Fundraising

Ep 137: Cryptocurrency and the Future of Donor Advised Funds (with Robbie Heeger)

by Joan Garry

More and more folks are donating to charity with cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, only a few large nonprofits have any idea what to do with it.

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Sometimes I feel really cutting edge. Not often, but every now and then.

A few months back I hosted an episode with Beth Kanter and Alison Fine and we talked about how artificial intelligence can be used in nonprofits. I actually kept up with the conversation. Like I said… cutting edge.

But I have to admit that the topic of today’s podcast made me a little nervous. Cryptocurrency and its role with donor advised funds. Really? Why yes.

It seems that more and more folks are donating with cryptocurrency. You know, bitcoin, ethereum, stuff like that? And meanwhile, only a few large nonprofits have any idea what to do with it.

So I’m kind of a podcast host toddler here being thrown into the deep end of the pool without swimmies. So it’s a little daunting. But it’s also really exciting!

My guest today is Robbie Heeger who is the CEO of Endaoment, America’s first Community Foundation to be powered by a blockchain. Blockchain? I leave it to Robbie to explain.

Here’s the thing. This new financial infrastructure just might be the future of fundraising. It’s fascinating stuff and I invite you to have a listen.

About Robbie:

Robbie Heeger is the President & CEO of Endaoment, the nation’s first Community Foundation to be powered by a blockchain. Endaoment accepts more than 150 different crypto assets as donations to its Donor-Advised Funds, enabling donors to make charitable contributions with crypto while organizations receive grant awards as dollars wired directly into their traditional bank account as USD. Heeger is a self-taught software engineer who began working on Endaoment after spending seven years working for Apple’s media products division. He lives in San Francisco with his fiancee, Ariel, and their 3 year-old corgi, Squid.

In this Podcast:

  • What’s a blockchain?
  • Do cryptocurrencies fluctuate? How?
  • Why should a nonprofit Executive Director care about this?
  • What are stable coins?
  • How do I exchange crypto for dollars?
  • Is there a tax advantage for nonprofits?
  • How much do organizations need to understand about cryptocurrency?

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