Podcasts about giving thought

Rhodri (Rhod) Davies joins Purposely Podcast to share his passion and knowledge on philanthropy and how he started the ‘Why Philanthropy Matters' a free online platform helping to shape the sector. Rhod is a well-known thinker and commentator on philanthropy and civil society as well as an author and host of the popular Philanthropisms podcast. He is also a Pears Research Fellow in the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, United Kingdom. He was working as an academic researcher when he stumbled across philanthropy, suddenly seeing the sector in a new light full of ‘drama and interest' and a plausible career option. Since then Rhod has become a defender and advocate of philanthropy and has gone on to play an important role in shaping the movement. ‘One of the things that bugged me is that philanthropy is often written off as if it's some sort of weird, niche concern, even within the wider nonprofit world. To me, it's something that's kind of pretty fundamental to how society works'. One of the things that characterises Rhod's thought leadership on philanthropy is his skill and willingness to draw on history and what has happened in the past to make sense of the future. ‘History is an endlessly useful resource, when it comes to thinking about philanthropy in the present'. He describes this as a ‘cheap trick', he uses to try and ensure that people in the sector do not get carried away with one particular approach to giving. He describes how those seemingly, ‘never been thought of before', ways of doing philanthropy are in fact developed using lessons from the past. One example he points to is the current focus on purpose driven companies, organisations and businesses who are prioritising a combination of purpose, profit and commercial returns. The tendency is that people pass this off as completely new and highly innovative, despite the fact that people have been doing this for centuries. The same can be said for other forms of doing good or delivering impact today. ‘When you look back to history, and how people kind of combined, making money and giving money away, there's all kinds of interesting lessons and useful warnings about things that we might want to make sure that we avoid in the future'. In 2016 Rhod published Public Good by Private Means: How philanthropy shapes Britain, a book tracing the history of philanthropy in Britain and what it tells us about modern generosity. Since then he has been a self-confessed history of philanthropy nerd, and tweets about it far too much at @Philliteracy. A further characteristic of Rhod's philanthropy thought leadership is his strongly held belief that there is no right or a wrong way of giving and that philanthropists have the ability to draw on different influences as well as their own beliefs and preferences. Rhod is happy to outline his personal preferences and the approach he would take if he had a windfall and was able to be a large scale philanthropist, ‘I would set myself a target of spending it all in 20 years or something like that and I'd make sure I thought about where I invested the money as well as where I gave it. I would also lean towards using a trust based approach that somebody like MacKenzie Scott is taking'. Rhod was formerly Head of Policy at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), where he created and led the in-house think tank Giving Thought, and also hosted CAF's popular Giving Thought podcast for over 100 episodes. Rhod graduated from Oxford Uni with a first-class degree in Mathematics and Philosophy. Sponsors: Benevity https://bit.ly/3k4FTE2 The Giving Department https://bit.ly/3KdYWWU --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-longbottom2/message

In this episode of the Charity Impact podcast, I speak to Rhodri Davies, a widely-respected expert and commentator on philanthropy and civil society issues. We discuss philanthropy - why it matters, how its approached, various current issues, technology trends and the challenge of measuring impact and effectiveness.   If you enjoy the podcast, please do follow us and leave a rating / review.    For episode notes, links and other episodes, please visit https://www.kedaconsulting.co.uk/charity-impact-podcast/    Rhodri Davies, Director of Why Philanthropy Matters Rhodri Davies is the founder and Director of Why Philanthropy Matters - a space for exploring philanthropy: what it is, how it works and why it affects all our lives. Rhodri draws on a deep knowledge and passion for the history of philanthropy as well as current issues and trends, to put philanthropy in its proper context and help us all understand where it has come from, what it looks like today and where it might be going in the future. Rhodri's new book is titled What is Philanthropy for? (click the link to find out more on this). Rhodri is a Pears Research Fellow in the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, and also the Philanthropy Expert in Residence at the Pears Foundation. He also hosts Philanthropisms, the podcast that puts philanthropy in context. Rhodri was formerly Head of Policy at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), where he created and led the in-house think tank Giving Thought. In 2016 he published Public Good by Private Means: How philanthropy shapes Britain, a book tracing the history of philanthropy in Britain and what it tells us about the modern context. Since then he has been a self-confessed history of philanthropy nerd, and tweets about this at @Philliteracy. He is involved with a number of external projects and steering groups, including the World Economic Forum Technology and Social Justice Initiative, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Better Giving Studio and the Wellcome Trust-funded Border Crossings project (which is exploring the relationship between voluntary action and the NHS since 1948).   If you have any questions, feedback or enquiries regarding the podcast, you can e-mail me at hello@kedaconsulting.co.uk or tweet @alexblake_KEDA   This Podcast is brought to you by KEDA Consulting, where I help charities to increase their income and impact.   The purpose of the Charity Impact podcast is to learn more about how effective charities and individuals achieve social change or social impact. This podcast is for anyone who wants to make a difference, but particularly those who are working for social change / impact; including charity trustees, CEOs, staff, volunteers, advisors, philanthropists and public service professionals.   Thank you to Feedspot for selecting the Charity Impact podcast in its list of the Top 25 Charity Podcasts on the web.

