Let’s Hear It

Fiona Guthrie spent decades reporting stories as a broadcast journalist and later served as Director of Story at the Ford Foundation. Now, she’s using storytelling to help free people who are wrongfully imprisoned, including those on death row.

In this episode, Eric talks with Fiona about the extraordinary career that led her to the Innocence Project, one of the country’s leading advocates for the wrongfully convicted.

They discuss why it’s essential for an organization to stay relentlessly focused on its mission while helping build a broader movement for justice—and how storytelling can shape every aspect of a communications strategy.

Fiona also reflects on her early days in radio and television in the UK and Australia, as well as the harrowing days covering 9/11. It’s a great conversation with an exceptional communications professional.

Jen Ford Reedy has spent more than a decade leading the Bush Foundation, and over that time she has come to a conclusion that should be a challenge to the field—nobody actually has to be good at philanthropy. There's no license needed, no regulators keeping them accountable, and no market that punishes funders for doing it badly. You can just write checks, get celebrated for your generosity, and never once answer the question of whether any of it actually worked.

Her new book, Please Be Good at Philanthropy, out on July 21, 2026 from Disruption Books, argues that good intentions aren't enough, and that philanthropy can do real harm when it's done badly. Jen talks with Eric about why she thinks being good at this work is a skill you have to learn, not something you arrive at already knowing, no matter how successful you've been elsewhere. They acknowledge the challenges funders face in getting honest feedback, especially from grantees who don’t want to risk the relationship. And they discuss the importance of being honest about what didn’t work, without blaming grantees.

After the interview, Eric and Kirk chew on what philanthropy actually owes the people it serves, and concede that maybe they should please be good at podcasting while they’re at it.

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Sean Kelly is one of the sharpest marketing minds Eric has ever met — and he's spent his career doing something all arts organizations dearly want to do: truly understand what their audiences want, align it with their own artistic vision, and set ticket prices accordingly.

Sean is the founder of Vatic, a dynamic pricing company for performing arts organizations. His genius is his ability to look at a mountain of data and pull out the story it's trying to tell — then use that story to fill auditoriums and strengthen arts organizations.

If you work in or fund the arts, clear your calendar. But any nonprofit communicator can learn a ton from Sean. His ability to truly understand what his audience wants – and needs – is a great lesson for us all.

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On the latest Let's Hear It, Eric sits down with Marc Moorghen, VP of Marketing and Communications at Lever for Change.

Founded by the MacArthur Foundation, Lever for Change connects donors with bold ideas through massive open calls. In just six years, Marc and his team have helped move $2.5 billion to nonprofits — including MacKenzie Scott's $640 million Yield Giving Open Call and Pivotal's $250 million Action for Women's Health.

Eric and Marc get into how Lever for Change flips the traditional philanthropic "do not disturb" sign on its head, why unrestricted and open-call funding is finally going mainstream, and what it looks like when a foundation actually invites the unsolicited big idea.

Also: a hearty plug for Stuart Ewen's PR!: A Social History of Spin — the book that put Marc on this path in the first place. (Kirk has thoughts.)

Listen now — and please follow, rate, and review Let's Hear It wherever you get your podcasts. And listen for the opportunity to win a prize!

A lot of people who work in nonprofits and foundations eventually get the tickle. You know the one. What if I just... went out on my own?

Regan Douglass did something about it. After years as a communications leader at PolicyLink, California Humanities, and the College Futures Foundation, she pulled the ripcord and launched Sparkwise Communications. Two years in, no regrets.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Regan to discuss what it actually takes to go independent — how thick your stomach lining needs to be, how to structure your business, how to smell the tuna fish sandwich wrapped in a red flag before you sign the contract, and how to hold onto your own voice when you've spent years inhabiting someone else's.

This one's for everyone who's been sitting on the egg. It's time to let it hatch.

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Glen Galaich is the CEO of the Stupski Foundation — and he just wrote a book that bites the hand that feeds him and serves it up in a 236-page meal.

Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short, out today, makes an argument as simple as it is explosive: when a donor takes a tax deduction to give money away, they've made a deal with the public. That money isn't theirs anymore. But the system we've built lets donors park billions in foundations and donor-advised funds indefinitely — dribbling out 5 cents on the dollar while the rest sits on Wall Street going absolutely nowhere.

Glen isn't an outside critic. He's a sitting foundation CEO who spent years reinforcing every rule he's now trying to break. Eric read an early draft, argued with him about it, and told him his central framing was too polite. Glen ignored him. They pick up that conversation here.

