Philanthropisms

Send us a textIn this episode Rhodri is joined by Angela Kail (Director of Consulting at New Philanthropy Capital (NPC)) to take a look at the growing cost of living crisis in the UK (and beyond), and what means for philanthropy, grantmaking and the work of civil society organisations. Including:Impact on charity financesWhat will the impact of inflation be when it comes increasing costs (e.g. staff costs, energy, food, building materials, leisure equipment etc)?What impact will inflation have on decreasing the value of reserves or longer-term contracts/grants? Will any of the govt measures announced so far (e.g. capping energy bills) help charities? Are they enough? What will the impact of rising interest rates be on charities?  Will any of the govt measures announced so far (E.g. capping energy bills) help charities? Are they enough?Is charities’ ability to fundraise going to be affected?Increased demand for servicesWhere are we going to see the most acute demand for services in coming months?Direct support for those in poverty (e.g. food banks, warm spaces)Advice and help (e.g. CAB, specialist advice for those dealing with major illness, disability etc)Indirect effects (mental health, physical health, domestic violence etc)Impact on everyday givingWill we see fewer people giving, or the same people giving less?Is there a danger that levels of donations remains stable, but their value decreases in real terms as inflation rises? Does this mean we actually need to encourage more giving? And does this present a major challenge in the current economic climate?Impact on HNW philanthropyShould we expect any direct impact of the cost of living crisis on HNW giving? If so, is it likely to go up, or down? Is there potential for philanthropy to play a role in helping charities survive the cost of living crisis?What are the dangers of seeing philanthropy as a potential solution here? (e.g. is there a risk of validating policy decisions, or hiding the true impact of cuts?)What are the practical challenges? (e.g. Lack of knowledge/experience of HNW fundraising, unequal distribution of donors around UK, increased competition for fundraising)Impact on grantmakingWhat impact will inflation/interest rates etc have on grantmakers?Could funders be spending more from their endowments?Should funders add inflationary top-ups to existing gifts/grants?Would it help if funder simplified grantmaking processes?Why is unrestricted funding so importan? How can funders use data (from NPC, 360 Giving etc) to help ensure grantmaking is targeted at areas of greatest need?Related Links:NPC's Confronting the Cost of Living Resource HubNPC's annual conference NPC Ignites 2022NPC's Local Needs DatabankPro Bono Economics/CAF briefing on inflation and charitiesCAF polling on public intentions to reduce charitable givingFT article, "Charities underpin the UK’s social safety net as cost of living crisis bites"

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to political philosopher Emma Saunders-Hastings about her new book Private Virtues, Public Vices: Philanthropy and Democratic Equality and some of the big questions that philanthropy raises for philosophers and political theorists. Including:What is the distinction between distributive and relational concepts of equality? Many modern critiques of philanthropy focus on the former, but there is a rich history of exploring the latter (by people like John Stuart Mill, Jane Addams etc). Why have we forgotten this tradition? And why is it so important to revive interest in these questions?What should we make of examples where philanthropy is based on unequal relationships but still produces positive social outcomes? In terms of  relational inequality is there any difference between everyday donations  and those of big money donors? Or do both run the risk of perpetuating unequal relationships between individuals?Is rejection of the idea of gratitude on behalf of the recipient a necessary part of seeing philanthropy more as a matter of justice than of charity? Is there any danger that in doing so we lose something important about the reciprocal nature of giving? (Or, more pragmatically, that we lose an important part of what keeps people giving?)Can an increased emphasis on everyday giving help to counter concerns about the anti-democratic impact of big money philanthropy?Does philanthropy have any value as a “nursery of democracy” (a la Tocqueville)?Does a focus on this aspect of philanthropy dictate prioritizing particular kinds of activities or causes (e.g. volunteering rather than cash giving etc)?Do any of the efforts to make philanthropy more democratic by adopting participatory grantmaking or embracing traditions of mutual aid address the concerns raised in the book?Is Effective Altruism particularly prone to criticism that it is paternalistic and furthers relational inequality, since it prioritises measurable outcomes dictated by donors over  empowering recipients?What value can historical or philosophical perspective bring to our understanding of philanthropy?Do critiques of philanthropy too often confine themselves to the realms of ideal theory, or fall into the trap of comparing worst-case examples of philanthropy with idealized conceptions of government? How do you avoid this risk?Related Links:Emma's Book Private Virtues, Public Vices: Philanthropy and Democratic EqualityEmma's paper on Frederick Douglass and the campaign against the Free Church of Scotland's acceptance of money from slaveowners: “Send Back the Bloodstained Money”: Frederick Douglass on Tainted GiftsEmma's post on EA in a forum for the Boston Review: "Imposing conditions on gifts to poor people can be undemocratic".Philanthropisms podcast on "the philosophy of philanthropy"Philanthropisms podcast with Maribel Morey.Philanthropisms podcast on "tain