In this episode we talk to Stelio Stefanou OBE, philanthropist and Founder of the For Baby's Sake Trust (FBST) - a charity which focuses on working with parents to address the impact of domestic violence on the early years development of children. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discussed:   Is “philanthropist” a helpful or unhelpful word? How does a business background shape approaches to philanthropy? Why is it important to recognise that success in business doesn't automatically equate to expertise about social issues or the work of charities? Why is an evidence base so crucial to the work of FBST? How has the organisation worked with academics to build that evidence base? How important is it that philanthropy looks beyond addressing symptoms and tries to address underlying causes? Are there challenges to combining advocacy with direct provision of services, or do the two naturally go hand-in-hand? How has the pandemic affected the work of FBST? What, if anything, is the USP of philanthropy in relation to the public or private sector? Does the ability of philanthropy to work over a longer time horizon make it better suited to supporting early interventions? Do you see yourself as having any responsibility to encourage other wealthy people to give, or is giving entirely down to personal choice? Should philanthropists see themselves as having any responsibility to encourage other wealthy people to give, or is giving entirely down to personal choice? Is there a danger that the growing wave of scepticism, and even cynicism towards philanthropy, will have a negative impact on people's willingness to give? Des fear of “failure” hold some wealthy people back from engaging in philanthropy? How should we understand failure in philanthropy (and how is this different to failure in the public or private sector?)   Related Links: For Baby's Sake Trust website Info on FBST's approach to influencing Giving Thought podcast with Jo Kerr and Sonya Ruparel

In this episode we talk to Jo Kerr and Sonya Ruparel, from UK charity Turn2Us, about poverty, participation and the impact of the pandemic. Including:   Impact of Covid Pandemic How has the Covid 19 pandemic affected Turn 2 Us, and the people and communities the charity serves? What are the biggest challenges for the organisation over the coming months and longer-term post-pandemic? Digital Transformation Has the necessity to adapt due to the pandemic accelerated Turn2Us's digital adoption or transformation at all? If so, how? How important is the collection and use of data to the charity's work? How is a focus on data incorporated into the organisation's strategy? To what extent is digital transformation about employment practices rather than technology? (E.g. flexible/remote working, making charity work more appealing than private or public sector). Has the pandemic presented an opportunity in this regard? How might the charity workplace change over the next decade or so? What are the major barriers to the charity sector when it comes to engaging with and making use of technology? Poverty What, for Turn 2 Us, are the key areas of focus when it comes to tackling poverty? How have issues of poverty changed during the pandemic? Do particular communities or geographic localities face particular challenges when it comes to the impacts of poverty? How do you combine the specificity to address these particular challenges with the generality required to work at scale? Role of charities What is the core role of civil society which differentiates it from either state or market provision? A lot of the work of Turn 2 Us is about helping people to understand and claim rights and benefits provided by the state- so is it more about “justice” than “charity”? How should we view the balance between addressing the symptoms of poverty through direct services and addressing its causes through advocating for fundamental systemic reform? Participation & Power Turn 2 Us's approach is rooted in ideas of co-production and empowering those in need to determine their own solutions. Why is this so important? What should we make of approaches such as participatory grantmaking, which seek to shift power as well as money towards recipients? Will we see more of this in coming years? Infrastructure Has the Covid pandemic highlighted the importance of strong civil society infrastructure? What are the key elements of this infrastructure? How do we ensure that infrastructure is fit for the challenges of the future?   Related Links The Turn2Us website Independent article about Turn2Us new benefits calculator, “The new financial tools supporting those hit hardest by Covid” Rhod's Giving Thought blog on “Mutual Aid, Charity & Philanthropy” Rhod's Giving Thought blog on “Philanthropy and Civil Society after Covid-19: Key questions for the future” Our Giving Thought podcast series on “Covid 19: Voices From Civil Society”          

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”

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: MacKenzie Scott's July 2020 and December 2020 Medium posts Vox article on MacKenzie Scott's philanthropy Marker piece on MacKenzie Scott's background story Giving Thought podcast with Paul Vallely Giving Thought podcast on Jeff Bezos, Big Philanthropy and Climate Change Giving Thought podcast on philanthropy and structure Giving Thought podcast on philanthropy and rationality Giving Thought podcast on philanthropic pledges  

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

The first Sunday of the year is a good time to make conscious changes and build new habits to ground us in God's love. This Sunday Pastor Rich offers 4 of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves as we launch into a new year.

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”  

Welcome back! In our first episode of Season 2 we are thrilled to speak to Rhodri Davies, Head of Policy & Programme Director, Giving Thought at Charities Aid Foundation. We talked about how to create your own virtual watercooler when working remotely, how charities can navigate the ethics of big tech and the Facebook boycott, why charities need to take action on digital exclusion, fundraising trends and what the future of civil society could look like. Zoe and Paul talk digital skills and why leaders need to think like community managers.   Notes and links - RSA event with Bruce Daisley on remote working https://www.thersa.org/video/events/2020/10/making-remote-work-good-work CBI report on digital skills https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/learning-for-life-funding-a-world-class-adult-education-system/  CAF's Giving Thought podcast https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/blog-home/giving-thought/podcasts-from-giving-thought The Digital Human podcast from the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n7094 Please follow us on Twitter @startsatthetop1 Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear! Editing by Paul Thomas and production from Alexey Sibikin Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music

