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| Global trends in philanthropy: insights from the top | Global trends in philanthropy: insights from the top |
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| Tell us a bit about yourself. | Tell us a bit about yourself. |
| I am founder of the Global Philanthropy Forum which is a network of high-net-worth individuals committed to advancing international causes through their giving, investing, and policy voice. | I am founder of the Global Philanthropy Forum which is a network of high-net-worth individuals committed to advancing international causes through their giving, investing, and policy voice. |
| Where are these individuals based? Is this predominantly American institutions or membership? Or is it more global? | Where are these individuals based? Is this predominantly American institutions or membership? Or is it more global? |
| It started in Silicon Valley, as a group of individuals who had made their wealth in the hi-tech industry, but it very quickly spread beyond. | It started in Silicon Valley, as a group of individuals who had made their wealth in the hi-tech industry, but it very quickly spread beyond. |
| So what is the model? | So what is the model? |
| The model is based on peer learning, between the forum and each of its regional affiliates. We have annual conferences and programmes, but most importantly we have matchmaking among them. For example, if you're a philanthropist and need help to raise the status of women in southeast Asia, we will introduce you not to an NGO that is doing that work, but instead to other philanthropists that are having very high impact in that field and location. | The model is based on peer learning, between the forum and each of its regional affiliates. We have annual conferences and programmes, but most importantly we have matchmaking among them. For example, if you're a philanthropist and need help to raise the status of women in southeast Asia, we will introduce you not to an NGO that is doing that work, but instead to other philanthropists that are having very high impact in that field and location. |
| The word 'impact' comes up a lot in philanthropy. Tell me why that matters so much to philanthropists and how you would define it. | The word 'impact' comes up a lot in philanthropy. Tell me why that matters so much to philanthropists and how you would define it. |
| Philanthropists have always wanted to achieve results. I think what might be new is that we have a tendency to use metrics/measurements. We often will hire professionals to help in that regard, but most importantly, what we do is work with the grantee in the beginning and say 'what will be your measure of success'? | Philanthropists have always wanted to achieve results. I think what might be new is that we have a tendency to use metrics/measurements. We often will hire professionals to help in that regard, but most importantly, what we do is work with the grantee in the beginning and say 'what will be your measure of success'? |
| Do you think that this interest in grantees' measures of success makes philanthropists different from other stakeholders or donors in development? | Do you think that this interest in grantees' measures of success makes philanthropists different from other stakeholders or donors in development? |
| You know what's really interesting to me – you've asked if there's a difference between the way philanthropists are now operating, and how other donors like bilateral donors and intergovernmental agencies might be acting. I'm finding that they're influencing one other. You're starting to see conversations take place between philanthropists and developing agencies about how they each measure success. That data has a powerful impact. It means that philanthropists, and most importantly, their grantees, will have access to that data that will allow them to compare across sectors/organisations/societies to compare what works and what doesn't. | You know what's really interesting to me – you've asked if there's a difference between the way philanthropists are now operating, and how other donors like bilateral donors and intergovernmental agencies might be acting. I'm finding that they're influencing one other. You're starting to see conversations take place between philanthropists and developing agencies about how they each measure success. That data has a powerful impact. It means that philanthropists, and most importantly, their grantees, will have access to that data that will allow them to compare across sectors/organisations/societies to compare what works and what doesn't. |
| Do you think there is a long view in philanthropy? Do philanthropists think more about how to help solve today's problems, or are they also equally as interested in investing in the slow burn? | Do you think there is a long view in philanthropy? Do philanthropists think more about how to help solve today's problems, or are they also equally as interested in investing in the slow burn? |
| What you've asked about is really the division of labour between government and non-governmental actors. And that really varies from country to country. I come from the US where there is a deep suspicion of government and a tendency to feel that we should take our future into our own hands. Sometimes we take it to quite an extreme, I should note! But having said that, philanthropy is a large part of our lives because we do pay less in taxes, we do have less of an expectation of government when it comes to meeting social needs. | What you've asked about is really the division of labour between government and non-governmental actors. And that really varies from country to country. I come from the US where there is a deep suspicion of government and a tendency to feel that we should take our future into our own hands. Sometimes we take it to quite an extreme, I should note! But having said that, philanthropy is a large part of our lives because we do pay less in taxes, we do have less of an expectation of government when it comes to meeting social needs. |
| The traditional image of a philanthropist is a white male. Is this changing and if it is what does that mean? What impact is that having on how priorities are decided and how philanthropy is practiced? | |
| The demographics of philanthropy have really changed and that's most exciting. In north America the philanthropists who are most active are relatively young, they're mid career and taking some of the skills they've developed in their professional lives and applying them to their philanthropy. You're having philanthropists step up to the plate, you're seeing this in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, India and Brazil and elsewhere, even in China – and that's a very important development. | The demographics of philanthropy have really changed and that's most exciting. In north America the philanthropists who are most active are relatively young, they're mid career and taking some of the skills they've developed in their professional lives and applying them to their philanthropy. You're having philanthropists step up to the plate, you're seeing this in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, India and Brazil and elsewhere, even in China – and that's a very important development. |
| Are there any trends that are really impacting on philanthropy, technology, and climate change? | Are there any trends that are really impacting on philanthropy, technology, and climate change? |