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to Derek Bardowell,  CEO of Ten Years Time Ltd and author of new book Giving Back: How to do good better, We discuss why our understanding of philanthropy needs to shift from a mindset of charity to one of justice, and what this means for donors and grantmakers. Including:Why is the distinction between charity and justice so important, and what does it mean in practice?Is growing scrutiny of where philanthropic wealth has come from a good thing? What should philanthropic organisations be doing to understand and make amends for any links to historic racial injustices? Does philanthropy have a diversity problem?Are funders more effective when they reflect more closely the people and communities they serve? In what ways can they achieve this?Is racial injustice such a big/cross-cutting issues that it should not be seen as a cause area, but rather as something that is the responsibility of all philanthropic funders and nonprofits?What does this mean in practice for grantmakers? (e.g. supporting more grantees led by BIPOC leaders, promoting more BIPOC employees into positions of authority within foundations, acknowledging where philanthropic assets have been created in ways that exacerbated racial injustice, paying reparations etc?)Is there a danger of philanthropy being paternalistic, with decisions being made about communities rather than by them? How do we avoid this risk?Is the current enthusiasm for social movements reflective of a frustration people have that traditional nonprofits have failed to move the needle on issues such as the climate crisis or racial justice?Does the ability of social movements to be more overtly political, or to employ more challenging tactics (e.g. protest, direct action), give them an advantage over civil society organisations (CSOs) that might be more constrained by legal/regulatory requirements?Is there a danger of "preaching to the choir" about philanthropy reform? I.e. those who engage with the arguments are the ones who always would have “got it” anyway? If so, how do you get these arguments out to a wider audience?Related Links:Derek's book Giving Back: How to Do Good, BetterTen Year's TimeDerek on the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast with Ed Milliband and Geoff LloydPhilanthropisms episode with Tyrone McKinley FreemanPhilanthropisms episode with Maribel MoreyPhilanthropisms episode with Edgar Villanueva

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to Charles Keidan, editor of Alliance magazine, about why we need philanthropy journalism and what some of the key issues are in civil society right now. Including:Why is it important to have journalists focussing on philanthropy?Is coverage of philanthropy too focussed on the Global North (especially the US)? Is it possible to rebalance this?Is it possible to bring philanthropy journalism to a mainstream audience on a regular basis? If so, how does this need to be done?Could increased philanthropic funding of news media actually undermine journalism’s ability to hold philanthropy itself to account? (E.g. if outlets self-censor to avoid upsetting existing or potential funders).What are the key trends in philanthropy we should be watching? Is climate change now seen by philanthropists and funders as something that concerns them regardless of their charitable mission? Is growing scrutiny of where philanthropic wealth has come from a good thing?What should we make of concerns about “tainted donations”?Is it a challenge to get nuanced or balanced discussion about philanthropy issues in an increasingly polarised environment?Should philanthropy publications try to give space to as wide a range of views as possible, or is there a risk of "both-sidesing" issues?Related LinksAlliance Magazine websiteCharles's story in the Sunday Times (with Gabriel Pogrund and Katherine Faulkner) "Prince Charles accepted €1m cash in suitcase from sheikh" (Paywall £)The Alliance magazine article about the same storyThe recent opinion piece for Alliance by Simon Sommer, "It’s time to ditch the mantra of trust-based philanthropy"Charles's editorial response to that piece, "Is the trust-based philanthropy bubble about to burst?"Rhod's comment piece for the Beacon Collaborative, "Can we agree to disagree when it comes to philanthropy?"Philanthropisms episode with Teddy SchleiferRhod's 2018 piece for Alliance (with Fran Yeoman) "Philanthropy should fund the media for its own sake" 