In this episode we talk to Regan Ralph, President and CEO of the Fund for Global Human Rights, about her experience of funding right-based movements around the world and what she has learned about the challenges and opportunities of funding social movements through philanthropy. Including: What does philanthropic funding for social movements look like? i.e. what are the various elements of an overall movement that can be funded- e.g. grassroots organising/movement building, policy work, advocacy, legal challenges etc? How can a funder determine where best to allocate their resources in order to support a movement most effectively? Are traditional nonprofits and funders too often a reflection of existing systems and power structures to push for the kind of radical solutions we need to deal with huge global challenges like the climate crisis and racial inequality/injustice? Is that why more people seem to be looking towards social movements? Can we find forms of philanthropy that are genuinely able to support fundamental reform to the very systems in which wealth has been created? What are some of the hallmarks of this type of philanthropy? How big a risk is there that foundations and other funders co-opt social movements by deliberately introducing grant stipulations etc aimed to direct the focus of the movement away from controversial areas or soften their tactics? Is there also a danger that even well-intentioned funders inadvertently skew the direction of movements by virtue of the choices they make about what to fund and what not to fund? How can we avoid this risk? Does a desire for “measurable impact” from funders limit their willingness to fund social change movements, because the success of their work may not be easy to attribute or quantify? Can funding from donors/foundations confer legitimacy on movements as well as financial resources? Is this useful for the movements? Can funders play an important role by taking a “helicopter view” and helping to share knowledge and insight between social movements that might otherwise never come into contact? How do they ensure they do this within becoming directive? Why is core-cost and multi-year funding so important when supporting movements? Are we seeing more funders recognise this and adapt the way they fund? There is a lot of focus in global philanthropy and civil society at the moment on “shifting power”- from funders to recipients, from the global north to the global south etc. Why is this so important, and how do you ensure through your work that power is transferred at the same time as financial resources? Are there limits to empowering the grassroots? I.e. are there situations in which it is better for expert funders and organisations to set aims and design programs to deliver outcomes that are in the best interests of communities? Or is it always better to empower people to seek their own solutions, even when those solutions might be less “effective”? We are seeing particular focus right now on the idea of “leaderless” movements, with decentralised or non-hierarchical structures (e.g. XR, #MeToo etc). Are there particular challenges for traditional funders in engaging with such movements?   Related Links:   The Fund for Global Human Rights Regan’s Alliance article “Dismantling inequality must be part of the pandemic response” Regan’s piece for Thomson Reuters Foundation News, “Community activists and action are key to the COVID-19 response” Giving Thought podcast on “Philanthropy, Civil Rights & Movement Capture” with Megan Ming Francis Giving Thought podcast on Social Change philanthropy with Julie Broome from Ariadne Network Giving Thought podcast on “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” Rhodri’s Alliance article “The history of philanthropy & social movements for diversity, equity and inclusion” CAF Giving Thought discussion paper, ‘From the Margins to the Mainstream: Philanthropy and social movements for diversity, equity & inclusion in society” Rhodri’s paper, “Networking Opportunities: rediscovering decentralisation in philanthropy?”

In this episode we talk to Simon Burton, founder and CEO of the Charity Film Awards, about how charities can use film to portray and amplify their work. Including:   -What is the aim of the Charity Film Awards and how did it come about? -In what interesting ways have charity entrants to the competition been using video? -Why is storytelling important for charities? -Positive vs negative representations of charities and the people they serve: do upbeat messages work? Or are tragic images still the norm? -Is it possible for organisations with limited resources to use video effectively as a tool? -Will we see more charities engaging with video as a result of the enforced digital transformation brought about by Covid-19? -Have any charities used short-form video and platforms like TikTok effectively? -Are any charities using virtual and augmented reality or 360 video? -How did the CFA turn itself into a virtual event in such a short space of time? -Will we see virtual events becoming more the norm after the coronavirus situation is over? -Are charities well-represented in mainstream screen media? -Are there any good TV programmes, films about charities or philanthropy? If not, why not?     Related links:   The Charity Film Awards website- including links to this year’s winners and winners from previous years. Out previous CAF Giving Thought podcast on “Philanthropy at the Movies” Rhod’s Giving Thought blog, Lights, Camera, Altruism: Philanthropy in movies Rhod’s Third Sector article “Are Marvel's Avengers just modern-day philanthropists?”  

In episode 75 we take a look at the key issues facing civil society and philanthropy during the covid-19 pandemic crisis and beyond. We explore the benefits of historical insight, highlight some of the main challenges civil society organisations face right now, and consider the most important questions to ask as we look ahead to the future. Including:   The history of philanthropy and civil society in times of crisis Centralization- what can we learn from C18th Hamburg and WWI in the UK about how crises lead to a desire to rationalise philanthropy? How do views on the causes of crises affect the philanthropic response? Religious views on plagues and the role of charity, and how the understanding of epidemic illness affects collectivism and mutualism. Poverty, Power & Inequality: The unequal effects of crises and the dangers- does philanthropy entrench inequality, or can it help to overcome it?   Key current trends Reduced income but increased demand. Many orgs in survival mode. Universal nature of crisis makes fundraising ask more complex (i.e. not “them”, but “us”) Enforced pivot to digital - how do you adapt to new tools and avoid pitfalls? Funder behaviour: unrestricted grants, core-cost funding, reduced reporting, trust-based grantmaking Collaboration, cooperation & coordination New digitally-enabled networks emerging alongside traditional charities     What might the future hold? Will we see a shift in public expectations of state vs philanthropic provision? Will there be a rebalancing of the mutual vs charitable tradition? Philanthro-localism or philanthro-globalism? Will the reputation of philanthropy improve or deteriorate? Are decentralised and networked organisational models an opportunity or a threat for civil society? Does the response to the pandemic highlight an unmet desire for participation? Will the current period of enforced digitisation lead to more CSOs engaging with the opportunities and challenges of technology? Is the short-term imperative to meet critical need going to lead to a longer-term desire to rationalise philanthropy? Will we see more transparency and sharing of data? Are we seeing the end of organisational ego in philanthropy? Will there be longer-term changes in attitudes to core costs, unrestricted grants and reporting requirements? Will we see a shift in perception/norms with regard to endowed assets? Will there be more recognition of the need for foresight among funders and civil society? Will the crisis create new problems for civil society to address?     Related Links Rhod’s HistPhil blog “Philanthropy in A Time of Crisis: Lessons from European History” CAF’s Philanthropy Stimulus Package proposal paper CAF's recent webinar on "Covid-19: latest insight on how charities and donors are reacting" Rhod’s Giving Thought blog “Philanthropy & Civil Society After Covid-19: Key questions for the future” Our recent CAF Giving Thought podcast series on “voices from civil society during Covid-19” Our podcast with Cassie Robinson from National Lottery Community Fund  

