Charity Matters

As schools are getting ready to close for the summer, today we are talking about what it takes to start a school. What started as a simple realization....a moment of wondering how a mother experiencing homelessness could possibly make it through the day....sparked a movement that's changing lives and rewriting futures. Kate Kennedy founded a school for children without housing, creating a safe, supportive space where students can rise beyond their circumstances and write their own success stories. She took on the impossible by raising millions, building a school from the ground up, and empowering families who are often invisible in our system. Her journey is a testament to the power of listening, trusting yourself, and doing what you know is right, even when the world doubts you.

I am so excited to introduce you today to an amazing man, Elliot Kallen. He is a passionate entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and father who has transformed personal tragedy into a mission of hope. As the CEO of multiple companies and the founder of A Brighter Day, Elliot brings both business acumen and deep empathy to his work. After losing his 19-year-old son, Jake, to suicide, Elliot committed himself to supporting teens struggling with depression and anxietywith his nonprofit, A Brighter Day.

Did you know that 350 million people worldwide live with a rare disease? That's 1 in 15 families globally who are navigating these caregiving challenges. In this episode, you'll be introduced to Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin and hear her incredible journey of service with her nonprofit, RareGivers Global—a worldwide network that provides emotional support to caregivers of those with rare, chronic, and complex diseases. Cristol's story is ultimately a love story—for her brothers, whom she lost to a rare disease—and how she now uses her story to help countless others.

During this season of renewal, there is no greater renewal story than today's guest, Susan Shaw. In 2019, Susie and her husband lost their nine-year-old son William in an accident. In the years that followed, they have taken that pain and turned it into purpose for other grieving families by creating William's Be Yourself Challenge. The grief support allows people to embrace being their authentic self, foster meaningful connections, and navigate their healing journey. Join us today for a powerful conversation about love, loss, and renewal. Susie's journey is one of inspiration and hope that there is always love.

Did you know that students miss 53 million hours of school each year due to oral disease? I did not but thanks to our amazing guest today I have learned so much about what our underserved communities around the country are facing with a lack of proper dental care. I am so excited to introduce you to the amazing Dr. Nicole McGrath Barnes. A full time dentist, a mother and a nonprofit founder on a mission to change that fact with the KinderSmile Foundation. You won't want to miss this incredible conversation!

The people who inspire me the most are people who have lost children and take that unbelievable grief and pain and recycle it into good. It is the ultimate recycling of pain to purpose and today's guest, Mary Fagnano, is one of those remarkable humans.When her young son Nick was struck by lightning on a summer day at the beach, her life and her husband's life were forever changed. His life and legacy of service lives on through the beautiful foundation his parents created called the Thrive In Joy, Nick Fagnano Foundation. Join us today for an inspirational conversation that you won't want to miss!

Since cancer knows no boundaries and affects so many regardless of where you live, I wanted to share this amazing organization and family with you this week. Toby Freeman's family was living a lovely life until his oldest brother Robin was given a shocking diagnosis of cancer at the young age of 23. Twenty million people will also receive that diagnosis each year around the world but not all of them will act to serve others. Join us today for a beautiful conversation on the power of love, family, community and legacy. We all have the power to make a difference and Toby's story is a beautiful reminder of what happens when we do.

Dynamic educator and nonprofit founder, Kirk Spahn shares his inspirational story on this week's episode of the Charity Matter's Podcast. Kirk combined his passions of sports, his friends, education and a deep civic duty to create what is now the twenty year old ICL Foundation. Learn how one 23 year old set out to help in a small way, and today, is transforming education by teaching thousands of students how to learn and lead. One person can make a difference and Kirk's story and passion are proof.

This week's guest on the Charity Matter's Podcast, Joan Hornig, “paves the way” for aspiring difference-makers. Through her for profit business, Pave The Way, Joan provides one hundred percent of her profits to nonprofits by selling beautifully designed jewelry. In efforts to make a difference, Joan's foundation, built on a social enterprise, adds value to her jewelry, knowing that each piece represents a donation to the purchaser's choice of charity. Get ready for a heartwarming conversation beginning when Joan left her corporate life behind to kickstart her philanthropic journey.

Welcome to Season Eight of the Charity Matters Podcast Premiere! We have some fantastic people lined up this season that I am thrilled to introduce you to. For today's episode, I am doing my second solo podcast. In our very first episode I spoke about what we hoped to achieve with our Charity Matters Podcast. Looking back it is amazing to see the change and growth in the rearview mirror. We are in the top 5% of podcasts in our category which has some pretty impressive people. Join us today for a shorter episode as we talk about the book and all things Change for Good.

