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Behavioural Economics and philanthropy Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

In episode 14, Rhod and Adam take a look at the field of behavioural economics and how it affects philanthropy. Topics covered include:

Classical Economics and charity: classical economics assumes we are all rational and self-interested, so it cannot explain behaviour that is apparently irrational and purely altruistic. Hence new explanatory mechanisms have arisen- in particular the "warm glow" theory which posits that all altruism is in fact "impure" because donors actually get a benefit from their giving. Subsequent neurological experiments have also backed this idea up. So what does this mean for efforts to encourage philanthropy?

Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink: Richard Thaler recently received the Nobel Prize for Economics for his work on so-called "nudge theory". This proposes that small changes in the way information is presented or choices offered can have a significant effect on outcomes at a macro level. Can we harness this insight to drive more charitable giving? What kind of nudges could we use?

Fast & Slow Thinking: Another economist Daniel Kahneman, won the Nobel Prize for his theory of "System 1 and System 2 thinking" which distinguishes between the roles that deliberative ("slow") thought and less-deliberative thought based on heuristics ("fast thought") play in our decision making. What lessons could this offer for philanthropy? Are there tensions between the desire to make giving more strategic and evidence that appealing to "fast thinking" may be more effective in eliciting donations?

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The End of Charities? Nov 07, 2017

Show notes

In episode 13, Rhod and Adam ask whether we could ever see the end of charities? Topics covered include:

- Achieving the mission: Is the best possible end result for a charity to make itself redundant by solving the social or environmental problem it was founded to address? And does this ever happen in practice? We look at the importance role that criticisms of there being "too many charities" have played in the history of philanthropy, and ask whether evolution is more likely than dissolution for most organisations.

-Direct cash transfers: The long-term trend in philanthropy has been towards ever-greater intermediation and professionalisation; but in recent years we have seen new technology-driven models that might take us back to a model of direct person-to-person philanthropy. Where could this model bring advantages, and could it even disrupt the whole marketplace for philanthropy?

-Blockchain & DAOs: Blockchain technology could bring many benefits and challenges for philanthropy. One intriguing possibility is that governance structures themsleves could be decentralised, so that people can come form networks to work together but without the need for a centralised structure. What could this mean for the notion of a charitable organisation and the options for us all to take social action?

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