Giving Thought

In this bonus DVD extra mini-episode, Louise Pulford - CEO of the Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) - turns the table on our host, Rhod Davies, and asks him for his thoughts on key trends affecting philanthropy now and post-pandemic.

In this episode, we talk to Louise Pulford, Josiane Smith and Dame Julia Unwin about the findings from a new global horizon scan by the Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), looking at the challenges and opportunities facing philanthropy post-Covid. In a wide-ranging conversation we discussed:

• How many trends in philanthropic funding we are seeing during the pandemic will lead to longer-term changes? How can we be more intentional about pursuing those we want to see?
• How has the pandemic accelerated or altered existing debates about philanthropy?
• What can we learn from historical examples of how philanthropy has responded to crises? Or from places in the world where crisis response is part of the normal role for philanthropy?
• To what extent is it true that "what we did before a crisis is who we are in a crisis"? i.e. is the response of different funders a reflection of their existing ethos and practice, or have some genuinely changed what they do?
• How do funders balance the immediate short-term demands of a crisis with their role in supporting issues over the longer-term?
• Has the pandemic affected relationships between philanthropic funders and government around the world? If so, for better or worse?
• We are seeing the emergence of new organisational models within civil society, including many that look less like traditional hierarchies and more like networks. What opportunities and challenges might this bring?
• We are also seeing new approaches such as participatory grantmaking, which seek to shift power as well as money towards recipients, gain traction? Will this be a big trend in coming years?
• Do charities and funders need to be more transparent? If so, why and about what? Who does it benefit?
• What is the core role of philanthropy within society which differentiates it from either state or market provision?
• What should we make of criticisms that since philanthropy is to some extent a product of structural inequality, it can never truly be part of the solution? Do some donors and funders recognise the challenges and are genuinely pursuing structural change?
• Should cross-cutting issues such as the climate crisis or racial justice not be seen as "causes", but as factors that all funders need to take into account in their work?
• How can we ensure funders and CSOs are in a better position to address future crises?

Related Links

• Julia's SIX provocation piece "Living in turbulent times and re-centring the conversation"
• "Philanthropy, Power and New Challenges", Insights from a global call between SIX and WINGS
• "What is the power of networks in philanthropy? Reflections from SIX"
• SIX Funders Node
• Rhod's article for World Economic Forum, "Philanthropy is at a turning point. Here are 6 ways it could go",
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast series on "Covid-19: Voices from Civil Society"
• CAF Giving Thought blog "Philanthropy and Civil Society after Covid-19: Key questions for the future"
• Our previous CAF Giving Thought podcast with Julia Unwin
• The CAF Giving Thought microsite

In this episode we talk to Ingrid Srinath, Director of the Centre for Social Impact & Philanthropy at Ashoka University about philanthropy and civil society in India and the impact of new restrictions have come in as part of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act 2020 (FCRA 2020). (Disclaimer: the views expressed are Ingrid's own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer, or of CAF).

We discussed:

The FCRA 2020

• What is the FCRA 2020?
• Why are CSOs in India concerned about the impact it will have?
• How much existing funding will be affected by the new rules?
• What is the rationale from government? Does this stand up to scrutiny?
• Has the Covid-19 pandemic played any role in precipitating this move on the part of the Indian government?
• What is the rationale for prohibiting onward granting? Why is this a particular cause for concern?
• Will this particularly harm smaller organisations and less poplar causes?
• As part of the new FCRA the Indian government has stipulated that no more than 20% of a foreign contribution can be spent on "administrative expenses". How are these defined? What is the rationale for this?
• Will this new limitation on administrative expenses make it harder to invest in infrastructure, digital capabilities, governance etc.?
• The new law also requires CSOs in receipt of FCRA funds to do so in a dedicated bank account at a New Delhi branch of the State Bank of India- what is the rationale for this?

The wider context for Civil Society & Philanthropy in India

• What is the overall makeup of the Indian civil society sector, in terms of formalised vs informal orgs, large vs small, different cause areas etc.?
• What is the attitude of the Indian government towards civil society in general? What is the attitude towards CSO advocacy and campaigning?
• How has the Covid pandemic affected Indian civil society?
• What is the infrastructure for civil society in India like? Are there gaps, and if so where?
• What is the history and current context for philanthropy in India? E.g. how much HNWI giving is there? How much mass market giving? What role does corporate philanthropy play? What role do foundations play?
• What kind of domestic causes receive philanthropic funding in India?
• What is the attitude of the Indian government towards philanthropy?
• What is the attitude of the Indian public towards philanthropy?
• What kind of philanthropic responses to the covid-19 crisis have we seen in India?
• Do recent critiques of philanthropy in the US and elsewhere resonate in the Indian context? (E.g. re that philanthropy exacerbates inequality, that it is anti-democratic, that some source of wealth are "tainted" etc.).