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There's a question Rashad Robinson wants every nonprofit and foundation leader to sit with right now: Are you building power — or just showing up?

Rashad spent 13 years leading Color of Change, co-founded the Fight Back Table, forced over 100 corporations to leave ALEC — the American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful corporate-backed group that shapes conservative state legislation — and took on Facebook in one of the largest boycotts in American history. Now he's channeling all of that hard-won wisdom into a newsletter, a new show on News One, work alongside Jane Fonda defending the First Amendment — and a book, From Presence to Power: How to Take on the Fights That Matter and Win, dropping July 28th from One World/Penguin Random House.

Eric sits down with Rashad for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to win: the difference between a dialogue and a negotiation, why visibility is only the beginning, what Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance means for the movement, and how to fight fatigue when you're running on empty but can't stop.

This one's got joy, strategy, and only a few references to the New York Mets.

Listen now — and if Rashad's clarity and energy give you something to hold onto, please follow, rate, and review Let's Hear It wherever you get your podcasts.

This might be the most important episode we've ever done, and we swear we’re not just saying that. If you work in or around philanthropy, stop what you're doing and listen.

Nonprofits are facing record demand—higher than during COVID—and they're getting less funding. Not just from government. From foundations too. The sector is in freefall, and many of the people with the resources to help don't even see a problem.

Eric sits down with Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Vice President at the Center for Effective Philanthropy, to unpack their devastating new report, A Sector in Crisis: How US Nonprofits and Foundations Are Responding to Threats. The findings reveal a staggering disconnect: 40% of nonprofits say that funders have shifted priorities in ways that are less helpful at this dire moment.

And get this - 20% of foundations say they don't have much responsibility to help nonprofits navigate this moment at all!!

This isn't a wake-up call. It's a five-alarm fire. And if foundations don't start closing the gap between what they think they're doing and what nonprofits actually need, organizations will close. Communities will suffer. And philanthropy will have failed the very moment it was built for. Unless philanthropy as we know it is just no longer useful.

Listen now. Share it with your board. Share it with your program officers. Share it with anyone who still believes philanthropy can rise to meet this moment—because that moment is now.

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Kristen Grimm is back—and she’s making Let’s Hear It history as the show’s first three-time guest.

In this episode, Eric and Kirk dive into Kristen’s latest thinking on how people interpret what’s happening around them, why facts alone don’t change minds, and what this moment of chaos means for nonprofits, philanthropy, and public-interest communicators. Drawing from her travels, her work at Spitfire Strategies, and plenty of hard-won perspective, Kristen challenges us to stop “fixing” broken systems and start imagining what we actually want to build next.

It’s a thoughtful, candid, and often funny conversation about trust, power, government, and how to create messages—and futures—that resonate beyond the bubble.

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AI needs power. A lot of power. But what happens when that power comes from 35 unpermitted gas turbines dropped into the middle of a historic Black neighborhood?

In this episode, Eric sits down with Dr. Sacoby Wilson, award-winning environmental health scientist and recent Heinz Award for the Environment honoree, who’s helping Boxtown in Memphis push back against Elon Musk’s xAI “Colossus” data center. Dr. Wilson breaks down how data centers are becoming the newest front in environmental and energy justice, why the pollution burden keeps landing on the same communities, and what they're doing about it.

We talk about “IMpowerment Science,” community air monitoring, climate redlining, regenerative agriculture, and what it really takes to turn data into power for frontline communities. Then Eric and Kirk reconnect to unpack what this fight says about philanthropy, technology, and who gets left out of our big, shiny visions of the future.

If this conversation hits home for you, follow Let’s Hear It and leave a quick rating or review—it helps more people find these stories and the people behind them.

 

On the latest Let’s Hear It, Eric sits down with the unstoppable Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America — and wow, is this one a shot of optimism for your civic soul.

From growing up in California’s Central Valley to becoming the first Latina Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate, to running Hillary Clinton’s 2016 political operation, Amanda has seen power from every angle. Now she’s using all that experience to reimagine how government can actually work for people — with systems that are simple, fair, and human.

Amanda and Eric dig into how Code for America is helping states modernize public services, why good government is built in everyday interactions, and what gives her hope even in turbulent times.

A must-listen for anyone who still believes democracy works best when it works for everyone.

🎧 Listen now — and if Amanda’s optimism gives you a lift, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review Let’s Hear It wherever you get your podcasts.

Nonprofits are essential, but are they getting what they need to succeed? And what happens when philanthropy clings to old habits while democracy teeters?

