November 11, 2021

Reflections on Gratitude, Known and Unknown

Frank Blake looks back on a leadership lesson and discovers a new meaning. How can you show gratitude when you don’t know who to thank?

October 4, 2021

Insights from Servants of Service

The Giving Institute is in the business of kindness, working to advance understanding of charitable giving to nonprofits that serve humanity. 

September 6, 2021

Troopster: Serving Those Who Serve Our Country

After receiving her own “heartbreak in a box,” a Navy sailor founded an innovative service to easily send high quality care packages to deployed troops.

August 2, 2021

How To End Diabetes Through Generosity

Sean Doherty is a dad on a mission. At just 2 years old, his son Finn was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Now, Sean is a leading venture philanthropist who helped create the T1D Fund, which makes equity investments in companies developing life-changing therapies to cure his son – and millions of others – of Type 1 Diabetes.

July 5, 2021

Why Kids Need Money Education – And Who Is Bringing It

Fewer than half of states require financial literacy classes. Tyrone Ross Jr. is passionate about changing that, and expanding opportunities.

June 7, 2021

The Freedom and Philanthropy that Set America Apart

Karl Zinsmeister shares some of the incredible history of philanthropy in America, and why our passion for generosity and freedom defines our country.  

May 3, 2021

Mastering Your Domain with David Perell

Entrepreneur David Perell is teaching others to write online, share ideas, and build an internet audience to get ahead.

April 12, 2021

Cash In On Better Thinking with Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel is a partner and financial writer at Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Wall Street Journal as well as The Motley Fool. 

As a financial writer, he has unique takes on money, risk, greed, opportunity, and how decisions in the business world can be applied to so much more.

March 8, 2021

Dana Gioia and the Intimacy of Literature

We need literature to understand life and feel our humanity. This award-winning poet is dedicated to teaching and sharing the value of words.

February 1, 2021

Quincy Larson: Free Code Champion

Half a million people per day use his website, working toward a computer programming certification. Find out why he’s offering it for free.

January 11, 2021

Imparting the Inquiring Mind of Tyler Cowen

Recognized as a global thinker, this brilliant economics professor wants to learn as much as possible — and teach it to you, too.

December 14, 2020

Lighten Your Heart With Gratitude

These seven reflections on thankfulness from former guests and listeners, and the people they’ve helped, will remind you of the joy thanks brings.

November 9, 2020

Uncovering Your Superpower with Adrienne Bankert

This journalist and TV personality knows the most valuable hidden force is kindness. She built her career on it, and she’s showing you how to use it too.

October 5, 2020

Philanthropy Upgrades by NextAfter

Tim Kachuriak is using the internet to figure out what makes people give, and leveraging that knowledge to help nonprofits reach farther

September 8, 2020

Nicole Phillips is High on Kindness

The author and columnist describes how an intentional and systematic approach to kindness changed her life, and how it can change yours.

August 10, 2020

Improving Lives 10 Minutes At A Time: Lee Rankinen

Millions turn to the Optimal Living Daily podcast for advice. Co-founder Lee Rankinen shares lessons from 6,000+ hours of personal development study.

July 6, 2020

Leading Through Gratitude: David Novak

The former CEO built YUM! Brands into a global powerhouse by emphasizing recognition. Now he’s on a mission to redefine leadership.

June 15, 2020

Teaching Kids How to Make a Real Difference: Kids Boost

Kids are innately helpful. Meet the organization helping children cultivate that desire while raising money for charity.

May 15, 2020

The Fight Against COVID-19

Meet 6 remarkable people leading organizations that are meeting the enormous demands caused by COVID-19 in generous, creative, and crazy good ways.

April 13, 2020

Sending Crazy Good Thanks: Gifts for Good

We will pay to send a $50 “Thank You” gift to anyone you would like to celebrate for helping others. Nominate someone today.

March 2, 2020

An Unexpected Hero ‘Unlocks’ a Path Out of Homelessness

Alexis Corbin set out to explore an unlikely place and discovered a long lost family member — one who made her life’s mission possible.

February 2, 2020

How to Turn Adversity Into Opportunity

Michaela “Chaeli” Mycroft of Chaeli Campaign will change how you think about disabilities and show how personal struggles can lead you to great things.

