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Impact Audio

The podcast for social impact practitioners looking to connect big ideas with real impact. Join host Sam Caplan as he curates practical advice and inspiring stories from the people changing how we think about social change.

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A compliance wonk breaks down Uniform Guidance changes

Season 4, Episode 18 | 34:01 Min

David Clark explores what transparency and equity mean in the context of public sector funding.

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David Clark

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Sam Caplan

How to use partnerships + transparency to address big social problems

Season 4, Episode 17 | 19:11 Min

Fred Tan lays out how HPE found its social impact niche and built a network of partners to tackle some of the world’s most complex problems.

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Fred Tan

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Sam Caplan

How GivingTuesday went from grassroots movement to data powerhouse

Season 4, Episode 16 | 43:48 Min

Woodrow Rosenbaum shares the story behind GivingTuesday’s evolution from a grassroots giving movement to a global institution working to make data more accessible and actionable.

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Woodrow Rosenbaum

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Sam Caplan

How to (and why you should!) build an employee volunteer network

Season 4, Episode 15 | 34:12 Min

Megan Strand breaks down how to build an employee volunteer network that taps into people’s natural desire to get involved.

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Megan Strand

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Sam Caplan

Start with the story: A guide to social impact messaging

Season 4, Episode 14 | 24:39 Min

Erin Combs shares the secret to creating a social impact messaging strategy that feels authentic.

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Erin Combs

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Sam Caplan

The AI imperative: How tech nonprofits are leading the way

Season 4, Episode 13 | 29:14 Min

Shannon Farley digs into the landscape of tech nonprofits using AI for good and reshaping how the social impact sector thinks about technology.

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Shannon Farley

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Sam Caplan

From inbox filler to company mantra: How to nail your CSR comms

Season 4, Episode 12 | 23:18 Min

Rich Maiore gives tactical advice about how to get your CSR communication plan on track.

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Rich Maiore

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Sam Caplan

How to adapt when your CSR budget doesn’t match your vision

Season 4, Episode 11 | 21:16 Min

 Melanie LeGrande walks through how she scaled her CSR vision to create a lasting employee giving program.

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Melanie LeGrande

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Sam Caplan

Less boring, more authentic: On the future of nonprofit boards

Season 4, Episode 10 | 22:40 Min

John Brothers sets a new vision for how nonprofit boards can become a stronger force for democracy.

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John Brothers

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Sam Caplan

25 years in CSR tech: Hard-won advice from an industry insider

Season 4, Episode 9 | 21:48 Min

Chris Battles explores how technology is unlocking a new level of employee engagement in CSR.

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Chris Battles

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Sam Caplan

Dispatch: EFG 2024 and a peek at the future of CSR

Season 4, Episode 8 | 11:58 Min

Sam and Madi reflect on this year’s EFG conference and share what they learned about the future of CSR.

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Madison Silver

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Sam Caplan

Dispatch: NASCIO 2024 Midyear & what state CIOs care about most

Season 4, Episode 7 | 22:27 Min

Hear about Sam’s experience at the NASCIO 2024 Midyear conference.

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Stacey Sveum

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Sam Caplan

FOMO vs skepticism: AI strategy for grantmakers who feel both

Season 4, Episode 6 | 19:02 Min

Jean Westrick explores how funders can navigate the new era of technology without disrupting their mission.

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Jean Westrick

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Sam Caplan

How Morgan Stanley finds & funds solutions for youth mental health

Season 4, Episode 5 | 25:32 Min

Joan Steinberg explains why Morgan Stanley focuses their funding on children’s mental health and the mechanics behind getting that funding into the hands of innovators.

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Joan Steinberg

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Sam Caplan

Closegap & Morgan Stanley: Where innovation arises & how it gets funded

Season 4, Episode 4 | 32 Min

Rachel Miller, founder and CEO of Closegap, and Sam Caplan explore how innovation arises in the social impact sector and how it gets funded. 

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Rachel Miller

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Joan Steinberg

Dispatch: The biggest takeaways from PEAK2024

Season 4, Episode 3 | 17:28 Min

Hear Sam’s biggest insights from PEAK2024 that you might’ve missed.

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Sam Caplan

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Sam Ellsworth

Dispatch: What You Missed at the Microsoft Global Nonprofit Leaders Summit

Season 4, Episode 2 | 31 Min

Go behind the scenes of the exclusive event to learn how top social impact experts think AI will redefine their work.

