome leaders from Special Olympics and The Coca-Cola Company onto this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Zehra Sayin is the Chief Marketing, Communications and Development Officer at the Special Olympics; and Tim Dignard is Senior Director, Global Sports Partnerships & Operations at The Coca-Cola Company.

For over 55 years, Special Olympics and The Coca-Cola Company have been pioneering a movement that transcends philanthropy and sports sponsorship, redefining how corporate and nonprofit partnerships can drive systemic change. At the heart of their collaboration lies a shared vision: fostering inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities through the transformative power of sport.

We hear how Special Olympics, now a global movement with millions of athletes, began as a simple gathering in 1968, and today stands as a testament to the power of sport in shifting societal attitudes.

The Coca-Cola Company, a founding partner, has been instrumental in supporting this evolution — not just through financial contributions, but through a deeply integrated, strategic engagement that extends far beyond traditional corporate sponsorship. The partnership is a model of holistic collaboration, spanning corporate volunteering, global marketing, consumer engagement, and systemic advocacy for inclusion.

While their alliance has long been impactful, both organizations recognize that their work is far from complete. Special Olympics continues to face challenges in expanding its global footprint, particularly in markets outside the United States where brand awareness remains low. The Coca-Cola Company has embraced this challenge, leveraging its vast global reach and marketing capabilities to amplify the movement’s message in new territories. Their recent eight-year partnership extension — the longest in their history — underscores their commitment to taking inclusion to new heights.

On the ground, the collaboration is about more than visibility; it’s about breaking down barriers. From Turin, Italy, where the Special Olympics World Winter Games are currently underway, to future events in Chile and Switzerland, the movement is not just about competition — it is about driving long-term social impact. Whether through engaging The Coca-Cola Company’s employees in volunteer programs, facilitating access to resources, or enlisting high-profile ambassadors to advocate for inclusion, the goal is clear: to create a world where people with intellectual disabilities are fully included, recognized, and celebrated.

The essence of this partnership is perhaps best captured in the simple yet profound experiences of those involved. Volunteers who come to support the games often arrive thinking they are there to give, only to leave with a transformative realization — they have received far more than they contributed. The athletes, whose resilience and determination shine through every competition, are the true champions of this movement, proving time and again that inclusion is not charity, but a fundamental human right.

Looking ahead, the partnership between Special Olympics and The Coca-Cola Company is set to become even more strategic, targeting key markets and leveraging new opportunities to foster change. Inclusion, as both organizations emphasize, is a journey — not a destination. With the scale, influence, and shared values of these two global giants, the potential to reshape societal attitudes and build a more inclusive world has never been greater.

Fay Twersky, President and Director at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, on Accelerating Giving and Tackling Society’s Biggest Challenges Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Fay Twersky, President and Director at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, on Accelerating Giving and Tackling Society’s Biggest Challenges.

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, founded nearly 30 years ago, is committed to accelerating philanthropy and tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Arthur M. Blank co-founded The Home Depot.

Under the leadership of Fay Twersky, the foundation has expanded its giving and in 2024 granted approximately US $200 million, focusing on core areas, including: democracy, climate change, youth development, mental health and well-being, and community investment in Atlanta’s west side.

The foundation operates as a grant-making institution but also serves as a convener and collaborator, leveraging its influence to drive systemic change. One unique aspect of its work is the use of West Creek Ranch in Montana, a dedicated retreat space designed to foster meaningful dialogue and problem-solving among leaders in philanthropy, policy, and social change.

The foundation is particularly invested in advancing innovative solutions. In climate change, it supports regenerative land management practices in Montana, helping ranchers adopt more sustainable approaches that benefit both the environment and their livelihoods. In Atlanta, it works to preserve affordable housing and promote economic mobility, including piloting a guaranteed income initiative.

Mental health is a newly expanded priority, with a focus on early interventions in childhood and adolescence to prevent long-term crises. The foundation is supporting evidence-based programs like Inner Explorer, which introduces mindfulness practices in schools to help children regulate stress and improve academic outcomes.

With a deep commitment to long-term partnerships, general operating support, and investing in organizations’ capacity, the foundation prioritizes impact over bureaucracy.

Twersky’s philosophy — "Curiosity trumps certainty" — underscores the foundation’s approach to learning, adaptation, and continuous improvement in its mission to repair and uplift society.

