Giving Thought

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 this episode, Rhod looks at whether philanthropic giving is always a choice on the part of the donor, or whether it can sometimes be compelled. Topics covered include:   -Compelled by your peers: We look at the part peer pressure plays in philanthropy, both at a micro level (i.e. the effect that "being watched" has on prompting giving) and a macro level (i.e. the notion of a social contract). We also consider a bit of history (including a scathing attack on the culture of giving in Victorian England).   -Compelled by a higher authority: We consider the role governments have played a role in shaping philanthropy through charity law: from the 1601 Statute of Charitable Uses to the emergence of "GONGOs" in modern China. We look at the idea of "percentage philanthropy", and whether it should be seen as philanthropy at all, or merely a form of tax. We also touch on obligations to give in various major religions and what role these play in driving philanthropy.   -Compelled by your own mind: We explore unusual c

In episode 22, we explore whether philanthropy is progressive: i.e. is it a means for moving society forwards or a tool for defending the status quo? Including:   The case for: On what grounds can we claim that philanthropy is progressive? We look at cause areas associated with progressive ideals, and the rich history of philanthropic support for campaigning. And could the very process of philanthropy also be seen as a tool for social progress?   The case against: We ask whether conservation and heritage causes are, by definition, not progressive. We also consider the long traditional of opposition to progressive causes being supported by philanthropy; and highlight evidence that wealthier people are more likely to hold conservative political views. We also ask whether philanthropy itself undermines progress by adding to inequality and power imbalance in our society.   Remedies: What can we do to ensure philanthropy is progressive? Should this actually be a goal, or should we simply accept that philanthropy r

In episode 21, we look at "New Money vs. Old Money", and what the difference between inherited and created wealth means for philanthropy. Topics covered include:   - Attitudes to Wealth: We explore historical and contemporary evidence to see what differences there might be in the attitudes towards wealth of those who have made or inherited money. We look at the crucial distinction between stewardship and ownership, the role of social status, and the recognition of the element of luck and the existence of a social contract.   -Future Money & Precommitment: We look at economic evidence about the power of making pledges or commitments to give at a later date, and how these best work. We highlight practical examples or pledges, such as the Giving Pledge, or the 1-1-1 corporate giving model. We also touch on the curious story of the gambling philanthropist, Baron Hirsch.   -Cryptophilanthropy? We consider whether the money being made by early adopter of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin could be harnessed for phil

In this week's episode (no. 20) - the second of our "Death & Taxes" two-parter, we look at the link between tax and philanthropy. Topics covered include:   Importance and Controversy: Why does tax relief on donations matter to understanding the role of philanthropy, and why has it proved controversial over the years? We touch on the current US situation in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and look at previous political attempts to meddle with tax breaks on donations, such as Gladstone's one-man crusade in the late C19th and George Osborne's ill-fated 2012 Budget.   Justifying Philanthropic Tax Breaks: We explore three possible theoretical justifications, based on the work of Stanford academic Rob Reich, and conclude that only one works. We then see whether any of these has been used in practice, and compare the deliberate introduction of the US Charitable Deduction with the accidental introduction of donation incentives in the UK.   Do Philanthropic Tax Breaks Work? We look at whether tax incentives on

In episode 19, the first of a two-parter on "Philanthropy, Death and Taxes", Rhod looks at the influence of mortality on giving. Topics covered include:   -The History of Death & Philanthropy: how has mortality shaped modern philanthropy? We look at the pheonomenon of competitive eulogies in Tudor England, and the impact of the 1736 Statute odf Mortmain on creating a pluralist charity sector. We also consider the problems that can result from the "dead hand of the donor".   -Giving while living vs. Waiting til you are gone: We look at the shifting balance between legacy giving and giving during one's lifetime. Have recent years seen a shift towards the latter, with a growing number of spend-down foundations, the establishment of the Giving Pledge and the rise of a breed of young billionaires from Silicon Valley?   -The Future of Death: Life Extension, Digital Emulation & Wills on the Blockchain: We consider some of the ways in which new technology might solve traditional problems for philanthropy when

In episode 18 of the podcast, Rhod takes a look at the relationship between philanthropy and technology. Including:   Supporting technology: How has philanthropy has supported the development of new technologies over the years? We look at the rich history of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Department of Natural Sciences and the growth of the open source movement. We also consider the blurred lines between long-term tech investment and philanthropy, and the “moonshot” approach of Silicon Valley figures like Elon Musk.   Harnessing Technology: How have philanthropic organisations used new technologies to further their missions? We consider some current examples of “Tech for Good”, and take a brief detour into the history of Victorian chimney sweeps to see how similar approaches have been used in the past.   Challenging Technology: New technologies may have negative as well as positive impacts, and charitable organisations are often required to play a part in addressing these problems. What new social and envi

