Let’s Hear It

Latest Episodes:

Kris Putnam-Walkerly: News Flash – Philanthropy is Messed Up Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Maybe working in philanthropy is like attending a large Thanksgiving family gathering. There are folks you dearly love, folks you put up with, and folks who need a bit of a talking to. Kris Putnam-Walkerly knows this as well as anyone. She is a philanthropic advisor with a long history in the field, and she isn’t afraid to tell Uncle Irving that he needs to straighten up and fly right (so to speak).

Kris’s new book Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving addresses the long list of things that prevent philanthropists from succeeding in their work. It’s a firm but kind look at how to make a difference.

Eric spoke with Kris about her career, her book, and her advice to her colleagues about how to avoid the many pitfalls that philanthropists can avoid as they seek to transform their giving practices.

(And if you stick around to the VERY END, you can hear the Let’s Hear It theme song performed by its creator John Allee complete with lyrics!)

Lowell Weiss Got Yelled at by the President and Other Tales of Derring-Do Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Sometimes we need a little breath of fresh air during the workday. This week’s guest on Let’s Hear It might just do the trick. Lowell Weiss, President of Cascade Philanthropy Advisors, is probably one of the most genial guests we’ve had the pleasure of speaking with.

From his behind-the-scenes perches at the Atlantic Monthly, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the White House, Lowell has seen it all, done it all, and kept a marvelously cheerful attitude throughout – even after getting a talking to from the President of the United States.

Lowell talks about his new project – helping to run the Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community – which brings together nonprofit and civic leaders, funders, and public officials to help improve philanthropy.
We hope you enjoy this episode just as much as Eric has enjoyed his decades-long friendship with Lowell!

SF Foundation's Valerie Goode Has Never Seen Her Office May 04, 2021

Show notes

Valerie Goode has been the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the San Francisco Foundation for a year now, but she has yet to set foot in her office. She has also led communications at a community foundation dedicated to advancing racial equity and economic inclusion at a moment when the challenges and opportunities have never felt more powerful.

Valerie has done it all with extraordinary aplomb and good humor. Eric spoke with her about her fascinating career (she was once in charge of background checks for the Governor of Massachusetts!), growing up as a Black woman in Maine, and how she has woven together her many experiences to advance the work of the San Francisco Foundation. If you are a communications professional or hope to become one someday, this will be an especially valuable conversation.

Andy Goodman - Why Bad Zoom Calls Happen to Good Causes Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

This week, it is our pleasure to share Eric’s conversation with Andy Goodman – a master storyteller, writer, and communications Swiss Army knife. Andy is Director of the Goodman Center and he is the author of a very helpful new resource – Unmuted: What Works, What Doesn’t, and How We Can All Do Better When Working Together Online. Just in time, huh?

Andy and Eric have worked together since the 20th Century, if you can believe it. After this discussion, you will also feel like you’ve known Andy since Destiny’s Child was on the pop charts. Andy teaches us that we can all do the things we do better. This interview is sure to make you sprint to the Goodman Center website and sign up for a training or download a resource about how to be better at meetings, presentations, or storytelling. Enjoy!

There's News About Young People and Democracy - And It's a Little Scary Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

We’re back at Let’s Hear It with a great interview from Kirk! We had the remarkable pleasure (mixed with a little pain) of hearing Dr. Roberto Stefan Foa and Daniella Wenger from the University of Cambridge talk about their study of the future of democracy and young peoples’ involvement in it. What may seem like another dive into Kirk’s deepest, darkest fears actually is a thoughtful analysis of all the ways democracy has been failing young people in this country, especially after the 2008 economic collapse, during the mass unemployment of 2020, and in light of the racism built into the system.

Listen to hear all about the study, how to keep young people engaged in politics, and how to keep making democracy better.

Trabian Shorters and the Genius of "Asset Framing" Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

We are incredibly excited to have Trabian Shorters as our guest this week. Trabian, who runs BMe Community, has helped change the way so many of us communicate. He has drawn upon an amazing combination of brain science and good old hacking to help people across the nonprofit world understand the power of defining people by their aspirations and talents rather than their challenges.

We really hope you’ll enjoy this amazing conversation as much as we did.

Let's Hear It is Back with Season Three! Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to Season Three of Let's Hear It!

Kirk and Eric take a brief look back at that crazy year and discuss what they're looking forward to in the year ahead.

We will emerge from this wounding – Joy Harjo, the first Indigenous Poet Laureate Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s show, we have a really special treat - Joy Harjo, the first indigenous Poet Laureate of the United States. Joy is in conversation with Rebecca Arno, the Chief Operating Officer of the Barton Insitute for Community Action at the University of Denver in a session recorded as part of ComnetV, the virtual gathering of the Communications Network, which was held earlier this year.

Joy Harjo is the author of nine books of poetry, including her most recent, An American Sunrise. Her memoir, Crazy Brave, was awarded the PEN USA Literary Award in Creative Non Fiction and the American Book Award.

She is Executive Editor of the anthology When the Light of the World was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through — A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, released in August 2020.

She is a member of the Muscogee Nation, and is only one of two writers who has served three terms as Poet Laureate.

We've been lucky enough to be able to broadcast some of the ComnetV conversations on Let's Hear It, and as always, we’re grateful to the Communications Network for their partnership and support.

The Antidote – A Movie About Kindness and Caring in America Comes Along in the Nick of Time Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Kahane Cooperman and John Hoffman may be just what we need to soothe America’s ragged soul. They have created a documentary film about kindness and caring called The Antidote, which explores how nine communities across the country are building bridges across difference and finding ways to take care of each other in the face of extraordinary challenges.

Eric talks with John and Kahane about this truly remarkable film, now streaming on Amazon Prime, which started with a single word written on a cocktail napkin.

If you need a little boost this holiday season, this conversation should prime the pump.

Daniel Lee of the Levi Strauss Foundation Will Warm the Cockles of Your Heart Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

We’re back! It’s been an exhausting couple of weeks, and if you’re looking for a podcast to soothe your stressed-out soul, look no further than this episode featuring Daniel Lee, the Executive Director of the Levi Strauss Foundation. Daniel was raised in South Dakota, where his was only the second Korean family in the history of the state. His experience as an “insider and outsider” working with issues as potentially divisive as religion and LGBTQ+ rights is informed by the curiosity, empathy, and caring he brings to his work.

We are very excited to bring you this episode, in which Eric and Daniel discuss divinity school, framing narratives, and how corporate foundations can serve much more than the bottom line. This is an episode that, as Eric says, will warm the cockles of your heart.

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