Related links:

• Ingrid's blog on "How the Proposed FCRA Amendments Hurt India's Development and Democracy"
• Times of India interview with Ingrid, "FCRA Law could dry up money for less popular causes, shut smaller NGOs down"
• Ingrid's article with Smarinita Shetty for Alliance Magazine, "Bleak prognosis for Indian civil society following new foreign funding bill"
• Ingrid on Twitter
• CAF India briefing on FCRA 2020
• CAF America's recent webinar on "India's Amended Foreign Contribution Regulations: What You Need to Know"
• CAF's 2019 India Giving report
• CAF's 2017 paper Do As I Say, Not As I Do: UK Policy & The Global Closing Space for Civil Society
• The Council on Foundations (US) latest guidance on FCRA and funding in India for US organisations

In this episode we talk to Lucy Bernholz, Director of the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University's Center on Philanthropy & Civil Society (Stanford PACS) about how technology is reshaping civil society and the challenges and opportunities this will bring. Including:

Digital civil society

• Is there any meaningful distinction between "civil society" and "digital civil society" now?
• Has the current period of enforced digitisation as a consequence of the COVID pandemic led to more CSOs engaging with tech and tech issues?
• What dangers are there for CSOs in assuming that platforms are objective or neutral public spaces? Are these problems likely to be exacerbated by the enforced pivot to digital for so many orgs as a result of COVID?
• Are funders (e.g. foundations) getting to grips with the challenges and opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution?

Influencing the wider development & implementation of tech

• Can nonprofits play a meaningful role in ensuring that tech is designed and implemented ethically?
• Does the focus on "ethical" approaches to tech risk diverting attention from the need for more traditional mechanisms of legislation and regulation?
• Are the inherent power imbalances between CSOs and tech companies too great for the latter to influence the former, or can asymmetric methods be used to overcome them?
• What role can foundations and funders play in helping nonprofits engage with technological change?

Trust & Accountability

• DO CSOs face new challenges to their authenticity in a digital world (deepfakes, astroturfing etc)?
• Will perverse incentives within the online attention economy present a particular challenge for CSOs when it comes to maintaining trust?
• Do we need to make philanthropy more democratic, or accountable to the people and communities it is supposed to serve? If so, how?

Social movements & new forms of organising

• If digital tools enable people to form groups easily and organise in different ways, does this make traditional nonprofits less relevant as people look to networked models of social change?
• What is the major appeal of networked movements? Do people believe they are more effective, 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?
• Do the affordances of technology genuinely overcome the known weaknesses of structureless, leaderless or non-hierarchical organisational models, or will we simply end up rediscovering some of these weaknesses in the digital context?

Data & Automation

• Could CSOs take a lead on modelling ethical approaches to the collection, storage and usage of data? Or is this too far out of their hands?
• Is AI is a big deal for nonprofits? If so, why?
• As the internet shifts from being something we access via specific interfaces to a universal digital substrate all around us (via the growth of IoT, edge computing etc), what new opportunities and challenges might this create for CSOs?

Predictions and Foresight in civil society:

• What role can historical insight play in shaping our thinking about the future of civil society?
• How can we get more foresight and futures thinking embedded in civil society? What role could foundations and funders play?
• Should CSOs be seen as a valuable source of potential knowledge and insight to guide wider attempts by governments and others to identify future trends and scenarios?

Related Content:

• Stanford Digital Civil Society Lab
• The Digital Impact blog
• Stanford PACS
• Lucy's own blog, "Philanthropy 2173"
• Lucy's recent 5-part Chronicle of Philanthropy series on "Reimagining Philanthropy"
• Blueprint (Lucy's series of annual predictions for civil society)
• Rhodri's Alliance piece on "The Ethics of Platform Philanthropy"
• CAF Giving Thought's work on "the future of doing good"
• CAF Giving Thought discussion paper "Networking Opportunities? Rediscovering decentralisation in philanthropy & civil society"
• Rhodri's piece for Digital Impact, "When Nobody Knows You're a Dog: Tech, Civil Society, and the Fight for Authenticity"

In this episode we talk to Regan Ralph, President and CEO of the Fund for Global Human Rights, about her experience of funding right-based movements around the world and what she has learned about the challenges and opportunities of funding social movements through philanthropy. Including:

• What does philanthropic funding for social movements look like? i.e. what are the various elements of an overall movement that can be funded- e.g. grassroots organising/movement building, policy work, advocacy, legal challenges etc?
• How can a funder determine where best to allocate their resources in order to support a movement most effectively?
• Are traditional nonprofits and funders too often a reflection of existing systems and power structures to push for the kind of radical solutions we need to deal with huge global challenges like the climate crisis and racial inequality/injustice? Is that why more people seem to be looking towards social movements?
• Can we find forms of philanthropy that are genuinely able to support fundamental reform to the very systems in which wealth has been created? What are some of the hallmarks of this type of philanthropy?

