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2020 Predictions for Philanthropy & Civil Society Jan 07, 2020

Show notes

Happy New Year! In episode 63, we gaze into our crystal ball and proffer some predictions for what the first year of the new decade might hold for philanthropy and civil society. Including:

Politics & Economics

Greater UK political stability? (i.e. political landscape now fixed for 5 yrs)
Increased or reduced division? (i.e. post-Brexit healing, or ongoing animosity?)
Focus on service delivery rather than campaigning?
International development & aid under fire?
Localism and devolution?
US election- big impact, whatever the result

Environment

Increasing focus and sense of urgency
UK hosting 2020 UN Climate Summit (Glasgow)
More prevalent sense that environmental issues are cross-cutting and therefore the concern of all CSOs/funders
Increasing pressure on charities/funders to demonstrate environmental commitment

Tech

More commercial platforms adding giving functionality
Deepfakes and challenges to online authenticity
Surveillance tech and civil liberties/human rights
Centralised cryptocurrencies (e.g. Libra)
Blockchain continue to bubble under surface
Less magical thinking around AI (more focus on what it actually is, and what it can do)
Optimizing for voice controlled interfaces
Pushback on "AI ethics"- more focus on traditional mechanisms of legislation and regulation
CSOs & funders ramping up efforts to engage in "fourth industrial revolution" issues
Continued growth of networked digital movements and decentralised organisational structures
Rediscovering the downsides of decentralisation?

Philanthropy & Civil Society

Addressing the decline in charitable giving
How do traditional forms of giving/charity interact with new possibilities (social investment, cause-related marketing, networked social movements, crowdfunding etc)?
Continuing criticism of philanthropy
Scrutiny of sources of wealth
Pushback on criticism of philanthropy
More focus on power & participation in philanthropy
Trust & accountability to public opinion
Focus on volunteering (as a result of Olympics, Euro 2020 etc)

Related Resources

Lucy Bernholz's Blueprint 2020: Philanthropy & Digital Civil Society annual industry forecast for Stanford PACS
Future Today Institute 2019 Tech Trends report
CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Networking opportunities: rediscovering decentralisation in philanthropy and civil society
CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Machine-Made Goods: Charities, Philanthropy & Artificial Intelligence
CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Giving a Sense of Place: Philanthropy and the future of UK civic identity
Rhod's Third Sector article about the decline in giving (with Dan Fluskey of the Institute of Fundraising)
Rhod's Third Sector article Why civil society is a vital missing cog as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Rhod's WEF article Philanthropy is at a turning point. Here are 6 ways it could go
Rhod's blog for Stanford Digital Impact, When Nobody Knows You're a Dog: Tech, Civil Society, and the Fight for Authenticity
Giving Thought podcast on AI & digital transformation with Beth Kanter
Giving Thought podcast on participatory philanthropy with Rose Longhurst
Giving Thought podcast on place-based philanthropy with Jim Minton
Giving Thought podcast on responding to criticisms of philanthropy with Phil Buchanan
Giving Thought podcast on tainted donations
Giving Thought podcast on civil society futures with Dame Julia Unwin

Andrew Rudd- Charity & Philanthropy in Literature Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

In episode 62, we chat to Andrew Rudd from the University of Exeter about representations of charity and philanthropy in literature and how literature and the humanities can inform practice. Including:

Which famous authors and poets have written about charity issues?
What are some of the main positive themes about charity & philanthropy that can we identify in literature?
What are some of the key critical themes about charity & philanthropy that can we identify in literature?
What have famous writers said about the distinction between charity and justice?
The tension between head and heart, between an emphasis on empathy and rationality, has long been a major source of debate within charity. What has literature had to say about it?
What was Dicken's notion of "telescopic philanthropy" and why does it remain pertinent to debates about international aid today?
The idea of poorly-aimed, 'indiscriminate' charity that perpetuates poverty and reliance has been a huge source of concern for many throughout history. How is this reflected in literature?
Has any literature notably influenced public discourse, politics or the way charities operate? If so, how?
Does the study of literature and the humanities currently play a significant role within the wider academic study of philanthropy? If not, why not?
Can philanthropists and people who work in the charity/non-profit sector learn anything from literature? If so, what?
How can practitioners best find and make use of insights from literature?
Which current issues facing charities and philanthropy would most benefit from some literary insight?

