Fast Forward

Episodes

1. 28

   Fast Forward: Anita Patel

   The Bush Foundation will be accepting applications for the 2017 Bush Fellowship from August 30th, 2016, through September 29th, 2016. So Bush Leadership Programs Director Anita Patel sits down with MCF to talk about the goals of the program, share ideas on how to approach applying for the...

   Aug 15, 2016

   18m
2. 27

   Fast Forward: Tawanna Black

   “We’re going to stay here. But we want to get bigger impact.” On this episode of the Fast Forward podcast, Tawanna Black sits down to talk about the work it takes to build a partnership with the public sect like she has done between the Northside Funders Group and the city of Minneapolis. She...

   Aug 10, 2016

   23m
3. 26

   Fast Forward: John Schwartz

   “Trying to put band aids on things will never work.” John Schwartz Director and Founder of the Voqal Companies A public media advocate for 40 years, John has founded community radio and television stations and brought wireless broadband services to cities throughout the United States. In 1980…

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   Jul 29, 2016

   15m
4. 25

   Fast Forward: Judith Browne Dianis

   “There are aggressive attacks on voting rights that we did not see in the 90s." Judith Browne Dianis is the executive director of The Advancement Project. Judith has an extensive background in civil rights litigation and advocacy in the areas of voting, education, housing, and employment. She has...

   Jul 11, 2016

   11m
5. 24

   Fast Forward: Ruy Teixeira

   Ruy Teixeira is a Senior Fellow at both The Century Foundation and American Progress. He is also co-director of the States of Change: Demographics and Democracy project, a collaboration that brings together American Progress, the American Enterprise Institute, and demographer William Frey of the...

   Jun 24, 2016

   19m
6. 23

   Fast Forward: Elizabeth McGeveran

   “Impact investing is a practice and it’s something you get better at or you get more comfortable with.” Elizabeth McGeveran joined McKnight in 2014 as Director of Impact Investing. She is responsible for the Foundation’s $200 million commitment, investing in businesses and funds that are building...

   Jun 8, 2016

   20m
7. 22

   Fast Forward: Susan Voigt

   Susan Voigt is Program Manager at the Medica Foundation. Before joining the Medica Foundation, Ms. Voigt was employed by several nonprofits, start-ups and IBM. As someone who has lived on the grantee end of incorporating evaluation into the work and is now on the funder side, Susan has real...

   May 31, 2016

   19m
8. 21

   Fast Forward: Carolyn Link

   "We're trying to get the funding closest to the people who are most impacted by these social and economic issues." Carolyn Link is executive director for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. In her role, Carolyn oversees all operations and strategic direction for the…

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   May 20, 2016

   21m
9. 20

   Fast Forward: Ballinger Leafblad

   With decades of experience in the civic sector, Marcia Ballinger and Lars Leafblad work with foundations, nonprofits, and higher ed institutions to help them make important decisions about leadership hires. In this episode of the podcast, Ballinger and Leafblad talk about what organizations need…

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   Apr 26, 2016

   27m
10. 19

    Fast Forward: Kate Barr

    “One of the best signs of a financially healthy nonprofit is a nonprofit that ends their operating year with a surplus.” Kate Barr has been making meaning out of financial information and strategies for decades, with stints as an arts administrator, a bank executive, and as Executive Director of...

    Mar 18, 2016

    14m
11. 18

    Fast Forward: Dominick Washington

    Bush Foundation Communications Director Dominick Washington joins us to explain what he calls “Whole Pig” philanthropy, a way of trying to have an impact at every level and part of an organization. He also talks about how his political and nonprofit background informs his philanthropic work and…

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    Mar 2, 2016

    24m
12. 17

    Fast Forward: Trista on Futurism

    MCF President Trista Harris shares her take-aways from a training at the Institute for the Future and a look at where philanthropy is headed. She also talks about what hover boards mean to philanthropy.

    Feb 11, 2016

    11m
13. 16

    Fast Forward: Ho Nguyen

    Ho Nguyen is a Program Officer at PFund. She was formerly the Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator with Pro-Choice Resources and has been actively engaged in anti-racist work and social justice strategies for over a decade. Ho’s background is in housing, homelessness and poverty, working to ensure…

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    Feb 5, 2016

    31m
14. 15

    Fast Forward: The Improve Group

    Leah Goldstein Moses founded The Improve Group in 2000 with a vision to improve programs and organizations that impact the world. In this conversations, we talk with Leah Goldstein Moses along with The Improve Group’s Research and Evaluation Director Jennifer Obinna about how grantmakers can and...