Send us a textIn this episode we explore the long history of concerns that some money may be "tainted", and ask what this means for philanthropy now and in the future. Including:The history of tainted donations, featuring: St Augustine of Hippo, The Venerable Bede, St Thomas Aquinas, The Paris Guild of Prostitutes, Frederick Douglass, George Cadbury, George Bernard Shaw, The Salvation Army, J. D. Rockefeller, Mark Twain and G.K. Chesterton.Is a donation only tainted if the method of wealth creation is ethical questionable, or can it be tainted by association becasue a donor is problematic for some other reason?How have views about what kinds of wealth creation are or aren't ethically acceptable changed over time?Is there a statute of limitations of any kind on tainted money, so that after a certain period of time it is deemed OK despite any problematic connections?Is it enough to acknowledge when wealth is based on past injustices such as slavery, or do active reparations need to be made? How does this work in practice?Should we distinguish between critiques of individual tainted donations and systemic critiques of wealth and capitalism as a whole?Who decides whether a donation is tainted?Is it better to take tainted money if the charitable activity being funded addresses the ethical concerns arising from the wealth? (E.g. using money from the gambling industry to address gambling addiction). Or does this increase the chance of reputation laundering?Does acceptance of a gift in reality always imply condoning the source of wealth?Are concerns about tainted donations greater when the donor is getting recognition for the gift? Would it be better if such gifts were entirely anonymous?Is it more acceptable to accept money from a tainted source if no strings are attached? Is this another argument for core cost funding?Is new technology bringing new challenges when it comes to identifying and assessing the sources of donations?Related links:Philliteracy thread on the history of tainted donationsRhod's article on "A Brief History of Satirising Philanthropy"Philanthropisms episode on Platform PhilanthropyPhilanthropisms episode on CryptophilanthropyPhilanthropisms episode with Ben SoskisEmma Saunders-Hastings's article “Send Back the Bloodstained Money”: Frederick Douglass on Tainted Gifts"Julie-Marie Strange & Sarah Roddy's Paper "Banking for Jesus: Financial Services, Charity, and an Ethical Economy in Late Victorian and Edwardian Britain" George Bernard Shaw's "Preface to Major Barbara, with First Aid to Critics"Teddy Roosevelt's "Man With the Muckrake" speech Curb Your Enthusiasm, "The Anonymous Donor" Part 1 and

Send us a textIn this episode we discuss the links between religion, faith and giving with David P. King, Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School on Philanthropy at Indiana University- Purdue University, Indiana. Including:How important a part does faith play in motivating and shaping approaches to giving in the modern world?What role has it played historically?When it comes to faith as a factor in philanthropy, what is most important:Observance of specific religious requirements to give (e.g. tithing, Tzedakah, Zakat)?Broader religious teachings on ethics & responsibility?Attendance at places of worship?A sense of shared religious identity?How do religious teachings on the nature of poverty and justice affect the likelihood of their followers giving and the ways in which they give?Are we seeing a decline in faith in places like the UK and the US, or simply a shift away from organised, collective religion to more informal, individual spirituality? What impact might this have on giving?Are places of worship important in maintaining cultures of giving?To what extent is this because of their religious nature and to what extent is it simply because they are community buildings that bring people together, or act as a location for grassroots/informal activity?At a time when secular community spaces are becoming fewer, do places of worship have an increasingly important role to play as community anchors? Are they  embracing this role, and how?How much of the giving that goes towards religion in the US is for the maintenance of religious institutions themselves, and how much gets passed on into wider charitable activities?What role has faith (especially missionary faith) played in shaping the field of international development and humanitarian aid?Does faith still play an important role today? (E.g. given that quite a few major INGOs have religious roots, and are ostensibly still religious orgs)Does the academic study of philanthropy and civil society need to do more in terms of taking into account the role of faith groups?What challenges does this pose? (i.e. Different literatures/concepts, specialist knowledge of the structures of religious orgs required etc?).Related Links:The Lake Institute on Faith and GivingDavid's profile page at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, IUPUIDavid's 2017 Conversation article "Why Faith Inspires People to Give"David's blog for Lilly Family School of Philanthropy "Giving 2021: Pandemic lessons and the future of religious giving"David's HistPhil article, "Religion’s Role in International Relief and Development: World Vision and the Age of Evangelical Humanitarianism".Philanthropisms podcast episode with David's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy colleague Tyrone McKinley Freeman