Related Links

Toynbee Hall
Asa Briggs and Anne McCartney's 1984 book Toynbee Hall: The First Hundred Years
London's Giving
Trust for London
The Bromley-By-Bow Centre
CAF's Giving for the City project on civic philanthropy

Rose Longhurst - Participatory Philanthropy Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

In episode 57, we talk to Rose Longhurst about participation in philanthropy and her experience of radical approaches to grantmaking with Edge Fund (and others). Including:

What is Edge Fund, how did it come about, and what are its aims?
Where does Edge Fund fit in the wider landscape of participatory grantmaking?
How does its approach help to overcome some of the concerns about existing models of philanthropy? i.e. that they are undemocratic, that they fail to redistribute power, that they are incapable of addressing structural inequality?
Could more traditional funders replicate the Edge Fund approach? Which elements? And what would they need to change in order to make this happen?
There is a lot of focus on participatory approaches to grantmaking at the moment as part of the solution to the criticisms being levelled at philanthropy. How much of the rhetoric is reflected in reality?
Are there limits to participatory grantmaking? i.e. are there some situations in which it is better for expert funders to set aims and design programs?
Edge Fund itself has adopted a fairly radical, non-hierarchical structure. What is the rationale for this?
What are the strengths of non-hierarchical or decentralised structures? What are the weaknesses or challenges?
Does a flat structure without clear leaders limit a non-hierarchical organisation's ability to maintain sustained influence?
How do you prevent the emergence of hidden elites, or some groups prospering at the expense of others within a non-hierarchical network? (i.e. "Tyranny of Structurelessness" objections).

Related Links

Rose's LSE Atlantic Fellowship bio
EDGEFund
FundAction
Edge Funders Alliance
GrantCraft Participatory Grantmaking report
Rhod's World Economic Forum blog "Philanthropy is at a Turning Point: Here are 6 ways it could go"
Rose's blog on participatory approaches to grantmaking for Lankelly Chase
Rose's Alliance article on "5 Reasons to Support Participatory Grantmaking"

Tainted Donations Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

In episode 56 we take a deep dive into the issue of "tainted donations". Is some money "bad", and if so can it ever be turned to good uses through philanthropy? Including:

Recent versions of the tainted donation issue: Epstein & MIT Media Lab, the Sacklers, The Presidents Club
The history of tainted donations: mediaeval prostitutes, Rockefeller & Carnegie in the firing line, George Cadbury, George Bernard Shaw, William Booth
What do we mean by tainted? In cases where there is no clear illegality, how do we navigate much more contested ethical grey areas?
Do we need to differentiate between criticisms of specific ways in which has been made (e.g. fossil fuels, arms manufacture, tobacco) and broader structural critiques of capitalism as a whole?
Do the ethical concerns associated with a particular source of money relate directly to the way in which the money was made, or are they indirect? Does this affect the moral status of a donation?
In a highly interconnected world, with global financial systems, does it make sense to talk of any money as 'tainted' or 'pure'?
Is it better for charities to refuse ethically dubious donations in order to avoid damaging themselves by association, or do they have a responsibility to take the money and put it to good uses?
What level of control is a tainted donor seeking to exert over how their money is used? How does this affect the decision about whether to accept it or not?
Will the donor get personal benefit from their donation- either in the form of tangible thanks or recognition, or in the form of more intangible social status and connections? Does this make accepting a gift more problematic?
Does a organisation's decision to take money always imply approval of the donor to some degree? Is it possible to counteract this implication through overt condemnation whilst still taking the money?
In order to justify taking a charity accepting a tainted donation, does its work have to address a harm related to the way in which the money was made i.e. does there have to be some element of reparation?
Is there a statute of limitations on tainted donations? What should we do in cases of historic wrongs that occurred so long ago that no one affected is still alive?
On what legal basis can charity trustees decide to refuse a donation?
How do trustees balance the potential reputational risk of accepting a tainted donation against the certainty of financial loss from not accepting it?
Does public opinion actually support charities turning down donations from tainted sources?
If a donation has already been made, is it even possible in charity law for it to be returned?