In episode 17, Rhod will be asking whether philanthropy is rational,and what lessons we should take from our answer to this question. Topics covered include:   -The micro/macro philanthropy paradox: Philanthropy is both about individual voluntary acts of generosity and about the large scale redsitribution of private assets for public good. But while the former is largely irrational, the latter needs to be rational. What can policymakers and philanthropists do about this?   -Rationalising philanthropy: There have been efforts to rationalise philanthropy in the past, such as the "scientific philanthropy" movement of the Victorian era. There is also a growing focus on the role data can play in helping donors make more informed decisions. Bringing these together, the Effective Altruism proposes a scientific approach to philanthropy based on data- but is it truly objective?   -Social Impact prediction markets: could new technologies like blockchain make it easier to measure and record social impact data accurately

In episode 16, "2018 Predictions", Rhod gives some thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing charities, donors and civil society organisations around the globe over the coming year.  Guesses Predictions include: -A renewed focus on tax relief for donations, -An increasingly difficult environment for advocacy, -A divergence of opinion over impact measurement -Greater use of non-traditional models for philanthropy -More focus on data, in terms of balancing privacy concerns with the need for open data -Using machine learning to determine trends in social data -Even more interest in addressing the ethical challenges of AI and other technologies -More donations of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from those who have made large amounts through increases in value. -New digital assets being created and donated.   Related Giving Thought material -Closing Space or Open Season? What will President Trump's latest move mean for civil society campaigning?   -Philanthropy: anti-democratic and proud of it?   -Not

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 a

In episode 14, Rhod and Adam take a look at the field of behavioural economics and how it affects philanthropy. Topics covered include:   Classical Economics and charity: classical economics assumes we are all rational and self-interested, so it cannot explain behaviour that is apparently irrational and purely altruistic. Hence new explanatory mechanisms have arisen- in particular the “warm glow” theory which posits that all altruism is in fact “impure” because donors actually get a benefit from their giving. Subsequent neurological experiments have also backed this idea up. So what does this mean for efforts to encourage philanthropy?   Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink: Richard Thaler recently received the Nobel Prize for Economics for his work on so-called “nudge theory”. This proposes that small changes in the way information is presented or choices offered can have a significant effect on outcomes at a macro level. Can we harness this insight to drive more charitable giving? What kind of nudges could we use?

In episode 13, Rhod and Adam ask whether we could ever see the end of charities? Topics covered include:   - Achieving the mission: Is the best possible end result for a charity to make itself redundant by solving the social or environmental problem it was founded to address? And does this ever happen in practice? We look at the importance role that criticisms of there being "too many charities" have played in the history of philanthropy, and ask whether evolution is more likely than dissolution for most organisations.   -Direct cash transfers: The long-term trend in philanthropy has been towards ever-greater intermediation and professionalisation; but in recent years we have seen new technology-driven models that might take us back to a model of direct person-to-person philanthropy. Where could this model bring advantages, and could it even disrupt the whole marketplace for philanthropy?    -Blockchain & DAOs: Blockchain technology could bring many benefits and challenges for philanthropy. One intriguing

Who doesn’t love a bit of healthy competition? In this episode, Rhod and Adam ask which country is the most generous in the world. Topics covered include;   2017 World Giving Index: Every year CAF publishes the world’s most comprehensive analysis of charitable activity. This year’s index reveals a global fall in giving with the exception of Africa which is witnessing a remarkable rise.   The potential of middle class giving in emerging economies: A new campaign by CAF called Groundwork for Growing Giving reveals the staggering potential ($319bn annually) of growing middle classes in the developing world to supercharge global charitable giving over the next generation.   Is giving related to the size of the state?: We explore whether the evidence supports the idea that charitable giving can only thrive in small state / low tax environments.   Related Giving Thought material: Report: 2017 World Giving Index Blog: World Giving Index shows Africa is the exception in a less generous world Video: CAF World Givin

In this episode, Rhod and Adam look at the relationship between place and philanthropy. Topics covered include: -Does charity still begin at home?: Has the relationship between place and philanthropy become weaker over time, and what if anything can we do to reverse this downward trend? Can philanthropy be used to boost civic identity and pride, or does it rely on people having an existing sense of place?   -The Dark Side of Civic Philanthropy: When does philanthropic action within a local area start to become a problem? We consider examples like Detroit, where philanthropic funders stepped in to cover vital services when the city went bankrupt, and what these highlight about the potential risks.   -A new sense of place?: What does 'place' actually mean to each of us? In a highly connected, mobile world, do traditional notions of geographic locality have any relevance when it comes to philanthropy? Should we instead be thinking of new dispersed communities of interest or identity, such as diaspora commu

In this episode, Rhod and Adam explore the question of "bad money" and the challenges this poses for philanthropy and charities. Topics covered include:   -Dubious donations: what should charitable organisations do when they are offered donations from sources whose ethics or morals are  run counter to their own? In cases where no law has been broken, who decides on what is "good" or not? Can saying no to donations actually bring risks beyond the obvious financial loss?   -Money laundering and Terrorism Financing: Some money is from sources that are obviously bad, so what can charities and donors do to avoid being used by those with criminal intentions? Could efforts to address these challenges be causing disproportionate problems for legitimate organisations? And could they even be making the problems they seek to address worse in some cases?   -Charities and ethical investment: We look at how charities invest their own money. Although ethical investment is now a mainstream thing, it is still not th

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

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

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 Go

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

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 b