Ep. 4: Wanda Brascoupé
In “Two-Eyed Seeing: Rethinking Power and Trust in Philanthropy,” Episode 4 of the MPNL program’s PhilanthroThink Podcast (June 2025), Wanda Brascoupé tells hosts Megan Skyvington and Emily Goodwin how Indigenous-led approaches are reshaping philanthropy and how we need trust-based philanthropy, community engagement and “two-eyed seeing”. Wanda is co-founder of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund and co-founder of Indigenous Philanthropy Advisors. Driven by a passion for collaborative solutions, Wanda bridges gaps between diverse stakeholders, specializing in creating partnerships that drive positive social impact while promoting cultural respect and reciprocity. Listen or watch on YouTube (also available below), Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro and Indigenous Acknowledgment
02:25 Wanda Brascoupé’s Journey into Philanthropy
05:23 Decolonizing Philanthropy: Rethinking Power Dynamics
07:09 Indigenous-Led Initiatives: Changing the Philanthropic Landscape
12:54 The Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund: A Case Study
20:09 Trust-Based Philanthropy: Building Relationships with Communities
24:40 Grounding in Community Values
27:23 Daily Reflections on Philanthropy
29:56 Building Trust in Philanthropic Processes
31:51 Engaging with Indigenous Communities
34:07 Humility and the Future of Philanthropy
36:34 Hope for the Philanthropic Sector
38:43 Encouraging Trust-Based Philanthropy
40:17 Learning from Past Experiences
44:13 Looking Ahead: Questions for Future Generations
Host and Co-hosts: Megan Skyvington and Emily Goodwin.
Production: Keenlii.
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PhilanthroThink is a podcast series that complements our existing discussion series from Carleton University’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program. In each episode, we sit down with wealth creators, philanthropic leaders and innovative thinkers to dig into the challenges, opportunities and strategies shaping the sector both at home and abroad.
Banner photo is courtesy of David Gomez.