-CAF Giving Thought Blog, "When Should Charities Say No To Donations?"

-CAF Giving Thought Blog "The Wages of Sin: Doing good with bad money"

-The "Criticisms of Philanthropy" chapter from my book Public Good by Private Means

-Matthew Ross's HistPhil article about the history of donations to Notre Dame

-Ben Soskis's Atlantic article "Dirty Money: from Rockefeller to Koch"

-G.K. Chesterton's attack on J.D. Rockefeller: "Gifts of the Millionaire"

-Beth Breeze's Guardian article "Should charities accept contrition cash from dubious donors?"

-John Picton's Conversation article "Sackler donations: why museums and galleries can be stuck with gifts – even if they don't want them"

Julia Unwin - Civil Society: Now & in the Future Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

In episode 55, we talk to Julia Unwin CBE, Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Civil Society Futures, former CEO of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust and prolific thinker and writer on issues affecting civil society. As part of a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss:

What is the Civil Society Futures Inquiry & how did it come about?
What is the PACT framework and how is it intended to guide civil society orgs in the future?
There is a lot of interest at present in 'place-based' approaches. Why is this, and what is the power of place?
We are seeing the emergence of new organisational models within civil society, including many that look less like traditional hierarchies and more like networks. What opportunities and challenges might this bring?
We are also seeing new approaches such as participatory grantmaking, which seek to shift power as well as money towards recipients, gain traction? Will this be a big trend in coming years?
Do charities and funders need to be more transparent? If so, why and about what? Who does it benefit?
Is declining trust is an issue for civil society? If so, is this merely part of a wider decline in trust in traditional institutions, or do charities and CSOs face particular challenges? How can we reverse this trend?
What is the core role of philanthropy within society which differentiates it from either state or market provision?
What role can philanthropy and voluntary action play in building bridging social capital, bringing diverse communities together or fostering wider civic engagement? Does this value of charitable giving and volunteering as an activity rather than simply the outcomes it produces need to be a more prominent part of the narrative about its importance to society?
What do you make of criticisms that since philanthropy is to some extent a product of structural inequality, it can never truly be part of the solution? Do you think some donors and funders recognise the challenges and are genuinely pursuing structural change?
A challenge like the global climate crisis raises difficult questions about whether a pragmatic approach of working with existing systems can ever be enough; or whether we need to embrace more radical, transformative change efforts. Do you think philanthropy is well-suited to the latter?
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?
Has the policy focus in the UK over the last 20 years on the idea of charities as delivery agents for public services resulted in the importance of the sector's campaigning role being downplayed? Has this contributed to some of the challenges we now see such as the Lobbying Act and the use of advocacy clauses in grant contracts? How do we rebalance things, and ensure that civil society is able to play its role in speaking necessary truth to power?

Related Links

Effective Altruism Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

In episode 54, we take a look at Effective Altruism. Why has this approach to philanthropy based on utilitarian philosophy gained so many admirers - and so many critics - over the last few years? Including:

-What is Effective Altruism (EA)?

-How is it informing new approaches to philanthropy?

-Why are so many tech philanthropists EA advocates?

-Could the emergence of data-driven, AI approaches to philanthropy put EA in the driving seat?

-What is the historical lineage of Utilitarian thinking?

-What role did religion play in giving birth to the idea that philanthropy needs to be effective?

-How did the Charity Organization Society and the Scientific Philanthropy movements take this idea forward, and are they the intellectual forebears of EA?

-What, if anything, is genuinely new about EA?

-Is EA merely theoretical because it doesn't reflect how philanthropy actually works or what motivates donors?

-Does the focus on outcomes come at the expense of other considerations such as justice, democracy or individual agency?

-Do EA metrics favour short-term, tangible interventions over longer-term campaigns for social change?

-Does EA dictate working within existing structures and systems, rather than driving the reforms to those structures and systems that many believe are needed for real change?

-Does EA lead to a bias against local giving in favour of giving overseas? And can this have unintended consequences in terms of how other perceive us?

-Existential threats and "Pascal's Mugging"

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