Mathew Passy’s podcast, Causepods, features podcasters with shows supporting various charitable causes.
Cherry Hill resident Mathew Passy has worked on countless podcast episodes for numerous organizations over the course of his career.
However, one of Passy’s newest projects may be the most impactful podcast he’s ever done.
In September, Passy uploaded the first episode of his new podcast, Causepods. Passy produces and hosts this show with the mission of giving a platform for other podcasters who use their own shows to raise awareness for a good cause, such as a nonprofit, a charity or a social justice movement.
Passy has put together a long career in podcasting. He worked on his first podcast at his first job with New Jersey 101.5 FM around the release of the first IPhone in 2007. Passy later went on to work with the “Wall Street Journal” radio network. After the “Wall Street Journal” ended its radio network in 2014, Passy began connecting with colleagues and producing a few podcasts for people. This turned into a full-time job, and Passy now produces and works on a number of different podcasts.
While his career has been successful, Passy recently found himself wanting to do more through podcasting. He specifically started looking at podcasters who were focused primarily on promoting a cause.
“There’s some folks out there that are producing podcasts without monetary goals in mind,” Passy said.
Passy noticed many of these podcasts weren’t getting a lot of notoriety. This inspired him to start Causepods.
Passy usually produces an episode of Causepods once a week and uploads it to his website, www.causepods.org, as well as podcasting stores such as iTunes, Spotify and Google Play. Each episode is around 30 minutes and features a podcaster whose show is centered around promoting a charity, nonprofit or social cause.
The podcast isn’t just focused on promoting the guest and their cause, but also raising money. A donation page is set up for listeners to donate money to each guest’s nonprofit or charity organization. All of the proceeds are sent directly to the benefiting organizations.
“I do not get a cent of any of it,” Passy said. “I’m donating my own money to produce the content.”
Passy began lining up guests through communicating with people in Facebook podcasting groups and within his own podcasting network. Passy also attended the Podcast Movement, a conference for podcasting, in Philadelphia over the summer. Passy said the conference was important in getting the word out about his new show.
Last Thursday, the 10th episode of Causepods was posted online. A variety of podcasters have been featured so far, with some promoting health-based causes such as cancer research or the Alzheimer’s Association, while others have been centered around more social causes. The first episode of Causepods from Sept. 13 supported Inclusivus, an organization that, according to its website, “intensifies people’s power to inspire the action, investment and empathy needed in order to achieve economic and social equity.”
Causepods has had a big impact on Passy personally. He said the guests on his show have touched him in a variety of ways.
“Some of the stories themselves are very impactful,” he said. “Especially some of the medical stories, people who are doing this because they themselves have been afflicted with something like cancer, or they’re a caregiver for someone with M.S.”
Passy was also surprised at how many of his guests had never done a podcast prior to starting one to promote their cause. He said the show has helped him network with his guests and allows him to give out advice on how to make the guests’ own podcasts stronger.
Passy encourages everyone to check out the Causepods series on his website. Visitors can listen to every episode for free and get more information on the various guests and what causes they support.
“The best thing to do is listen to the episodes, listen to the stories they’re telling,” Passy said. “If these people appeal to you, subscribe to that person’s show and become a supporter of what they’re doing.”
For more information on Causepods, visit www.causepods.org. To join the Causepods Facebook group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/2073354376260768.