 In episode 64, we explore the philanthropic response to the ongoing bushfires in Australia and what it highlights about philanthropy issues and trends. We also give take a look at some of the other top philanthropy stories in the news. The Aussie Bushfires: How does the philanthropic response to the Aussie bushfires compare to the Notre Dame Cathedral fire last year? Does it tell us anything about the differences between our response to man-made vs natural disasters, or disasters affecting man-made heritage vs natural heritage? Does the fact that the Aussie bushfires are highly dispersed make a difference? Are environmental issues less likely to be perceived as “elite”, and thus philanthropy focused on them less likely to be criticised as “self-interested”? Is the response to the bushfires partly about people feeling a sense of agency over the issue of climate change, which often seems so huge that it can cause donation paralysis? Does the fact that animals as well as humans have been affected make a difference? Has the ongoing nature of the fires helped to make the relief effort itself a focus of philanthropy? What questions does the voluntary nature of the firefighting services some raise about state responsibility vs that of philanthropy? Has the response of elite philanthropists been slower than in the Notre Dame case? If so, why? Could the fact that many Aussie philanthropists have made their money in extractive industries play a part in making them reticent to engage with a problem that is clearly being linked to climate change? Celeste Barber’s Facebook fundraiser: what does her runaway success tell us about the distributed nature of fundraising in the future? What challenges does it highlight? Other fundraising efforts: “The Nude Philanthropist” and altruistic drug dealers…   In other news: MIT releases damning report into Jeffrey Epstein links- not good for the institution Is there a “war on philanthropy”? Karl Zinnsmeister’s op ed for the Wall Street Journal, and the ongoing debate in the US. Columbia Journalism Review article on challenges with philanthropic funding skewing the priorities of non-profit news orgs. Harry & Meghan: stepping away from royal duty to focus on other things, in which philanthropy likely to play large role. Does this raise potentially interesting questions about the nature of inherited vs created wealth, ownership/stewardship, and the role of philanthropy vs being a public figure.   Related links Aussie Bushfires Our Giving Thought podcast on “Notre Dame: Lessons for Philanthropy” Article in The Australian “Bushfire recovery: Donor war as Andrew and Nicola Forrest donate $70m” Former podcast guest Krystian Seibert’s Conversation Au piece on “How to Give to Bushfire Relief” Zagefka et al (2010) “Donating to disaster victims: Responses to natural and humanly caused events”, European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 41, Issue 3, April 2011, 353-363 ABC News, “Why Celeste Barber's bushfire fundraiser is more complicated than it seems” ABC News, “Gina Rinehart hits back at Celeste Barber’s criticism over bushfires” Vox, “Nude photos raised over $1 million for the Australia fires” NZ Herald “Drug dealer promises to donate 10 per cent of cocaine earnings to Aussie bush fire appeal” CAF World Giving Index: 10 Year Trends   In other News: MIT’s report into links with Jeffrey Epstein (and check out our Giving Thought podcast on Tainted Donations) Karl Zinnsmeister’s WSJ op ed ($),a critical response in Non-Profit Quarterly (And for more context, my piece for HistPhil on the history of state vs voluntary provision) Columbia Journalism Review piece on foundation funding and non-profit journalism (and check out our Giving Thought podcast from 2019 with Sameer Padania)

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

In episode 60 we look at the relationship between philanthropy, diveristy and inclusion, and in particular at what we can learn from the historic role that philathropy has played in campaigns for social change about some of its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to driving greater diversity and inclusion. Including:   Overcoming the ‘tyranny of the majority’: philanthropy and civil society plurality as a means of giving voice to minorities Is philanthropy particularly good at accepting the political and reputational risks required to support unpopular or marginalised causes and bring them into the mainstream? Does philanthropy have a longer-term time horizon than the public or private sector, and does this make it better at sticking with issues? Does the fact that philanthropy is not accoutable to voters or shareholders make it able to take the risks necessary to drive social change? Why should we be alarmed about suggestions that philatropy should be measured against public opinion? Can appreciating the historic campaigning role of philanthroypy and civil society help us to counter current political anitpathy and the worrying “closing space for civil society” around the world? Why is the process of philanthropy important, as well as the outcomes it produces? Can it teack people vital civic skills, or create greater social cohesion? Is philanthropy too paternalistic, and too often about decisions being made about marginalise communities rather than by them? Can philanthropy obscure the need for more radical reform? Why is the disctinction between charity and justice so important? Can philanthropy lead to ‘hyper-pluralism’, where vast range of smaller idenitiy groups emerge and end up obscuring the bigger picture of an issue? The history of the anti –slavery movement: long-termism and creating a borad base of support The fight for civil rights: how did philanthropists go against the status quo, and how do institutions interact with movements? Women’s rights: what role did philathropy play in paving the way for universal suffrage, and did it also work against women’s fight for the vote? LGBTQ+ rights: the battle between pragmatism vs idealism, and does mainstream funding bring legitimacy as well as financial support? Disability Rights: “nothing about us without us” and the importance of giving marginalised communities power to claim their rights, rather than relying on charity.   Related Content -Rhod’s Presentation slides on Philanthropy, Diversity & Inclusion -“Does Philanthropy Help or Hinder Democracy?”, Giving Thought blog -“Innovation, discovery and the legitimacy of philanthropy” Giving Thought blog -“Working on Commission: Some thoughts on the Charity Commission's new strategic plan” Giving Thought blog - Our Giving Thought podcast interview with Megan Ming Francis on “Philanthropy, Civil Rights & movement capture” (and Megan’s paper “The Price of Civil Rights: Black Lives, White Funding and Movement Capture”) -Our GT podcast on “Philanthropy & Women” -Our GT podcast interview with Rob Reich -Kristin Goss’s paper on philanthropy and the feminist movement -LGBT Funders paper on “40 Years of LGBT Philanthropy 1970-2010” -The British Library, “A short history of LGBT rights in the UK” -Merseycare, “A Disability History Timeline”  

