Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

What if a university degree did not require stepping away from work, taking on significant debt, or leaving one’s community? What if the workplace itself became the campus? Joe Ross, President of Reach University, joins us to share his insight. This episode explores a different model of higher education that seeks to turn jobs into degrees rather than degrees into jobs. The approach centres on apprenticeship degrees, where learners earn an accredited university qualification while working full time. Half of the learning takes place on the job, while the other half occurs through structured academic instruction designed specifically for working adults. The result is a pathway that combines higher education, workforce development, and economic mobility. At the heart of the model is a simple framework described as the “A, B, C” of apprenticeship degrees. A stands for affordability. Programmes are intentionally designed so that learners do not accumulate student debt. Participants contribute a modest amount, but the cost is kept low enough that it does not become a barrier. B stands for being based in the workplace. Learners begin with a paid job and remain employed throughout their studies. The workplace becomes the learning environment, with colleagues functioning as classmates and mentors. C stands for credit for learning at work. On the job experience, mentorship, observation, and practical tasks form part of the academic journey and translate directly into university credit. Despite the strong workplace component, the degrees themselves remain academic. Students earn traditional qualifications such as a Bachelor of Arts or Associate of Arts. The curriculum integrates liberal arts thinking with practical experience, encouraging critical reasoning, creativity, and intellectual curiosity within the context of real work. This approach challenges the idea that vocational learning and higher education must exist separately. Instead, it combines both. Early adoption has focused on fields facing severe workforce shortages. In education, for example, many schools struggle to recruit qualified teachers. At the same time, schools employ large numbers of support staff who know their communities well but lack the degrees required to advance. By transforming their current roles into a pathway to a degree, classroom aides, library staff, or after school programme workers can train to become fully qualified teachers without leaving their jobs or communities. The same logic is now emerging in healthcare. Patient care assistants can progress step by step into roles such as certified nursing assistants, registered nurses, and beyond. The model enables employers to build talent from within while offering employees a clear route to professional careers. The outcomes are promising. Many graduates move directly into the roles they trained for, with a large share seeing their salaries double or even triple. Completion rates also exceed typical national averages for learners from similar economic backgrounds. Beyond individual success stories, the ambition is broader. If workplaces become learning environments and degrees can be earned through employment, every community could effectively host its own pathway to higher education. Finally, the discussion touches on the future of education in an age shaped by artificial intelligence. Rather than making higher education obsolete, the argument here is that AI increases the importance of human capabilities such as critical thinking, creativity, and judgement. Those qualities, long associated with the liberal arts, remain essential. If the challenge of the future is learning how humans and intelligent machines work together, then education that develops adaptable, thoughtful, and creative people may matter more than ever. This episode offers a glimpse of a higher education model that seeks to expand opportunity, strengthen local workforces, and make the pursuit of a degree possible for people who might otherwise never have the chance. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

What does it take to deliver high quality medical care in the middle of war, displacement and disaster? We gain a behind the scenes understanding from Chris Lockyear, Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This conversation offers a rare look inside one of the world’s most recognised humanitarian medical organisations and the complex system that allows it to operate in some of the most dangerous and hard to reach places on earth. With around 70,000 staff working across more than 70 countries, the organisation provides emergency medical care to millions of people affected by armed conflict, disease outbreaks and natural disasters. In the past year alone, teams carried out more than 16 million outpatient consultations, alongside trauma surgery, treatment for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, vaccination campaigns, and mental health support. Yet behind every clinic or hospital lies an intricate global operation that combines medicine, logistics, diplomacy and risk management. In this episode, MSF's Secretary General explains how humanitarian medicine works in practice. Teams must negotiate access with both state and non state actors, often in highly polarised conflict environments. Medical professionals work alongside logisticians, analysts and coordinators who ensure that drugs, equipment and staff can reach remote locations safely and reliably. The scale of the logistics alone is extraordinary. Medicines and vaccines must travel through complex supply chains while maintaining strict quality standards and often requiring temperature controlled