Feb 25, 2026
Finding the right funding for new ideas is challenging, especially when traditional philanthropy often favors established connections. However, open-call grant models are leveling the playing field, encouraging organizations to propose big, bold solutions that might otherwise stay under a funder's radar. In today's episode, host Josh Gryniewicz interviews Marc Moorghen from Lever for Change about the ways open calls are reshaping access to philanthropic funding. You'll learn the value of approaching major grant applications as learning opportunities, how to use expert and peer feedback to strengthen your case for support, and ways to leverage strategic storytelling to move funders to action.
Want to suggest a topic, guest, or nonprofit organization for an upcoming episode? Send an email with the subject "NPFX suggestion" to contact@ipmadvancement.com.
Additional Resources
Lever for Change Bold Solutions
Network
https://leverforchange.org/bold-solutions-network
Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact
Award
https://leverforchange.org/open-calls/larsen-lam-iconiq-impact-award
Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative
https://www.refugeeslead.org
"Something ‘Amazing’ Happened"
(NEST360 story)
https://leverforchange.org/article/impact-story/something-amazing-happened
[NPFX] Authentic, Ethical, and
Effective Messaging — From Theory to Practice
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/authentic-ethical-and-effective-messaging-from-theory-to-practice
[NPFX] How to Measure the Impact of
Your Narrative Change Strategy
https://www.ipmadvancement.com/npfx/how-to-measure-the-impact-of-your-narrative-change-strategy
Guest
Marc Moorghen serves as Vice
President, Marketing Communications at Lever
for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the MacArthur Foundation.
He leads strategic communications that help promote large-scale
philanthropic investments to address global challenges. Since its
founding, Lever for Change has influenced over $2.5 billion in
grants and provided support to more than 500 organizations. In
his role, Marc works closely with staff and donor partners to
develop and implement mission-driven strategies that elevate
issues, expand engagement, and support a growing global network of
outstanding nonprofits. He also provides counsel to funders,
helping shape messaging that amplifies their investments and drive
long-term impact. Before joining Lever for Change, Marc
founded and led On Message Communications, a consulting firm
focused on strategic marketing and communications for cutting-edge
nonprofits and philanthropists. Marc holds a bachelor’s degree
from Southampton University in the United Kingdom and master’s
degrees from the University of Leuven in Belgium and the University
of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/moorghen/
https://leverforchange.org/
Interview Host
Josh Gryniewicz is
the founder and Chief Narrative Strategist at Odd Duck,
a storytelling-for-social-change creative consultancy focused on
impact-driven organizations. Josh is the co-author of the
award-winning national bestseller, Interrupting Violence. For over a decade, he
has worked in nonprofit communication. In 2018, he founded Odd Duck
to combine his passions for storytelling and social change. The
agency’s Navigating Misinformation for Community Health framework
has been shared with over a thousand community health
organizations. Odd Duck has worked with nearly a hundred
change-making organizations and advised hundreds more, including
the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Harvard School of
Public Health, and the White House.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgryniewicz/
https://oddduck.io/
https://www.interruptingviolence.com/
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