Maybe it's because I'm a new Mom

I've become a Podcast devotee. I can quietly listen to something without that little screen serving as a Mom and baby distraction.

There are several new political podcasts. Here are a few I recommend:

• Off Message: Glenn Thrush of Politico does excellent long-form interviews with key political figures.
• Keepin' it 1600: Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer, Obama White House alums (and former colleagues of mine on the Kerry campaign) offer funny insights into the week's news.
• The Axe Files with David Axelrod: President Obama's former right-hand strategist interviews politicos and other prominent leaders.
• Politico's 2016 Nerdcast: Not as informative as I had hoped but some good analysis. 
• The Pollsters: Bi-partisan duo Margie Omero and Kristen Soltis Anderson discuss new polling in politics, business, pop culture, and the like. Funny and informative on a wonky topic.
• The West Wing Weekly: a new-ish podcast devoted to re-capping episodes of The West Wing with former castmate Joshua Malina and superfan Hrishikesh Hirway; often has other cast members and writers featured. 

It's not just Hillary

In all the debate and hoopla over playing the women's card and voting for Hillary because she's a woman, it's easy to lose sight of key down-ballot races. 

I'm fortunate to work with Electing Women Silicon Valley, part of the Electing Women Alliance. In 2016, we're focused on electing more women to the U.S. Senate. There are an unprecendented number of qualified women running this cycle -- 10 total -- representing some of the most competitive races in the country. Many are also women of color. EMILY's List and others also work to raise money for these incredible candidates. 

Below are some additional articles:

• Trump Could Be A Real Drag On GOP: Here Are The Top 10 Senate Races To Watch
• If You Care About Electing Women, Don’t Focus Only on Hillary
• Here are the Democratic women seeking Senate seats in 2016

Millennial Donors

There's a fascinating new study from NextGenDonors about Millennial donors. It highlights preferences for giving as well as differences between those who created vs. inherited their wealth. As young people inherit $40 trillion in wealth and continue to become the next generation of self-made millionaires, understanding their unique characteristics becomes increasingly important.

Women in Philanthropy

This article, with insights from the Women's Philanthropy Institute, is of particular interest to me, given my work with Progressive Women Silicon Valley, a political giving circle.

A key takeaway: "Pockets of very powerful women at the community and grassroots level are forming their own giving circles, their own collective giving models, their own modes of engaging in philanthropy, to make powerful changes in their own communities and across the globe," said Mesch.

Young Tech Donors Take Leading Role

In light of the announcement of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative yesterday, this article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Young Tech Donors Take Leading Role in Philanthropy 50, is even more timely. 

It's worth noting, as the article points out, that many tech donors have yet figured out their funding priorities. Older institutional donors like Gates obviously have and some, like Sean Parker, have a pet cause, but the bulk of giving is essentially financial "set asides" to community foundations or other holding entities. This is not surprising as many tech donors are still working full-time and not yet focused on philanthropy as their day job. 

I would encourage tech donors to take more of a hybrid approach to their giving: try some new, bold ideas; support some "old school" institutions and organizations; and experiment with new models of giving, like the Chan Zuckerberg LLC that allow giving beyond 501c3 donations. 

501c3 "Political" Giving

A new article from Inside Philanthropy outlines some of the ways in which 501c3, or non-partisan money, can be used for political purposes. 

"Let's take the area of voter education, registration, and turnout as an example. It's no secret that who turns out to vote, and where, can make a big difference in determining which candidates win on Election Day. If more African Americans turn out in swing states like Florida or North Carolina, for instance, that's good news for Democrats. If the electorate tilts toward older and white voters, Republicans stand to gain."

In 2012 and 2014, I helped fund some of the groups mentioned through my work with the Youth Engagement Fund. These groups do amazing, non-partisan, little "d" democracy work year-in and year-out. Sadly, many constituencies DO register and vote at lower rates; sometimes it is the result of systemic disenfranchisement or purposeful efforts to undermine their power and sometimes it is a result of societal norms, like young people being less aware of the voting process, low-income workers with transportation issues, and the like. These facts have become part of our political football in unfortunate ways, demonizing well-intentioned efforts to increase all citizens access to the ballot as partisan politics. 

I believe if more funders gave in this space, and gave not only in presidential election years, we could both de-politicize ths work and truly help solve this ongoing problem.