Let's Hear It

Dena Kimball and David Brotherton on the Kendeda Fund’s Epic Journey

Spending out, spending down, sunsetting – whatever you call it, it’s a tricky business.

This year the Kendeda Fund will close its doors, having provided over one billion dollars in funding over the past thirty years. Their causes included girls’ rights, preventing gun violence, environmental sustainability, advancing racial equity, and supporting veterans, among others.

Kendeda began as an anonymous grantmaking effort by Diana Blank, who eventually decided to turn the reins over to her daughter Dena Kimball and to allow the foundation to communicate freely about its work. To do this, they turned to David Brotherton, a consultant with a long history in foundations and communications, to help the organization step into the light.

Dena and David sit down with Eric in a freewheeling conversation about the decision to go public, spend out, and about what they learned along the way.

To learn more about their great work, stay tuned for their updated website and in the meantime check out Kendeda’s new podcast, Stories from the Kendeda Fund.

Going Commando with Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and Citations Needed

Going Commando with Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and Citations Needed

This week on Let’s Hear It, cynical-ish and salty-tongued Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and the hit podcast Citations Needed endures a slightly arduous, minorly torturous time behind the mic with Eric.

Nima’s career is full of exciting experiences, including his current job as a vice president at Spitfire Strategies and drumming in rock bands, and especially Citations Needed. Nima and his co-host Adam Johnson set up shop at the intersection of power, politics, propaganda, and the press (pretty peppy party, Pete) – no small feat, as it happens.

Nima’s show explores the many ways that media language infiltrates our daily lives and how pernicious those terms can be. For instance, did you know that the term “officer-involved shooting” was created in the 70s by the LAPD to describe officers killing members of the public? Nima uses his experience on the podcast to keep him honest-er in his work and his approach to communications.

We wouldn’t call him the biggest optimist in the room, but you’ll appreciate Nima’s thoughts about how progressive organizations can use communications to change dangerous narratives. Listen now to hear how (how now, brown cow? Okay, we’ll stop). 

Tony Proscio Deconstructs Word Salad in the Philanthropic Jargon Space

We have an impactful episode deep-diving into how Tony Proscio, a thought leader in this space, has moved the needle on the innovation of language in nonprofit and foundation work. He and Eric partner to get granular on staying transparent with folks from the donor pipeline to the board room.

*record scratch* Just kidding!

This week on Let’s Hear It, Eric and legendary former strategic planning consultant and jargon denouncer Tony Proscio sit down to grouch about why foundations and nonprofits can’t just say what they mean. Tony, a personal hero of Eric’s, should be required reading for anyone working in communications. His three books, entitled “In Other Words: A Plea for Plain Speaking in Foundations; When Words Fail: How the Public Interest Becomes Neither Public Nor Interesting; and Bad Words for Good: How Foundations Garble Their Message and Lose Their Audience” decry the current trend toward using jargon when plain words are needed and why this obfuscation has led us to our current gerund pileup.

Fear not – the episode isn’t all Eric and Tony doing their best impressions of the two crabby Muppets in the balcony. Tony has some hopeful words to say about how people working in nonprofit and foundation communications can improve, including how technology has brought us closer to clarity and authenticity. Just don’t try to find him online.

Enjoy this great discussion, and remember: no empty calorie words. 

Tara Dorabji on the Power of Art and the Art of Power

As long as there has been art, there have been artists using their creativity to try to transform society for the better.

On the latest episode of Let’s Hear It, Eric speaks with Tara Dorabji, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at the Center for Cultural Power, an organization dedicated to harnessing the power of creativity.

Tara Dorabji and her colleagues Erin Potts and Dr. Melanie Meinzer have crafted an extraordinary new report – Building Narratives of Joy: Experimenting with Transformational Narratives – that digs into the intricacies of shifting mindsets and fostering belonging through art.

Tara speaks with Eric about how she got kicked out of the farmer’s market for being too political, how she facilitated a conversation with a Japanese anti-nuclear advocate that brought a Livermore Labs PR person to tears, and how the Lego superhero Vax Man helped dramatically increase vaccination rates among Latino youth in California’s Central Valley.

Yep, narrative can do all that. Join us for this great conversation.

Making Reparations a Reality: Blazing a Trail to Racial Repair with Trevor Smith

Join us in this thought-provoking and inspiring episode as we welcome Trevor Smith, the Director of Narrative Change at Liberation Ventures, an organization helping to strengthen the movement for Black-led racial repair.  

