Giving Thought

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Latest Episodes:

Reinventing Social Change, with Nell Edgington Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Nell Edgington, President of non-profit consultancy Social Velocity, about her new book "Reinventing Social Change: Embrace Abundance to Create a Healthier and More Equitable World". We discuss:

What is the book about, who should read it and what should they do as a result?
Why does a scarcity mind-set affect so many donors and funders? Is this particular to philanthropy?
Why is the "overhead myth" so prevalent, and why is it so problematic?
Are there signs that funders are changing their behaviour during the current crisis? (Moving to unrestricted funding, trust-based grantmaking etc.) Is this likely to lead to longer-term changes?
What misconceptions are there about what makes for a sustainable non-profit, and why do these misunderstandings persist?
How many donors are willing to give away power as well as money? (And will the current crisis put even more focus on approaches such as participatory grantmaking?)
Do we need to redefine what counts as success and failure in philanthropy?
How should we rate philanthropy's response to the current crisis?
What is the core role of philanthropy within society which differentiates it from either state or market provision?
Why has the idea that non-profits need to be "more business-like" become so widespread? What is wrong with it?
Should we seek to measure impact better? What challenges might this bring in terms of distorting activity or creating power imbalances?
How can donors and funders use philanthropy to challenge or transform the very systems in which wealth has been created?

Related Links

Nell's book Reinventing Social Change
Nell's Social Velocity blog
Rhod's WEF article "Philanthropy is at a Turning Point: Here are 6 Ways It Could Go"
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Phil Buchanan
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Kris Putnam-Walkerly
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Louise Pulford, Josiane Smith & Dame Julia Unwin
CAF Giving Thought blog "Philanthropy and Civil Society after Covid-19: Key questions for the future"

History & Philanthropy, with Professor Sir David Cannadine Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Professor Sir David Cannadine about history, philanthropy and his forthcoming book on the history of the Ford Foundation. Among David's many public roles he is Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University, President of the British Academy, Chair of Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery and a Trustee of the Wolfson Foundation; and in a wide ranging conversation we discuss:

Involvement in philanthropy:

What insights has involvement with many charities, foundations and public institutions given about the strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities of philanthropy?
What value has historical insight brought to these practical roles?
There is currently a lot of controversy over the commemoration of historical figures, including many philanthropic donors, as well as the sources of historical wealth. Why is it important for philanthropic organisations to engage with potentially problematic elements of their history, and how can they navigate some of the challenges this may bring?

Studying the History of Philanthropy:

Do academic historians think in terms of charity or philanthropy as a standalone thematic area of study, or are they more likely to think of it in the context of a particular period or a wider theme (e.g. welfare)?
If it is thought of as a thematic area in its own right, is it one that has been sufficiently well-studied?
Is the study of the history of philanthropy (even in the UK) too US-focussed; dominated by the great industrial donors of the Gilded Age? Does this lead us to under-appreciate the UK's own history of philanthropy?
Does "archival inequality" mean that we end up focusing more on institutions and big name donors when we study history (as they tend to leave more records), at the expense of the huge numbers of 'everyday' donors whose giving may well go unseen? Does this skew our view of the development of philanthropy?

The History of the Ford Foundation:

Why is it worth studying the role of an institution like the Ford Foundation?
Is the history of the Ford Foundation merely the history of a single institution or does it bring to light wider truths about philanthropy?
The history of the Ford Foundation contains many fascinating characters (e.g. McGeorge Bundy or Paul Ylvisaker). Is the role of these "philanthropoids" (i.e. people who work in foundations, rather than donors) an under-researched area of the history of philanthropy?
The question of the relationship between foundations and social movements (especially in the context of racial justice) is once again a major area of debate. What, if anything, can we learn from the Ford Foundation's experiences in this area, which have seemingly won both praise and criticism?