January 6, 2020

Surprising Lessons from ‘The Happiness Lab’

Dr. Laurie Santos, a Yale researcher whose course on happiness is now a worldwide phenomenon, says there’s a cost to self-care and power in giving more.

December 2, 2019

Austin Kleon and The Shape of a Good Life

Artist and author Austin Kleon talks about what lasting success really means and how to achieve it.

November 4, 2019

Cat Hoke and the Art of the Comeback

Hoke, the founder of three rehabilitation programs for prisoners, has had to overcome her own battles to find her “generous hustle.”

October 7, 2019

Florence Phillips and the Age-Defying Power of Mission

Here’s why the 88-year-old founder of ESL In-Home of Northern Nevada feels like she’s in her 40s.

August 5, 2019

A Radical Idea So Nonprofits Can Do More: NPX Advisors

Lindsay Beck and Catarina Schwab want to help nonprofits think bigger, better and crazier. They’re doing it by making fundraising so much smarter. 

July 7, 2019

Overcoming Negative Self-Talk and Thinking Much Bigger: Dan Pallotta

First, Pallotta raised millions to fight cancer and AIDS by inventing multi-day fundraisers. Now he’s out to change everything you think about charity — and yourself.

June 2, 2019

How to Solve “Impossible” Problems: Mick Ebeling and Not Impossible Labs

Mick Ebeling and Daniel Belquer are helping the deaf hear music. Not Impossible Labs built limbs for amputees in warzones. That’s just the beginning…

May 5, 2019

Giving Sight to the Blind: Jordan Kassalow and VisionSpring

Vision isn’t just sight. It’s opportunity. VisionSpring brings it to millions around the globe each year. It started with one personal transformation.

April 7, 2019

Radical Generosity: A New Way to Look at Work and Money

Hear how April Tam Smith and Graham Smith, the founders of Times Square Restaurant P.S. Kitchen, are giving their lives away together.

March 3, 2019

How to Transform a Life: Edward Bailey and No Longer Bound

Bailey and No Longer Bound help men break the chains of addiction. They’re 2X as effective as traditional rehab. But first, Bailey had to break free of his own.

December 18, 2018

Nancy Lublin: Saving Lives With Text Messages

Millions turn to Crisis Text Line and find life-saving support. Founder and CEO Lublin explains why.

December 4, 2018

The Cafe That Keeps Kids Out of Jail

Most juvenile offenders end up back in prison — but not at Curt’s Cafe, a coffee shop offers a path to a better life.

November 20, 2018

LIMBS International Makes a Difference for Amputees Around the World

Of the 30 Million amputees worldwide, only 5 percent have access to prosthetics. A professor in Texas sets out to change that, one step at a time.   

November 11, 2018

These Tech Wizards Want to Make 911 More Like Uber

A team of  “computer nerds” spot a huge hole in emergency services. Their solution may save 10,000 lives a year (or more!).

October 23, 2018

To Stand Up to Cancer, They’ll Get Punched in the Face

Haymakers for Hope trains regular people for boxing matches that have raised millions for cancer charities. Meet 4 people crazy enough to step into the ring.  

October 9, 2018

These Women Have a Clever Answer to the Student Loan Crisis

Shared Harvest Fund gives graduates a way to pay off loans through volunteer work.

September 25, 2018

Meet a Five-Star General in the War on Poverty and Disease

Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, talks about the battles we face and how she maintains optimism amid enormous challenges.

September 11, 2018

What’s Next for Crazy Good Turns?

Exciting changes ahead! Our founder, former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake, takes over the show, and talks about what you can expect from now on.

Aug. 28, 2018

Where Prisoners Become Farmers or Silicon Valley IT Stars

How do you get someone out of jail and into a better life? Cul2vate and The Last Mile take drastically different approaches.

Aug. 14, 2018

‘Predatory Givers’ Make Medical Debt Disappear

Meet RIP Medical Debt, the anti-collection agency that’s buying millions in unpaid medical bills and forgiving the debts at no cost to patients.

July 31, 2018

Hope Lives on a Lake in Wisconsin

How do you overcome tragedy? At Camp HOPE, a retreat for children and adults grieving the death of a loved one, the answer is: By lifting each other up.

July 17, 2018

An Orchestra Changes the Tune for Inner City Kids

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program opens minds and doors to new opportunities for students at inner city schools.