Trevor is a writer, researcher, and strategist focused on the topics of racial inequality, wealth inequality, reparations, and narrative change. He is also the creator, curator, and editor of an amazing newsletter – Reparations Daily (ish).

Trevor talks with Eric about the growing movement calling for reparations as a catalyst for true racial repair. He invites us to reflect on how we can all work toward a new narrative on reparations, and how we can create a democracy that is inclusive, empathetic, and centered on principles of justice.

So, whether you're passionate about social justice, interested in narrative change, or simply eager to learn more about the path to a more equitable society, this episode promises to leave you inspired and informed.

Designing the Office Space for the Aftertimes - Emily Krone Phillips of the Spencer Foundation and Francis Court of Wondersphere

Let’s face it, most of us will never work the way we did before COVID. The office is different, and how we learn, share, and connect are different. So what are we going to do about it?

Emily Krone Phillips, the Communications Director at the Spencer Foundation, working with her colleague Francis Court of the design firm Wondersphere, decided to revolutionize the Spencer Foundation's office space to adapt to the post-COVID work world. 

Join us for a really fun and lively discussion about space, communications, and work in the Aftertimes as Eric interviews Emily and Francis about how they took your standard-issue foundation office and redesigned it into a hub for collaboration, learning, and community engagement.

For all of you out there trying to figure out how we’re going to work together in this crazy new environment (so, basically, everybody), don’t miss this episode. It may just change how you think about the "office". 

Alan Jenkins asks, “What if the 1/6 Insurrection Succeeded? – in a Comic Book

Harvard Law professor Alan Jenkins has argued cases before the Supreme Court, made grants at the Ford Foundation, co-founded a national narrative change nonprofit, and now has co-authored...a comic book.

But not just any comic book. 1/6: The Graphic Novel is a powerful and chilling reminder that great communications and great advocacy takes many forms. He and his co-author Gan Golan and artist Will Rosado give us a dramatic new look into what happened on that terrible day and what might have happened had the insurrectionists prevailed.

Alan speaks with Eric about his love of comic books and a career that has been at the intersection of storytelling, law, and social justice for positive change. Don’t miss this terrific conversation with one of our field’s most creative and incisive communicators.  

Marta Tellado of Consumer Reports – Our Privacy is a Setting, and it Needs to be a Right

Marta Tellado’s new book Buyer Aware: Harnessing our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace is both an amazingly useful tool for today’s consumer to navigate the rat’s nest that is the modern marketplace and a manifesto for consumer freedom in the age of digital everything.

Marta talks with Eric about the dangers of the lack of standards in today’s digital world and how we can reawaken the “sleeping giant” of collective consumer power.

And for you nonprofits and foundations professionals out there, your audiences and your constituents are actually consumers first – making dozens of decisions every day that affect the success of your missions and your organizations. Hear how Marta is working to bring these two powerful worlds together.

Jacob Harold’s New Book Will Make Your Head Hurt (in a good way)!

Many of us spend a career doing something, gathering stories, ideas, skills, and things like that and think to ourselves, “Hmmm. All this stuff I’ve learned might make a good book,” and then go right back to the brewpub for another Hazy IPA.

Not Jacob Harold. Mind you, Jacob has had quite a rather distinguished career – he’s been a community organizer, a Bridgespan consultant, a Hewlett Foundation grantmaker, the CEO of Guidestar, and the co-founder of Candid, among other things. After stepping down from Candid, Jacob endeavored to write it all down – not in a self-congratulatory memoir (which is what Eric hopes to do when he gets home from the brewpub), but in an extremely comprehensive and articulate guide to doing good in the 21st century. The book, The Toolbox: Strategies for Crafting Social Impact is quite simply one of the very best guides of its kind that we have seen.

Eric sits down with his former colleague to discuss Jacob’s career and how to apply the nine tools for social change, and Eric tells Jacob why the book made his head hurt (in a good way).

Using The Science of Storytelling to Change the Narrative on Poverty and Wealth: Shanelle Matthews of Radcomms and Annie Neimand of Third Sector

If you aren't at the table, you’re on the menu, Shanelle Matthews and Annie Neimand remind us. In their new report, Broke: How the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sectors Are Talking About Poverty—And How We Can Do Better, they note, “The stories we’re currently told about how the rich got rich, why the poor stay poor, and why people can’t “move up” place the blame on individuals instead of systems. This creates a vast network of oppression, propping up business as usual and allowing the rich to remain rich, while others suffer.”