In episode 59 we talk to speaker, author and expert on all things non-profit digital, Beth Kanter, about the impact of technology on non-profits and the challenges and opportunities that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring. Including: Has social media changed the game for nonprofits in terms of how they communicate? Have some of these tools levelled the playing field between big and small (or well-known and obscure) organisations? How well-equipped are nonprofits to take advantage of the potential of digital? If some organisations are struggling, what are the key barriers? Is there a danger that social media and online discourse create perverse incentives to sensationalise or simplify issues, because everyone is competing for scarce attention? Does this present a particular challenge for nonprofits? If digital tools enable people to form groups easily and organise in new ways, does this make traditional nonprofits less relevant as people look to networked models of social change? 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? Is it better to focus on bringing existing non-profit leaders up to speed with technology and digital, or to focus on supporting the development of future leaders who might be more naturally comfortable with tech? Or do we not need to make this choice? To what extent is digital transformation actually about employment practices? (E.g. flexible/remote working, making nonprofit work more appealing than private or public sector) How many nonprofits are actually doing this well at the moment? Do nonprofits need to play a role in addressing the impact of social media on mental health and social interactions? If so, how? Why is AI a big deal for nonprofits? What impact will AI have on philanthropy and charitable giving? Are there good examples of nonprofits using conversational AI and chatbots in smart ways? Are there good examples of nonprofits using AI to improve their own processes (e.g. data entry, financial risk monitoring, grant applications etc.)? What barriers do nonprofits face when it comes to using AI? Do more nonprofits need to think about partnering with tech companies? What are the opportunities and challenges of doing so? Can nonprofits play a meaningful role in ensuring that tech is designed and implemented ethically? How far are we from making this happen in reality? What can we do to close the gap? What role is there for nonprofits in addressing some of the negative impacts of technology that we are seeing (e.g. algorithmic bias, automation replacing jobs etc.)? How is the nonprofit workplace going to change over the next decade or so?   Related Content:   -Beth’s website -Book site for The Happy Healthy Nonprofit -Beth’s article (with Allison Fine) for Stanford Social Innovation Review, “Leveraging the Power of Bots for Civil Society” -CAF’s Giving Thought micro site on AI -CAF’s Machine Made Goods report -Rhod’s blog on “Charity 2037: 13 Jobs we might all be doing in 20 year’s time” -Crisis TextLine’s use of AI

In episode 53, we look at structure and philanthropy. Exploring how philanthropy and civil society has become structured over time, what the drivers for this are, and what new possibilities the future may hold. Including:  The reformation and the dismantling of medieval catholic infrastructure for giving Urbanisation, poverty and associated philanthropy The charitable/philanthropic tradition vs the mutual/cooperative tradition in the UK Concerns about 'faction' and voluntary association in the US Benefits of structure: coordination, economies of scale, setting and maintaining strategy, separating the individual from their role, making rules explicit Structure and power: formalisation as a form of social control? Endowed structures: foundations, trusts and waqfs Nonprofit and charity structures in the UK and US Donor Advised Funds and Charitable Remainder Trusts Non-traditional structures: LLCs, B Corps etc. Disintermediating giving: direct cash transfers and crowdfunding Network social movements and the "Tyranny of Structurelessness     Related Links: -My book, Public Good by Private Means: How philanthropy shapes Britain -Dobkin Hall, P. (1999) “Resolving the Dilemmas of Democratic Governance: The Historical Development of Trusteeship in America, 1636-1996” in Condliffe Lagemann (ed) Philanthropic Foundations: New Scholarship, New Possibilities -Morris, R.J. (1990) “Clubs, Societies & Associations” in Thompson (ed) The Cambridge Social History of Britain vol 3. -Morris, R.J. (1983) “Voluntary Societies and British Urban Elites, 1780-1850: An Analysis”, The Historical Journal, vol 26, No. 1 -Davies (2014)“Give Me a Break: Why the UK should not aspire to a ‘US-style’ culture of charitable giving”, Giving Thought discussion paper -My piece for HistPhil on “Networked Social Movements and the “Tyranny of Structurelessness””    

Episode 43 is an Oscars special! We explore philanthropy at the movies: what films there are about philanthropy (if any), what insight they can offer, and some ideas for future films that could be made. Topics covered include: Why aren’t there any genuinely great portrayals of philanthropy or the big questions it raises on film? Fictional philanthropists in movies The philanthropist as plot device or cinematic shorthand Do comic book adaptations offer the most insightful portrayal of philanthropy issues in the movies? Is Tony Stark (Iron Man) an example of the challenge of doing good with tainted money? What does X Men’s Charles Xavier tell us about enlightened self-interest? Is The Marvel Avengers: Civil War storyline really about the tension between philanthropic liberty and democratic accountability? Does Black Panther highlight the challenges of issue-based vs place-based identity in philanthropy? Is Thanos an effective altruist? Pitching some of the great philanthropic stories we could tell on film: Carnegie, Rockefeller and the Walsh Commission Julius Rosenwald and the Civil Rights Movement Angela Burdett-Coutts and Charles Dickens: the philanthropic odd couple William Rathbone: head vs heart James Oglethorpe and the founding of the State of Georgia John Howard: the grumpy Indiana Jones of philanthropy     Related content: Lights, Camera, Altruism: Philanthropy in movies, Giving Thought blog Meet The Philanthropists: the Indiana Jones of philanthropy, John Howard, (excerpt from my book Public Good by Private Means)  