Related Links

David's introduction to Pellew & Goldman (ed) 2018, Dethroning Historical Reputations: Universities, Museums & The Commemoration of Benefactors
Rhod's blog for the British Academy, "Reshaping Philanthropy for the 21st Century"
CAF Giving Thought blog, "Past Caring: Why Study the History of Philanthropy?"
CAF Giving Thought blog, "Philanthropy and the Sins of the Pas: Statues, Slavery & Tainted Donations"
CAF Giving Thought podcast on Tainted Donations
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Paul Ramsbottom from the Wolfson Foundation
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Ben Soskis
Rhod's book, "Public Good by Private Means: How Philanthropy Shapes Britain"

Sport, Philanthropy & Civil Society Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we look at the relationship between sport, philanthropy and civil society through history and up to the present day. Including:

Sportspeople as donors

Big name examples of sportspeople who give generously: David Beckham, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi
What drives this high-profile giving? Altruism, or brand-management/PR?
Lance Armstrong and the potential risks of making philanthropy over-reliant on the individual
Does the fact that many sportspeople's careers end relatively early leave them searching for purpose, and can philanthropy fill that gap?
Can philanthropy be partly motivate by a desire to create positive narrative about wealth accrued through sport?
Is sport one area where people from poor backgrounds can become rich, and what does this mean for their approach to philanthropy?

Sportspeople as campaigners

Are some sportspeople perceived as campaigners simply by virtue of who they are?
When have sportspeople campaigned for change within their sport and when have they taken on wider social issues?
After many notable examples of campaigning by sportspeople in the 1960s and 70s, why did we see a decline in the 1980s and 1990s?
Are we seeing a resurgence in campaigning by sportspeople, with figures like Colin Kapaernick, Megan Rapinoe and Marcus Rashford coming to the fore?
How do sports fans perceive campaigning by sportspeople?

Sports and Fundraising

The long history of sporting charity fundraising events and the role of charity matches in the evolution of professional football
Sportspeople fundraising: from the traditional of testimonial matches to raise money for players' retirements to sportspeople taking on charity fundraising challenges in other sports
Has the pandemic hit sports fundraising particularly hard, and what does this mean for charities that rely on running events etc?

Sports clubs and civil society

What is the history of the relationship between sports clubs and voluntary associations?
How did the development of sporting associations helped to foster civic engagement skills and ideals of mutual aid?
What is the role of modern sports clubs as corporate donors?
Is owning sports club a form of philanthropy…?
What role do clubs play in acting as community anchors and giving people a sense of shared identity? How can this inform social action?

Related Links

CAF Giving Thought blog on Marcus Rashford, Dolly Parton & Public Perceptions of Philanthropy
CAF Giving Thought blog on mutual aid post-Covid
CAF Giving Thought podcast on mutual aid, charity & philanthropy
CAF Giving Thought podcast with Jon Dean
2013 NY Times article about Lance Armstrong's philanthropy
HistPhil article "Giving Athletes: Why Sports Philanthropy Deserves Our Attention"
Forbes, "The New Wave of Female Soccer Players as Philanthropists"
BBC article, "Why Wealthy Sport Stars Get Passionate About Charity"
The Common Goal Initiative
The PFA page on player foundations
Kay & Vamplew, "Beyond altruism: British football and charity, 1877–1914"
Vamplew, "'It is pleasing to know that football can be devoted to charitable purposes': British football and charity 1870–1918"

Mutual Aid, Charity & Philanthropy Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we explore mutual aid: what is it, why is there so much interest in it right now and how does it relate to charity and philanthropy? Including:

Defining the distinction between mutual aid and charity
William Beveridge's thoughts on mutual aid
Peter Kropotkin and mutual aid as a fundamental element of human nature
How does mutual aid relate to notions of solidarity and class identity?
Why has mutual aid historically been so important for marginalised groups such as immigrant communities?
Medieval mutual aid: the guilds
Why did mutual aid become so prominent in the 19th century?
What were the Friendly Societies, why were they important and why are they no longer around?
How does mutual aid fit in with the post-WWII development of the voluntary sector?
Why has mutual aid become so prominent as an idea during the pandemic?
Is this a reflection of the unique circumstances of the pandemic or will it herald any longer-term changes in civil society?
Does the enthusiasm for mutual aid networks demonstrate an unmet appetite for greater participation in addressing social causes?
Is there a dark side to mutual aid? Can solidarity become exclusionary?
Will the growth of mutual aid come at the cost of more traditional charitable giving and volunteering?
Do mutual aid networks build social capital? If so, is it merely "bonding" social capital or also "bridging"?
What is the role of technology in making mutual aid networks possible?
What can we learn from other cultures of giving around the world in which mutual aid is much more prominent?