| When it comes to evolution of philanthropy, the single biggest influence has been the structure of the global economy. On the one hand it created great wealth, lifted many from poverty, but on the other there have been great economic disparities and in fact it's exacerbating them. That really has captured the attention of philanthropists and development agencies/governments alike. That's part of the structure of that economy and so the only way to offset that is through good policy, good government programmes and smart philanthropy. We all have an obligation to do that. Another enormous influence has been technology, particularly communications technology. | When it comes to evolution of philanthropy, the single biggest influence has been the structure of the global economy. On the one hand it created great wealth, lifted many from poverty, but on the other there have been great economic disparities and in fact it's exacerbating them. That really has captured the attention of philanthropists and development agencies/governments alike. That's part of the structure of that economy and so the only way to offset that is through good policy, good government programmes and smart philanthropy. We all have an obligation to do that. Another enormous influence has been technology, particularly communications technology. |
| The role of data is also important. We now have this extraordinary opportunity to tap big data in order to solve large social problems with intergovernmental agencies like the OECD, World Bank and even governments like the US's are choosing to open up their data. | The role of data is also important. We now have this extraordinary opportunity to tap big data in order to solve large social problems with intergovernmental agencies like the OECD, World Bank and even governments like the US's are choosing to open up their data. |
| So there are things that philanthropy does well, but also that it doesn't do so well. Tell me a bit about failures in the sector and the lessons learned. | So there are things that philanthropy does well, but also that it doesn't do so well. Tell me a bit about failures in the sector and the lessons learned. |
| There's more discussion of risks in principle than there is about sharing failures. One of our weaknesses has been we talk a lot about risk and we talk a lot about transparency but usually only in relation to others.. Transparency is quite new to philanthropy but I like to think we're improving greatly in that regard but we're not there yet. One of the reasons people join organisations like ours is to have the opportunity to share with peers in an off the record format. The real goal is social impact. | There's more discussion of risks in principle than there is about sharing failures. One of our weaknesses has been we talk a lot about risk and we talk a lot about transparency but usually only in relation to others.. Transparency is quite new to philanthropy but I like to think we're improving greatly in that regard but we're not there yet. One of the reasons people join organisations like ours is to have the opportunity to share with peers in an off the record format. The real goal is social impact. |
| What are the funding trends? Who do you tend to fund? Do you give money to large NGOs or grassroots organisations? | What are the funding trends? Who do you tend to fund? Do you give money to large NGOs or grassroots organisations? |
| When it comes to large organisations v small or grassroots, more philanthropists are trying to find the truly local organisation and the reason that they're interested is they want more direct access to the ultimate beneficiary. So there's a bit of a bias towards the smaller organisations rather than the larger, but that doesn't mean it's easy to source them. that's why it's so important there are philanthropists coming from many different societies, that know their communities well. One of the reasons we're eager to have regional affiliates whose philanthropists are embedded in the larger global community is that they are transmission belts for that knowledge. | When it comes to large organisations v small or grassroots, more philanthropists are trying to find the truly local organisation and the reason that they're interested is they want more direct access to the ultimate beneficiary. So there's a bit of a bias towards the smaller organisations rather than the larger, but that doesn't mean it's easy to source them. that's why it's so important there are philanthropists coming from many different societies, that know their communities well. One of the reasons we're eager to have regional affiliates whose philanthropists are embedded in the larger global community is that they are transmission belts for that knowledge. |
| Would the disappearance of large American NGOs be that big a deal, if the idea is that capacity is being built in countries where the demands are? | Would the disappearance of large American NGOs be that big a deal, if the idea is that capacity is being built in countries where the demands are? |
| Transitions are always dangerous moments, when for a long time you've relied on one infrastructure and you would like to rely on a different one. The danger isn't money flowing away from large US-based NGOs to smaller non-profits and social enterprises, it is what happens in between, during that transition moment, when you might be leaving one without having found the other. | Transitions are always dangerous moments, when for a long time you've relied on one infrastructure and you would like to rely on a different one. The danger isn't money flowing away from large US-based NGOs to smaller non-profits and social enterprises, it is what happens in between, during that transition moment, when you might be leaving one without having found the other. |
| Tell us about your journey and aspirations for things you're doing now and the world you want to see. | Tell us about your journey and aspirations for things you're doing now and the world you want to see. |
| I come from an upbringing that told my brothers and I that as young children we could make a difference, anyone could make a difference and therefore you should. There was a never a time in our childhood when we didn't think we should be contributing to community. I look around and I think that the most exciting thing in life is human ingenuity at work, there's nothing more inspiring in no matter what setting. Human ingenuity is really quite extraordinary, and I would just like to always see it matched by opportunity. We work with one philanthropist in Nigeria and he says "I was lucky. But not everybody is lucky. I'd like to institutionalise luck." And I think that's a good aspiration. | I come from an upbringing that told my brothers and I that as young children we could make a difference, anyone could make a difference and therefore you should. There was a never a time in our childhood when we didn't think we should be contributing to community. I look around and I think that the most exciting thing in life is human ingenuity at work, there's nothing more inspiring in no matter what setting. Human ingenuity is really quite extraordinary, and I would just like to always see it matched by opportunity. We work with one philanthropist in Nigeria and he says "I was lucky. But not everybody is lucky. I'd like to institutionalise luck." And I think that's a good aspiration. |
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