 In episode 42 we chat to Krystian Seibert, an Industry Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. We discuss the current wave of critiques of philanthropy, why criticism is important, how to make that criticism constructive and what the response from policy and lawmakers should be. Including: How do we criticise ‘well’? Is some criticism in danger of ‘preaching to the converted’? To what extent does personal philosophy or ideology dictate how receptive you are to certain criticisms? Which criticism of philanthropy is hardest to answer? How much do the current US-focussed critiques resonate elsewhere (e.g. the UK or Australia)? Is there an argument to change how philanthropy is regulated by the state? How do we balance the freedom to make individual philanthropic choices with the responsibility to ensure philanthropy doesn’t create greater inequality? In the US the focus has been on the potential for philanthropy to subvert democracy by offering a means of influence outside the electoral system. Yet in many other places, the concern is the opposite: that the ability of civil society (funded by philanthropy) to campaign is being stifled. How do we square these two concerns? Should more philanthropic funders support journalism or other mechanisms that can hold philanthropy itself to account? Is there an inherent power imbalance in philanthropy, between those who have the assets and those that require them? Can we address this balance, and if so how? Do we need to make philanthropic decisions more democratic? If so, how? Do we need to make philanthropy more accountable to the people and communities it is supposed to serve? If so, how?   Related Links Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How it Can Do Better by Rob Reich The Givers by David Callahan Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva Dark Money by Jane Mayer The Prize by Dale Rusakoff Rob Reich on the Giving Thought podcast Krystian’s article in Stanford Social Innovation Review on “Cultivating Legitimacy in Philanthropy” My Giving Thought blog on “Winners Take All”  

In episode 39 we look at the relationship between philanthropy and empathy. Including: -What does neuroscience tell us about the link between empathy and altruism? -The importance of physical proximity -Does empathy lead us to prioritise giving to those who are sufficiently “like us”, at the expense of others? -How do our unconscious biases affect our empathy? The identifiable victim bias and victim blaming. -Is empathy in tension with rationality when it comes to philanthropy? -Historical examples of approaches to philanthropy that lacked empathy: home visitations, voting charities and “telescopic philanthropy” -Rationality vs empathy throughout history: from the Charity Organization Societies to Effective Altruism? -What impact will technology have on our ability to be empathetic in future? -How can Virtual Reality be used to drive empathetic responses from donors and supporters? -Will tech-enabled ‘filter bubbles’ negatively affect our ability to empathise? -Rationality vs Empathy 2.0? Will philanthropy in the future be shaped by VR and experiential technologies, or by AI and data-driven decision making?   Related Content Zagefka et al (2010) “Donating to disaster victims: Responses to natural and humanly caused events”, European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume41, Issue 3, April 2011, 353-363 Decety (2015) “The Neural Pathways, Development and Functions of Empathy”, Science of Philanthropy Initiative Kraus et al (2012) Social Class, Solipsism, and Contextualism: How the Rich Are Different From the Poor, Psychological Review, 119 (3) 546-572. Gose & Gipple (2012) “Rich Enclaves Are Not as Generous as the Wealthy Living Elsewhere” Chronicle of Philanthropy “Virtual reality can boost empathy”, Psychology News, 17th October 2018 Giving Thought blog (2016) “3 ways augmented and virtual reality could change charity” Giving Thought blog (2016) “Is technology making us care less about each other?” Giving Thought blog (2017) “Future Imperfect: 10 new problems technology will create for charities” Giving Thought blog (2017) “Automatic for the people: What might a philanthropy algorithm look like?” Ken Liu, "Byzantine Empathy"- short story reproduced in Breaker Mag    

Episode 24 of the Giving Thought podcast is our first ever interview! And it is a cracker. Rhod speaks to Jeremy Heimans, co-author of bestselling book "New Power".   We discussed Jeremy and his co-author Henry Timms' thesis on why the nature of power has changed in the 21st Century and what this might mean for philanthropy and civil society.   We covered a whole range of issues including: -the challenges of giving away power -the benefits and downsides of decentralisation -whether giving control to the crowd could marginalise unpopular causes -Changing organisational culture to embrace technology -Whether New Power provides a use case for blockchain -Is New Power an opportunity or a threat for existing philathropic organisations?

In episode 15 of the Giving Thought podcast, “Hollywood philanthropy”, Rhod and Adam (in his last appearance) look at the relationship between philanthropy and celebrity. Topics covered include: Where are the great movies about philanthropy? The history of philanthropy is full of colourful characters and inspiring stories, yet there have been very few if any movies about the great philanthropists. Why is this? Could the new ‘Golden Age of Television” heralded by Netflix, Amazon Prime et al change this? The film biz and philanthropy: Who are the great film star philanthropists? Does the modern tendency to highlight charitable activity through PR risk undermining credibility? Can films themselves be used to further philanthropic aims? Is celebrity support a double-edged sword? For charities, having a big name star on board can be a real blessing if they are genuine and committed, but what if that person turns out to be a poor ambassador. Recent scandals over the historical misconduct of many celebrities have also and highlighted the long-term risks that can come with partnering with celebrities. What does this mean for charities looking to use star power?     Related Giving Thought content:   -Lights, Camera, Altruism: Philanthropy at the movies   -Killing Them With Kindness: Philanthropy as a Weapon   -The Life Philanthropic: Angela Burdett-Coutts   -Ice, Ice, Baby: Is the Ice Bucket Challenge bad for charity?