Shanelle and Annie resolved to provide us with the tools we need to tell more accurate and liberating stories about poverty and wealth. This project was a collaboration between The Radical Communicators Network, the Center for Public Interest Communications, and the creative design agency Milli, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Shanelle is the Communications Director for the Movement for Black Lives, the founder of the Radical Communicators Network, and our first repeat guest! She was joined by Annie Neimand of Third Sector, who at the time was the Research Director at the Center for Public Interest Communications at the university of Florida in Gainesville and is the first relative of a previous guest (her uncle Rich) to appear on the show.

 

Shanelle and Annie had a great conversation with Eric about the research project they designed and their terrific new resource to advance new narratives about poverty and wealth.

Ken Weine of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Has a Very Important Person on the Line

Ken Weine blows our mind. As the Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President for External Affairs at one of the most famous and (dare we say it?) important cultural, social, and historical institutions on the planet, he oversees the marketing and media for 43 exhibitions a year, not to mention the famous Costume Gala, debates around cultural appropriation, the challenge of removing donors’ names from the museum, regular protests on the steps of the museum, and on the day we spoke, a very important visitor. And that’s a semi-normal day.

Ken spoke with Eric about how he keeps all the plates spinning, and how he continues to try to breathe new life into a 150-year-old institution (maybe someone will name their child after him thanks to his amazing idea of Date Night at the Met!). More than that, we hear from one of the finest in the business about how we can use communications to significantly advance the goals of any organization.  

Jenn Hoos Rothberg of Einhorn Collaborative Dares You to Hope

If you work in the social sector, you know how hard this moment is.

You would be forgiven for feeling that our social and political world is spinning hopelessly out of control. Go ahead, belly up to the bar, or the ice cream section of your local supermarket, or whatever you do when you get that feeling.

On the other hand, Jenn Hoos Rothberg, the Executive Director of Einhorn Collaborative – a charitable foundation based in New York – might just give you a bit of hope.

She’s not naïve. She knows that things are tough. Trust is down and skepticism is up. People don't feel seen, heard, or valued, wherever they land on the ideological spectrum.                                                                                                            

Jenn says that we’re in a crisis of connection – we’re more alienated, lonely, and polarized than ever.

The result, of course, is tragic for the things many folks care about – the environment, women’s health, racial justice, hunger – you name it.

At Einhorn, she has launched an extraordinary new project called “A Call to Connection: Rediscovering the Transformative Power of Relationships.” She spoke with Eric out about how she is partnering with leaders in multiple sectors to better understand how vital human connection is to effectively address the challenges of our time.

We’re as cynical as the next pair of podcast hosts, but we hope this is one of those conversations that we hope will inspire you to engage and connect and feel good about what we can accomplish together.

Race Forward’s Jeff Chang: A Cultural Wing Walker and Oracle of the Zeitgeist Talks about Hip Hop, Chris Rock, and Moving Forward

Jeff Chang has such a special view of race and culture in America that it’s almost impossible to do him justice. He draws on his Hawaiian/Chinese roots and his background as a hip hop DJ and indie label founder to help us better understand culture, politics, the arts, and music.

Jeff was formerly the Vice President of Narrative, Arts, and Culture at Race Forward. He now serves as a Senior Advisor and leads the Butterfly Lab for Immigrant Narrative Strategy.  Jeff also served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University.

He has written for The Guardian, Slate, The Nation, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Believer, Foreign Policy, N+1, Mother Jones, Salon, and Buzzfeed, and is the author of three really terrific books: Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, Who We Be: The Colorization of America, and We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation.

Jeff and Eric discuss the political voice of hip hop, the Chris Rock/Will Smith Oscars moment, what it means to be an American, and a lot more. Tune in and listen to Jeff walk on wings!  

Disability Rights Advocate Emily Ladau Blows Our Minds Wide Open

When Emily Ladau appeared on Sesame Street at the age of ten, she probably didn’t realize that she was beginning a lifetime of advocacy for people living with disabilities. Emily is the author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be An Ally, the Digital Content and Community Manager for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, and a highly sought-after public speaker.

In a country were one in four people has some kind of disability, Emily has dedicated her life to providing a starting point and a safe space for people to learn about an issue that is hard for many to talk about, but which touches almost every life in our country on one way or the other.