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Sam Ellsworth

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Sam Caplan

Beth Kanter on AI & the One Question That Will Help You Make Sense of It

Season 4, Episode 1 | 21 Min

Beth Kanter, nonprofit trainer and author, and Sam Caplan explore the nuances of how nonprofits can start using AI today in a responsible way.

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Beth Kanter

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Sam Caplan

The starvation cycle in corporate social responsibility: How CSR professionals can right the ship

Season 3, Episode 9 | 22:40 Min

Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO of ACCP, and Sam Caplan explore how CSR professionals can get their teams out of the starvation cycle.

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Carolyn Berkowitz

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Sam Caplan

Systemic change requires bold solutions

Season 3, Episode 8 | 69:19 Min

Partners from the Bold Solutions Network sit down with Sam Caplan to share how support from Lever for Change enables them to make long-term, systemic progress.

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Native Women Lead

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New Mexico Community Capital

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Communities United

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JUST Community

What is the ‘S’ in ESG, and how do you measure it?

Season 3, Episode 7 | 27:10 Min

Carmen Perez, founder and partner at Better Next, and Sam Caplan tackle one of the trickiest aspects of CSR and grantmaking—measuring impact.

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Carmen Perez

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Sam Caplan

The challenge model: How to flip the philanthropy script

Season 3, Episode 6 | 30:03 Min

Kristen Molyneaux, vice president of program strategy & learning at Lever for Change, and Sam Caplan break down how to avoid the traps of traditional philanthropy.

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Kristen Molyneaux

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Sam Caplan

A blueprint for high-engagement CSR programs

Season 3, Episode 5 | 28:23 Min

Patricia Toothman, social impact manager at Splunk, and Sam Caplan explore what it takes to turn employees into CSR champions.

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Patricia Toothman

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Sam Caplan

What the data says about the future of social impact

Season 3, Episode 4 | 29:42 Min

Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, managing director of corporate insights & engagement for CECP, and Sam Caplan map out how individual efforts connect to systemic change.

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Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas

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Sam Caplan

Constructing a Purpose-Built Career

Season 3, Episode 3 | 26:15 Min

Angela Parker, CEO and co-founder of Realized Worth, and Sam Caplan discuss the realities of what it takes to build a career around a strong sense of purpose.

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Angela Parker

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Sam Caplan

Breakthroughs in Social Impact: How Integrated CSR Unlocks Innovation

Season 3, Episode 2 | 26 Min

Erin Baudo Felter, VP of social impact and sustainability at Okta, and Sam Caplan break down what should drive CSR programs.

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Erin Baudo Felter

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Sam Caplan

Lessons from the Future of CSR and Corporate Volunteering

Season 3, Episode 1 | 30 Min

Jen Carter, global head of technology & volunteering at Google.org, and Sam Caplan explore what it means to take a “moonshot” approach to social impact.

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Jen Carter

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Sam Caplan

The Opportunity Motivation: Effective Altruism and Our Impetus to Give

Season 2, Episode 10 | 29 Min

Join Submittable with Giving What We Can's Luke Freeman in a discussion about the motivations and methodology behind effective altruism.

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Luke Freeman

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Rachel Mindell

Leaders Never Stop Emerging: Embracing the Next Generation of Philanthropic Changemakers

Season 2, Episode 9 | 35 Min

Join Submittable with philanthropy leader Storme Gray in a discussion about how emerging social impact leaders can unlock the right doors and keep them open. 

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Storme Gray

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Laura Steele

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Rachel Mindell

From Transactional to Transformative: How Intention Can Remake Corporate Volunteering

Season 2, Episode 8 | 30 Min

Join Submittable’s Sam Caplan in conversation with Chris Jarvis, an expert in volunteerism, corporate giving, and the neuroscience behind lasting change.

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Chris Jarvis

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Sam Caplan

Conversations at the Heart of CSR

Season 2, Episode 7 | 30 Min

Join Submittable with CSR-insider Alli Murphy for a discussion about the people, ideas, and resources propelling social good.

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Alli Murphy

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Rachel Mindell

Riding the Hype Curves: Community Foundations, Crypto, and DAFs

Season 2, Episode 6 | 31 Min

Join Submittable with philanthropy IT insider Leon Wilson for a conversation about tech adoption and strategy in the social sector.

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Leon Wilson

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Sam Caplan

How Tech Can Turn Silos Into Systems Change

Season 2, Episode 5 | 15 Min

Join Impact Audio for a conversation with Amy Sample Ward and Afua Bruce, experts and leaders in social impact technology.