Welcome to the final episode of Season Seven of the Charity Matters Podcast! I am thrilled to share Siobhan and her husband, John's, incredible story in the creation of their nonprofit, Growing to Give. They have grown and given over 100,000 pounds of produce to local food banks in order to free people from hunger around the world. Their story is a beautiful full circle reminder of following your heart, your roots, and always thinking of ways to serve others.

Many of us grew up with the childhood slogan of, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me." Hundreds of years later we now know that they actually can.  As nonprofit founder, Jessica Bondy, shares an inspirational conversation about the power of our words, we learn that words can cause long lasting scars on our children. Join us for an enlightening discussion from across the pond about this amazing new nonprofit, Words Matter.

Did you know that there are over 13 million children in the United States who live with hunger? One in five children does not know where or if their next meal will come. However, it is the rare person or people who actually act when hearing those numbers. Today's guests, Tina Kramer and Shawnee Knight, have acted to create a nonprofit called Filling In Blanks to help those with food insecurity. Join us for inspirational conversations about two next door neighbors who are changing lives in the face of hunger!

Sofie Lindberg started a podcast at age 17 to help her deal with challenges she was facing in her life. What she didn't expect was young women beginning to reach out for more and more support. As a result, she turned her popular podcast, Claim Your Potential, into a nonprofit. Join us today for a fun conversation about what one inspired young woman has done to use her challenges to help serve others.

I can't wait for you to meet the incredible Marcie Gilbert. Marcie's beautiful work is very similar to mine, working with youth leaders who, in turn, mentor other leaders. So join us today for an inspirational conversation to learn about her incredible work as the co-founder of ⁠Calibrate⁠. She will absolutely leave you feeling warm and inspired!

This week, we welcome the founder of 4Girls: Claudia Copely. Join us for an empowering conversation about her amazing work helping young girls to identify themselves as authentic, confident and resilient, preparing them for real life success. We know you will love this episode and the inspiring mantra as much as we do!

On Monday, we celebrated leaders who served our country. Today, I am thrilled to say we are doing the same by celebrating Heroes Voices Media Foundation: an amazing organization that serves those who have served, our military. Donald Dunn was a veteran suffering from PTSD when he and a fellow veteran began a podcast to talk about whatever was on their mind. Donald joins us today to talk more about his experience!

We are happy to welcome the founder of Praline's Backyard Foundation to season 7 of the Charity Matter's podcast! You will learn about the 10 million+ survivors of domestic abuse in the United States and how one in three households of those survivors have a pet with whom they share together. Join us today for an inspiring conversation about how Orazie Cook came up with a solution to help both our furry friends as well as survivors of domestic abuse heal with her nonprofit.

Welcome to Season Seven of the Charity Matters podcast! We are SO excited for all of the amazing conversations we have scheduled for you this season. In this episode, we will introduce to you the amazing Debbie Bial, who for the past thirty plus years, has been passionate in building her national organization, Posse Foundation. Her foundation places gifted young people who might be missed by elite schools in supportive multicultural groups of ten students or posses. These students are mentored, prepared and positioned for success; After listening to Debbie's passion, you will understand why.

What does a private equity firm, a role in President Jimmy Carter's White House, and philanthropy have in common? The answer is today's guest. Larry Gilson had an exciting career; instead of retiring, he founded a nonprofit, Focusing Philanthropy.  His organization is taking his skills of investing in people and businesses to the nonprofit world and changing the way we look at philanthropy.

Today's guest, Rachel Doyle, started her nonprofit in high school and twenty years later has over ninety chapters nationwide connecting teens and senior citizens through GlamourGals. Join us for an inspirational conversation about what we can do for our seniors, ourselves, the power of connection and coming together over something beautiful.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and a terrific Giving Tuesday! I'm so grateful to have today's guest to remind us why we call this the season of giving. Join us as Cindy Witteman shares her journey from fleeing domestic violence, becoming a single parent then a nonprofit founder, author and tv show host of The Little Give. Cindy is a bright light, a survivor and someone who will inspire you with her purpose for giving back and the incredible story of her nonprofit, Driving Single Parents.

Join us today to hear what Kevin is doing every day through his beautiful work with Miracle Messages.  Take a moment to hear about his incredible new book, When We Walk By, which comes out today . I have been reading it and can not say enough about how Kevin's personal story, work and journey to help our unhoused neighbors is beyond inspirational. He is truly one of the most fun and interesting people to learn from.

Episode 66: You, Me Neurodiversity  Today, Alyssa is joining us to share about her latest work with Autism and her new project called You, Me, Neurodiverstiy. Join us as Alyssa shares her inspiring journey from big sister, college student and nonprofit founder.