In episode 9 of the Giving Thought podcast, Rhod and Adam look at some of the psychological motivations that drive philanthropy, including:   Social Status: Is a desire for enhanced social status part of the “warm glow” that people get from giving? How has the relationship between philanthropy and social status played out through history? Does highly visible giving place greater expectations on the donor, as well as bringing improved social status? And what impact will social media have on the way we feel about promoting our own giving?   Proximity: We look at the “proximity effect” - the idea that actual physical proximity and contact with the symptoms of social problems is an important determining factor in people’s willingness to give. Does increasing physical distance between rich and poor communities undermine the philanthropic instinct? And will new technologies like conversational interfaces and augmented/virtual reality distance us even further from the world around us and thus make us less likely to give?   Victim Blaming: Does our perception of whether the victims of social and environmental disasters can be held as partly to blame for their own misfortune affect our willingness to give We look at the difference between responses to “man made” and “natural” disasters, and what this tells us about how charities should talk about their work.   Related Content from Giving Thought:   - Philanthropy and the City of London - Uncomfortable reality: 3 ways Augmented and Virtual Reality could change charitable giving - Is technology making us care less about each other? - Reciprocity and Altruism - WhDonors prone to blaming the victims of man-made humanitarian disasters  

In episode 8 of the Giving Thought podcast, Rhod and Adam look at the long and complicated relationship between philanthropy and education, including:   Charitable status of UK public schools: we look at the ongoing controversy over the charitable status of fee-paying schools in the UK. What is the history behind the definition of “educational purposes” in charity law? How do we interpret “public benefit” for public schools?   The US Charter School movement: we explore the role that philanthropy has played in the growth of the charter school model in the US, and why this has raised questions about philanthropic legitimacy. We look at the controversial intervention of donors like Mark Zuckerberg in the New Jersey school system, and what we can learn from it.   Universities: we look at the rich history of the relationship between philanthropy and universities. We consider the role that giving played in opening up higher education to the masses, and the current landscape of giving to universities in the US and UK, in which mega-donations are becoming the norm.   Related content from Giving Thought   Public Good by Private Means: How Philanthropy Shapes Britain   A Timeline of Modern British Philanthropy   The 11 best books on the history of philanthropy (plus a free bibliography)   Why the Criticism of Mark Zuckerberg’s Philanthropy is Both Wrong and Right    

In episode 7 of the Giving Thought podcast Rhod and Adam take a look at the origins of philanthropy, including:   Altruism and Evolution: why does the existence of altruistic behaviour continue to present a significant challenge for evolutionary theory? Can this add to our understanding of philanthropy, and if so how? A Brief History of Western Philanthropy: we attempt to cover the 450 or so years since the birth of modern philanthropy in roughly 3 minutes. Including: the Reformation and its role in the emergence of secular forms of giving, the development of associational philanthropy and the charitable organisation, the use of social research and the role of philanthropy in shaping state provision of welfare. Non-western philanthropic traditions: we look at some of the other traditions of giving around the world, and ask whether efforts to develop a philanthropic culture should do more to build on these existing forms of generosity and altruism.     Related content from Giving Thought: Public Good by Private Means: How Philanthropy Shapes Britain   A Timeline of Modern British Philanthropy   The 11 best books on the history of philanthropy (plus a free bibliography)   Future World Giving: Unlocking the potential of global philanthropy   Pakistanis should be proud of their charitable culture, but not complacent   Is Burma a global leader in charitable giving?   Study shows how a western concept of charity undervalues South African generosity

We focus on Blockchain for Social Good by exploring how blockchain impacts charity with Rhodri Davies. Rhodri is the program director of Giving Thought, a department at the Charities Aid Foundation that focuses on future-facing policy work within philanthropy. He also has this awesome podcast on the #FutureOfCharity, called Giving Thought. Show notes here: http://bit.ly/2hOwBez Support me at https://www.patreon.com/rhyslindmark Thanks to Keith Klundt, John Desmond, Colin Wielga, Harry Lindmark, John Lindmark, Veronica Stamats, Jacob Zax, Katie Powell, Jonathan Isaac, Ryan X Charles, Chris Edmonds, Ramsay Devereux, Ned Mills, Kenji Williams, David Long, Scott Levi, Peter Rodgers, Kenzie Jacobs, Nathan Schneider, Jon Frechin and Kash Dhanda for supporting me on Patreon!

Episode 6 of the Giving Thought podcast looks at the issue of transparency of civil society organisations and philanthropy. Rhod and Adam take a tour through the following topics: The case for transparency: it has long been said that philanthropy needs to become more transparent in order to identify gaps, duplications drive efficiency, identify trends and increase accountability. Furthermore, advances in technology mean that philanthropy ‘Big Data’ could present powerful new opportunities for strategic giving. In addition, it has been recognised that when the powerful and the wealthy use their philanthropy to exert influence anonymously it can lead to a democratic deficit. In defence of anonymity: philanthropy is often a very personal and emotional act and in some cultures and religions, donors are expected to give without taking credit. In other words, to give transparently may undermine the emotional rewards of giving. There are also situations where transparency could put philanthropy - and beneficiaries in particular - at risk. A trend for restricting foreign funding to advocacy and human rights groups could mean that calls for transparency by some governments are being used to flush out and silence critical voices in society. Finally, some wealthy philanthropists believe that the only way to fund grass roots movements which are challenging the current system is to do so anonymously in order to break the link between donor (necessarily a beneficiary of the system) and charity. Blockchain and radical transparency: By ensuring that all transactions of cryptocurrencies or other non-fungible assets are recorded on a public ledger which is distributed across a shared global network, blockchain technology could create a transparency so total that it revolutionises the very concept. Such could be the impact of blockchain on philanthropy, it might mean an end to regulation, intermediary organisations or even the notion of charities themselves as we currently understand them.   Related content from Giving Thought: Blog: Knowing Me, Knowing You: Self-sovereign digital identity and the future of charity Blockchain technology microsite: Giving Unchained: Blockchain technology is seen as potentially revolutionary. Block & Tackle: Could blockchain technology transform the way charities are created and regulated? Video on the impact of blockchain on regulation Philanthropy Infrastructure: A boring name for something on which civil society’s future rests