Emily speaks with Eric about how important it is for us all to create a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. Then she blows him away with her mad comms skills…

Read the transcript here.

Aaron Belkin is a Stone-Cold Communications Genius

We don’t bandy about terms like these, but Aaron Belkin is a stone-cold communications genius. He was a leader of the communications strategy that helped end the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prevented gay and lesbian soldiers from serving openly in the military, and he followed that with a successful campaign to allow transgender individuals in the military to serve openly and have access to gender-affirming medical and psychological care.

Aaron’s book How We Won: Progressive Lessons from the Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ should be required reading in every communications class, and for that matter every nonprofit or foundation communications department everywhere.

Eric spoke with Aaron about his strategy to win on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and much more. Aaron is controversial, a little salty, and unafraid of taking on the conventional wisdom (and don’t get him started on George Lakoff).

We really think you’re going to enjoy this one.

Stupski Foundation‘s Glen Galaich Offers the Best Idea Yet for How Philanthropy Should Measure Success

Did you miss us? We missed you! Let’s Hear It has been on a brief hiatus but we’re thrilled to be back with what we think is a cracking great conversation with Glen Galaich, the CEO of the Stupski Foundation in San Francisco. Eric sits down (in person!) with Glen to discuss Glen’s colorful career as a drive time talk radio host, his full-throated endorsement of limited life philanthropy, and the ulcers he causes his communications director.

Glen also offers our favorite recommendation for how philanthropy should measure success. We think it’s just plain genius.

But don’t take our word for it – decide for yourself!

Jasmine Banks of UnKoch My Campus is Unafraid

Jasmine Banks is unafraid. As the Executive Director of UnKoch My Campus, she is fighting to preserve democracy and protect higher education from undue corporate donor influence. She and her colleagues are taking on a nationwide network of think tanks, "action" groups, and academics funded by Koch Industries and its many subsidiaries. And you think your day job is challenging.

 

Most recently, Jasmine's organization published a report that reveals a coordinated attempt to ban education about systemic racism in public schools and the teaching of what has come to be known as Critical Race Theory. Jasmine explains how she is pushing back against concerted efforts to foment culture wars in order to maintain the status quo.

 

We had a great conversation with Jasmine, who approaches her work with enthusiasm, joy, and great deal of grace.

Edgar Villanueva’s Quest to Decolonize Philanthropy

Edgar Villanueva is an author, activist, and expert on issues of race, wealth, and philanthropy. He is the Principal of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital and author of the bestselling book Decolonizing Wealth, whose second edition was just released in August.

 

He advises a range of organizations including national and global philanthropies, Fortune 500 companies, and entertainment on social impact strategies to advance racial equity.

 

As a Native American who has worked in philanthropy for nearly two decades, Edgar has an important vantage point to analyze what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve philanthropy.

If You Are Very Lucky, Rich Neimand Will Make You Some Soup

Rich Neimand has spent his long career using his considerable marketing chops to advance important social causes.

His firm, Neimand Collaborative, has worked on a wide range of issues to improve education, protect the environment, improve people’s health, and promote financial inclusion, among many, many others.

At the center is his focus on uniting different audiences around common objectives using a creative approach that goes far beyond focus groups and polling (and includes time spent at the stove or performing personal ablutions).

Rich speaks with Eric about his life, politics, his colorful family, and why the creative process is like making soup.

Rinku Sen of the Narrative Initiative Shows Us Why What We Say Matters

It’s not easy to describe a guest as dynamic as Rinku Sen, but we’ll give it a shot. Rinku is the executive director of Narrative Initiative, co-president of the Women’s March Board, and author of two incredible books. As a political strategist, she has worked with the ACLU and PolicyLink, and her work on the “Drop the I Word” campaign has revolutionized the way media outlets talk about immigrants. As you can imagine, having Rinku on Let’s Hear It is a treat.  

 

In this exceptionally fun and interesting conversation, Rinku talks about her experience in journalism school, the history behind the term “systemic racism,” and how to ask the right questions to get the most useful answers. We’re aware that we say this every time, but it truly is not a conversation to miss.  

 

In sadder news, this episode marks the end of the intrepid Maggie Brown’s tenure as our producer and audio editor. Let’s Hear It might not be the same without them, but we’re so thrilled about this new chapter of their life as they move to Japan to teach English. Give it up for Maggie!

 

P.S. This does mean we’re in the market for a new audio editor! If you know someone who knows someone who may be interested, don’t hesitate to let us know.