Cultivating a Culture of Giving with John Bromley
On the twentieth episode of the Nonprofit Connect podcast, host Matt Barnes sat down with John Bromley, the Founder and CEO of Charitable Impact. We explore the need for a culture of giving in society, reframing the perception of charitable giving, and finding joy in creating change.
Charitable Impact makes it easier for people and corporations to be charitable. In addition to his charity work, John is an Executive Producer for Safari Films.
Charitable Impact: The Motive, The Mission
Before we dive into what Charitable Impact does, you should know about a donor-advised fund. Simply put, it's a bank account for charitable giving that makes donating easier and more enjoyable.
Charitable Impact is a vehicle that helps people separate donations from the choices they make about what causes and charities to benefit. John founded Charitable Impact because he believed that there was nowhere for people to go to get objective advice about giving to charity. This is not necessarily about fundraising for a specific charity or cause but about helping potential donors determine how to “navigate and develop their own giving path."
John stresses that Charitable Impact’s role is not just about advice; it’s also about having the vehicle to carry it out. He says that “charitable impact would develop itself as a donor-advised fund to be a donor-centered, objective, neutral giving platform."
Developing a Culture of Giving
In today's fast-paced and materialistic society, it is easy to become consumed by our own desires and aspirations. However, it is crucial for us to recognize the importance of developing a culture of giving within our communities. Giving back not only benefits those in need but also has a profound impact on our personal growth and societal well-being.
Knowing how to donate and where to donate is difficult, though. Parting with hard-earned cash is important, so you’ve got to be confident it’s going to the right place. John talks about the lack of resources for individuals to learn about charitable giving and how Charitable Impact aims to fill that gap by providing a platform for donors to navigate and develop their own giving paths.
“My experience with donors is that a whole bunch of them—not everyone—but a whole bunch of them know what they care about changing in the world, but they really don't know how to go about, say, for example, choosing the charity, right?”
John emphasizes that nonprofits should identify the problems that donors have, which can be solved by what he calls “donor literacy." Since there are problems ranging from “finding a cause that you care about, to having the confidence to donate, to having the literacy to pick charity," lack of donor literacy means people don't have the confidence to do it. John wants fundraisers and nonprofits to appreciate that. When you improve donor literacy, you facilitate a culture of giving.
Listen to the Whole Episode
Listen to this episode of the Nonprofit Connect podcast to hear more of John’s insights into charitable giving.