Related Links

CAF Giving Thought blog, "Charity, Philanthropy & Mutual Aid"
CAF Giving Thought blog "Philanthropy & Civil Society post-Covid: Key questions for the future"
Excerpt from unpublished Giving Thought discussion paper on the science of giving: "Altruism, Evolution and Economics"
CAF research on giving in East Africa
NLGN report Communities vs. Coronavirus: The Rise of Mutual Aid
Guardian long read, "The way we get through this is together': the rise of mutual aid under coronavirus"
New Yorker, "What Mutual Aid Can Do During a Pandemic"
Bloomberg, "A Visual History of Mutual Aid"
Peter Kropotkin's "Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution"

MacKenzie Scott & the Reimagining of Philanthropy Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we take a look at the philanthropic giving of MacKenzie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos), who has garnered a great deal of attention and praise for the scale, pace and approach of her philanthropy. We ask: what are the key aspects of received wisdom about giving that she is rejecting? And will this lead to wider changes in how big money philanthropy works in future? Including:

-Rejecting the myth of the "self-made billionaire", in favour of recognition that luck, privilege & reliance on wider society are always factors in wealth creation.

-Rejecting the Carnegian idea that "it's harder to give money away intelligently than earn it", and that if you're willing to cede power & give unrestricted grants it's actually eminently possible.

-Rejecting the idea that philanthropy needs to be done slowly, or that it should aim towards perpetuity.

-Rejecting the idea that grants need to be restricted or short-term.

-Rejecting the idea that the donor has all the answers or should set the agenda

-Rejecting the idea that being "strategic" means being top-down or technocratic.

-Rejecting the idea that we need to maintain distance between donor and grantee, or avoid human connection in philanthropy.

-Rejecting the idea that philanthropy by itself can ever be a solution to inequality.

-Rejecting the idea that philanthropy needs to be secretive or opaque.

Related Links:

Philanthropy & Democracy Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

In this episode we unpick the complex relationship between philanthropy and democracy. Does philanthropy undermine democracy, or strengthen it? Do we need to make philanthropy itself more democratic? And if so, how?

Including:

Does philanthropy automatically introduce a "plutocratic bias" into public discourse and policy?
Is lack of transparency a particular issue? Does the trend towards using structures like LLCs exacerbate this problem?
Does the ability of individuals at any level of wealth to associate within civil society lead to the dangers of "faction" - with minority groups able to exert an undue negative influence on the democratic system? How does this relate to digitally-enabled conspiracy groups like QAnon?
Does perpetuity in philanthropy result in intergenerational injustice as a result of the "dead hand of the donor"?
What role does philanthropy play in giving voice and power to marginalised groups and thus overcoming "the tyranny of the majority" in a democracy?
How does civil society campaigning and advocacy strengthen democracy?
What role can philanthropy play in the countering disinformation and online extremism that has tarnished the public sphere?
Can philanthropic support for public interest journalism bolster democracy?
Can big money philanthropy be justified on the grounds of its ability to drive innovation & "discovery"?
What role does philanthropy play in enabling a "battle of Ideas", and is this to the benefit or detriment of democracy?
Is voluntary action a "nursery school of democracy", as many have argued?
Do we need to democratise philanthropy itself? Does this need to be with respect to donors or recipients, or both? What models are there for doing so?

