Unleashing Innovation & Generosity: Melissa Martin on How For Good's Tech Powered Over $5B of Giving
- E4
- 1:08:03
- July 11th 2025
What if the most powerful tool for transforming communities isn’t a government grant or billionaire donation—but a reimagined approach to generosity?
In this episode of The IVI Podcast, Joe Phoenix sits down with Melissa Martin, Chief Operating Officer of For Good (formerly Network for Good) and one of the most innovative forces in modern philanthropy.
With over $5.5 billion distributed to more than 450,000 nonprofits, For Good isn’t just talking about impact—they’re engineering it. Melissa shares how For Good is reshaping charitable giving through technology, corporate partnerships, and frictionless donor-advised funds (DAFs). You’ll hear how organizations like Walmart and Patagonia are leveraging their platform, how donor intent is protected and honored, and why operational excellence is the secret ingredient behind scalable generosity.
Topics include:
- Why DAFs are misunderstood—and wildly underutilized
- How For Good spun out of Silicon Valley legends like AOL, Yahoo, and Cisco
- The truth about donor intent, compliance, and control in charitable giving
- What nonprofits need to understand about the new era of giving
- How For Good is helping companies turn social responsibility into competitive advantage
Plus, Melissa shares what inspires her leadership, the quote that guides her work, and how she’s helping redefine what it means to make an impact.
Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, philanthropist, corporate CSR pro, or just curious about the future of giving—this episode will leave you inspired and ready to act.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Generosity and Compliance
00:44 Welcome to the IVI Podcast
00:51 Meet Melissa Martin, COO of For Good
02:35 The Importance of Small Philanthropy
03:35 For Good's Mission and Impact
07:08 The Origins of Network For Good
09:59 Corporate Social Responsibility and Technology
15:28 The Role of Donor-Advised Funds
22:50 Challenges and Opportunities in Charitable Giving
36:02 The Role of Technology in Nonprofits
37:27 Challenges with Donor-Advised Funds
38:42 Educating Charitable Organizations
48:32 Corporate America's Role in Philanthropy
49:40 Innovative Corporate Giving Strategies
53:22 Operational Excellence in Corporate Giving
57:49 Disrupting Corporate Social Responsibility
01:01:45 Quick Hits: Personal Insights and Advice
The IVI Podcast
Innovators, Visionaries, and Impact
Hosted by Joe Phoenix, Founder and CEO of Givinga
The IVI Podcast explores the world of innovation, vision, and impact on the world with some of today's most fascinating people.
Joe Phoenix sits down with a range of leaders from across the landscapes of business, technology, government, philanthropy, and even the occasional NASA engineer on his quest to discover how we... as people can make a positive impact on the world.
Meet the Host
With 30 years in the global asset management industry in the US and overseas, Joe recognized that financial technology was underutilized in the charitable giving industry and could be used to change the way donors think about giving. He believes anyone can be a philanthropist, especially when they have access to and leverage all available resources.