Welcome to Episode 1 of the Sustainable Giving podcast, where we’re shining a light on how generosity works in a world increasingly shaped by the subscription economy.

Hosted by Dave Raley—speaker, consultant, and best-selling author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving—this show explores the trends, tools, and tactics powering the future of nonprofit fundraising through recurring giving.

In this episode, Dave is joined by Nathan Chappell—Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and co-author of The Generosity Crisis—to tackle the tough questions facing generosity today.

Nerding out together over this up-and-coming trend in the nonprofit space, Dave and Nathan dive into the state of generosity in North America, explore how nonprofits can build more sustainable giving models, and discuss the massive implications of artificial intelligence for the future of philanthropy.

Key Topics They Cover:

1. Why This Podcast, Why Now

2. The Generosity Crisis

3. Recurring Giving & The Subscription Economy

4. AI and the Future of Generosity

5. Inspiration for a Generous Future

Also in this episode, you’ll hear:

- How fewer individuals are giving to charity, and why that matters

- Why innovation is mission-critical, not optional

- The rise of AI fluency in nonprofit leadership

- Practical ways to start or improve a recurring giving program

- The joy of generosity—from French macarons to freedom fighters

Special thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Abigail, Tom, Kirsten, Grace, and Christeen.