• How big a risk is there that foundations and other funders co-opt social movements by deliberately introducing grant stipulations etc aimed to direct the focus of the movement away from controversial areas or soften their tactics?
• Is there also a danger that even well-intentioned funders inadvertently skew the direction of movements by virtue of the choices they make about what to fund and what not to fund? How can we avoid this risk?
• Does a desire for "measurable impact" from funders limit their willingness to fund social change movements, because the success of their work may not be easy to attribute or quantify?
• Can funding from donors/foundations confer legitimacy on movements as well as financial resources? Is this useful for the movements?
• Can funders play an important role by taking a "helicopter view" and helping to share knowledge and insight between social movements that might otherwise never come into contact? How do they ensure they do this within becoming directive?
• Why is core-cost and multi-year funding so important when supporting movements? Are we seeing more funders recognise this and adapt the way they fund?
• There is a lot of focus in global philanthropy and civil society at the moment on "shifting power"- from funders to recipients, from the global north to the global south etc. Why is this so important, and how do you ensure through your work that power is transferred at the same time as financial resources?

• Are there limits to empowering the grassroots? I.e. are there situations in which it is better for expert funders and organisations to set aims and design programs to deliver outcomes that are in the best interests of communities? Or is it always better to empower people to seek their own solutions, even when those solutions might be less "effective"?
• We are seeing particular focus right now on the idea of "leaderless" movements, with decentralised or non-hierarchical structures (e.g. XR, #MeToo etc). Are there particular challenges for traditional funders in engaging with such movements?

Related Links:

• The Fund for Global Human Rights
• Regan's Alliance article "Dismantling inequality must be part of the pandemic response"
• Regan's piece for Thomson Reuters Foundation News, "Community activists and action are key to the COVID-19 response"
• Giving Thought podcast on "Philanthropy, Civil Rights & Movement Capture" with Megan Ming Francis
• Giving Thought podcast on Social Change philanthropy with Julie Broome from Ariadne Network
• Giving Thought podcast on "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion"
• Rhodri's Alliance article "The history of philanthropy & social movements for diversity, equity and inclusion"
• CAF Giving Thought discussion paper, 'From the Margins to the Mainstream: Philanthropy and social movements for diversity, equity & inclusion in society"
• Rhodri's paper, "Networking Opportunities: rediscovering decentralisation in philanthropy?"

In this episode we chat to Rob Cope, Director of Remember A Charity, about charitable legacy gifts and legacy fundraising: what they are, what role they play in the overall charity landscape and how they have changed during the COVID pandemic. Including

• How big a part of the landscape for charitable giving in the UK are legacies? How has this changed over time?
• If legacies have been a growth area in recent years (as many figures suggest), why is this? Is there greater awareness, more fundraising, or are people simply more likely to leave wills?
• What particular role do legacies play in the overall funding mix for charities? (i.e. what is their unique value?)
• Why do people leave legacies? How to fundraisers tap into some of the complex psychological drivers?
• How do legacy gifts relate to other forms of giving at an individual level? (i.e. do most legacy gifts come from people who already give in other ways, or do they come instead of other gifts?)
• Does discomfort when it comes to talking about death present an ongoing barrier to legacy fundraising?
• Does uncertainty about the legal status of legacy gifts (and a number of high-profile cases of legal challenge) present a risk?
• How has the COVID crisis affect the charitable legacy market?
• Has increases awareness of mortality resulted in more will-making (and consequently more legacy gifts?)
• Have there been issues with existing legacy gifts during the crisis? (Either in terms of sustaining them, or finalising them in some cases).
• What effect has the impact of the pandemic on normal end-of-life processes such as funerals had on legacy giving? (E.g. has it resulted in more in-memory gifts from those who have been unable to commemorate the loss of loved ones properly?)
• How has new legacy fundraising been affected by lockdown measures and restrictions on physical interaction?
• Have fundraisers had to be more sensitive to the challenges of discussing legacy gifts at a time when many older people have felt particularly nervous or afraid as a result of the pandemic?
• What impact might the short and medium term economic downturn caused by the pandemic have on the legacy market?