In this episode, Eric sits down with writer, humorist, and nonprofit truth-teller Vu Le, creator of Nonprofit AF. With his trademark mix of sharp wit and blunt honesty, Vu pulls no punches on everything from “crappy funding practices” to the SkyMall-style whims of foundations, to the urgent need for philanthropy to get serious in defending democracy and the most vulnerable communities.

It’s not all fire and brimstone—Vu reminds us why joy itself is resistance, shares what keeps him hopeful (spoiler: snakes and the 3.5% rule), and even previews the joke-turned-fan-demanded one-man show you never knew you needed.

If you’ve ever wondered how nonprofits can thrive in spite of their funding structures this conversation is just what you’ve been waiting for.

💡 Vu’s new book Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy comes out October 14, and Nonprofit AF returns to Substack on August 19.

In this episode of Let's Hear It, Eric sits down with two public interest comms powerhouses—Ann Searight Christiano and Angela Bradbery—who’ve just dropped what might be the most anticipated textbook in our field: Public Interest Communications Strategy for Change Makers. 

Ann and Angela share how their years in the trenches at places like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Public Citizen shaped this groundbreaking resource—and why storytelling, systems thinking, and listening (really listening) are the keys to actually making change. They discuss their “six spheres of influence,” the “back-of-the-envelope” strategy tool, and why being strategic isn’t the same as shouting into the void (no offense to your latest TikTok brainstorm).

It’s a lively, insightful conversation filled with warmth, humility, and a generous dose of “finally, someone wrote this down.” If you’ve ever had a boss say, “just make it go viral,” this one’s for you.

Enjoy the episode—and if you love it, don’t forget to follow, rate, and review. Your support helps others find the show (and helps keep us off TikTok, which we would suck at).

Let’s Hear It is back after a brief break—and we’re diving into one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had yet. In this episode, Eric sits down with Rachael Kagan, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Blue Shield of California Foundation. With a background in journalism and public health, Rachael has channeled her experience into creating The Journalist Playbook—a practical, compassionate, and groundbreaking tool for improving how domestic violence is covered in the media.

Together, they unpack the why and how of this innovative resource, the effect it’s already having across California newsrooms, and what it means to truly shift the narrative around domestic violence. This isn’t just a tool for reporters—it’s a model for how philanthropy, journalism, and advocacy can work together to drive lasting change.

You’ll also hear candid reflections on Rachael’s journey from the frontlines of health communications to the strategic heights of philanthropy, plus a moving reminder that domestic violence affects far more people than we may realize—58% of Californians, to be exact.

Find the playbook at LetsEndDV.org and the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

We’re thrilled to be back—thanks for welcoming us into your ears. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review!

What makes an effective communicator in today’s chaotic political landscape? This week, Eric sits down with the legendary Doug Hattaway—founder of Hattaway Communications, political strategist, and storytelling expert—to find out. From his early days in journalism and politics to helping shape the way nonprofits, foundations, and campaigns communicate, Doug shares the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Together, they dive into why voting is expressive, not transactional, the role of AI in strategic messaging, and how we can bridge political divides through effective communication. Plus, Kirk and Eric unpack why the failure to build meaningful engagement infrastructure has led us to where we are today—and what needs to happen next.

If you care about messaging that actually moves people, don’t miss this.

Tune in, get inspired, and if you like what you hear, don’t forget to rate and review!

What’s the economy for, anyway? Shouldn’t time, happiness, and beauty be at the center of our lives? We know this sounds, er, quaint, given the times, but don’t we all need a bit of beauty right now? This week, Eric sits down with writer, filmmaker, and activist John de Graaf, whose decades-long career has been dedicated to challenging the culture of overwork, overconsumption, and environmental neglect.

From his groundbreaking PBS documentary Affluenza to his advocacy for shorter workweeks and his latest film project on the progressive, activist roots of America the Beautiful, John has consistently asked the big questions about what makes life truly worth living. In this thoughtful and engaging conversation, he shares his perspective on the bipartisan politics of beauty, how nature and shared public spaces can bring people together, and why he’s spent his life working his butt off so we don’t have to.

It’s a rich discussion full of humor, history, and a call to rethink what progress really means. And we really mean it.

Find John and his work at johndegraaf.com.

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Is Wikipedia the last bastion of truth on the internet?

Eric speaks with Anusha Alikhan, the Chief Communications Officer for the Wikimedia Foundation – the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, the internet's largest encyclopedia.

