005 – Erinn Andrews – Making Giving Meaningful: A Human-Centered Model for Purposeful Philanthropy with GiveTeam
Welcome to My Friends in Philanthropy, the podcast dedicated to the people and organizations driving meaningful change.
In this episode, Patti Parker sits down with Erinn Andrews, Founder & CEO of Give Team, an innovative philanthropic advising organization designed to help everyday generous Americans move from reactive giving to intentional, purpose-driven impact. Erinn brings more than a decade of research and practice—including her work at Stanford’s Effective Philanthropy Lab—to a mission of making high-quality philanthropic advising accessible, approachable, and deeply human.
Erinn explains why so many donors feel stuck giving only when asked, how busy lives limit even the best intentions, and what she discovered about the unmet needs of donors giving between $10,000 and $1 million per year. She breaks down the three essential components donors need to shift into meaningful, strategic giving: clarifying values, understanding financial tools, and identifying high-impact nonprofits aligned with their personal mission.
Patti and Erinn also explore how Give Team partners with financial advisors, why human conversation is irreplaceable in philanthropic planning, and how a simple two-meeting process can unlock clarity that strengthens families, honors personal values, and thoughtfully guides charitable dollars where they can do the most good.
This episode is a must-listen for donors, advisors, and anyone who believes generosity should be intentional, personal, and empowering—not overwhelming.
Erinn Andrews is a social entrepreneur and innovator who has been actively engaged in the philanthropic sector for almost 15 years. Most recently, she led the Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) where she conducted research to understand donor behavior, published resources for high-capacity donors and advisors supporting high-capacity donors, and developed innovative education programs—for donors and financial advisors. Prior to Stanford PACS, Erinn led GuideStar’s (now Candid) nonprofit strategy, managing the largest database of nonprofit information in the US. While at GuideStar, she developed and launched the GuideStar bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels of distinction, encouraging more organizations to self-report qualitative and (standardized) quantitative impact data. After earning her B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University, she launched a start-up nonprofit called Philanthropedia (with funding from the Hewlett Foundation) to identify high-impact nonprofits across multiple cause-areas. Philanthropedia was ultimately acquired by GuideStar. Erinn serves as the President of the national board of International Advisors in Philanthropy, is a member of P150 (a global network of philanthropy advisors), acts as a “Kitchen Cabinet” advisor to Northern California Grantmakers, and is a member of the Peninsula Latina Giving Circle. She lives in Menlo Park, CA with her husband, two children, and their fluffy pup, Nugget.
Patti Parker, CFP®, is the host of My Friends in Philanthropy and the founder of Discovery Financial, an independent advisory firm specializing in guiding clients through major life transitions such as retirement, marriage, divorce, or loss. With more than 20 years of experience in financial planning—and a prior career as a Registered Nurse—Parker brings a unique blend of expertise and compassion to her work, helping hundreds of individuals make confident financial decisions during challenging times. Through her podcast and her advisory practice, she is committed to elevating community impact and empowering people to navigate change with clarity and trust. Learn more about Patti's advising here: https://www.discoverywealthmanagement.com/our-team [https://www.discoverywealthmanagement.com/our-team]
