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The Commons in Conversation
What can nonprofits and philanthropy do to bring Americans together and strengthen fractured communities? The Commons in Conversation gets answers in interviews with advocates, leaders, and thinkers, including philanthropist Reid Hoffman, author Barbara Kingsolver, and democracy scholar and nonprofit leader Danielle Allen. Join Chronicle of Philanthropy editors and writers as we explore solutions to division in America across lines of politics, race, class, gender, and more.
This podcast is produced by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an independent news outlet covering the $4 trillion world of nonprofits and grant making.
Podcasting since 2025 • 6 episodes
The Commons in Conversation
Latest Episodes
Danielle Allen on Democracy Renovations
If democracy is unraveling, what can save it? Scholar, author, and nonprofit leader Danielle Allen joins The Commons in Conversation to talk about a range of solutions championed by philanthropy and nonprofits. These include reform ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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28:09
Move Over, Mega-Donors! Philanthropist Hali Lee on the Power of Collective Giving
Does philanthropy share in the blame for America's divisions?Hali Lee, co-founder of the Donors of Color Network, believes that large foundations and billionaire donors have done plenty...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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33:16
Why Big Philanthropy Is Funding Small Hyperlocal Projects
As federal Washington burns with division and conflict, some grant makers are trying to repair the country’s social fabric by strengthening communities. Join Rockefeller Brot...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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35:28
La June Montgomery Tabron: A 'Powerful Journey' Toward Racial Healing
From its post in America’s heartland, the 95-year-old W.K. Kellogg Foundation has achieved a diversity in grant making that has eluded many foundations: In the past decade, more than 40 percent of its grant dollars have gone to organizations le...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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32:06
Barbara Kingsolver: How Did Urban and Rural America Become Enemies?
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver frequently writes and talks about the origins of — and cure for — what she calls "urban-rural antipathy." Her most recent novel, Demon Copperhead, aims to dismantle stereotypes of...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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34:59
