Impact Audio

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Sam Caplan alongside PEAK Grantmaking managing director Sara Richman Sanders. They discuss their takeaways from the 2026 PEAK Grantmaking conference. They explore: • The evolving role of grant managers • How nonprofit leaders are leading with courage • What systems courageous leaders need

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Ann Mei Change, CEO of Candid. She digs into how data can help create a new status quo for the nonprofit sector. She explores: • The tools that are changing how nonprofits use data • How timelines and expectations can shift to better support innovation • How nonprofits should calibrate their approach to AI

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Andrea Bell, Director of CSR Learning Programs at ACCP. She sits down with Sam Caplan to share their thoughts and takeaways from the 2025 ACCP Annual Conference.Andrea and Sam discuss:Why CSR leaders must develop serious business acumen alongside their impact expertiseThe shift from measuring only external impact to demonstrating internal business valueWhy resilient leadership matters more than ever in uncertain timesLinks:Follow Andrea on LinkedInFollow Sam on LinkedinLearn more about ACCPRead ACCP’s insights blogMore about the 2025 ACCP Annual ConferenceListen to our recent episode with ACCP CEO, Andrea WoodListen to our 2024 episode with former ACCP CEO, Carolyn BerkowitzCheck out keynote speaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones’, book “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual”

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Project Evident’s founder and CEO Kelly Fitzsimmons and CIO Sarah Di Troia. They dig into how AI is empowering the social impact sector and what practitioners need to do their best work. They break down: • Why “do no harm” is not a solid AI strategy • How evidence powers innovation •Why AI requires a new level of collaboration for the social sector

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Matthew Hanson, managing director of grants and policy at Witt O’Brien’s. He shares the effects of change at the federal level and how public sector grantmakers can help reshape the future of the sector. Matthew covers: • The expanded role states will likely play in delivering funds • How grantmakers can break down silos between departments • Where grant management tech fits into the new landscape of public sector funding The episode was recorded just before the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025.

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Stacy Huston, executive director of SixDegrees.org. She shares how her organization partners with nonprofits to fill the resource gap and spread the word about community programs. Stacy covers: • Why the resource gap is about more than funding • How to best help nonprofits tell their stories • The strategy behind SixDegrees’ most successful projects

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Karen Bergin, senior director of employee engagement and disaster response at Microsoft. She shares how the company sustains one of the world’s biggest and most impactful employee giving programs. Karen covers: • How Microsoft creates a personalized experience for employees • The feedback loops that help the program evolve • What it takes to measure the impact of employee giving

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Abigail Epane-Osuala, president of the GE Healthcare Foundation, and Ash Rogers, Co-CEO of Lwala Community Alliance. They share how they built a partnership that utilizes the inherent strengths of each organization. They cover: • The principles and practices that create strong funder-grantee relationships • How to build short-term benchmarks for long-term impact measurement • Forging partnerships across the public and private sectors

This episode of Impact Audio features Tom Knowlton, CEO of CSR Talent Group. He shares how some companies are tailoring CSR programs to better meet employee needs. He digs into: • The keys to engaging hard-to-reach employees • How to think more holistically about employee engagement • Real-world examples of individualized volunteer programs

This episode of the Impact Audio features Fred Tan, head of social impact at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He shares how HPE teams up with their customers to make meaningful progress on some of the world’s most pressing issues. He digs into: • Building partnerships at the personal and organizational level • Strategies to find the right social impact niche for your company • The mechanisms that create real innovation

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Megan Strand, director of strategic consulting at Realized Worth. She lays out how an employee volunteer network can transform employees’ relationships with their company’s social impact work. She shares: • The structures that underpin genuine engagement • How to balance your focus between current state and future state • Why you should be aiming for the IKEA effect

This episode of the Impact Audio podcast features Shannon Farley, co-founder and executive director of Fast Forward. She digs into the ways tech nonprofits are using AI to make a deeper impact and shares her takeaways from the Google.org Impact Summit. She explores: • Real-world examples of nonprofits building AI tools • How to avoid “shiny object” funding • What nonprofits can teach the for-profit world about AI adoption

In this episode of Impact Audio, Melanie LeGrande, managing director at Panorama Strategy, talks through how she responded to that reality. When she didn’t get the budget she needed for an employee giving program, she pivoted to a new strategy. She covers how to: • Create a micro version of your ideal program • Define success for your social impact programs • Craft a clear story that resonates with your audience