Podcasthon - From a French Experiment to a Global Podcasting Movement
What began as a modest idea in France has grown into one of the largest coordinated podcast charity initiatives in the world. Podcasthon, founded by Jeremie Mani and his co-founders, invites podcasters to dedicate one episode of their show to a charity of their choice during a single, synchronized week in March.
This year, the initiative has surpassed 2,000 participating podcasts, up from roughly 1,500 the year before. That growth reflects not only increased awareness of the project, but also a growing appetite among podcasters to use their platforms for social good.
Speaking with Doug Downs of Stories and Strategies, Mani describes the moment as a meaningful validation of the idea. “We recently passed a major milestone with more than 2,000 podcasts registered,” he said. “Last year at the same time, we were at about 1,500, so the growth has been quite significant.”
Podcasthon’s expansion has been both geographic and linguistic. Originally launched in French-speaking countries, the initiative opened to English-language podcasts in 2025 and will now include Spanish- and German-language podcasts in 2026. In total, Podcasthon will operate in four languages this year, with participating shows spanning North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
A Coordinated Week with an Outsized Impact
The concept behind Podcasthon is deliberately simple. During one designated week in March, podcasters release an episode focused on a charity they care about, whether through an interview, a solo episode, or a special feature. Those episodes are published simultaneously, creating what Mani calls a “mass effect” across the podcasting ecosystem.
The goal is not direct fundraising, but awareness. “We are not trying to ask for donations,” Mani explained. “What we want is to help charities expand their circle of supporters, whether that means volunteers, donors, or simply people who now know they exist.”
That emphasis on storytelling is key. Podcasting’s long-form, intimate nature allows listeners to connect emotionally with causes in a way that other media often cannot. According to Mani, that emotional connection is where Podcasthon’s real value lies.
“Podcasting is probably the best medium ever to convey emotion,” he said. “It allows people to connect deeply with stories, and that’s exactly what charities need to reach new audiences.”
Podcasthon Week is typically mid-March, creating a recognizable annual moment when listeners may encounter multiple charity-focused episodes across different shows. The effect, Mani suggests, is cumulative: even if a listener switches between podcasts, they continue to hear stories centered on impact and altruism.
Measuring Success Beyond Downloads and Donations
Like many nonprofit initiatives, Podcasthon faces challenges when it comes to measurement. There is no central tracking of donations or volunteer sign-ups tied directly to podcast episodes. Instead, feedback comes from charities themselves after the event.
Following each edition, the Podcasthon team surveys participating organizations to understand what impact, if any, the episodes had. The responses, Mani says, reveal a wide range of outcomes.
“We’ve collected hundreds of stories from charities,” he notes. “Some of them found volunteers for very specific events. Others gained media attention, secured public funding, or simply heard from people who didn’t know help was available to them.”
One example comes from Australia, where a charity struggling to recruit volunteers released a Podcasthon episode shortly before a major event. According to Mani, the episode led to a surge of local interest that exceeded expectations and helped staff the event successfully.
While none of these stories individually represent headline-grabbing fundraising totals, Mani believes their collective impact is significant. “If you multiply small successes by 2,000 podcasts, across dozens of countries, it creates something powerful,” he said.
The synchronized nature of Podcasthon also enables partnerships with major podcast platforms and hosting companies, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, and regional players in Europe. Those partnerships help amplify participating episodes, further extending reach for both podcasters and charities.
As Podcasthon prepares for its fourth edition in March 2026, its continued growth suggests that podcasting’s role in social impact storytelling is far from niche. For thousands of creators, dedicating one episode a year has become a meaningful way to align content with cause and to remind listeners that podcasts can do more than entertain.
And if Podcasthon’s trajectory continues, that collective impact is only just beginning.
