People in Fundraising, ep. #121: Jenn Klein, ”You Are a Philanthropist”

Philanthropy podcaster and fundraising leader Jenn Klein joins "People in Fundraising" to talk about her life's professional work across various platforms. She is the founder of the "You Are a Philanthropist" podcast, on which she kindly welcomed me as a guest in 2023 - the same year that her first book, "Giving is Selfish," was published. 2025 marks 20 years since Jenn entered the fundraising profession.

Jenn talks about:

* What led her to write "Giving is Selfish," and what she hopes readers in the nonprofit development space will take from it - and how Jenn's faith journey was a big reason that she wrote this first book. 

* The origins of her "You Are a Philanthropist" podcast, and the joys she (and I) find, along with the challenges she (and I) encounter as podcast host.

 

* The scientifically-proven benefits of being generous, and for people of religious faith such as Jenn and myself, "We are hard-wired by God to give." And how the word "gratitude" was Jenn's word of 2024. We talk a lot about our respective faiths around the 18-minute mark. Faith of any kind is a topic I'd love to explore more in future episodes.

 

Thank you Jenn for a fascinating and uplifting conversation!