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Givers, Doers, & Thinkers—A Podcast on Philanthropy and Civil Society

Givers, Doers, and Thinkers introduces listeners to the fascinating people and important ideas at the heart of American civil society. We speak with philanthropists, foundation leaders, reformers, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, religious believers, historians, sociologists, philosophers, journalists, and anyone else who will help us understand contemporary civil society’s achievements and failures. We also sprinkle in practical advice for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers. This is the podcast for anyone interested in that vital space where philanthropy and civil society intersect.

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Givers, Doers, & Thinkers—A Podcast on Philanthropy and Civil Society

David Bahnsen & philanthropic investments

August 10, 2022 • Season 4 • Episode 6

Today on Givers, Doers, & Thinkers, Jeremy talks to investor and commentator David Bahnsen about the intersection of current trends in philanthropy and economics, including why stakeholder capitalism is a bad idea.

David L. Bahnsen is the founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm managing over $3.5 billion in client assets. David is a founding trustee for Pacifica Christian High School of Orange County and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Review Institute. He is the author of several best-selling books, including Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It (2018) and The Case for Dividend Growth: Investing in a Post-Crisis World (2019). His newest book, There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths, was released in November 2021.

Jeremy kicks off the conversation by asking David to share how he strives to achieve a good return on investments and how he uses those returns to advance his philanthropic goals. He offers insights on measuring the success of nonprofits and utilizing resources like Charity Navigator. You’ll hear his thoughts on regulatory and bureaucratic systems within charitable institutions and whether it’s a good idea. And are we headed into a recession? David outlines what he thinks will happen in the coming months and how it will impact the world of philanthropy.

You’ll also hear from Iain Bernhoft, a managing consultant for American Philanthropic’s writing and communications department. Iain recommends Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, a book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. What does it have to do with civil society? You’ll have to listen during this week’s GDT Reader’s Guide segment!

You can find Givers, Doers, & Thinkers here at Philanthropy Daily, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Buzzsprout, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, questions, and recommendations for the podcast! You can shoot Katie Janus, GDT’s producer, an email anytime!

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