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Amy Sample Ward

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Afua Bruce

4 Trends Shaping Philanthropy in 2022

Season 2, Episode 4 | 12 Min

Join Impact Audio producers as they discuss the ideas and people shaping philanthropy in 2022, and beyond. 

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Laura Steele

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Rachel Mindell

Accessibility, Advocacy, Representation: How Philanthropy Can Step Up for the Disability Community

Season 2, Episode 3 | 33 Min

Join Submittable with special guest Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Founder of RespectAbility, for a powerful conversation on the “A” that’s missing from DEI. 

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Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi

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Sam Caplan

Advancing DEI Day to Day: From Why to How with WarnerMedia

Season 2, Episode 2 | 15 Min

Join Submittable with special guests Grace Moss, Sophia Zeinu, and Yvette Urbina of WarnerMedia for a discussion on operationalizing DEI.

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Grace Moss

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Sophia Zeinu

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Yvette Urbina

From Evolution to Revolution: How Grants Managers Can Remake Philanthropy

Season 2, Episode 1 | 29 Min

Join Submittable with special guests Rachel Kimber and Adam Liebling, grants managers at the forefront of philanthropy’s future tense.

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Rachel Kimber

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Adam Liebling

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Sam Caplan

The State of Corporate Purpose: Insights from CECP's 2021 Giving in Numbers Report

Season 1, Episode 10 | 20 Min

Join Submittable’s impact team to hear which trends are shaping the future of philanthropy.

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Sam Caplan

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Natalya DeRobertis-Theye

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Laura Steele

John Mohr and Sam Caplan: Democratizing Philanthropy with the Common App

Season 1, Episode 9 | 31 Min

Join Submittable with special guest John Mohr, Chief Information Officer of the MacArthur Foundation, in conversation about his efforts to create a common grant application.

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John Mohr

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Sam Caplan

7 Principles for Measuring Impact

Season 1, Episode 8 | 17 Min

Join Submittable's marketing team to shift your perspective and discover seven principles that can help guide your impact measurement work.

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Natalya DeRobertis-Theye

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Rachel Mindell

Chantal Forster and Sam Caplan: Technology Accelerates Change

Season 1, Episode 7 | 29 Min

Join Submittable with special guest Chantal Forster, executive director of the Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), in a conversation about the power of tech in philanthropy.

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Chantal Forster

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Sam Caplan

Kari Aanestad: Equity, Honesty, and #FixTheForm

Season 1, Episode 6 | 15 Min

Join Submittable and special guest Kari Aanestad as she shares context, insights, and insider tips from #FixTheForm.

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Kari Aanestad

Edgar Villanueva and Sam Caplan: How Can Philanthropy Decolonize Wealth?

Season 1, Episode 5 | 59 Min

Join Submittable for a book club Q&A with Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth, facilitated by Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable.

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Edgar Villanueva

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Sam Caplan

Shaady Salehi: Tackling Common Misconceptions about Trust-Based Philanthropy

Season 1, Episode 4 | 12 Min

Join Submittable and special guest Shaady Salehi digging into the tenets behind trust-based philanthropy and how funders may misunderstand them.  

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Shaady Salehi

Luther Hughes and Lydia Boss: Antiracism, Community-building, and Grants for Artists

Season 1, Episode 3 | 12 Min

Join Submittable and special guests Luther Hughes and Lydia Boss in a discussion about strategies for improving equity in the grantmaking process.

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Luther Hughes

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Lydia Boss

Louise Bleach and Mark Horoszowski: CSR, Social Enterprise, and Doing Well by Doing Good

Season 1, Episode 2 | 14 Min

Join Submittable and special guests Louise Bleach and Mark Horoszowski in a conversation about the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the imperative for social and environmental change.

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Louise Bleach

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Mark Horoszowski

Satonya Fair and Sam Caplan: Philanthropy, Impact, and the Future of Grantmaking

Season 1, Episode 1 | 56 Min

Join Submittable for an in-depth Q&A between Satonya Fair, President and CEO at PEAK Grantmaking, and Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable, focused on philanthropy’s past, present, and future.

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Sam Caplan

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Satonya Fair

Impact Audio: Trailer

Season 1, Episode 0 | 3 Min

Join Submittable for a new audio series dedicated to social impact—highlights, insights, and in-depth exchanges. Here’s the lowdown on what’s coming up.

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Rachel Mindell

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