Giving Done Right cover art

Giving Done Right

Giving Done Right

Written by: The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Listen for free

About this listen

 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.2020 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Ezra Klein on Philanthropy’s Role at a Precarious Time

    Ezra Klein on Philanthropy’s Role at a Precarious Time
    Dec 2 2025
    As the current federal administration makes sweeping cuts to social safety net programs, political divisions deepen, and the guardrails of American democracy are tested, what is philanthropy’s role in this precarious time? In the final episode of this season, Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette interview New York Times columnist and podcast host Ezra Klein live at CEP’s 2025 conference. Klein contends that America needs to renew a politics of plenty, face up to the failures of liberal governance, and abandon what he calls the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. But what does this analysis mean for philanthropy, particularly at a moment of so many competing and urgent crises? Additional Resources: “Mounting Pressure: U.S. Foundations and Nonprofits on the 2025 Political Climate” Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. on the Giving Done Right podcast “Abundance,” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Lessons on Disaster Giving With Patty McIlreavy

    Lessons on Disaster Giving With Patty McIlreavy
    Nov 20 2025
    Effective disaster giving often begins before a disaster even occurs. So says Patty McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, in this popular episode from the Giving Done Right archives. In conversation with hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette, Patty offers insight into how donors can support disaster prevention by focusing on reducing vulnerabilities as well as support recovery efforts, and the most common pitfalls for donors to consider when responding to disasters. Patty shares her deep expertise on what can make disaster giving successful (or unsuccessful) and the three discuss examples that still hold lessons for donors looking to mitigate disasters — or prevent them — today. Additional Resources: Center for Disaster Philanthropy From Rapid Response to Sustainable Solutions: Disaster Response and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Haiti – Harvard Humanitarian Initiative Report “Complex Humanitarian Emergencies: Where Crisis, Conflict, Climate, and COVID Meet” – Center for Disaster Philanthropy Disasters, Dollars And Decisions: Lessons For Nonprofits To Prioritize Where And How To Help – Forbes Unprecedented Times Call For Unprecedented Actions – Forbes Asset-Based Framing: Trabian Shorters
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Mounting Pressure on Nonprofits: What Donors Need to Know with Elisha Smith Arrillaga

    Mounting Pressure on Nonprofits: What Donors Need to Know with Elisha Smith Arrillaga
    Nov 13 2025
    Federal funding cuts and increased demand for their services have left nonprofits across the country and issue areas reeling, with many questioning whether they will survive. The consequences are stark, given the vital work nonprofits do in communities across the country. In this episode, CEP Vice President of Research Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. shares just-collected data on what nonprofits are experiencing, exploring questions like which nonprofits have been hardest hit and what steps organizations are taking to respond. She also talks with Phil Buchanan about data on the foundation response to the situation, exploring lessons for individual and institutional donors alike. Smith Arrillaga argues that the existential challenges nonprofits are facing require bold, values-driven responses from donors. Additional Resources: New CEP Research: “Mounting Pressure: U.S. Foundations and Nonprofits on the 2025 Political Climate” CEP’s annual “State of Nonprofits” report for 2025, published May 2025 March 2025 CEP Research snapshot: “Challenging Times” A compilation of additional resources for funders on responding to the current context on the CEP blog
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
No reviews yet