Giving Done Right

From the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), Giving Done Right is the show with everything you need to know to make an impact with your charitable giving. Whether you’re donating a few hundred dollars a year, a few thousand, or a few million, you might find yourself wondering: Where should I give? How do I know which nonprofits are effective? How do I know if I’m really making a difference with my donation? Join hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette as they welcome leaders and experts from throughout the nonprofit sector to answer philanthropy’s burning questions and bust some myths that have long plagued donors and nonprofits alike. In a time when effective giving is especially crucial, Giving Done Right cuts through the noise and focuses on what you need to know to put your money to work.

Giving Done Right is a business podcast hosted by The Center for Effective Philanthropy, with 63 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

The Center for Effective Philanthropy hosts Giving Done Right, a business show with 63 episodes published.

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  Episode #2

  Lysa Ratliff Wants You to Trust Her

  Sep 24, 202649 minS6

  As nonprofits face sharply increased demand, deep federal funding cuts, and a fundraising climate unlike anything in recent memory, Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!, joins Phil Buchanan for an unusually candid conversation about what it takes to lead right now, and why she refuses to soften the truth to make anyone comfortable. Ratliff discusses KABOOM!'s new report, State of Our Kids, which finds that 28 million children in the U.S. don't have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk from their home. She explains why play is the foundation of childhood development, and walks through the report's unflinching look at the mental health crisis facing young people, including the adultification of Black children and the impact of a rise in ICE arrests on Latino families. She also talks candidly about the promise and limits of a landmark, unrestricted MacKenzie Scott gift, why so few other funders have followed that lead, and why she believes donors need to stop nitpicking nonprofits' budgets and start trusting their expertise to solve solvable problems. In a time defined by uncertainty, Ratliff makes the case for honesty over comfort: "It's not  someone's right and someone's wrong. It's how do we, as adults, have really honest conversations that allow us to see very clearly what's going on around us and what we need to do to solve those challenges." Resources:  KABOOM! State of Our Kids Report The 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity Center for Effective Philanthropy State of Nonprofits 2026: What Donors Need to Know  Youth Truth

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  Episode #1

  Jeff Atwood and Dr. Betsy Burton Are Giving Big and Fast

  Sep 17, 202644 minS6

  Phil Buchanan sits down with spouses Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow and Discourse, and Dr. Betsy Burton, a scientist who has helped develop cancer therapies, to talk about their commitment to give away $50 million, half their family's wealth, over five years, with the bulk of it going toward guaranteed income programs in rural America. Jeff and Betsy describe a two-part strategy that began with $1 million, no-strings-attached gifts to eight organizations they trusted to "kick ass" with the money, before turning to what they call "fire abatement": tackling the systemic conditions that create so much need in the first place. That work led them to guaranteed income pilots in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Mississippi, run in partnership with GiveDirectly and built on research from Open Research's landmark basic income study. They share what that data actually shows about how people spend unconditional cash — including a drop in substance use and unexpectedly high rates of people sharing their payments with neighbors in need — and push back hard on the assumptions that so often shape how donors think about giving directly to people. The conversation also gets personal, as Jeff reflects on his father's own path out of generational poverty in West Virginia, and the two discuss raising philanthropically minded kids, their admiration for MacKenzie Scott's trust-based approach, and their frustration with slow-moving giving pledges that lack a real timeline for getting money out the door. Resources:  Stay Gold, America "We Have Everything We Need": Jeff Atwood and Betsy Burton's Bold Mission to Guarantee Minimum Income in Rural America - Denver Frederick Giving Cash to Those in Need with Paul Niehaus of GiveDirectly Fighting Poverty with Direct Cash Transfers, Featuring Jesús Gerena UBI Data SEED Project Breaking the Mold: The Transformative Effects of MacKenzie Scott’s Big Gifts

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  Giving Done Right

  Introducing: Season 6 of Giving Done Right

  Sep 10, 20262 minS6

  Federal policy shifts continue to upend the landscape for domestic nonprofits, civil society, and international aid alike, leaving donors facing urgent questions about where and how to give.  This season on the Giving Done Right podcast, host Phil Buchanan sits down with philanthropic and nonprofit leaders to explore what effective giving looks like in a moment of real strain and real opportunity. Together, these conversations dig into the questions donors are asking today: how to give when trust and partnership matter more than ever, the tension between short-term needs and a long-term view, and what good stewardship really demands of those with the resources to act. Follow along with season six of Giving Done Right for candid, urgent, and ultimately hopeful conversations about how to make your charitable giving as effective, and as meaningful, as it can be.

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  Giving Done Right

  A Special Goodbye from Grace

  Aug 27, 202634 min

  After 15 years at CEP and more than 50 episodes co-hosting Giving Done Right, Grace Nicolette is stepping away. In this special episode, Phil Buchanan turns the microphone to her. Together they look back on how philanthropy has shifted over the past decade and a half, from the rise of multi-year general operating support to the risks of inaction in a moment of crisis? Grace shares the guests and stories that have stayed with her, including April Tam Smith, Jeremy Lin, and a give and take with GiveDirectly's Paul Niehaus over effective altruism. She also opens up about the personal threads running through her career: her faith, her parents' own story of generosity, and the family reasons drawing her toward her next chapter. Through it all, one idea keeps surfacing for Grace: in philanthropy, relationships matter most. Resources: A Fond Farewell to a Catalyst of CEP’s Growth and Evolution Relationships Matter: Program Officers, Grantees, and the Keys to Success

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  Giving Done Right

  We Need Your Help

  Feb 10, 20261 minS5

  <p>We want to hear from you about how the conversations on this podcast are making a difference in your approach to philanthropy. If our show has helped you, we want to hear about it! Can you take a few moments to send us a voice memo to gdrpodcast@cep.org? </p> <p>Please include your name, institutional affiliation if you have one, role, and the answer to these questions: What specific ways has Giving Done Right influenced your giving and the way you think about philanthropy? And if it hasn't, what topics would you like to hear that would h...

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