storage. Equipment for surgery, sterilisation and treatment must arrive on time in places where infrastructure is limited or damaged. In many cases, care is delivered through mobile clinics operating from the back of a vehicle. Security is an ever present concern. Staff operate in environments where shelling, crossfire or kidnapping are real risks. Rather than promising safety, the organisation focuses on understanding risk, training staff and ensuring informed consent about the conditions in which they work. In 2025, eleven colleagues lost their lives while carrying out humanitarian work. The conversation also explores how knowledge gained in these extreme settings travels across the global health system. Experience with epidemic response, infection control and contact tracing developed in Ebola outbreaks later helped support hospitals and health ministries in Europe and the United States during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. A defining feature of the organisation is its financial independence. Around 98 percent of funding comes from private donors, with more than 7.3 million donors contributing. This allows operations to be guided primarily by medical need rather than political priorities. Beyond funding, these contributions represent something deeper: a global expression of solidarity between people who will likely never meet but are connected through a shared commitment to helping others in crisis. For listeners interested in humanitarian medicine, global health, logistics, crisis response or international cooperation, this discussion offers an inside perspective on what it really takes to bring medical care to the front lines of human suffering. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This episode explores how sustained scientific ambition, backed by flexible philanthropy, has helped transform HIV from a fatal diagnosis into a manageable condition and why the search for a cure remains both urgent and achievable. At the centre of the conversation is the work of amfAR and its distinctive role in advancing research that changes lives far beyond a single disease area. Founded in the mid-1980s, at a time when HIV and AIDS were poorly understood and highly stigmatised, the organisation emerged from the determination of clinicians, researchers and advocates who refused to wait for slow-moving systems to respond. From the outset, the mission was clear: fund innovative research quickly, support bold ideas early, and accelerate scientific discovery where it was needed most. Since its first grants in 1985, the organisation has invested nearly one billion dollars in research and supported more than 3,900 researchers across the world. Rather than simply awarding grants, its approach has been to invest in people and ideas, often at the earliest and riskiest stages. Many of those early investments have gone on to underpin treatments now used globally, including antiretroviral therapies that allow people living with HIV to lead long, healthy lives. The episode places this progress in today’s global context. More than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with around 1.3 million new infections each year. While treatment has transformed outcomes in many countries, access remains deeply unequal. Women and girls account for over half of those living with HIV globally, and people in low-income and marginalised communities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, continue to face life-threatening barriers to care. Against this backdrop, the case for a cure remains compelling. Lifelong treatment depends on stable health systems, consistent access and freedom from stigma, conditions that are far from guaranteed. A cure would remove these structural vulnerabilities. Importantly, the science now points to possibility. Around ten individuals have been effectively cured of HIV, providing researchers with vital clues and a credible roadmap. Current cure-focused research is tackling some of the most complex questions in virology. This includes understanding latent viral reservoirs, where HIV hides in the body, and finding ways to reactivate and eliminate the virus. Researchers are also studying elite controllers, people whose immune systems suppress HIV without medication, to uncover mechanisms that could inform new treatments. Alongside this, insights from cancer, ageing, autoimmune disease and other viral infections are increasingly shaping HIV research, highlighting the interconnected nature of scientific discovery. A key theme running through the conversation is what defines a viable cure. It must be scalable, affordable and easy to administer, not a solution that only works in specialist settings. This emphasis on real-world applicability shapes funding decisions and research priorities. The funding model itself is central to this work. Research is supported entirely through private philanthropy, from individual donors and family foundations to global fundraising events. Independence allows decisions to be driven by science rather than politics, while short funding timelines enable researchers to move quickly. Rigorous peer review ensures standards remain as high as those of major public institutions, without the inertia that can stifle innovation. Beyond HIV, the episode highlights how this model has influenced advances in other fields. Research originally funded to understand HIV has contributed to breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development, including technologies later used in mRNA vaccines. Today, the organisation is expanding its focus to areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, immunotherapy and artificial intelligence, particularly where these intersect with the needs of an ageing HIV-positive population. Woven throughout the discussion is the human impact of research. Funding science does more than produce data and treatments; it provides hope. Knowing that researchers are actively working towards a cure can fundamentally change how people live with a diagnosis. Investment in early-stage research becomes an investment in dignity, longevity and possibility. The episode closes with a clear message. Scientific discovery is not confined to governments or large institutions. Individuals and philanthropists can play a decisive role in advancing research that affects every household. Supporting bold ideas early is one of the most powerful ways to accelerate global health progress and, ultimately, to help make AIDS history. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Nathan Atkinson, Co-Founder of Rethink Food in the UK, shares a deeply grounded perspective on hunger, education and systemic change, shaped by a decade spent leading schools in some of England’s most disadvantaged communities. Nathan traces the origins of Rethink Food back to a defining moment as a headteacher, when a school kitchen breakdown revealed the hidden scale of child hunger and its direct impact on behaviour, wellbeing and learning. That experience led him to a simple but powerful commitment: to remove hunger as a barrier to education. The conversation explores how Rethink Food has evolved from grassroots action into a nationally recognised organisation working across three pillars of impact: access to healthy food, skills and stewardship, and systems change. At the centre of this work is the National School Pantry Network, a flagship programme supporting schools to become trusted, community anchored hubs where families can access healthy food without stigma, alongside wider support services. Nathan explains why food is both the entry point and the connector. Sharing food builds trust, which then enables schools to link families to help with debt, housing, digital access, employment and education. The aim is not only to respond to crisis, but to break the cycle of food insecurity altogether. A significant part of the discussion focuses on nutrition, dignity and choice. Nathan challenges simplistic narratives about poverty and food, highlighting structural barriers such as transport, infrastructure and access to healthy options.  Listeners will gain insight into how the organisation operates day to day, from surplus food logistics and volunteer mobilisation to digital education programmes and cross sector partnerships with corporates, planners and policymakers. Nathan reflects on the importance of collaboration over confrontation, and why working with unlikely allies can unlock long term change. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Larry Cooley joins us to explore how to achieve sustainable impact at meaningful scale. As co-founder of the Scaling Community of Practice, Larry has spent more than two decades examining why promising innovations so often fail to reach the scale required to address global problems. Drawing on 50 years of experience, from his early work as a Peace Corps volunteer to senior roles advising governments, foundations and multilateral institutions, he offers a candid assessment of what is and is not working. At the centre of the conversation is a shift in thinking. Larry distinguishes between transactional scaling, which focuses on expanding projects, and transformational scaling, which seeks to embed change within the systems that deliver services at scale. Projects matter, he argues, but only insofar as they serve as vehicles for systemic change. Without attention to the institutions, incentives and delivery mechanisms that sustain impact over time, even the most effective pilot will struggle to move beyond proof of concept. A key theme is the sobering reality that most successful pilots do not scale. Estimates suggest that between 70 and 95 per cent fail to achieve broad, sustained uptake. This is rarely due to weak ideas. Rather, the barriers lie in the pathway from innovation to institutionalisation. The assumption that another actor will step in to take a proven model to scale has often proved misplaced. Larry describes the work of the Scaling Community of Practice, now a global network of 5,000 members across more than 120 countries, convening practitioners, funders and policymakers to share lessons and develop practical guidance. The community has recently completed 28 case studies examining how different types of funders approach the question of scale. These studies highlight eight core elements required for transformational scale and examine how internal policies, incentives and funding models either enable or hinder progress.  Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

A deep dive into how philanthropy in Asia is evolving, and how the next generation of leaders is being prepared to make it more effective, collaborative and impactful. In this conversation with Brian Sen, Secretary General of the Institute of Philanthropy in Hong Kong, the discussion explores why the Institute was created, what it means to be a “thinking, funding and doing” tank, and how it is working to strengthen the wider philanthropic ecosystem across Asia. A central focus of the conversation is the LEAP Fellowship, Leadership Excellence in Asian Philanthropy, a new programme designed to equip emerging senior leaders with the skills, networks and mindset needed to tackle complex social and environmental challenges. Brian explains how the fellowship blends world class academic input from partners such as J-PAL at MIT, the London School of Economics and the University of Hong Kong, with practical, challenge based learning and mentorship from senior philanthropic leaders. Listeners gain insight into who the fellowship is aimed at, how it is structured, and why investing in talent development is critical for the future of philanthropy. The discussion also touches on the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, its rigorous approach to impact measurement, and the collaborative ethos that underpins the Institute’s work. The episode closes with a personal reflection from Brian on his own journey into the sector, and a clear call to action for funders and organisations to prioritise building stronger talent pipelines for the field. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

