Giving Thought

In this episode we talk to Nell Edgington, President of non-profit consultancy Social Velocity, about her new book “Reinventing Social Change: Embrace Abundance to Create a Healthier and More Equitable World”. We discuss: What is the book about, who should read it and what should they do as a result? Why does a scarcity mind-set affect so many donors and funders? Is this particular to philanthropy? Why is the “overhead myth” so prevalent, and why is it so problematic? Are there signs that funders are changing their behaviour during the current crisis? (Moving to unrestricted funding, trust-based grantmaking etc.) Is this likely to lead to longer-term changes? What misconceptions are there about what makes for a sustainable non-profit, and why do these misunderstandings persist? How many donors are willing to give away power as well as money? (And will the current crisis put even more focus on approaches such as participatory grantmaking?) Do we need to redefine what counts as success and failure in philanthr