Episode 5 of the Giving Thought podcast looks at the role of business when it comes to doing social good, and what this means for philanthropy in general. Rhod and Adam take a tour through the following topics:   Why should businesses do good? We ask what theoretical grounding there is for expecting companies to show social responsibility or perform philanthropic acts is. Is there a social contract that places responsibilities on companies just as it does on individuals, or does it always come down to self-interest in some form or another? And is that merely the pragmatic self-interest of wanting good PR or employee satisfaction, or can it be a more enlightened self-interest that recognises the longer-term value of a healthy civil society?   We also look at the emergence of new business models that combine social purpose and commercial focus. We ask whether the idea of combining a commercial purpose with a social one is actually far older than we often think, and whether we could learn something from the business philanthropists of the past.   The impact of the SDGs: We look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ask whether the prominence of businesses in plans to meet these goals could result in philanthropy getting sidelined.   Beyond Integrity: we take a look at a report CAF published last year in collaboration with the LSE, highlighting cases where companies have taken action to defend the basic freedoms of civil society, often at apparent odds with their own commercial self-interest. We explore whether these cases represent a wider trend, or whether they are best understood as examples of best practice that other companies should aspire to.     Related content from Giving Thought:   Beyond Integrity: why civil society needs to engage business in defending civic space Appealing to the enlightened self-interest of partners to reinforce civil society Philanthropy and the Global Goals: a brave new world? How can global business improve society? Philanthropy and the SDGs: no-brainer or Faustian pact? Meet The Philanthropists: sweet charity - how Cadbury, Rowntree and Fry gave us some of our greatest philanthropists

Episode 4 of the Giving Thought podcast attempts to assess whether philanthropy supports or undermines democracy and whether that question even makes sense. Rhodri and Adam cover the following themes:   Philanthropy is anti-democratic: We highlight recent examples of the long-standing controversy over the anti-democratic nature of philanthropy (e.g. Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, George Soros and the Koch brothers). But we ask: is being undemocratic in fact a strength to be celebrated? We look at various arguments and examples, including the historical role of philanthropy in promoting unpopular causes, the story of Julius Rosenwald and the current US foundation movement to oppose Trump administration. Philanthropic power enhances democracy: Exploring the value of pluralism and civic freedom in enhancing minority voices in democracy. Does philanthropy take the blame for the effect of inequality? The eye of the beholder: The use of aid and philanthropy as a soft power tool to spread democracy (Eastern Europe after the cold war and the Arab Spring)   Related content from the Giving Thought blog:   Philanthropy: Anti-democratic and proud of it? Does philanthropy undermine democracy? Philanthropic Power: The Awkward Consequence of Pluralism Closing Space or Open Season? What President Trump’s latest move means for the future of civil society campaigning Is advocacy and campaigning by not-for-profits undemocratic? Brave New World: What role can philanthropy play in the age of Brexit and Trump? Has Mark Zuckerberg just announced the death of the charitable foundation? Why the Criticism of Mark Zuckerberg’s Philanthropy is Both Wrong and Right  

Welcome to episode 2 of the Giving Thought Podcast, brought to you by the Charities Aid Foundation's in house think-tank Giving Thought. In this episode, we look at the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could play in accelerating new, data-driven approaches to philanthropy. We explore: The rise of algorithms, and what this might mean for philanthropy in terms of creating new challenges and opportunities The "Effective Altruism" movement and how this links to the growth of AI Silicon Valley and the focus on "big bet" philanthropy     Below are links to blog posts and publications on issues discussed in the podcast:   -Robotic Alms: AI and the future of philanthropy advice   -Algorithm is Gonna Get You: what the rise of algorithms means for philanthropy   -Are Some Causes Better than Others? The Effective Altruism Debate   -The Stars My Destination: Philanthropy and the Future of Space Exploration   -Has Mark Zuckerberg Just Announced the Death of the Charitable Foundation?   -Why the Criticism of Mark Zuckerberg's Philanthropy is Both Wrong and Right

Here goes nothing! We are pleased to launch the Giving Thought Podcast, brought to you by the Charities Aid Foundation's in house think-tank Giving Thought. In our first episode, we will be looking at the interplay between philanthropy, charity and politics. Given recent political events around the world and the trend for civil society activism to singled out for special scrutiny for its political influence this seems timely. We have decided to look at this issue from three interesting angles; Scrapping the Johnson amendment: What if President Trump follows through on his pledge to "destroy" the Johnson amendment which restricts the political lobbying of non profits and religious organisations? The emerging legal environment for Chinese civil society: New laws have made life much easier for donors and charities to operate ... as long as you agree with the government. Fake News: The proliferation of false stories targeted at specific audiences online raises problems for charities in getting their message across but also new needs for them to address.   Read related content from Giving Thought   Closing Space or Open Season? What President Trump's latest move means for the future of civil society campaigning. The Johnson Amendment prevents US nonprofits from electoral campainging, but Donald Trump wants to abolish it. Why?   Algorithm Is Gonna Get You: what the rise of algorithms means for philanthropy Algorithms are the automated decision processes that increasingly govern many aspects of our lives and the choices we make. Truth Decay: Philanthropy and the battle against misinformation and fake news Does philanthropy have a vital role to play in combating the widely-publicised threat of “fake news”?  

Giving Thought to Dying: Aruna Ratanagiri (42 min) (keywords) Contention, war, dead, meditation, inspiration, maranasati, bereavement, grief, sadness, funeral, beauty, tears, past lives, Buddhist culture, coffins, view, killing, losing loved ones, denial, ignorance, cancer, not-knowing, samadhi.