LISTEN BACK: DO MORE GOOD PODCAST X IFC
Dive deep into IFC with fascinating people who are Doing More Good
If you’re looking for a light-hearted conversation on professional development, the charity sector in general, and interesting people who are Doing More Good, then you need to be listening to the Do More Good podcast.
Rather than invest in a sports car and bad shoes, Kenneth Foremand and James Wright opted to document their mid-life crises with a podcast. Usually recorded in pubs around London and beyond, we invited Team Do More Good to Noordwijk for IFC last year to delve into a variety of topics through interviews with people from across the social impact spectrum on things like leadership, innovation, fundraising, current affairs, and first-world problems.
James and Kenneth struggle to contain their excitement around the upcoming International Fundraising Congress, mainly due to the prospect of dressing up as their hometown myths and legends. Fortunately they are joined by CEO of The Resource Alliance, Willeke Van Rijn to bring some sense (and a sense of health and safety) to proceedings.
The Do More Gooders are breaking down power and mobilising communities; segmenting audience data and throwing paper at delegates; and bribing people into interviews with stickers. There’s umbrella metaphors, Bruce Springsteen sets, outrage and hope. There’s a frankly heroic late night delivery, polite bathroom etiquette, admitting defeat to our robot overlords and a full body wax. There’s a hashtag, a reunion, a deep dive into AI, and a tear-jerking final interview conducted off limits.
A conversation with Peter and Tash from DTV delving deep into UnCharitable, the feature-length movie building on Dan Pallotta’s TED Talk, you know the one. It begins with dreams of being a film director before diving into overheads, CEO pay, marketing, risk appetite, and rushing to get a version released to screen at IFC. We talk the best plenary sessions ever, differing views on funding and a focus on impact rather than income. We talk media reaction, how to reach policy makers, and changing opinions on the high street to defend the sector, not to mention – bringing down the bad guys.
Kenneth and James grab a seat in the Press Room for a conversation between Bill Toliver and Erica Chenoweth before the latter takes to the stage for their plenary speech. They dive straight in talking people power; revolution; divide and rule; and power relations between our opponents. Erica describes the power of hope and the critical mass for societal change as well as describing their work writing a Phd in violent conflict. There’s the power and dangers of digital in movements and surveillance, the ice bucket challenge, and the most beautiful mullets of 1983 – before Kenneth made a pitch for ‘smartest person in the room’ by braving a question at the end (a valiant but doomed effort).
A delightful conversation with Helena Sharpstone through her career, including her start in sales, an extended honeymoon period in nonprofits, and why she’s investing her own pocket money in chilli plants. Before she reveals how taking an interview for a bet nearly horribly backfired, she talks about healing in the sector, how she finds there’s more creativity when there’s less resource, people adapting from difficult experiences, and the similarities between sales and fundraising. Before closing, it gets to a far better approach to resilience, valuing your staff, why not everyone makes a good manager, and squeeze in James’s annual review.
Tired from the hotel gym, Kenneth lets this guest do the heavy lifting as they discuss the megatrends that have impacted the fundraising environment. Confirmed BDIF Chris Innes talks through the findings from the IFL Forum which immediately preceded IFC. Expect to tick the permacrisis, AI, and the experience economy off your DMG bingo card, as well as confidently dropping a discussion point about truth and opinion into polite conversation later. The episode also talks through big issues, including agreeing on the market leaders in flat pasta; the benefits of marrying your modern languages tutor; and how we’re in the nice bit of the Artificial Inteligence movie.