Join us today for an inspirational conversation with Katie Trowbridge, the founder of Curiosity 2 Create. A nonprofit that is on a mission to help our teachers and ultimately our students. Their mission is to equip K-12 educators with the skills needed to embrace their innate curiosity and encourage critical thinking by providing leading edge resources for our teachers.  Like Charity Matters, Katie is on a mission to help the helpers. If you have a student, know a teacher or care about education in our country you are not going to want to miss this conversation.

Please join us for an inspirational conversation from our guest Ian Sandler. Learn as Ian shares the heartbreaking story behind the creation of Riley's Way and the beautiful lasting legacy he has created to honor his beloved daughter.

A few months ago when I was in DC, a friend introduced me to a terrific philanthropist. He in turn introduced me to today's guest, Angela Patton. Friends connecting friends is simply THE best! Angela Patton is a remarkable human who wanted to help her community, more specifically the girls in her community. What began as giving two weeks of her vacation to start a camp for girls is now twenty years later a movement with her nonprofit Girls for A Change. Join us today, for a motivational and inspiring conversation about passion, resilience and what happens when we lift others up. Angela is sunshine in a bottle and making the world better one girl at a time. This is the perfect episode for a summer day and the best way for us to wrap up Season Five of our podcast, so enjoy!

It is always challenging talking to parents who have lost a child.  Beth and her family have taken their loss and turned it into incredible support for families whose children suffer from life threatening illness with their organization the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. Join us today for an uplifting, inspirational conversation of love, family, faith and purpose.

Today's guest, Nicole Smith is the founder of the Dignity Defense Institute, a nonprofit that is setting out to educate humanity on human value. Their mission is to become an amplifying force for the defense of human dignity.  Join as Nicole shares her story about working on the PR side of human crisis and how that work and the birth of her daughter inspired her to use her voice to help create change.

Join Dana and June Penrod from City of Hope to learn how one person can make a difference for so many living with cancer. Dana's humor and insight will inspire you and make you think about how you live. She is a true example of the quote above and what really matters.

While immigration has been a hot political topic these days, regardless of your stance, there are still people coming to our country who need help. That is where today's guest, Rachel Rutter comes in. Rachel is the founder of Project Libertad, an organization that helps immigrant youth in a multitude of ways. Join us for an inspirational conversation about some of the challenges these children are facing and how she and Project Libertad and making a difference.

Kurt Kandler's story is one of resilience, passion, and dedication to improving the lives of those less fortunate. His organization, 410 Bridge, has faced numerous challenges in its mission to provide aid and support to communities in Africa. But despite these obstacles, Kurt's unwavering commitment to the cause has led to tangible changes and a glimmer of hope in the lives of those who have been forgotten by society.

Did you know one in three Americans have an arrest or conviction record? That means almost 80 million Americans today have an arrest or conviction rate. Today's guest is no stranger to these numbers; she is actually part of that statistic. Join us to learn the incredible story of one woman's journey from prison to nonprofit founder. Teresa Hodge is an absolute inspiration. Learn about Teresa's life's tireless work to help those who have been incarcerated rebuild their lives with her organization Mission Launch.

There is a reason and a story behind today's guest, Rina Madhani's mission to inspire literacy in thousands of underserved children. Join us for an incredible conversation and see why Rina was a L'Oreal Women of Worth. She is a bright light!

If you have been to the grocery store recently you know how insane food prices are these days. When eggs are $8.99 something isn't right! When one New York school teacher realized that his students were going without food he decided to step up in a very big way. It turns out that 1 in 4 New Yorkers who are experiencing a food emergency can even access a food pantry. Join us today to hear the inspirational conversation of one man's journey from the classroom to major food distribution to serve thousands of meals to his neighborhood. Dan Zauderer is an inspiration for us all in his mission to get all of us to be neighbors helping neighbors with his nonprofit @grassrootsgroceryny

Have you ever walked by litter or a pile of trash on a city sidewalk? Most of us have and keep walking, thinking it may smell or what a mess. How many of us would stop and try to figure out how to clean up their neighborhood? I haven't but today's guest Ann Cutbill Lenane did just that. She not only saw a growing problem but she rolled up her sleeves to do something about it. She is a very successful residential realtor in the Upper West Side of New York City and is the founder of One Block UWS. Join us today for an inspirational conversation about one woman's journey to clean up her neighborhood, employee people in need of jobs and revive a community One Block at a time.