Doug Griffiths, President of the Oak Foundation, on the Power of Philanthropy Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Doug Griffiths, President of the Oak Foundation, on the power of philanthropy, transforming lives, strengthening communities, and addressing inequities in ways that neither governments nor markets can achieve alone.

The Oak Foundation exemplifies this potential, channeling nearly half a billion dollars annually into causes that seek to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place. From climate action to human rights, child protection to economic justice, Oak’s work demonstrates the profound role that philanthropy can play in driving long-term, meaningful change.

The foundation understands that real impact is achieved when nonprofits are strong, resilient, and empowered to adapt to changing circumstances. By prioritising unrestricted funding and investing in capacity-building, Oak ensures that its partners have the flexibility to innovate, scale, and sustain their work over time. This shift from transactional funding to transformative partnership is at the heart of philanthropy’s power to drive change.

A defining aspect of Oak’s approach is its willingness to take risks where others will not. Many of today’s most pressing challenges require bold, forward-thinking investments. Oak has stepped into these gaps, funding research, advocacy, and grassroots movements that challenge the status quo and push for progress. In areas like childhood cancer research, where market forces fail to generate sufficient investment, Oak’s philanthropic intervention has the potential to accelerate medical breakthroughs and save lives.

Philanthropy is also uniquely positioned to catalyse change by connecting diverse actors — governments, civil society, businesses, and innovators — who might not otherwise collaborate. Oak’s work in climate philanthropy exemplifies this, with its support for platforms like Climate LEAD, which has mobilised more than $4 billion toward high-impact environmental solutions. By convening stakeholders, fostering cross-sector partnerships, and funding new models of intervention, Oak is leveraging its resources to create impact far beyond the size of its own grants.

Oak’s work is a testament to the potential of philanthropy to not just fund change, but to actively shape it. The foundation is proving that when philanthropy is done with humility, empathy, and a willingness to learn, it can be one of the most powerful forces for good in the world.

Mohamed Osman, CEO of Spring Impact, on Scaling Social Innovation Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

Mohamed Osman, CEO of Spring Impact, on Scaling Social Innovation.

Spring Impact was founded on the belief that social innovation must be scaled strategically and sustainably to meet the sheer magnitude of today’s problems. Rather than focusing solely on organisational growth, Spring Impact works with mission-driven organisations and funders to help them design pathways for scaling impact in ways that optimise resources, reduce dependency on unsustainable funding models, and embed solutions within larger systems.

Mohamed Osman makes a distinction between growth and scale. While growth is often linear — requiring a proportional increase in funding, staffing, and resources — he notes that true scale occurs when impact expands at a faster rate than the investment needed to sustain it.

The key challenge for social enterprises and nonprofits is ensuring that their interventions remain effective and sustainable as they reach larger populations. Too often, solutions that work well in a localised setting fail when applied to broader, more complex environments.

Spring Impact encourages organisations to stay focused not on any single solution but on the problem itself, ensuring that as they scale, their interventions remain relevant, adaptable, and aligned with community needs.

Funding remains one of the greatest barriers to scaling impact. To better understand how organisations overcome financial hurdles, Spring Impact conducted a research study analysing more than 100 nonprofits, with in-depth insights from 22 organisations that had successfully navigated the challenge.

One of the most striking findings was the role of long-term funding partnerships, particularly with governments. Many assume that once a nonprofit demonstrates proof of concept, it can transfer its solution entirely to government agencies, allowing philanthropic funding to exit. However, the reality is that long-term success often requires continued collaboration, with nonprofits shifting from direct service providers to advisory and mentorship roles. Philanthropic funding remains vital even after handover, providing the flexibility to adapt solutions, support implementation, and ensure that systemic change is sustained.

Shamina Singh, Founder and President of Mastercard's Center for Inclusive Growth: Economic Inclusion and the Entrepreneurial Spirit Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

Shamina Singh is the Founder and President of the Center for Inclusive Growth — Mastercard's social impact hub.

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth was founded with the intention of redefining corporate engagement in the social sector, moving beyond traditional philanthropy to leverage the full spectrum of Mastercard’s assets — technology, data, AI, expertise, and capital — in ways that drive meaningful economic inclusion.

At the heart of this effort is a fundamental belief that networks power the modern economy, and access to these networks — whether financial, technological, or social — determines an individual's or a business’s ability to succeed.