    Jan 14, 2016

    22m
15. 14

    Fast Forward: Sarah Eagle Heart

    Eagle Heart holds an Master’s in Business Administration; a Bachelor’s of Arts in Mass Communications, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in American Indian Studies. Sarah is a 2014 recipient of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s “40 under 40 Award”, which recognizes emerging...

    Dec 17, 2015

    26m
16. 13

    Fast Forward: Beth Zemsky

    Beth Zemsky a community organizer, educator, psychotherapist and organizational leader. In this interview, Beth talks with Alfonso Wenker about her multidisciplinary approach to intercultural organizational development.

    Dec 11, 2015

    13m
17. 12

    Dr. Eric Jolly, Minnesota Philanthropy Partners

    “My life has been focused on a deep belief that education is a liberating force in human development.” Trista sits down with MN Partners President and CEO Dr. Eric Jolly for a conversation about his transition from decades spent working in academia and the non-profit sector to the world of...

    Nov 11, 2015

    19m
18. 11

    Fast Forward: Terri Ann Lowenthal

    Terri Ann Lowenthal is a nationally recognized expert on the census and a consultant specializing in the census, the federal statistical system and the use of data for policy purposes. Lowenthal is currently part of The Census Project, a nonpartisan collaborative of census stakeholders supporting...

    Oct 13, 2015

    33m
19. 10

    Fast Forward: Molly de Aguiar

    Molly de Aguiar directs the Geraldine Dodge Foundation’s media grants, while also directing Dodge’s communications initiatives. She’s working at the intersection of grantmaking, communications, media, and community building. In this interview, Molly talks about tools and the ways grantmakers can...

    Oct 12, 2015

    22m
20. 9

    Fast Forward: Akhtar Badshah

    Akhtar Badshah is the founder and chief catalyst of Catalytic Innovators Group. He led Microsoft’s global community investment and employee program for 10 years. Akhtar will be speaking at the Minnesota Council on Foundation’s Annual Conference, giving our closing keynote presentation the…

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    Oct 5, 2015

    16m
21. 8

    Fast Forward: Paul Williams

    Trista sits down for a wide-ranging talk with Paul Williams, president and CEO of Project for Pride in Living. Topics they discuss include the need for grantmakers viewing communities as assets, the importance of scale in making a real impact, and Paul's wish for philanthropy to create greater...

    Jun 15, 2015

    27m
22. 7

    Fast Forward: Jenny Harms

    Trista speaks with Jenny Harms, network manager at the national Council on Foundations. They discuss the benefits of infusing regional foundations like MCF with ideas from across the country, and let MCF members know what Jenny will be up to in the coming months and how to get in touch.

    May 28, 2015

    24m
23. 6

    Fast Forward : George Cheung

    MCF's Bob Tracy talks to George Cheung about Joyce Foundation's democracy strategy, the meaning of civic engagement grantmaking, and resources grantmakers can use to learn more.

    May 26, 2015

    11m
24. 5

    Fast Forward: Mary Jane Melendez

    Mary Jane Melendez of General Mills Foundation talks to Trista about the General Mills approach to grantmaking and its work with Hunger-Free Minnesota.

    Jan 15, 2015

    20m
25. 4

    Fast Forward: Chris Cardona

    Chris Cardona, director of philanthropy at TCC Group and speaker at the 2014 MCF Annual Conference, speaks to Alfonso Wenker about how philanthropy can be made more accessible to underserved communities.

    Oct 6, 2014

    20m
26. 3

    Fast Forward: Trish Tchume

    In her role at the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Trish hears a lot about what young people in the sector need to develop their leadership skills. She talks with Trista about the five most important things organizations can offer. She also goes into the work YNPN has done with Emerging...

    Aug 21, 2014

    21m
27. 2

    Fast Forward: Phil Buchanan

    Phil talks with Trista about effective practice in philanthropy, tools The Center for Effecitve Philanthropy offers, and advice for what foundations can do when they're interested in starting down this path.

    Jul 17, 2014

    11m
28. 1

    Fast Forward: Mark Lindberg

    Mark tells Trista about Margaret A. Cargill Foundation's Relief and Resilience program, its focus on lower-attention events that don't typically receive much philanthropic support, and its interest in engaging local community members as key partners.

    Jul 17, 2014

    20m