Related Links:

Giving Thought blog "Does Philanthropy Help or Hinder Democracy?"
Giving Thought discussion paper, "From the Margins to the Mainstream: Philanthropy & Social Movements Furthering Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Society"
Rhod's Cass Business School Master's course lecture on "Principles of Philanthropy Policymaking"
Stanford Social Innovation Review, "How Can Philanthropy Help Rehabilitate US Democracy?"
Rob Reich's book "Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How it Can Do Better"
Sir Arthur Hobhouse's book "The Dead Hand"
Giving Thought podcast interviews with Rob Reich, Lucy Bernholz, Sameer Padania, Paul Vallely and Rose Longhurst.
Giving Thought deep-dives on philanthropy and structure; philanthropy, risk and innovation; philanthropy diversity & inclusion; Effective Altruism; philanthropy and the welfare state

2021 Predictions for Philanthropy & Civil Society Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, at the end of a tumultuous and unpredictable year, we attempt (wisely or not!) to give some predictions for what 2021 might bring...

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

Impact of Pandemic & Brexit: more demand, charity finances hit, less giving?
Charity closures/mergers?
Reimagining resilience?

Political Division

Ongoing division
Ongoing politicisation of charity/culture wars
Closing space for civil society
Foreign funding restrictions

Nationalism/Globalism/Localism

Will the pandemic make us think for locally, nationally or globally?
Will we see more moves towards devolution?
Philanthrolocalism

The Post-Pandemic workplace

How will changes made through necessity during the pandemic affecting the charity workplace longer term?
Will we see more orgs thinking through the optimum balance offline and online for their work as we become more aware of the strengths and weaknesses of both (e.g. efficiency and ability to reach wider geographic area vs value of offline serendipity, human connection)
Will there continue to be more adoption of remote/mixed working? Will we see orgs change how they think about the purpose of the office? Will this begin a geographic rebalancing of the charity sector workforce?

The Expanding landscape for doing good

Further expansion of space for "doing good" as we see more networked movements, informal P2P giving, mutual aid groups, corporates with purpose etc.
What is the USP of charities in this context?
Rebalancing of corporate/charity relationships as companies lay claim to purpose?
Continuing rise of networked movements
Continuing interest in Mutual Aid?
The participation premium- what can charities learn?

Cross cutting issues

Will the focus on racial justice/equality decline across wider society as we move further away from this year's momentum around BLM?
Can civil society take a lead in maintaining that momentum?
Will we see the focus on climate renewed?
Will these issues increasingly be seen not as "cause areas", but as cross-cutting concerns that all CSOs need to take into account?
What does this mean in practice- e.g. re investment approaches, leadership in civil society, composition of the non-profit workforce etc?

Post-pandemic Philanthropic funding trends

Unrestricted/core cost/trust based grantmaking. Will the trend continue?
More collaboration
Push for centralisation
Continuing pushback on impact measurement
More participatory approaches
New areas of funding focus:

social movements
infrastructure
digital
foresight
Journalism

Philanthropy Under Fire

Ongoing critiques:

Tainted donations (expect more examples)
Anti-democratic nature of big philanthropy
Philanthropy part of the problem re inequality

New critiques: Pace, perpetuity (e.g. US DAF legislation)

Philanthropy & conspiracy theories

Mass Giving

What is happening to giving? Long term decline or not? Giving pulled forward in response to the pandemic, or increased overall?
Will we see more big philanthropy focussed on encouraging mass giving?

Disintermediation & Platform Philanthropy

Acceleration of existing growth of online giving due to pandemic will put more emphasis on platforms, leading to:
- more focus on responsibilities of those platforms (Neutrality of platforms/advisers under greater scrutiny

Further moving away from donors giving to orgs towards P2P giving/crowdfunding
Use of payment apps (Venmo/CashApp) to give direct to individuals
More commercial platforms offering giving functionality

Awareness of Platform dependency Risks

CSOs will become more aware that platforms are not digital public space
Examples of platform dependency risks:

Terms of Service changes
Censorship

Engagement of civil society in tech issues

Will the enforced pivot to digital during the pandemic lead to wider awareness of, and engagement in, technology issues?
Growing interest in civil society alternatives to commercial digital infrastructure?
Continuing pushback on tech ethics framing?

AI trends

Further development of giving via conversational AI interfaces (and growing awareness of opportunities & challenges)?
More examples of use of AI for process automation, e.g. in grantmaking?

Immersive Tech

More supporter led fundraising using short-form video content (TikTok-style)?
VAR becomes more popular; more examples of it being used for fundraising?
Further forays into gaming and E-sports for fundraising?

