Happy New Year! In episode 63, we gaze into our crystal ball and proffer some predictions for what the first year of the new decade might hold for philanthropy and civil society. Including:

Politics & Economics

• Greater UK political stability? (i.e. political landscape now fixed for 5 yrs)
• Increased or reduced division? (i.e. post-Brexit healing, or ongoing animosity?)
• Focus on service delivery rather than campaigning?
• International development & aid under fire?
• Localism and devolution?
• US election- big impact, whatever the result

Environment

• Increasing focus and sense of urgency
• UK hosting 2020 UN Climate Summit (Glasgow)
• More prevalent sense that environmental issues are cross-cutting and therefore the concern of all CSOs/funders
• Increasing pressure on charities/funders to demonstrate environmental commitment

Tech

• More commercial platforms adding giving functionality
• Deepfakes and challenges to online authenticity
• Surveillance tech and civil liberties/human rights
• Centralised cryptocurrencies (e.g. Libra)
• Blockchain continue to bubble under surface
• Less magical thinking around AI (more focus on what it actually is, and what it can do)
• Optimizing for voice controlled interfaces
• Pushback on "AI ethics"- more focus on traditional mechanisms of legislation and regulation
• CSOs & funders ramping up efforts to engage in "fourth industrial revolution" issues
• Continued growth of networked digital movements and decentralised organisational structures
• Rediscovering the downsides of decentralisation?

Philanthropy & Civil Society

• Addressing the decline in charitable giving
• How do traditional forms of giving/charity interact with new possibilities (social investment, cause-related marketing, networked social movements, crowdfunding etc)?
• Continuing criticism of philanthropy
• Scrutiny of sources of wealth
• Pushback on criticism of philanthropy
• More focus on power & participation in philanthropy
• Trust & accountability to public opinion
• Focus on volunteering (as a result of Olympics, Euro 2020 etc)

Related Resources

• Lucy Bernholz's Blueprint 2020: Philanthropy & Digital Civil Society annual industry forecast for Stanford PACS
• Future Today Institute 2019 Tech Trends report
• CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Networking opportunities: rediscovering decentralisation in philanthropy and civil society
• CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Machine-Made Goods: Charities, Philanthropy & Artificial Intelligence
• CAF Giving Thought discussion paper Giving a Sense of Place: Philanthropy and the future of UK civic identity
• Rhod's Third Sector article about the decline in giving (with Dan Fluskey of the Institute of Fundraising)
• Rhod's Third Sector article Why civil society is a vital missing cog as we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Rhod's WEF article Philanthropy is at a turning point. Here are 6 ways it could go
• Rhod's blog for Stanford Digital Impact, When Nobody Knows You're a Dog: Tech, Civil Society, and the Fight for Authenticity
• Giving Thought podcast on AI & digital transformation with Beth Kanter
• Giving Thought podcast on participatory philanthropy with Rose Longhurst
• Giving Thought podcast on place-based philanthropy with Jim Minton
• Giving Thought podcast on responding to criticisms of philanthropy with Phil Buchanan
• Giving Thought podcast on tainted donations
• Giving Thought podcast on civil society futures with Dame Julia Unwin