Send us a textIn this episode we take a look at the opportunities and challenges that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology bring for giving and ask: is cryptophilanthropy a boom market, or a busted flush? Including:Is the resurgence of interest in cryptophilanthropy  in the last 18 months partly to do with the enforced digitisation many of us went through during the pandemic?At the same time, what do recent decisions by organisations like the Wikimedia Foundation and WWF to dial down or abandon their cryptophilanthropy activities tell us about the state of the market?Who are the crypto-donors? Is it mostly platform/exchange owners, early adopters who have made millions, or are those with more modest crypto holdings also getting involved?Can we tell anything from the culture and ideology of crypto communities about their approach to giving and their views on charities?Is crypto genuinely useful as a way of getting resources into difficult places (e.g. Ukraine), or is there always a "last mile" problem?Does crypto bring the possibility of radical transparency? Is this a good thing?Is cryptophilanthropy sometimes used as a tool to drive wider crypto adoption that benefits the donors?Are NFTs just a bubble that charities should avoid, or is there something genuinely interesting about unique digital objects?How can charities avoid the volatility risks of crypto?What new challenges does the semi-anonymous nature of crypto bring when it comes to donations?Should environmental concerns be a reason for charities to avoid crypto?Is the crypto world just too full of "general scaminess"?Does the crypto world view promote the idea that we can do without trust, and should civil society instead be trying build trust?Can blockchain overcome the known limits of non-hierarchical organisation, or are we simply going to rediscover old problems in new guises? Related TopicsRhod's work on crypto and blockchain for CAFRhod's 2019 ARNOVA Conference Paper "Networking Opportunities: Rediscovering Decentralisation in Philanthropy and Civil Society?"Rhod quoted in the Wall Street Journal this year, "Why some charities are rethinking cryptocurrency donations"Philanthropisms podcast 2022 PredictionsThe Giving Block Annual Report 2021Current Affairs  interview with Nicholas Weaver:  "Why This Computer Scientist Says All Cryptocurrency Should “Die in a Fire”Rhod quoted in Civil Society UK "Crypto-philanthropists: Friend or foe to charities?"  

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to Tyrone McKinley Freeman, Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, IUPUI about his book "Madam C. J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy During Jim Crow" and about the history and current context of Black philanthropy. Including:Madam C. J. Walker:Who was Madam C. J. Walker, and why is she such an important figure in the history of philanthropy?Was what she represented- as a role model of an independent, successful Black woman who used her position to speak out and support others- just as significant as the monetary value of her donations?Blurred Lines Madam Walker's story highlights the fact that Black communities have often not had the luxury of distinguishing between philanthropy, commerce and politics, as they have been forced to use all tools at their disposal to further their aims. Is this blurring of the boundaries something we could learn from today?Madam C. J. Walker’s giving is distinct from many other major historical philanthropists in being grounded in traditions of mutual aid rather than charity- how did this shape her approach, and what could we learn from this today?Civil RightsHow important a focus for Madam C. J. Walker’s philanthropy was civil rights?  Where does she fit in the debate between accommodationists and those arguing that the goal should be equality whilst retaining a distinct Black identity?EducationWhy was education such an important part of Madam Walker’s philanthropy?Does her support for Black educational institutions confuse the dominant narrative that positions many of these institutions as tools for white social control?Women's PhilanthropyTo what extent has philanthropy helped to equip Black women with skills and tools for wider civic engagement? Has this led to engagement with issues of women’s rights?The Role of PhilanthropoidsHow did Freeman B. Ransom shape Madam C. J. Walker’s philanthropy? Did he merely interpret her wishes and goals, or can we only understand her philanthropy by taking into account his role too?The History of Black PhilanthropyIs there a distinct field/practice of Black philanthropy? Does a proper understanding of the history of Black philanthropy require us to broaden our viewpoints and definitions about what should count as “philanthropy”? Who are the other key Black philanthropists from history that we should be paying attention to? Is there an ‘archival inequality’ because a lot of philanthropy in black communities historically took place outside the boundaries of formal organisations and is thus less likely to be captured in records? Related Links:Webiste for "Gospel of Giving"Tyrone's IUPUI profile pageTyrone's HistPhil piece, 7 Ways to Read around the History of Philanthropy’s Diversity Problem this Black History MonthTyrone's paper with Kim Williams-Pulfer "Liberating the Archive, Emancipating Philanthropy: Philanthropic Archival Layering as a Critical Historical Approach for Researching Voluntary Action in Marginalized Communities"Philanthropisms podcast with Marib

