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Episodes
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Why Small Nonprofits Often Make a Big Difference
The chief executive of Britain’s National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts on why big change is often a slow, organic process.
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Why Foundations Should Pay Attention to Radical Thinkers
Grant makers can't expect to bring about change unless they support more people who challenge conventional wisdom, says Bradford Smith, head of the Foundation Center.
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Resolving Disputes: Lessons From Conflict Zones
The head of an organization that works to end bitter international disputes explains how nonprofits can help people with opposing views work together.
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How a Foundation Builds Strong Ties to Charities
Debra Jacobs, chief executive of the Patterson Foundation, says treating grantees as partners is key to creating social change.
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5 Qualities Necessary for Social Change
Tenacity to pursue problems over the long haul is indispensable, says Alberto Ibargüen, head of the Knight foundation, seen here, at left, surveying damage in Biloxi, Miss.,...
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How Government Threats Can Spark Nonprofits to Act
Tonya Surman, founder of the Centre for Social Innovation, in Toronto, discusses how nonprofits can band together to advocate against potentially damaging public policies.
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Leadership Matters: a Veteran Evaluator's Social-Change Lessons
Michael Quinn Patton, author of five books on assessment, says he's learned that successful efforts to promote social change come not just from good program ideas but also...
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How Personal Interest Spurs Activism
Martin Brueckner, a lecturer in sustainability at Murdoch University in Australia, shows how even the most complex social issues can be boiled down to concrete tidbits that...
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Putting a Community’s Needs Ahead of Fundraising
Sonya Campion, co-founder of the Campion Foundation, says organizations that have a deep commitment to their communities are most likely to be effective in their missions.
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Building Connections to Improve Aid to the Needy
Alanna Shaikh, creator of online social network AidSource, describes how the site is allowing people to share what works best to lift communities out of poverty.
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The Power of Making Connections
Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, discusses how nonprofits can urge their supporters to work together to advance social goals.
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Getting Competitors to Work Together
Lori Seibel, chief executive of the Community Health Endowment in Lincoln, Neb., shares how two hospitals work together to save money and better serve the poor.
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A Bookseller's Lessons on Change
A business that stuck to its mission, even amid rapid growth, provides management ideas for nonprofits seeking to build strong communities.
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Lessons for Nonprofits From the Arab Spring
Andy Carvin, NPR's social-media senior strategist, discusses how effective causes need networks of people who have the strength to pull together in the face of opposition.
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How a New Foundation Listens to Its Community
Sidney Hargro, cheif executive of the Community Foundation of South Jersey, shares how is organization is finding ways to help eight diverse counties work together.
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How a Grant Maker Became a Social-Change Agent
Roger Hughes, chief executive of a community health foundation in Phoenix, Ariz., discusses how his organization transformed into an effective proponent for social change.
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Sustaining Social Change Long After Disaster Strikes
Albert Ruesga, chief executive of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, discusses how to keep people involved in civic-change efforts long after urgency has subsided.
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How Shared Dreams and Values Promote Social Change
John Stansfield, director of advocacy and campaigns at Oxfam New Zealand, shares lessons he has learned about how to help people build a common vision.
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Bringing the Community to the Table
Thinking of every community member as part of a team can create powerful results, says Paul Born, president of Tamarack, an Institute for Community Engagement.
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Focusing on What Is Possible
Community change is more likely to happen when nonprofits build on the strengths of their communities, not the weaknesses, says Peter Block, a veteran activist and author.
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What Leads to Social Change?
Three veteran activists share the best ideas on how to transform society starting with the question, "What factors lead to social change?"
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Testing Assumptions: How Asking Questions About Purpose Can Produce Change
Jonathan Spack, the leader of a 40-year-old Boston nonprofit, discusses how his organization managed its transformation.
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The Road to Civil Discourse
Carol Rasco, a domestic-policy adviser to former President Clinton, discusses the role of civil discourse in advocacy.
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Making Community a Top Priority
Rich Harwood, president of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, discusses how an organization can stop worrying about its survival and focus on the people it serves.
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Inside a Foundation's Effort to Bridge Divides
Nancy Hunt, who co-founded the We Are Family Foundation with the musician Nile Rodgers, describes her organization's effort to build strong communities worldwide.