Anusha shares insights into how Wikipedia grew from a scrappy experiment into a trusted global resource with 50 billion monthly views and over 60 million articles in 334 languages. They discuss Wikipedia’s unique consensus-driven model, its fight against bias and misinformation, and the existential challenges posed by AI tools like ChatGPT, which heavily rely on Wikimedia’s vast trove of data.

Curious about the quirky side of Wikipedia? Anusha reveals some of her favorite fun facts, like professional ironing (yes, it’s a sport!) and "cute aggression." And for those worried about the future of truth in a world driven by algorithms, Anusha shares why she's optimistic, and why human editors will always be essential.

Eric and Kirk also explore the deeper question: What can philanthropy and society learn from Wikipedia’s transparent, collaborative model? From the importance of trust and knowledge equity to the challenges of surveillance capitalism, this conversation hits all the big questions about the internet’s past, present, and future.

Don’t miss this engaging and thought-provoking episode with one of the most insightful voices in nonprofit tech!

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe so more people can discover Let's Hear It. See you next time!

It’s a brand-new year, a new season, and… a brand-new low? Nah!! This week, Let’s Hear It flips the script as co-host Eric Brown interviews the mystery man himself, Kirk Brown. That’s right—our favorite interlocutor steps into the hot seat to reflect on his fascinating journey from humble Iowan roots to becoming a nonprofit communications force of nature.

Kirk shares how growing up amidst Iowa’s agricultural rhythms and caucus-season chaos shaped his worldview, his approach to climate work, and his knack for community-driven solutions. You’ll hear about his leap into advocacy, running a nonprofit media shop, and his work founding Recharge America—a bold initiative sparking grassroots engagement around clean energy.

Expect laughs (we’re looking at you, Kirk’s Hollywood sunburn story), insights into the evolving communications landscape, and a big picture look at why creating enduring political constituencies is the secret sauce for real change.

Plus, Eric and Kirk dive into the big themes: How do we overcome disinformation, build local trust, and organize for meaningful, sustainable progress? This episode is packed with ideas for funders, advocates, and anyone passionate about driving change—community by community.

Join us as we kick off Season 7 with humor, heart, and some Kirk Brown wisdom you didn’t know you needed. And as always, please rate and review us wherever you listen—because it really helps more people find the show!

Need a dose of hope and perspective after a tough election season? Join Let's Hear It co-host Eric Brown for a conversation with Takema Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Converge, a social justice communications consulting firm.

Drawing on her background in art and African American studies, Takema brings a refreshing perspective on how imagination and creativity are essential for social change. She reminds us that even in challenging times, we need "imagineers" who can envision a more inclusive future.

After two decades of working with major foundations and nonprofits across the U.S., Takema shares practical wisdom about playing the long game when it comes to social justice. She emphasizes that real change happens over generations, not election cycles. From her current home base in Jamaica (the country, not Eric’s birthplace), she explains how stepping back has given her a broader view of America's challenges and opportunities.

The conversation tackles tough questions about what's next for racial justice and democracy after recent setbacks. Takema reminds us that we all need just a little space to process, breathe, and clear our heads before putting our shoulders to the wheel for the task ahead of us.

She points to encouraging signs of progress, like the growing infrastructure for civic engagement across the South, while acknowledging there's still much to do. As she puts it, the goal should be to "make America great for the first time" - building a truly inclusive democracy that works for everyone.

For foundation and nonprofit leaders feeling overwhelmed by current events, this episode offers a bit of comfort and a constructive path forward. Takema's blend of strategic thinking and heartfelt optimism provides a welcome antidote to, well, you know.

We know that these post-election blues are a thing, but here’s the deal – the need for climate justice isn’t changing. This week on Let’s Hear It, we’re diving deep into the work that’s pushing environmental justice to the forefront of philanthropy, policy, and big-dollar investments.

Eric sits down with Danielle Deane-Ryan, Senior Advisor to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and a long-time climate justice funder. Danielle shares her journey from her roots in Trinidad and Tobago to the halls of power in Washington, breaking down how billions in clean energy investments can—and must—center the communities hit hardest by environmental injustice.

The conversation explores how policies like Justice40 and collaborations between grassroots leaders and major funders are changing the game. Danielle also doesn’t hold back when it comes to the communication gaps that still need fixing—and she’s got plenty of ideas for how to make progress stick.

Meanwhile, Kirk rallies the optimism brigade, Eric holds his ground, and they both agree – without good communications, even the best policies will fall short.

If you want to hear how leaders are tackling the climate crisis with equity, resilience, and serious grit, this episode is for you.

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