Send us a textIn this episode, in light of recent high-profile disasters in places like Ukraine, Afghanistan and Tigray, we take a look at the long-standing relationship between philanthropy and disaster response. Including:History:The history of disaster response philanthropy: from 16th Century "charitable briefs" in response to fires and floods to the emergence of the Disasters Emergency Committee and the rise of celebrity-led disaster appealsWhat has been the relationship between one-off disaster appeals and efforts to encourage regular giving?How did fundraisers of the past use published donor lists to name and shame people into giving?Has disaster response philanthropy always been a cross-border affair?How has perception of victims of disasters shaped philanthropic response throughout history?Why has slowness in distributing funds always been a source of criticism?How have paternalistic and judgmental approaches to distribution led to to resentment and even riots?Psychology & EconomicsWhy does the "identifiable victim effect" mean that it is often better to focus on individual stories rather than statistics?Can giving people too much information about a disaster actually decrease their giving?What is the "bystander effect" and why does it lead people to give less when in groups?How does out perception of disasters as "natural" or "man-made" affect our willingness to give?Current ContextWhy is the Ukraine war receiving more attention than other disasters e.g. Tigray, Afghanistan? Is there a racial element?Why do people prefer to give goods, and why don't most NGOs want this?Are donations of weapons philanthropy?How are people using technology to disintermediate disaster philanthropy (e.g. "donating" via Airbnb,  giving cryptocurrency)? What concerns should we have?Is it helpful to depoliticize disasters, or does it deflect attention from what is truly necessary to deal with some situations?Can we ever shift from disaster response to long-term development and prevention?Related Links:Philliteracy thread about the history of disaster relief fundsReading list on history of disaster relief fundsRoddy, S., Strange, J., & Taithe, B. (2019).The Charity Market and Humanitarianism in Britain, 1870–1912 Zagefka et al (2012). Eliciting donations to disaster victims: Psychological considerations. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 15(4), 221-230.Brown, P. H., & Minty, J. H. (2008). Media coverage and charitable giving after the 2004 tsunami. Southern Economic Journal, 75(1), 9-25.Eckel, C., Grossman, P. J., & Milano, A. (2007). Is more information always better? An experimental study of charitable giving and Hurricane Katrina. Southern Economic Journal, 74(2), 388-411.Scharf, K. A., Smith, S., & Wilhelm, M. (2017). Lift and shift: the effect of fundraising interventions in charity space

Send us a textIn this episode we talk to Sadaf Shallwani, Director of Learning and Evaluation at the Firelight Foundation, about funding systems change, supporting grassroots communities and shifting power dynamics within philanthropy. Including:How did the Firelight Foundation come about, what is its core mission, and what is distinctive/unique about its approach?Why is "traditional aid broken"?Why is the distinction between charity and justice or solidarity so important to Firelight's work? Does a focus on justice and solidarity require taking a different approach to philanthropy? What does this mean in practice?How can we ensure that power and decision making within philanthropy is shifted towards the people and communities who would have been seen as the traditional ‘beneficiaries’? (E.g. through participatory means?)Is the strongest case for shifting power a moral one (i.e. it is the "right" thing to do), or a pragmatic one (i.e. it produces better outcomes)?Can “funder ego” or a “saviour mindset” present barriers to genuine efforts to share power?What kind of challenges are there for traditional grantmakers when it comes to bringing communities and people with lived experience into decision making processes?How big a risk is there that foundations and other funders co-opt social movements or grassroots CSOs by deliberately introducing grant stipulations etc aimed to direct the focus of the movement away from controversial areas or soften their tactics? How do we avoid this risk?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?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 can funders strike the right balance between taking a trust-based approach and not placing unnecessary reporting burdens on grantees, and having sufficient measurement to ensure they still know their funding is working?How can funders design impact measurement approaches with their grantees to ensure they are genuinely empowering and beneficial rather than imposing a new burden?Related Links:Firelight Foundation's websiteFirelight's report on Community-Driven Systems ChangeSadaf's Alliance Magazine article on Community-Drive Systems ChangeSadaf's personal websiteRhod's article "Language Barriers: why the ways in which we talk about philanthropy & civil society are holding us back"