Financial inclusion is a key pillar of the Center’s work, recognizing that the divide between those who can access financial tools and those who cannot is not just an economic disparity but an opportunity gap with generational consequences.

Just as income inequality has long been a focus of economic reform, the Center has identified a growing “information inequality” gap — the divide between those who have access to and control over data and AI, and those who do not. As the global economy becomes increasingly digital and data-driven, ensuring that historically marginalized communities and small businesses are not left behind is critical.

One of the Center’s flagship initiatives, Strive, focuses on small business owners, particularly those in the “missing middle.” These entrepreneurs often struggle with access to capital, digital infrastructure, and essential networks.

The Center has identified three key barriers to small business success: access to capital, digital and cybersecurity resilience, and connections to information and expertise. By addressing these challenges, the Center aims to support what it calls “stability entrepreneurs” — small business owners who are not merely looking for rapid growth but for steady, reliable income that allows them to sustain and expand their businesses over time.

This work is global in scope, spanning 30 markets, but the challenges vary across regions. While ambition and entrepreneurial spirit are universal, the structural barriers to success differ widely. For example, in some regions, women lack access to traditional forms of collateral, such as property, making it difficult for them to secure loans. The Center has worked with central banks in countries like India and Pakistan to help in the recognition of alternative forms of collateral, such as gold, as a means for women entrepreneurs to access capital.

In a world of accelerating technological change, inclusive innovation is not just a moral imperative — it is an economic necessity.

Danil Mikhailov, Executive Director of Data.org, on AI for Social Impact Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

Danil Mikhailov, Executive Director of Data.org, on AI for Social Impact. Established five years ago by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Data.org is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the use of data and AI for social good.

The rapid evolution of AI and data science presents both an unprecedented opportunity and a growing challenge for the social impact sector.

While AI-powered tools have the potential to enhance decision-making, streamline operations, and increase efficiency, the gap between the private sector’s adoption of AI and the ability of nonprofits to leverage these technologies remains significant.

One of the most immediate impacts of AI on data work is its ability to automate many traditionally labor-intensive tasks, from data cleaning and visualisation to sophisticated data analysis. For social impact organisations, this represents a powerful efficiency boost, particularly for those with limited resources. Yet, while AI can enhance accessibility to data and streamline its use, it cannot replace human judgment, particularly in contexts involving vulnerable communities. The ethical deployment of AI remains paramount, and organisations must ensure that human oversight is preserved in critical decision-making processes.

Beyond efficiency gains, AI is also reshaping how nonprofits and global grant-making organisations assess impact. Many NGOs possess vast repositories of historical data that remain largely untapped due to resource constraints. AI-driven document analysis and natural language processing are now unlocking these archives, enabling organisations to extract meaningful insights and make data-driven decisions.

The conversation also delves into the broader ethical considerations of AI, particularly the risks associated with overcorrection in training data. AI models are designed to reflect the information they are fed, and any attempt to engineer ethical biases — whether to correct for historical exclusions or to impose specific viewpoints — must be handled with caution. The balance between mitigating bias and preserving accuracy remains a complex challenge, as evidenced by recent controversies over AI-generated historical imagery that distorted reality in the name of diversity.

The takeaway is that ethical AI cannot be an afterthought. It must be integrated into the design and development process from the outset, ensuring that social scientists, ethicists, and technologists collaborate in real-time rather than operating in silos.

Leslie Johnston, CEO of the Laudes Foundation, on Driving Systemic Change for Climate Action and a Just Transition Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

Leslie Johnston, CEO of the Laudes Foundation, delivers an insightful exploration into the transformative work her organisation undertakes to combat climate change and foster a just transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

As the leader of a relatively young foundation founded in 2020, Leslie underscores the urgency of addressing the "polycrisis" of climate change, inequality, and economic upheaval. She delves into the foundation’s strategy of targeting industries with outsized impacts, such as fashion, the built environment, and food, to accelerate decarbonisation while prioritising equity and inclusion.

The concept of a just transition emerges as a recurring theme in Leslie’s commentary. She emphasises the importance of ensuring that communities and workers — particularly those who have contributed least to the climate crisis but are most vulnerable to its effects — are central to solutions. In practical terms, this involves advocating for worker rights, building resilience within supply chains, and fostering collaboration among businesses, governments, and civil society.