Cryptocurrency & blockchain

Renewal of interest in crypto-philanthropy?
More examples of practical/ ethical challenges (e.g. anonymous donations from problematic sources, volatility of crypto-assets).

Cybersecurity & RegTech challenges

Ransomware/cyber attacks on charities increase (linked to increase in remote working?)

Related Links:

Rhod's Alliance magazine piece on "The Ethics of Platform Philanthropy"
Rhod's guest appearance on Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas's Starts At The Top podcast
CAF report on global responses to supporting philanthropy and civil society during the pandemic
"The Giving Apps: How Venmo and CashApp Upended a Centuries-Old Model" OneZero Medium
"Charity, Philanthropy & Mutual Aid Post-Pandemic", Giving Thought blog
"Philanthropy and Civil Society After Covid-19" Giving Thought blog
Our Giving Thought podcast with Louise Pulford, Josiane Smith and Dame Julia Unwin
Our Giving Thought podcast with Paul Vallely
Our Giving Thought podcast with Ingrid Srinath
Our Giving Thought podcast with Lucy Bernholz
Lucy Bernholz's 2021 Blueprint philanthropy & civil society industry forecast for Stanford PACS
Our Giving Thought podcast with Regan Ralph
Our Giving Thought podcast on The History of Philanthropy & Civil Society in Times of Crisis
Our Giving Thought podcast on Tainted Donations
"Statues, Slavery & Tainted Donations", CAF Giving Thought blog
"How Nonprofits Can Utilize Decentralized Finance", session at the BitGive Foundation's DePhi conference
CAF submission to DCMS inquiry into Immersive & Addictive Technology
CAF Giving Thought paper "Machine Made Goods: Charities, Philanthropy & Artificial Intelligence"
CAF Giving Thought work on blockchain and cryptocurrency
CAF Giving Thought paper "Networking Opportunities: Rediscovering Decentralisation in Philanthropy & Civil Society"

Islamic Giving in a Digital World, with Iqbal Nasim Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Iqbal Nasim, CEO of the National Zakat Foundation, about Islamic giving and using technology to transform the way Zakat works. Including:

What is Zakat and how does it fit within Islamic teaching?
What does Islamic teaching say about how Zakat is to be given? (i.e. are there specific causes, should it be anonymous etc?)
Is Zakat the primary focus of giving for most Muslims, or do many give in other ways too?
What is Sadaqa, and how does it relate to Zakat?
Does most Zakat from Muslims in the UK go to international causes? Why, then, did NZF decide to focus on distributing Zakat in the UK?
How much Zakat goes to individuals and how much to organisations (charities, NGOs etc?) How does this reflect Islamic teaching?
How is Zakat viewed by givers and recipients- is it seen as a gift made through charity or a payment made as a requirement of justice?
Is there any stigma to being a recipient of Zakat?
What responsibilities are there as a digital platform towards those giving and receiving zakat? Should you aim to be a neutral intermediary, or do you have to take a more active role in informing donors, assessing recipients etc?
Disintermediation through technology brings benefits in terms of allowing more direct connection between giver and receiver, but it may also bring challenges- e.g. in individual crowdfunding there are growing concerns we are seeing biases and old-fashioned distinctions between the "deserving" and "undeserving" poor emerge. Are there similar challenges when it comes to zakat? How can they be mitigated?
Does the focus on giving to individuals make it harder to address issues at a more systemic level? (i.e. because you can't fund campaigning or advocacy for larger-scale change)
There is a lot of interest in the wider world of philanthropy (particularly in an international development context) in tapping into Zakat as a potential new source of funding for existing causes, or aligning it with the SDGs etc. Is this feasible, or does it misunderstand what Zakat is and the motivations behind it?