What if the biggest barrier to education is not poverty, infrastructure, or even access but low expectations of what children can achieve? In this conversation, Caitlin Baron shares how the Luminos Fund is proving that children who have never been to school can master foundational literacy and numeracy at extraordinary speed when the right conditions are in place. We hear how Luminos works with 10 and 11 year olds across Africa who are often first generation readers and who frequently enter classrooms without ever having encountered the printed word. Many are taught in languages they do not speak at home. Despite these challenges, Luminos students complete three years of learning in just ten months and go on to remain in school at twice the national average. Caitlin explains the science behind accelerated learning and why rigorous sequencing, phonics based instruction, and mastery driven progression are essential for children starting from the very beginning. She also describes how global research must be paired with deep linguistic and cultural expertise at the local level to avoid the pitfalls that have limited education reform in the past. Listeners are taken inside a Luminos classroom where joyful learning is the guiding principle. With no electricity, no internet, and minimal infrastructure, teachers use handmade materials, role play, song, movement, and tactile learning to engage the head, the hand, and the heart. From forming letters in clay to running classroom marketplaces for mental math, learning is active, practical, and deeply rooted in children’s lived experience. The discussion also explores how Luminos equips teachers, many without formal training, with highly detailed instructional guides developed through classroom observation and continuous evaluation. These materials are co-created with African led organizations and ministries of education, rigorously tested in local languages, and released as open source public goods so they can strengthen entire education systems. Caitlin reflects on the role of collaborative philanthropy, the importance of long term partnerships with governments, and why evidence alone is not enough without trust, patience, and local leadership. She also shares her own journey from growing up in Brooklyn to working across Africa, driven by a lifelong commitment to expanding access to opportunity through education. A compelling exploration of literacy, learning science, and the belief that joyful classrooms can transform lives. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Nick Temple returns to discuss how Social Investment Business has evolved from a specialist social lender into a major player in grant delivery, programme management, and impact-driven finance across the UK. At the heart of the conversation is what it takes to turn strategy into action. Nick reflects on the realities of running large-scale, complex programmes, the importance of pace in a turbulent landscape, and how data can be used not just to improve delivery but to shape wider sector thinking. What you’ll hear in this episode A refresher on Social Investment Business today: a charity and social investor providing loans to charities and social enterprises, alongside managing large grants and business support programmes. The Youth Investment Fund at scale: delivery of a £300m capital grants programme to build and renovate more than 270 youth centres in some of the UK’s most deprived communities, supporting tens of thousands of young people. Why community buildings are a hidden energy challenge: how poor energy efficiency in community assets drives up costs and squeezes frontline budgets, especially in disadvantaged areas. Energy resilience in practice: support for measures such as solar, insulation, lighting upgrades and other practical interventions that reduce bills while delivering carbon benefits. How AI is already changing delivery: early use cases such as processing grant monitoring receipts, strengthening risk assessments and due diligence, and exploring what “relationship management” could look like in an AI-enabled future. What “strategic opportunism” really means: balancing clear strategic priorities with the ability to respond quickly to tenders, partnerships and emerging needs in a fast-changing environment. What the organisation wants next: a forward-looking focus on the green transition, community assets, and public service transformation, alongside an ambition to reach £1bn in grants and loans deployed by 2030. Who they want to hear from: ambitious, capable charities and social enterprises with a track record and appetite to deliver, plus more action-oriented impact investors, including endowments and family offices. Nick’s career path: from an English degree and early charity work to social enterprise leadership, and why diligence, kindness, and delivering quality work matter more than a perfect plan. Key themes Community assets as a lever for impact Buildings are not just infrastructure, they are platforms for services, connection and opportunity. Improving the resilience and running costs of those assets can unlock more mission delivery. Efficiency and scale From AI-enabled back-office processes to large capital programmes, Nick argues that execution quality and speed are becoming non-negotiable for organisations trying to meet urgent social and environmental needs. Action over noise A recurring message is to focus on what can be changed through practical delivery, strong teams, and clear decision-making, even when the wider landscape feels uncertain. