High-Impact Growth

Imagine a country of 50 million people with only 50 psychiatrists. This staggering treatment gap is the reality in Uganda, but Pavel Reppo is proving that specialized experts aren’t the only ones who can provide life-changing care. As the Executive Director of Finemind and CEO of Matchbox Fund, Pavel brings a rare dual perspective to the conversation, bridging the worlds of grassroots mental health implementation and trust-based philanthropy.
In this episode, we dive into how Finemind upskills primary health workers—such as midwives and nurses—to deliver evidence-based mental health support at the point of care. Pavel explains why true impact must be measured by functional recovery—like children returning to school or improved household food security—rather than just clinical depression scores. We also explore the Matchbox Fund’s mission to rewrite the rules of funding by investing in overlooked local organizations and responding to outreach with dignity. This conversation offers a masterclass in ethical leadership, local ownership, and a radical definition of success: scale as the "reduction of the problem," not just the growth of an organization.

Related Resources:
High-Impact Growth episode featuring Vikram Patel - https://sites.dimagi.com/high-impact-growth-podcast/reimagining-mental-health 
High-Impact Growth episode featuring Kevin Starr - https://dimagi.com/podcast/funders-power-to-change-the-system/
Finemind - https://afinemind.org/about/
Matchboxfund - https://matchboxfund.org/
Sangath - https://www.sangath.in/
Spring Impact - https://www.springimpact.org/
A WHO-developed psychological intervention for people in communities affected by adversity - https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241506816 

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Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

As traditional funding sources shift, many nonprofits are asking a hard question: can individual giving become a meaningful and sustainable revenue stream? In this episode of High-Impact Growth, Amie Vaccaro and Jonathan Jackson sit down with Javan Van Gronigen, founder of Donate.ly, to unpack what it truly takes to make that transition work.
Drawing from more than a decade in digital fundraising, Javan shares why storytelling—not technology—is the most critical asset nonprofits have, and why so many organizations struggle by committing “random acts of marketing.” The conversation explores how to move from one-to-one fundraising toward scalable, one-to-many models without burning limited budgets, and how testing small bets is essential before going all-in.
The group also digs into the evolving role of AI in fundraising—from speeding up content creation and data analysis to raising new ethical questions about authenticity and trust. Whether you’re testing individual giving for the first time or rethinking your entire fundraising strategy, this episode offers a grounded, honest roadmap for navigating a more crowded and uncertain funding landscape.
Related Resources:
https://www.fiftyandfifty.org/services/engagement-os 
https://www.donately.com/
https://www.charitywater.org/
https://invisiblechildren.com/ 

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We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

AI is moving fast in global health and development, but good intentions alone don’t guarantee good outcomes. In this episode of High-Impact Growth, we sit down with Genevieve Smith, Founding Director of the Responsible AI Initiative at UC Berkeley’s AI Research Lab, to unpack what it really means to build and deploy AI responsibly in contexts that matter most.
Drawing on a decade of experience in international development and cutting-edge research on AI bias, Genevieve explains why labeling a project “AI for good” isn’t enough. She introduces five critical lenses –  fairness, privacy, security, transparency, and accountability – that program managers and product leaders must apply to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities or creating new risks.
The conversation explores real-world examples, from AI-driven credit assessments that unintentionally disadvantage women, to the challenges of deploying generative AI in low-resource and multilingual settings. Genevieve also shares emerging alternatives, like data cooperatives, that give communities governance over how their data is used, shifting power toward trust, agency, and long-term impact.
This episode offers practical insights for anyone navigating the hype, pressure, and promise of AI in development, and looking to get it right.
Responsible AI Initiative – UC Berkeley AI Research Lab – A multidisciplinary initiative advancing research and practice around responsible, trustworthy AI.
Mitigating Bias in Artificial Intelligence - A playbook for business leaders who build & use AI to unlock value responsibly & equitably
UC Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) – A leading AI research lab focused on advancing the science and real-world impact of artificial intelligence.
Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) Conference – A major interdisciplinary conference on ethical and responsible AI systems.
UN Women – An organization referenced in Genevieve’s background, focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) – A research organization mentioned in the episode, specializing in gender, equity, and inclusive development.
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Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

Today’s episode is a re-air in support of Pods Fight Poverty, a campaign from our friends at GiveDirectly. You can learn more and donate at: GiveDirectly.org/Dimagi
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In this episode, we’re joined by Stella Luk, Regional Director at GiveDirectly, and Erin Quinn, Dimagi’s Senior Director of Customer Success, to explore a fundamental question: What if, instead of aid programs deciding what communities need, we simply gave people cash and trusted them to make the best choices for themselves?
GiveDirectly has pioneered direct, unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, challenging long-held assumptions about traditional aid. Stella shares powerful insights from the field—how cash empowers recipients with dignity, choice, and long-term impact. We also discuss the skepticism surrounding cash transfers, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and how technology is helping reach those most in need.
With global development funding in flux, could direct cash transfers be the future of aid? Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation on how this model is reshaping humanitarian response and development efforts worldwide.

Related Resources: 
GiveDirectly.org
Debunking 5 myths about cash transfers
Kenya study comparing lump and flow study done by Abhijit Banerjee
Ugandan youths given $382 earned 38% more 4 years later
Related and referenced podcast episodes: 
The Journey to Scale: Lessons learned from supporting the largest digitally-enabled Frontline Worker program in the world with Kriti Mehrotra, Shayoni Mazumdar and Stella Luk
Improving Health Worker Jobs to Improve Outcomes with CommCare Connect
Sign up to our newsletter⁠, and stay informed of Dimagi’s work
We are on social media - follow us for the latest from Dimagi: ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠
If you enjoy this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and share your favorite episodes with friends. 
Hosts: ⁠Jonathan Jackson⁠ and ⁠Amie Vaccaro

What if you could identify exactly where your philanthropic dollar would save the most lives or improve the most years of healthy living? 
In this episode, Deena Mousa, lead researcher at Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy), walks us through the rigorous frameworks that guide one of the world's most analytically driven funders. From evaluating causes using importance, neglectedness, and tractability, to calculating social return on investment, Deena explains how Coefficient Giving approaches everything from malaria prevention to AI's potential in low-resource settings. The conversation explores why AI hasn't replaced radiologists despite predictions a decade ago, and what that teaches us about deploying technology in complex systems. Deena also shares how improving AI performance in low-resource languages could dramatically shift the trajectory of global health equity. If you're curious about evidence-based philanthropy, the real-world challenges of AI deployment in global health, or how to learn as fast as possible when making high-stakes funding decisions, this conversation offers a masterclass in thoughtful impact maximization.