Synopsis
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 ThoughtAlgorithm Is Gonna Get You: what the rise of algorithms means for philanthropyAlgorithms 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 newsDoes philanthropy have a vital role to play in combating the widely-publicised threat of fake news?
Episodes
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Next Gen Philanthropy, with Sharna Goldseker & Michael Moody
17/08/2021 Duration: 56minIn this episode we talk to Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody about their book Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors are Revolutionizing Giving, which is now available in an updated and expanded 2nd edition. Including: In what ways are Next Gen donors genuinely different from previous generations? Do Next Gen donors give to significantly different causes than their parents’ generation, or simply give to the same causes but in different ways? Are Next Gen donors more likely to adopt non-traditional vehicles for their giving? If so, what does this tell us about the limitations of current non-profit models? Do Next Gen donors tend to seek advice on their giving (either at the outset, or on an ongoing basis)? If so, who do they turn to? Whilst almost all Next Gen donors agree that they “want to see the impact of their giving”, what they mean by “impact” varies considerably- some looking for rigorous metrics and outcome measure, others for human interaction or compelling stories. How can nonprofits cater effec
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Philanthropy, Domestic Violence & Partnering with the Public Sector, with Stelio Stefanou
03/08/2021 Duration: 47minIn 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
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Modern Grantmaking, with Gemma Bull & Tom Steinberg
13/07/2021 Duration: 01h01minIn this episode Rhod sat down with Gemma Bull and Tom Steinberg, authors of new book "Modern Grantmaking: A Guide for Funders Who Believe Better is Possible". In a wide-ranging conversation, we discussed: Humility & Funder Ego Why is humility such a key part of Modern Grantmaking? Is part of the problem that traditionally our idea of what it means to be “good at grantmaking” has revolved around attributing genius to funders and grantmakers in terms of their choices/program design, rather than on the extent to which they nurture grantees? Do we need to redefine what counts as success and failure in grantmaking? Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Does grantmaking 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? Do some grantmaking practices exclude people from already-marginalised communities? (E.g. focus on the written-word, invitation-based grantmaking etc.) Privilege & Power Is traditio
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Philanthropy, Racial Justice & Funding Grassroots Organizing, with Lori Bezahler
29/06/2021 Duration: 55minIn this episode we're joined by Lori Bezahler, President of the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, to discuss the role of philanthropy in supporting racial justice and funding grassroots organizing or social movements. Including: Racial Justice 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 re racial justice issues? (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?) Should we be optimistic that the current recognition of the need to apply a racial justice lens across philanthropy will be maintained? The “Movement Moment” Is the current enthusiasm for social movements reflective of a frustration people have that traditional nonprofi
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Poverty, Participation & The Pandemic, with Jo Kerr & Sonya Ruparel
15/06/2021 Duration: 53minIn 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 t
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Participatory grantmaking, with Meg Massey & Hannah Paterson
01/06/2021 Duration: 57minIn this episode we talk participatory approaches in philanthropy and social investment, with Meg Massey, co-author of “Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control” and Hannah Paterson, Senior Portfolio Manager at the National Lottery Community Fund. Including: There is a growing amount of focus on participatory approaches to grantmaking at the moment as part of the solution to the criticisms being levelled at philanthropy. How much of the rhetoric is reflected in reality? If there is resistance to adopting participatory approaches, why is this? What’s the core case for adopting participatory approaches: that it democratises philanthropy (and thus helps to answer various critiques) or that it results in better outcomes? Or is it both? What different kinds of models of participatory grantmaking are there? What kind of challenges are there for traditional grantmakers when it comes to bringing communities and people with lived experience into decision making proce
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Silicon Valley, Billionaires & Philanthropy, with Teddy Schleifer