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Peggy Dulany is a philanthropist, member of the Rockefeller family and the Founder and Chair of Synergos, a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing social change through collaboration and systems leadership. In this episode of the Do One Better Podcast, Peggy joins host Alberto Lidji for a thoughtful conversation on what it takes to address complex social challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. Drawing on decades of experience working alongside social innovators, community leaders, governments and philanthropic institutions, Peggy shares insights into the importance of trust, long-term thinking, and inclusive leadership. The discussion explores the founding and evolution of Synergos, the organization’s emphasis on bridging divides across sectors and geographies, and why meaningful progress often depends less on technical solutions and more on relationships, humility, and shared purpose. This conversation offers valuable perspective for anyone interested in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, systems change, and the human dimensions of social impact. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Benjamin Perks, UNICEF’s Head of Advocacy for Child Development and Protection, joins Alberto Lidji on the Do One Better Podcast to make the case that the single most powerful investment a society can make is in the relationship between children and their caregivers. Drawing on more than three decades of neuroscience, public health, and social science, Perks explains why secure caregiver child attachment is not only the foundation of healthy childhoods but also one of the strongest predictors of lifelong wellbeing, economic productivity, and social stability. When those relationships break down, the costs ripple outward into education systems, health services, labor markets, and criminal justice systems. When they are strengthened, the benefits compound across generations. At the center of the conversation is the Global Caregiver Forum, an inaugural intergovernmental gathering convened by UNICEF and the World Health Organization with the Government of Spain. Ministers from roughly 25 countries, alongside leading scientists and practitioners, are coming together to accelerate the global scale up of evidence based parenting and caregiver support programs. Perks describes why these programs represent a breakthrough in public policy. A 2022 WHO led systematic review of more than 435 randomized controlled trials shows that evidence based parenting programs consistently increase nurturing care, reduce violence and maltreatment, improve children’s developmental outcomes, and significantly improve parental mental health. In other words, they deliver on child protection, early learning, and adult wellbeing at the same time. The discussion moves from science to systems. Today, only about one quarter of countries report having widely available parenting programs, even though the interventions are relatively low cost and highly scalable. Perks explains how UNICEF and partners are working to build the global architecture needed to change that, including common frameworks, measurement tools, and coverage indicators similar to those used for vaccines and other public health interventions. A critical theme is the return on investment. While the largest gains of early childhood support appear over decades, Perks points to growing evidence that parenting programs also generate benefits within political and budget cycles. These include reductions in low birth weight, fewer child placements in institutional care, better parental mental health, and lower productivity losses, all of which translate into tangible fiscal savings for governments. Listeners also hear what modern caregiver support actually looks like. All families have access to support, with additional intensity for those facing higher risks due to poverty, trauma, or mental health challenges. Delivery channels range from home visiting and health systems to community hubs and digital tools, all adapted to local culture and context. Beyond the forum, Perks reflects on a broader shift underway in global child policy. Too often, governments are presented with long lists of disconnected reforms. He argues that real progress requires focusing on a small number of interventions that are scientifically proven, politically feasible, and capable of driving multiple outcomes at once. Parenting programs and universal access to quality early childhood education sit at the top of that list. The conversation also touches on the newly established International Day of Play, a United Nations observance led by UNICEF and UNESCO. Perks explains why play is not a luxury but a biological and social necessity that underpins learning, creativity, resilience, and human connection across the life course. The episode closes with a powerful reminder. In a world marked by polarization and instability, the science of child development offers something rare: a practical, evidence based pathway to improve human wellbeing at scale. By investing in caregiving, attachment, and play, societies have an unprecedented opportunity to prevent trauma, and give every child the chance to grow up safe, loved, and nurtured. