People in Fundraising ep. 133: Cherian Koshy, VP at Kindsight

Cherian Koshy, my first "People in Fundraising" guest from Iowa, joins this weekly nonprofit podcast to share incredible insights about his career. Early on, he developed a fascination with "why people give, why people make a gift." Over the last 15 years, Cherian has since become deeply interested in neuroscience and behavioral science, leading to what he terms "neurophilanthropy," along with AI and ethics.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Cherian also discusses:

* What led Cherian to develop and launch NonprofitOS during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. NonprofitOS was later acquired by Kindsight. Also, what Cherian learned about himself through this significant endeavor.

* Why "there isn't another sector like the nonprofit sector, where people are open and dive in, and say, for example, 'I have a template and here's how it can be useful!'" * What led Cherian to become a board member of AFP Global, and why he feels that volunteer service at any level - the local, national, or international landscapes - is so important to our profession and can enrich people's experiences.

* His response to the "Eat, Pray, Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert's quote that "grace will take you places hustling can't." And how he, as a person of faith, realized that he had been doing things (like working hard) for the wrong reasons (to achieve), and how striving for more markers of achievement will be unsatisfying compared to understand one's identity. This realization now "makes me hustle harder, because I am doing this in the service of others."

* His thoughtful reply to actor Kyle MacLachlan's quote about his longtime collaborator, the late director David Lynch: "I was willing to follow [David] anywhere, because joining him on the journey of discovery, searching and finding together, was the whole point. I stepped out into the unknown because I knew David was floating out there with me."

Thank you Cherian for an incredible interview! I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and the depth of your commitment to the social impact world and the many people striving to improve it.