18/05/2021 Duration: 51minOn this episode we talk to Teddy Schleifer, Senior Reporter, Money & Influence at Recode (part of the Vox Media group), about billionaires, Silicon Valley and philanthropy. Including: Silicon Valley Philanthropy Do most tech billionaires see their wealth as “self-made”, or do they recognise any sense of societal debt, luck etc? How does this shape their giving? How does the wider public view the philanthropy of modern tech billionaires? Are tech donors particularly prone to solutionism or a desire for “moonshots” in their philanthropy? Are many big tech donors happy with the idea of giving away power as well as money? Or are they likely to want to retain control of decision-making about their philanthropy? Does this make them any different to other big money donors? Are donors like Mackenzie Scott, who seem to be trying to shift power as well as financial resources through her philanthropy, merely outliers; or do they signal a wider trend? Reporting on Philanthropy Why is it important to have journa
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Philanthropy in Brazil during the pandemic, with Denis Mizne
04/05/2021 Duration: 41minIn this episode we talk to Denis Mizne, CEO of Lemann Foundation - Brazil’s largest educational funder – about philanthropy in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Lemann Foundation’s pivot to supporting vaccine trials in the country. Including: Vaccination How and why did Lemann Foundation get involved in Covid vaccine trials? How does this fit with the foundations normal focus on education and leadership, and will it result in any shift of focus longer-term? Is there a danger that ongoing controversies about the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and about the distribution of vaccines more broadly will have a knock-on impact on trust in philanthropy? Education & Leadership How has the Covid pandemic affected education in Brazil and what has Lemann Foundation done in response? Will the pandemic have a lasting impact on children’s education in the country and how is the foundation adapting its strategy to reflect this? A key focus of Lemann Foundation’s funding is developing leadership- what is the t
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Why Civil Society Matters More Than Ever, with Andy Haldane (and Neil Heslop)
20/04/2021 Duration: 58minIn this episode we talk to Andy Haldane, Chief Economist of the Bank of England about his long-standing interest in civil society, why he thinks it is so important yet undervalued, and what sort of challenges and opportunities the coming years may bring. We also have some analysis and additional insight from CAF CEO Neil Heslop. Including: The economy and charitable giving If the UK economy is like a “coiled spring”, and once lockdown measures are relaxed we will see a significant bounce-back as people start to spend again, will we also see a corresponding rise in charitable giving? Are there any concerns that some charities will have lost operational and fundraising capacity as a result of the pandemic, and this might limit their ability to harness any increase in giving? The Role of Civil Society What is the core role of the voluntary sector within society which differentiates it from either state or market provision? As the landscape for doing good appears to be expanding (with the emergence of mutu
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Technology, Philanthropy & Civil Society, with Nanjira Sambuli
06/04/2021 Duration: 50minIn this episode we talk to Nanjira Sambuli about technology, philanthropy and civil society. Nanjira is a researcher, policy analyst and advocacy strategist based in Nairobi, Kenya and in a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion we touched on: Digital civil society Is there any meaningful distinction between “civil society” and “digital civil society” now? I.e. is technology no longer something that should be seen as a cause area or a tool, but a cross-cutting factor that affects all CSOs? What dangers are there for CSOs in assuming that platforms are objective or neutral public spaces? Are these problems likely to be made worse by the enforced pivot to digital for so many orgs as a result of COVID? How do we link existing work by digital activists etc. to more traditional actors within civil society (e.g. foundations) that might be interested in engaging on technology issues? Influencing the wider development & implementation of tech Can CSOs play a meaningful role in ensuring that tech is designed
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Reinventing Social Change, with Nell Edgington
23/03/2021 Duration: 44minIn 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
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History & Philanthropy, with Professor Sir David Cannadine
09/03/2021 Duration: 55minIn this episode we talk to Professor Sir David Cannadine about history, philanthropy and his forthcoming book on the history of the Ford Foundation. Among David’s many public roles he is Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University, President of the British Academy, Chair of Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery and a Trustee of the Wolfson Foundation; and in a wide ranging conversation we discuss: Involvement in philanthropy: What insights has involvement with many charities, foundations and public institutions given about the strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities of philanthropy? What value has historical insight brought to these practical roles? There is currently a lot of controversy over the commemoration of historical figures, including many philanthropic donors, as well as the sources of historical wealth. Why is it important for philanthropic organisations to engage with potentially problematic elements of their history, and how can they navigate some of the challenges this
