723. How American Express Is Building the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders (and What It Means for Yours!) - Madge Thomas
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About This Episode
Most funders write checks for programs and outcomes. Madge Thomas writes them for people.
As president of the American Express Foundation and Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express, Madge leads a leadership academy that has spent nearly 20 years and more than $100 million training over 165,000 nonprofit leaders around the world — built on one conviction: when you invest in a leader, the impact doesn't stop with them. It ripples outward to their organization, their community, and long after any single program ends. 🌱
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why investing in individuals instead of just programs creates a "two plus two makes five" ripple effect that most funders never think to measure
How the Academy stacks funding, a peer cohort of ~75 leaders, and alumni grants to attack nonprofit burnout at the root — by removing the impossible choice between developing your people and running your programs
What today's nonprofit leaders need that they didn't a decade ago, including AI training built with Microsoft and storytelling training built with TED
You'll walk away with a new lens on where philanthropy should focus — and a reminder that you don't need a $100 million budget to start a ripple. A ripple starts with one tiny fracture in the surface. 🩵
Episode Highlights:
Little Madge in Perth: the values that started it all (2:28)
The ripple effect of investing in leaders (4:00)
20 years, $100M, 165,000+ leaders — and the stories behind the numbers (5:12)
Why bet on people instead of programs? (10:12)
Burnout, and removing the choice between people and programs (12:31)
What nonprofit leaders need now: time, network, and dollars (15:49)
AI as augmentation: building an AI-confident sector with Microsoft (20:08)
Holding AI and humanity together (21:08)
A moment of generosity: Mrs. Wilson and the uniforms (25:30)
qOne good thing: start small (30:06)
Meet Madge: The Funder Who Bets on People, Not Just Programs
Madge Thomas is president of the American Express Foundation and head of corporate sustainability at American Express, where she leads the American Express Leadership Academy — a nearly two-decade program that has invested $100M+ in over 165,000 nonprofit leaders worldwide.
A self-described "recovering lawyer" who started at the Aboriginal Legal Service in Western Australia, she's spent 15+ years building unlikely alliances across business, government, and the nonprofit sector. Her conviction that you can't be what you can't see traces back to a second-grade teacher's quiet act of generosity — and today it drives an Academy she's rebuilt for the moment, with AI training from Microsoft, storytelling training from TED, alumni grants, and peer cohorts that end the isolation so many nonprofit leaders feel.
Powerful Quotes
That's the beauty of investing in individuals — you open the aperture of the way they can engage in this work. That has transformational capacity beyond a single program, beyond a single outcome or output." — Madge
"There are no programs without your people." — Madge
"When you invest in a leader, two and two makes five." — Madge
"AI is an augmentation, not a replacement — and knowing how to use it most effectively is the biggest skill we can come to grips with." — Madge
"A ripple starts with a tiny, tiny fracture in the surface. Any little thing you can do is likely going to have a bigger impact than you realize. Start small." — Madge
Resources Mentioned
American Express Leadership Academy: the nearly 20-year program at the center of this conversation; nominate a leader or apply anytime
American Express Foundation: the philanthropic arm Madge leads, funding catalytic investments in leaders and communities
Microsoft: partner delivering AI training within the Leadership Academy curriculum
TED: partner delivering storytelling training that helps leaders connect their personal story to their mission
NBA, Delta, and Hilton: additional Academy partners chosen for how they lead and transform their own organizations
King's Trust: where Academy alum Sarah Jones was working when she went through the program
Archery GB: the national governing body Sarah Jones now leads as CEO, preparing for the Olympics
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