July 3, 2018

These Military Heroes Walk Toward Bombs

EOD Warrior Foundation helps the men and women who save lives by performing the military’s scariest job.

June 19, 2018

Fugees Academy: An American School Showing Society at Its Best

A school in the Deep South is changing hearts and developing minds with a “tough love approach” that works.

June 5, 2018

Martina McBride and Fans Spread the Love

Team Music is Love turns fans into volunteers and concerts into opportunities to make a difference. See how country singer Martina McBride takes her foundation on tour with her.

May 22, 2018

She Tracks Down Sex Traffickers

Emily Kennedy, CEO of Marinus Analytics, is helping cops send traffickers to jail.

May 15, 2018

Ken Langone and the Generosity of Time

Langone came from nothing to become a founder of The Home Depot, but never forgot his roots. He’s given staggering sums, but says his money isn’t truly charity. Discover a refreshing outlook that proves you don’t need riches in order to give richly.

May 8, 2018

The American Soldier Who Wouldn’t Leave His Translator Behind

U.S. Army Captain Matt Zeller says he wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Janis Shinwari, an Afghan Translator who saved his life during an ambush. Years later, Zeller had the chance to return the favor to Janis — and many others. Thousands more still need help.

April 24, 2018

Teacher Discovers Surprising Path to Peace

The daughter of a Vietnam war vet who can’t shake the memories of her childhood becomes a music teacher, but then hears a new calling — help refugee children — and gives up everything to follow it. 

April 10, 2018

Can 3D Printing Solve the World’s Housing Crisis?

Millions of people have seen the incredible 3D printer capable of building a 700-square foot house in 24 hours. Not as many know the equally incredible story of Brett Hagler and New Story, the people behind that machine — and who plan on using it to build communities worldwide.

March 27, 2018

A Launch Pad To a Better Life

A real estate investment takes a strange and delightful twist when Kenny Hill hears a calling: “What if, what you did for these homes, you could do for people’s lives? Totally renovate.”

March 13, 2018

How a Paralyzed Athlete Refused to Lose

All of Travis Roy’s dreams ended in an instant…or so he thought. Find out how a former hockey player turned his own tragedy into triumph–and became a hero to hundreds who’ve suffered severe spinal cord injuries.

February 27, 2018

A New Approach to Coping with Cancer

A 39-year-old woman gets diagnosed with breast cancer, then makes a decision that not only helps her survive — it changes the lives of hundreds of other patients and their families. 

February 13, 2018

This Company Will Change How You Look at Autism

At The Precisionists, an IT company in Delaware, autism is an asset.

January 30, 2018

The World’s Strongest Spectators

College athletes give seriously ill children an unforgettably great day thanks to Special Spectators. 

January 16, 2018

$50,000 Grant Winner Announced!

In the first episode of Crazy Good Turns Season 3, we award a $50,000 grant to an organization that’s making a difference.

December 18

The Gift

5 people share stories of incredible kindness. Plus: Tell us about the best gift you’ve ever received.

December 4

Desire Street Ministries

Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel faced Hurricane Katrina and a deadly disease. Now he’s helping people in inner cities throughout the South.

November 21

Marcus Autism Center

Bernie Marcus tried to help a friend and wound up creating a world leader in autism research and treatment.

November 7

Travis Mills Foundation

He lost his arms and legs to a landmine, but nothing can break his spirit. Travis Mills and his foundation help injured veterans discover life after trauma.

October 24

Food Forward

A man goes on a walk and literally stumbles across a simple fix for the complex problems of hunger and food waste. Here’s how his idea is feeding thousands in Southern California.

October 10

SVDP Disaster Services

Meet an organization that was born during the fallout from Hurricane Katrina and today is working to help tens of thousands impacted by Harvey, Irma and Maria.

September 26

My House

Michelle Overstreet felt she wasn’t doing enough to help homeless teens in her hometown. So she and her husband pooled their savings to launch a support organization that does everything differently — and it’s helping hundreds of people build better lives.

September 12

Bitty and Beau’s

Most developmentally disabled people are unemployed. A North Carolina mom set out to solve that—and wound up creating a coffee shop that serves up joy every day.

August 29

The Lift Garage

Your car isn’t just a way to go from one place to another. It symbolizes staying on the road to success

August 15

Camp Sunshine

Be inspired and learn powerful life lessons from a camp that provides support and great memories for kids with cancer and their families.

