Introducing Cause & Purpose

Aug 1, 2023

Altruous has a podcast! As part of our commitment to the people and organizations tackling the most important social challenges in the world today, Altruous is the title sponsor of the Cause & Purpose Podcast.

Cause & Purpose features frank and candid conversations with social impact leaders around the world. The show explores the lives and inspirations, career ups and downs, stories from the field, and lessons learned from a wide array of impact leaders - some of whom are actively involved with Altruous today. It’s an opportunity to introduce you to some amazing folks who you might not know about otherwise. Many of the guests are largely unknown, working behind the scenes in their various cause areas, but all have compelling personal backgrounds and some amazing stories to tell. Most of all it’s an opportunity for us to learn, and “up our own game,” as we apply those learnings in our goals, ethos, and operations here at Altruous.

One of our favorite things about the show is the forum it provides to have no-nonsense conversations about the impact space. Everything you’ll hear is unfiltered content, straight from the people doing the hard work of social impact day-to-day.

   

Season 1 featured some incredible conversations, and season 2 promises to be even stronger. Shalini Vajjhala kicks things off - she’s the founder and CEO of re:focus partners and PRE Collective, and is the true embodiment of inclusive stakeholdership and long-term thinking. Much of the work she does revolves around infrastructure planning that will prepare cities and regions for proactive disaster mitigation, and building resiliency for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Listen to Shalini’s Episode

Later in the season, we’ll hear from Jake Wood, founder of Team Rubicon and Groundswell, Clara Rowe from Restor.eco, Derrick Feldmann from ISG Research Advisors, The Skoll Center at Oxford University, and the Ad Council, and many others.

We’ll be releasing episodes every two weeks through the end of 2023, so stay tuned for more!

The Altruous Team

Staff

Keep Reading...

The $18 Trillion Opportunity You're Probably Ignoring (And Why Your Clients Are Going Elsewhere for Philanthropy Advice)

While wealth managers focus on optimizing portfolios, their clients are making crucial philanthropic decisions—involving $18 trillion over the next 25 years—without professional guidance. Despite 91% of high-net-worth households making charitable donations, only 5% of wealth managers feel confident discussing philanthropy with clients. This disconnect creates the largest missed opportunity in wealth management today. This article outlines five strategic approaches for wealth managers to integrate philanthropic planning into their practice, from starting with client values rather than vehicles to mastering planned giving conversations. Advisors who offer charitable planning report 6x the median assets and 3x the organic growth of those who don't, while also creating deeper client relationships that transcend investment performance.

The Altruous Team

Beyond Greenwashing: How Corporate CSR Can Actually Move the Needle

Many corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are essentially "greenwashing," offering minimal impact despite significant funding. This article, part of a series on philanthropic impact, argues for transforming CSR from mere feel-good activities to strategic social investment. It outlines five ways companies can achieve this, and emphasizes how a strategic approach to CSR not only drives genuine social change but also offers measurable business benefits like increased employee engagement, stronger brand reputation, and improved customer loyalty, especially as millennials and Gen Z increasingly expect authentic corporate responsibility.

The Altruous Team

Why Playing It Safe is the Riskiest Strategy (And What Institutional Foundations Should Do Instead)

Institutional foundations have optimized themselves for avoiding mistakes instead of making impact. Committee structures and risk-averse processes create institutions that excel at avoiding embarrassment but fail at solving problems. While nonprofits struggle with declining funding, many foundations continue operating like it's 2005—funding safe, established organizations doing incremental work rather than taking calculated risks on innovative approaches. This article outlines five strategies for transforming institutional grantmaking from risk management to impact management, including funding capacity over programs, making genuine multi-year commitments, supporting policy advocacy, and embracing high-integrity philanthropy that balances trust with accountability.

The Altruous Team

The $18 Trillion Opportunity You're Probably Ignoring (And Why Your Clients Are Going Elsewhere for Philanthropy Advice)

While wealth managers focus on optimizing portfolios, their clients are making crucial philanthropic decisions—involving $18 trillion over the next 25 years—without professional guidance. Despite 91% of high-net-worth households making charitable donations, only 5% of wealth managers feel confident discussing philanthropy with clients. This disconnect creates the largest missed opportunity in wealth management today. This article outlines five strategic approaches for wealth managers to integrate philanthropic planning into their practice, from starting with client values rather than vehicles to mastering planned giving conversations. Advisors who offer charitable planning report 6x the median assets and 3x the organic growth of those who don't, while also creating deeper client relationships that transcend investment performance.

The Altruous Team

Beyond Greenwashing: How Corporate CSR Can Actually Move the Needle

Many corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are essentially "greenwashing," offering minimal impact despite significant funding. This article, part of a series on philanthropic impact, argues for transforming CSR from mere feel-good activities to strategic social investment. It outlines five ways companies can achieve this, and emphasizes how a strategic approach to CSR not only drives genuine social change but also offers measurable business benefits like increased employee engagement, stronger brand reputation, and improved customer loyalty, especially as millennials and Gen Z increasingly expect authentic corporate responsibility.

The Altruous Team

Why Playing It Safe is the Riskiest Strategy (And What Institutional Foundations Should Do Instead)

Institutional foundations have optimized themselves for avoiding mistakes instead of making impact. Committee structures and risk-averse processes create institutions that excel at avoiding embarrassment but fail at solving problems. While nonprofits struggle with declining funding, many foundations continue operating like it's 2005—funding safe, established organizations doing incremental work rather than taking calculated risks on innovative approaches. This article outlines five strategies for transforming institutional grantmaking from risk management to impact management, including funding capacity over programs, making genuine multi-year commitments, supporting policy advocacy, and embracing high-integrity philanthropy that balances trust with accountability.

The Altruous Team

Why $250 Billion is Sitting in Accounts While Nonprofits Struggle (And How DAF Holders Can Fix It)

There is currently more than $250 billion sitting dormant in Donor Advised Funds, while the nonprofit organizations in need of that funding continue to struggle. DAF holders have a unique opportunity to massively accelerate social change in a tremendously tumultuous era. It’s time to start viewing their funds as charitable resources meant for immediate impact, not just investment growth. Here are some practical steps…

The Altruous Team