Related Links:

The National Zakat Foundation
Islamic Relief UK's guide to giving in Islam
Rhod's Alliance magazine blog on "The Ethics of Platform Philanthropy"

Distributed Leadership, Movement Building & Mass Giving, with Asha Curran Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Asha Curran, CEO of Giving Tuesday - ahead of this year's event on Tuesday 2nd December -about distributed leadership, movement building and the importance of mass giving. Including:

Decentralisation & Social Movements

What is the key appeal of networked movements? Do people believe they are more effective (particularly when it comes to huge global challenges that might require radical solutions, like the climate crisis and racial inequality/injustice) or is it more about their ability to democratize participation and offer more active modes of engagement?
How can traditional nonprofits embrace some of the benefits of networked or decentralized approaches? Does this require a major change of structure, or just mindset?

Distributed leadership, new power and leaderlessness

GT is a combination of elements with formal structure and many informal elements - how do these different parts of the movement interact?
How much centralised input is there in shaping/setting parameters for the formal elements?
Are there necessary limits on the freedom of informal elements? (E.g. parameters/red lines on what can be associated with GT brand, even informally) How are these set and policed?
How do you manage power dynamics within a decentralised movement to prevent the emergence of hidden cliques/elites, and to ensure that everyone's voice can be heard equally?

Mass giving

Can mass giving movements like GT help to counter concerns about the potentially anti-democratic impact of big money philanthropy?
As GT has developed into a global movement, how has this informed your understanding of what we should think of as "giving"?
Can GT help us to develop a better global perspective & understand differences and similarities between cultures of giving around the world?
Do different countries around the world place more emphasis on non-financial giving in their approaches to GT? Has this had an impact on thinking in the US?
What is the idea behind the Starling Collective? How does this fit with the wider work of Giving Tuesday?

Platforms, philanthropy & civil society

Is there an important role for movements like GT in ensuring that as more giving shifts to the online world, we have platforms and infrastructure that is driven by civil society values rather than ceding control of online giving to commercial platforms (who may wish to offer giving functionality as an add-on for users)?
What responsibilities do giving platforms have towards those giving and receiving through them? Are they ever neutral intermediaries, or do they need to accept a more active role in informing donors, assessing recipients etc?

Data

What is the Giving Tuesday Data Collaborative? How did it come about?
What have you learned about giving trends in the US (and elsewhere) so far through the GTDC?
Can we use data to drive more giving/better giving? If so, how?

Related Links:

Philanthropy from Aristotle to Zuckerberg, with Paul Vallely Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Paul Vallely, author of Philanthropy: From Aristotle to Zuckerberg about his new book and what we can learn from history that can help inform our understanding of modern philanthropy and our thinking about where it should go in the future. Including:

What value does a historical perspective bring?
Would people working in philanthropy/civil society would benefit from more historical perspective?
What is the fundamental distinction between the Greco-Roman tradition of philanthropy and that which emerged from the Abrahamic religions, and why it is still important in understanding philanthropy today?
What does history tell us about the relationship between charity and justice: i.e. do they exist in opposition, or is charity a means of delivering justice? How is this debate is reflected in the history of philanthropy, and why does it remain relevant today?
How have views on the nature of poverty shaped philanthropy? I.e. Is poverty seen as a moral failing on the part of the individual, or a structural flaw in society? Are poverty & inequality "problems to be solved" or merely part of the natural order that accords some wealth and some poverty- and what does this mean for the role of charity? As we see controversy once again about "Victorian attitudes" towards the "deserving and undeserving poor", are these issues that we need to grapple with in thinking about philanthropy?
What can we learn from history about the question of "tainted donations", and the extent to which the way in which wealth has been created determines the legitimacy of trying to do good through giving it away?
What is the distinction the book draws between "strategic" & "reciprocal" philanthropy?
It is clearly almost impossible to understand the history of philanthropy without understanding some theology, as religion and charity were inextricably entwined for a long time. But what role does religion play in driving and shaping modern philanthropy?
The freedom that philanthropy and civil society have to run counter to the status quo or the policies and public opinion of a particular time has been a key part of driving historic social change. How do we preserve this freedom, whilst also answering concerns that unchecked philanthropic power could end up being anti-democratic?
What is the core role of philanthropy within society which differentiates it from either state or market provision?
The book speaks approvingly of celebrity activists (making the point that they are in some ways following the template set by the original "philanthropist" John Howard). What role can this kind of philanthropy play? Why is it often viewed somewhat cynically?