Bridgespan Group Reveals the Power of Incremental Change in Advocacy

The Business of Giving

The following is a conversation between William Foster, the co-author of Betting on the Tortoise: Policy Incrementalism and How Philanthropy's Support Can Turn Small Sustained Steps into Big Impact, Deborah Bielak, co-author of Using All the Tools in the Toolkit: Funding Advocacy for Social Change, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving.

A topic that's gaining traction among philanthropists and changemakers alike is the strategic funding of advocacy efforts, and I'm excited to have with us today two distinguished experts to discuss it.

William Foster is a managing partner at the Bridgespan Group and co-author of Betting on the Tortoise: Policy Incrementalism and How Philanthropy's Support Can Turn Small Sustained Steps into Big Impact. His research provides a deep dive into how major policy victories are often not the result of sudden leaps, but rather the culmination of strategic incremental efforts backed by steadfast philanthropic support.

And joining him is Deborah Bielak, a partner in the Bridgespan San Francisco office. She is the co-author of Using All the Tools in the Toolkit: Funding Advocacy for Social Change. It highlights the diverse strategies philanthropists can employ to drive policy and political changes that resonate with their objectives.