Since this week is all about love and Valentines, it seems only fitting that today our guest is all about love. Her name is Deborah Koenigsberger and she is the founder of the nonprofit Hearts of Gold. When you hear her remarkable story about the impact one person can make, it will make you think differently. So join us for a remarkable conversation about love and action. Think of this as a belated Valentines Day gift to yourself!

Today's guest is a perfect example of one woman with a huge goal. Susan Axlerod is the founder of Cure Epilepsy. She will inspire you with the remarkable story of her journey to find a cure for epilepsy to help her daughter. It is a story you don't want to miss and the perfect way to start your year and ours. Susan set out to achieve a goal 25 years ago. Each year Susan and her community paved the way and ultimately raising ninety million dollars towards epilepsy research.

Did you know that there are 75 million people on this planet in need of a wheelchair? Can you imagine being dialed and not having access to get around? That is only one of the amazing facts I learned from today's guest, Don Schoendorfer. Don is the founder of Free Wheelchair Mission. His story is incredible, as is his work in providing over one million wheelchairs to people in need. Join us today to learn how a MIT Bioengineer changed his life and millions of others. You won't want to miss this amazing conversation. Don Schoendorfer is a truly special human who is an inspiration for all with his journey of service.

As parents we all want our children to be kind, empathetic and good humans. If you are reading this you are definitely someone with those goals. Recently, when a mutual friend introduced me to today's guest, Tanuka Gordon I was intrigued by the name of her nonprofit, Mindful Littles. The conversation with Tanuka was even more intriguing.

Join us today for an inspirational conversation with Jamie Beck, the Founder of the nonprofit Free to Thrive. Jamie shares with us an insight into human tracking and remarkable work she and her team are doing to help so many.

Join us today for an inspirational story about the power of one family's love and the incredible legacy Jimmy Miller has left on thousands with the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation. An organization that uses adaptive surfing, to help children with disabilities, veterans, health care workers and so many more heal through their amazing work and the power of the ocean.

One of the questions I always love asking our guests is, "Did you grow up helping others?" It is always fascinating to see where and when the seed of compassion took root in all the incredible people who do nonprofit work. Today's guest, Erin Huber has an incredible life experience of serving others that started at age 12, founded her first nonprofit at 16 and continues to this day with her award winning nonprofit, Drink Local Drink Tap. Join us for an inspirational conversation about what one person can really do to change the world. Erin Huber has been changing it for decades. Her work ethic, passion for helping others and amazing life journey is an inspiration for us all.

Today's guest, Maggie Kane has created an amazing community and a wonderfully unexpected solution for homelessness. Her nonprofit, A Place at the Table, provides community and good food regardless of means. Her delicious Raleigh, North Carolina café is a cozy, warm, friendly café with great food and everyone is welcome.

tbd

Over the years in all of my conversations, the story in founding a nonprofit usually involves a tragedy. Today's conversation all began with one man who was going to become a grandparent and didn't like the world his future grandchild would inherit. So, he got to work in trying to create a better world with kindness through his nonprofit The Happy Community Builders.

Welcome to Season 4 of the Charity Matters Podcast. We are thrilled to continue bringing the best humans on earth to share their journeys in service to others. Join us for a terrific conversation about her journey starting a nonprofit for Parkinson's to writing a book to inspire others to serve. Natalie is pure sunshine in a bottle and just what we need to get inspired for a new school year. More importantly, her new book, Simple Acts: The Busy Teen's Guide to Making a Difference is an inspiration for the entire family.

Today is Memorial Day, a national day when we honor and recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice of service. So it is only fitting that today we are having a conversation with an incredible nonprofit Roots for Boots that serves those who serve, our veterans. Join us today as Christy Lucus talks about her mission basiclaly meet whatever need or challenge a veteran active duty or military family would have.

If you are not familiar with the history of redlining then you need to listen to this episode! Today's conversation is an education that many of us didn't have and an important issue that we all need to learn about. Join us today as Jasmin Shupper, the Founder of Greenline Housing Foundation, discusses the history of redlining and her nonprofit's mission to help facilitate the closing of the racial wealth gap by providing grants to qualified people of color for down payments and home maintenance assistance. Jasmin is an inspiration and a bright light!

Mary and her friends were all college athletes and mothers of athletes. They had seen teams of kids that had too much and they had seen those with too little. They decided they could change all that with their nonprofit Sow Good Now. Join us for an uplifting conversation about a new way to teach philanthropy, leadership, and service to students.

Today's conversation is equally inspiring because that is exactly what our guest, Bre Russell does, coach soccer and SO much more! Join us as Bre shares her inspirational journey from a student-athlete to a nonprofit founder teaching thousands of young women how to lead.