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Sport, Philanthropy & Civil Society
23/02/2021 Duration: 01h03minIn this episode we look at the relationship between sport, philanthropy and civil society through history and up to the present day. Including: Sportspeople as donors Big name examples of sportspeople who give generously: David Beckham, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi What drives this high-profile giving? Altruism, or brand-management/PR? Lance Armstrong and the potential risks of making philanthropy over-reliant on the individual Does the fact that many sportspeople’s careers end relatively early leave them searching for purpose, and can philanthropy fill that gap? Can philanthropy be partly motivate by a desire to create positive narrative about wealth accrued through sport? Is sport one area where people from poor backgrounds can become rich, and what does this mean for their approach to philanthropy? Sportspeople as campaigners Are some sportspeople perceived as campaigners simply by virtue of who they are? When have sportspeople campaigned for change within their sp
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Mutual Aid, Charity & Philanthropy
09/02/2021 Duration: 39minIn 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 demonst
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MacKenzie Scott & the Reimagining of Philanthropy
26/01/2021 Duration: 47minIn 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 -R
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Philanthropy & Democracy
12/01/2021 Duration: 56minIn 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 campaigni
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2021 Predictions for Philanthropy & Civil Society
22/12/2020 Duration: 55minIn 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 connect
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Islamic Giving in a Digital World, with Iqbal Nasim
08/12/2020 Duration: 55minIn this episode we talk to Iqbal Nasim, CEO of the National Zakat Foundation, about Islamic giving and using technology to transform the way Zakat works. Including: What is Zakat and how does it fit within Islamic teaching? What does Islamic teaching say about how Zakat is to be given? (i.e. are there specific causes, should it be anonymous etc?) Is Zakat the primary focus of giving for most Muslims, or do many give in other ways too? What is Sadaqa, and how does it relate to Zakat? Does most Zakat from Muslims in the UK go to international causes? Why, then, did NZF decide to focus on distributing Zakat in the UK? How much Zakat goes to individuals and how much to organisations (charities, NGOs etc?) How does this reflect Islamic teaching? How is Zakat viewed by givers and recipients- is it seen as a gift made through charity or a payment made as a requirement of justice? Is there any stigma to being a recipient of Zakat? What responsibilities are there as a digital platform towards those giving and receivi
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Distributed Leadership, Movement Building & Mass Giving, with Asha Curran
24/11/2020 Duration: 01h03minIn this episode we talk to Asha Curran, CEO of Giving Tuesday - ahead of this year’s event on Tuesday 2nd December -about distributed leadership, movement building and the importance of mass giving. Including: Decentralisation & Social Movements What is the key appeal of networked movements? Do people believe they are more effective (particularly when it comes to huge global challenges that might require radical solutions, like the climate crisis and racial inequality/injustice) or is it more about their ability to democratize participation and offer more active modes of engagement? 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? Distributed leadership, new power and leaderlessness GT is a combination of elements with formal structure and many informal elements - how do these different parts of the movement interact? How much centralised input is there in shaping/setting parameters for
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Philanthropy from Aristotle to Zuckerberg, with Paul Vallely
10/11/2020 Duration: 01h12minIn this episode we talk to Paul Vallely, author of Philanthropy: From Aristotle to Zuckerberg about his new book and what we can learn from history that can help inform our understanding of modern philanthropy and our thinking about where it should go in the future. Including: What value does a historical perspective bring? Would people working in philanthropy/civil society would benefit from more historical perspective? What is the fundamental distinction between the Greco-Roman tradition of philanthropy and that which emerged from the Abrahamic religions, and why it is still important in understanding philanthropy today? What does history tell us about the relationship between charity and justice: i.e. do they exist in opposition, or is charity a means of delivering justice? How is this debate is reflected in the history of philanthropy, and why does it remain relevant today? How have views on the nature of poverty shaped philanthropy? I.e. Is poverty seen as a moral failing on the part of the individual,