August 1

Thistle Farms

For many women with a history of sex trafficking, prostitution or addiction, hope can be hard to find. But Thistle Farms is using love to help empower, reinvent, and employ women around the world.

May 30

Angels Foster

The elation, the painful setbacks, the paperwork…but most of all, the unconditional love and hope for a child’s future.

Week of May 14

A Sense of Home

Young adults who age out of the foster system often bring with them a lifetime of trauma. One organization is determined to make them feel at home.

April 18, 2017

Love Beyond Walls

By breaking down walls, we can give a voice to the voiceless and inspire redemption and hope.

May 2, 2017

Homeboy Industries

After burying a growing number of young people killed by gang violence, a Jesuit Priest took matters into his own hands.

April 4, 2017

Purposity

Connecting the dots with a text. Learn how one young entrepreneur is leveraging technology and human kindness to create an army of philanthropists.

March 21, 2017

The Giving Kitchen

A story of love, loss and gratitude to a community that takes care of its own.

Week of March 6

Rainbow Pack

School supplies. May seem like a simple thing – but basic supplies like pencils, crayons and erasers might be all it takes to excite a child to learn.

Feb. 20, 2017

Music Maker

Future generations of music lovers will thank this organization – dedicated to preserving the musical traditions of the South and ensuring musicians won’t be silenced by poverty and time.

February 7, 2017

All Our Kids

Investing in the success of young people around a dining room table. It’s more than just a meal, it’s breaking down barriers and establishing relationships rooted in love.

January 24, 2017

Unsung Heroes

There are Unsung Heroes among us that keep our workplace, campus, and community running smoothly and efficiently behind the scenes, but often go unrecognized and unappreciated. We just have to take the time to listen and show a level of acknowledgment.

December 16, 2016

Christmas Tree Santas

A Christmas tree is a holiday tradition so many take for granted. One single mother’s joy and gratitude upon receiving a donated tree inspired a group to play Santa and spread cheer by delivering trees to those who would otherwise go without.

Week of November 20, 2016

Shine A Light

The glittering neon and bustle of the Vegas strip hide a vast maze of underground flood channels that hundreds of men and women call home.  Hear how journalist turned activist Matt O’Brien discovered this homeless community and what he’s doing to help.

November 8, 2016

Beyond Differences

Feeling alone and out of place is felt by far too many of our youth. One young girl’s inspiring life is helping shape a movement to make everyone feel included and celebrated, no matter their differences.

October 25, 2016

Magic Wheelchair

What happens when you email a legendary special effects school and ask for some advice on a Halloween costume? Well, in the case of this nonprofit’s story, Hollywood magic ensues, families are forever transformed — and Halloween will never be the same.

Week of October 9, 2016

The Trevor Project

We all like movies. But is it possible that a movie can save lives? It seems at least one did — by galvanizing the need for a vital nonprofit aimed at LGBTQ teens and young adults in crisis. Let us introduce you to a brave young man and his inspiring story of love.

Week of September 25, 2016

Global Soap Project

He grew up in Uganda, and his family was lucky to survive the terror of Idi Amin. And then he came to America and discovered his life’s calling in an unexpected place. Derreck Kayongo found hope in those little bars of hotel soap.

September 13, 2016

Tunnel to Towers

A New York City firefighter who sacrificed his life on 9/11. A soldier in Afghanistan who sacrificed his body for his platoon. They never met. And yet they are connected through time, space, family — and their shared courage.

August 30, 2016

KaBOOM!

It’s one of the most successful nonprofits in the last 20 years — dedicated to building playgrounds in underserved communities. But it took one man overcoming incredible personal odds to create “an explosion of hope and opportunity.”

August 16, 2016

City of Refuge

He’s a preacher from the hills of Virginia who brought his wife and five daughters to live in one of the most dangerous areas of Atlanta. Fought off car thieves, addicts, and deranged would-be killers. And took it upon himself to fight the city’s worst problems and create a refuge for those who needed it. Why? Meet the man who was “conned by God.”

August 2, 2016

Team Rubicon

We’ve heard too many times the stories of military veterans struggling to find a place in the civilian world. Jake Wood might have an answer — by sending veterans to the world’s worst disaster zones. Help is on the way, with Team Rubicon.