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, shares how one of the world’s most established development organizations is reimagining the fight against hunger and poverty through locally led, systems-based solutions. With more than 80 years of experience and work spanning 19 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Heifer International partners with smallholder farmers, especially women, to build sustainable, climate-resilient food systems. The conversation explores how farmers move from subsistence to thriving producers by strengthening social capital, building profitable value chains, and creating cooperative models that unlock market access, finance, and long-term resilience. Surita explains why women and youth are central to transforming agriculture, particularly in contexts where women face barriers to land rights, credit, and decision-making, and where young people often see farming as an unattractive future. From self-help groups and savings models to partnerships that enable mechanization and entrepreneurship, the discussion highlights how dignity, agency, and opportunity are created at the community level. The episode also dives into the Personal Transformation Index, a data-driven framework developed with academic partners to measure confidence, leadership, decision-making, and civic engagement among farmers. The results reveal how social capital and values-based development translate into stronger livelihoods, reduced household conflict, shared decision-making, and greater participation in local governance. Throughout the conversation, Surita reflects on the urgency of global food insecurity, the limitations of working in isolation, and the importance of long-term partnerships with governments, multilaterals, businesses, and donors. The episode closes with a powerful reminder that ending hunger is not only about food production, but about building inclusive systems where farmers are recognized as producers, leaders, and stewards of the planet. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

As we close out 2025, host Alberto Lidji analyses fifty deep-dive conversations from the past year to identify the key trends currently reshaping the social impact landscape. This special 2025 roundup episode moves beyond individual projects to explore the fundamental evolution of systemic transformation. Alberto synthesises the year’s insights into three defining shifts: the transition from isolated funding to orchestrator models, the strategic focus on structural root causes, and a fundamental evolution in how we approach leadership and burnout. Key Themes Explored in This Episode: The Evolution of Collaboration: Why the retreat of traditional funding streams in 2025 turned partnership from an aspiration into a vital survival mechanism. The Orchestrator Model: Exploring the move toward philanthropic bridge-building, where foundations support government-led initiatives and remove systemic friction points rather than driving isolated agendas. Rigidity in Mission, Flexibility in Approach: Why the most effective strategies this year focused on markets and addressing systemic drivers rather than treating symptoms. The Grace Shift: A look at how leadership archetypes are evolving to prioritise personnel well-being and structural support as prerequisites for long-term impact. The Call to Agency: A concluding reflection on the power of citizen entrepreneurship and why individual action remains the ultimate antidote to global anxiety. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital conditions worldwide, yet effective care goes far beyond repairing a visible deformity. It requires long-term, multidisciplinary support that addresses speech, hearing, dental development and psychological wellbeing. In this episode, Brian Sommerlad, a surgeon and Chairman of CLEFT, shares four decades of experience in cleft care across the UK and low and middle income countries. Drawing on extensive work in places such as Bangladesh and Nepal, he explains why short-term surgical missions alone are not enough and how well-intentioned philanthropy can sometimes undermine local health systems. The conversation explores what sustainable cleft care really looks like. Brian outlines CLEFT’s distinctive approach, which focuses on training local professionals, funding non-surgical roles such as speech therapists and orthodontists, and supporting multidisciplinary teams that can continue delivering care long after external support has stepped back. Key topics include: What cleft lip and palate is, how common it is, and why it affects far more than appearance The lifelong importance of speech therapy, hearing support and dental care The psychological and social impact of cleft conditions on children and families Why teaching and capacity-building create more impact than simply doing operations How poorly designed NGO activity can unintentionally weaken local services The value of treating local clinicians, hospitals and governments as equal partners Practical insights into allocating philanthropic funding for long-term benefit Brian also reflects on his own journey from medical training in Australia to international work spanning Vietnam, Bangladesh, Iraq and beyond, offering candid observations on what has and has not worked in global health over time. This episode is a thoughtful examination of how healthcare philanthropy can move from short-term intervention to lasting change, with lessons that extend well beyond cleft care alone. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.   