Leslie highlights examples like Bangladesh, where fashion industry workers face existential threats from rising sea levels, stressing the need for place-based strategies that empower individuals and provide pathways for economic opportunity.

Leslie also addresses the strikingly small percentage of global philanthropy — approximately 2% — that is allocated to climate philanthropy. She challenges the philanthropic sector to adopt a systemic lens, leveraging its resources to influence policy, catalyse private investment, and spur industry transformation.

By funding visionary nonprofits and creating platforms like the Fashion for Good and Built by Nature initiatives, the foundation has successfully convened stakeholders to tackle issues like carbon reduction in supply chains and promoting sustainable building practices.

Partnerships play a pivotal role in these efforts, as Leslie explains. She outlines the foundation's collaborative work with organisations such as the IKEA Foundation to establish Assemble, a donor collaborative focused on decarbonising the built environment, and its involvement in the Just Transition Donor Alliance. These initiatives aim to break down silos among funders, foster learning, and amplify collective impact.

Leslie also touches on the need for innovative financial mechanisms to mobilise the trillions required annually for global decarbonisation. She advocates for tailored financial products, public-private partnerships, and policy interventions to unlock investment at scale. Furthermore, she highlights the importance of sharing knowledge and best practices, pointing to initiatives like the Just Transition Finance Lab at the London School of Economics, which creates tools to guide investors and policymakers.

In her concluding remarks, Leslie encourages individuals to recognise their agency in driving change through conscious consumer choices and urges philanthropic leaders to integrate a climate lens into all aspects of their work. Solving the climate crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, with philanthropy playing a catalytic role in creating a sustainable and equitable future.

Interview with David Lynch: filmmaker and creative genius. A tribute to David Lynch 1946-2025 Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Interview with David Lynch: filmmaker and creative genius. A tribute to David Lynch 1946-2025.

David speaks from the heart, with abundant passion and an infectious self-assuredness about consciousness and the power of Transcendental Meditation to do away with the negatives in one's life while letting in boundless positivity.

We learn about the work of the David Lynch Foundation, helping bring TM to the world, and also hear about David's creativity, successes and failures -- and how he has overcome the most challenging times.

Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of RNID, on Advancing Hearing Health, Breaking Stigma, and Innovating Care Jan 12, 2025

Show notes

Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), delves into the organisation’s work in support of the 18 million individuals in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss, or experience tinnitus.

She underscores the pervasive nature of hearing-related issues, noting that if one does not personally face such challenges, they undoubtedly know someone who does. With this universal relevance as a foundation, RNID has committed to fostering inclusion and improving lives through a strategic framework focused on three interconnected levels: changing society, transforming systems, and enhancing individual lives.

RNID, a heritage organisation with over a century of impact, remains steadfast in its purpose while adapting to the demands of a modern, digital world. Harriet explains how their work in "changing society" encompasses awareness campaigns to promote hearing protection and foster a culture of consideration for those with hearing loss. These efforts aim to break down barriers in social interactions and normalise the use of hearing aids and support systems.

At the individual level, RNID provides direct support through online resources, a contact centre, and in-person services such as drop-in centres and community talks. These touch points enable RNID to stay connected to its communities and gather insights to shape its initiatives further. Harriet articulates the importance of early intervention in hearing loss, pointing out that untreated hearing impairment can exacerbate social isolation, depression, and even increase the risk of dementia. RNID’s free online hearing check empowers people to address their hearing health proactively.

Looking to the future, Harriet discusses the organisation’s initiative to reimagine hearing healthcare in the UK. Despite significant technological and societal advancements, the process of receiving hearing care has remained largely unchanged for two decades. RNID is calling for genuine innovation — user centred, tech-enabled solutions that prioritise accessibility and personalisation. This includes ideas such as home-based hearing checks, app-based diagnostics, and devices tailored to individual needs.

Harriet also touches on groundbreaking research into the link between hearing loss and dementia, a relatively nascent field with the potential to redefine approaches to dementia prevention and diagnosis. She emphasises that advancing this research requires collaboration and funding and invites stakeholders from various sectors to join RNID in this critical work.

RNID’s work is a call to action for society to recognise the importance of hearing health, break the stigma surrounding hearing aids, and embrace the potential of innovation to transform lives.

Note: This interview took place in Dec 2024 and aired in Jan 2025

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