This episode explores the work of the Roger Federer Foundation through a conversation with Maya Ziswiler, Chief Executive Officer, focusing on early childhood education, prevention-focused philanthropy, and long-term systems change. Maya explains how the Foundation works to give children a better start in life through early and foundational learning, with the majority of its work concentrated in Southern Africa and a growing portfolio in Switzerland. In Southern Africa, the Foundation partners closely with governments and locally rooted organisations across six countries to strengthen school readiness and early learning systems. In Switzerland, it is developing an approach that uses movement to strengthen body and mind, with an emphasis on preventing mental health challenges later in life. A central theme of the discussion is the Foundation’s data-driven School Readiness Initiative, including tablet-based learning kiosks and the Child Steps assessment tool. These tools support teachers, simplify reporting, and generate actionable data for decision making at school, regional, and national levels. Key milestones include nationwide adoption of the assessment tool in Zimbabwe and the handover of programme implementation to government authorities in parts of South Africa. The conversation also covers the Foundation’s strategic transition, with a new strategy to be launched in early 2026. Maya reflects on the shift from a single flagship solution towards an early learning continuum, the importance of partnerships, and the role of catalytic funding in strengthening an underfunded sector. The episode also traces Maya’s leadership journey from the private sector to UNICEF, UBS Optimus Foundation, and now the Roger Federer Foundation, alongside the opportunities and challenges of leading a foundation associated with a global sporting icon. Fun fact: The conversation is conducted by Alberto Lidji, former CEO of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, who interviews the CEO of the Roger Federer Foundation, offering a distinctive and collegial backdrop. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Guy Cave, President of the Legatum Foundation, discusses how the foundation launches and scales collaborative funds that focus on ambitious, system-level change. Rather than distributing small grants, the foundation pilots approaches with local organisations, tests what works, and—when the potential for large-scale impact is clear—spins out independent funds with their own leadership, governance and investor base. Guy traces the journey behind four existing funds: the END Fund, focused on neglected tropical diseases; the Freedom Fund, which addresses human trafficking and modern slavery; the Luminos Fund, bringing out-of-school children back into learning; and, most recently, the Resilio Fund, which supports community-led humanitarian response through micro-grants to hyper-local groups. Collectively, these funds have mobilised more than US$1 billion. He also introduces two current pilots that may become future funds: care reform to help children move safely from institutions into family-based care, and criminal justice reform. Throughout the conversation, Guy unpacks how new ideas emerge, how evidence is generated, how partners are brought in, and how to let go so that independent funds—and their CEOs—can thrive. For anyone interested in collaborative philanthropy, local leadership, or building vehicles that others can support, this episode offers practical insight into sequencing, partnership, and learning at scale. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This conversation offers an in-depth look at the evolving landscape of philanthropy, global health, and development funding, with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. The discussion examines how current geopolitical and economic pressures are reshaping what effective partnership, sustainability, and impact look like for funders, governments, and civil society. The episode explores a wide range of thematic priorities including maternal, newborn, and child health; pediatric and adolescent HIV; early childhood development; human resources for health; and humanitarian response. It illuminates why deeply understanding country-level contexts—systems, supply chains, human capital, financing constraints, and government priorities—is central to strategic philanthropy. A significant portion of the conversation addresses how private philanthropy can play a constructive, catalytic role amid a period of unusually rapid change in global aid flows. Topics include the risks of backsliding on key health indicators, strategies for identifying truly local and embedded implementing partners, and the importance of moving from project-based funding toward general operating support to strengthen long-term institutional capacity. The episode also examines the realities and complexities of co-funding with other foundations, multilaterals, and bilaterals—what genuine partnership requires, how priorities are aligned, and how fragmentation can be reduced. A major highlight is the creation of the Beginnings Fund, a large-scale collaborative effort uniting several private funders to meaningfully advance maternal and newborn health across multiple countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Looking ahead, the conversation outlines both the challenges and opportunities that lie between now and 2030. It reflects on where renewed discipline, focus, and collaboration are most urgently needed, and why the current moment may also be a rare chance for long-overdue recalibration in global health and development. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This episode features an in-depth conversation with philanthropist Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder and chair of the Aurora Trust and member of the Sainsbury family. With more than three decades of experience in environmental philanthropy, she offers an expansive perspective on climate action, sustainable finance, regenerative agriculture, and the role of foundations in driving systemic change. The discussion begins with the origins and evolution of the Aurora Trust, established in 1990 to support environmental and biodiversity initiatives. Sarah outlines the trust’s core areas of focus: halting tropical deforestation, advancing sustainable and regenerative farming in the UK, connecting children from disadvantaged communities with nature, improving sustainable finance systems, and supporting energy-access solutions in partnership with Ashden. A substantial portion of the conversation examines the importance of aligning endowment investments with charitable purpose. Sarah shares the story behind the landmark Butler-Sloss vs Charity Commission case, in which she and her brother successfully argued that charitable endowments should consider mission alignment—not solely financial returns—when determining investment strategy. This judgment has since shaped UK charity investment guidance, enabling foundations to invest in ways consistent with environmental and social objectives. The episode also explores the changing landscape of philanthropy, particularly the growing pressures on UK charities and funders. Sarah stresses the value of collaboration among donors and organisations, the importance of avoiding duplication, and the need to support both established institutions and promising early-stage initiatives. She reflects on how foundations can balance coordinated efforts with maintaining independence and openness to innovation. Later, the conversation turns to the Ashden Awards, the global initiative Sarah founded 25 years ago to identify, celebrate, and scale exemplary clean-energy solutions. She describes their evolution from a pure award programme to a wider platform for policy influence, investment mobilisation, and global awareness-raising. Stories from the Global South and the UK illustrate how clean-energy innovators deliver powerful social, economic, and environmental benefits. Sarah closes with a clear message for philanthropists: grants are only part of the picture. Endowments must also be deployed responsibly and strategically to advance charitable purpose and avoid undermining the very challenges philanthropy seeks to address. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

This week, The Do One Better Podcast marks a remarkable milestone: 350 consecutive episodes since its launch in early 2019. In this special solo edition, host Alberto Lidji reflects on the joy of creating a weekly show that brings together voices from across philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship, and on what it means to have listeners tuning in from every corner of the world. Alberto shares why producing the podcast remains such a deeply rewarding experience: The excitement of conversation and how open, curious dialogue often leads to unexpected insights. The fulfilment of sharing personal learnings from hundreds of interviews and applying them to help others make a difference. The privilege of informing, enthusing and encouraging a truly global audience to take action and improve the world around them. The satisfaction of building a community that values thoughtful exchange and real-world impact. He also reflects on the craft behind the show, from preparation and production to the care that goes into every episode, and the sense of meaning that comes from connecting with so many people who share a passion for positive change. This milestone episode is a warm and thoughtful celebration of curiosity, purpose and connection, and a heartfelt thank-you to the guests and listeners around the world who have made the journey possible. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 350 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Featuring Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO, and Molly Morgan, Texas State Director, both from the Trust for Public Land. They share how their organization is working to ensure that every person in the United States can live within a short walk of a park, trail, or green space. The conversation explores the strategies and partnerships that are transforming communities and connecting people to nature. Topics include: Turning schoolyards into safe, vibrant community spaces Returning land to Indigenous tribes and protecting cultural heritage sites Expanding access through the national “10-Minute Walk” initiative How the ParkScore Index drives improvement and accountability among U.S. cities The social, mental health, and economic benefits of nearby green spaces Examples from Dallas, New York, and Atlanta showing how access changes lives A thoughtful look at how data, design, and community engagement are reshaping the urban landscape — and why access to the outdoors is essential for everyone. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

Kate Williams, Chief Executive Officer of 1% for the Planet, joins the conversation to share how a simple idea—businesses and individuals committing 1% of annual revenues to environmental causes—has evolved into a powerful global movement.   Founded by Yvon Chouinard (Patagonia) and Craig Matthews, 1% for the Planet has inspired thousands of companies across more than 100 countries to give back to the planet. With over $820 million certified in lifetime giving, the organization is on track to reach its first billion in donations.   Kate explains how the model works: from certifying members’ contributions to connecting them with vetted environmental partners across four key impact areas—Just Economies, Resilient Communities, Rights to Nature, and Conservation & Restoration. She discusses the philosophy behind giving from revenues, not profits, why that matters for lasting impact, and how companies of all sizes can integrate sustainability into their core operations.   Listeners will hear about:   How 1% for the Planet certifies and supports its global network of businesses and nonprofits The creative ways companies balance purpose and profit, including in-kind and volunteer contributions Why strong branding and credible certification are essential to scaling environmental change Lessons in building community, trust, and momentum across thousands of members and partners Kate’s personal journey from outdoor educator to environmental leader Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.