Related Links:

• Remember A Charity's website
• Remember A Charity on Twitter
• Civil Society article: The Wombles to feature in this year's Remember A Charity Week campaign
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast episode "Philanthropy, Death & Taxes Part 1"
• CAF Giving Thought blog, "Millions Now Giving Will Never Die: Life Extension, Whole-Brain Emulation and Philanthropy"

In this episode - the fourth in our mini-series on "European philanthropy during and after COVID" – we speak to Carola Carazzone, Secretary General of Assifero, about philanthropy in Italy and beyond. Including

• What is the history and current context for philanthropy in Italy?
• How does this differ from the cultures, histories and legal/policy environments for philanthropy in other places across Europe?
• Are there commonalties? I.e. is it meaningful to talk about "European philanthropy"?
• What is the balance between local, regional, national and international approaches in Italian philanthropic funding?
• What is the attitude of the Italian government towards philanthropy?
• What kind of philanthropic responses to the covid-19 crisis have we seen in Italy? What challenges have they faced?
• What is the role of infrastructure bodies in helping civil society organisations and funders navigate and adapt to a rapidly-changing environment?
• Has the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to coordinate responses effectively increased awareness of the value of infrastructure?
• What elements of infrastructure are required for a healthy culture of philanthropy and a vibrant civil society?
• Do we need to make a renewed case for the value of infrastructure and the need to ensure it is properly funded?

Related Links:

• Assifero
• The data mapping of the philanthropic response to COVID-19 I Italy ("Le risposte della Filantropia al COVID-19"
• Carola's 2020 Alliance article "Flexibility and freedom of foundation funding can boost third sector during Coronavirus crisis"
• Carola's 2018 Alliance article "Debunking two myths to avoid agony in Italian civil society"
• Carola's 2020 piece for WINGS "Questions are the answer". This is our time to shape the world we want- everyone can be a change maker.'
• Our recent CAF paper on European policy responses to COVID-19

In this episode - the third in our mini-series on "European philanthropy during and after COVID" – we talk to Julie Broome, Director of the Ariadne network about philanthropic funding for social change and rights issues now and in the future. Including:

• What is social change funding? What are its particular features?
• Is it limited to a niche subset of funders, or something that all can do to some extent?
• What is the history and current landscape for social change and rights-focussed philanthropy across Europe?
• How do the cultures, histories and legal/policy environments for philanthropy vary across Europe? How does this affect the work of social change funders?
• What kind of responses have we seen from social change funders across Europe to the challenges posed by covid-19?
• Has Covid-19 (and government responses to it) exacerbated existing rights issues?
• Will we see new rights issues emerge as the political imperatives of the pandemic lead to governments either accidentally or deliberating introducing new measures (e.g. on data collection and usage) that could further close the space for civil society in the future?
• What is the role of infrastructure and support organisations in helping civil society organisations and funders navigate and adapt to a rapidly-changing environment?
• Has the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to coordinate responses effectively increased awareness of the value of infrastructure?
• What elements of infrastructure are required for a healthy culture of philanthropy and a vibrant civil society?
• Do we need to make a renewed case for the value of infrastructure and the need to ensure it is properly funded?
• Major challenges like the climate crisis, global inequality or the impact of technological development raise difficult questions about whether a pragmatic approach of working with existing systems can ever be enough; or whether we need to embrace more radical, transformative change efforts. How do social change and rights funders approach this thorny problem?
• We are seeing particular focus right now on the idea of social change movements, many of which have decentralised or non-hierarchical governance models (e.g. XR, #MeToo etc). Are there challenges for traditional funders in engaging with such movements? How can social change funders with experience in this area help others to navigate the challenges?
• Why is core-cost funding so important when supporting social change movements?

Related Links:

• Ariadne
• Ariadne 2020 Forecast
• Rhod's Alliance article on "The history of philanthropy & social movements for diversity, equity and inclusion"
• Our Giving Thought discussion paper From the Margins to the Mainstream: Philanthropy and social movements for diversity, equity & inclusion in society
• Our recent CAF paper on European policy responses to COVID-19

In this episode - the second in our mini-series on "European philanthropy during and after COVID" – we talk to James Magowan from The European Community Foundation Initiative about the unique role of Community Foundations (CF) in the pandemic response and beyond. Including

• What is ECFI and what does it do?
• What is the history and current landscape for CFs across Europe?
• How do the cultures, histories and legal/policy environments for philanthropy vary across Europe? How does this affect the make-up of CFs in different places?
• Does this present any challenges in terms of positioning CFs as a coherent "movement"?
• Are there commonalties? I.e. is it meaningful to talk about "European philanthropy"?
• What kind of philanthropic responses have we seen across Europe to the challenges posed by covid-19? What role have CFs played?
• Has the focus on CFs during the pandemic been too transactional (i.e. focused on their role as distributors of funding), and does this risk undermining their other roles as community anchors and advocates?
• What is the role of infrastructure bodies in helping civil society organisations and funders navigate and adapt to a rapidly-changing environment?
• What elements of infrastructure are required for a healthy culture of philanthropy and a vibrant civil society?
• Should CFs be considered as "infrastructure"?
• Has the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to coordinate responses effectively increased awareness of the value of infrastructure?
• Do we need to make a renewed case for the value of infrastructure and the need to ensure it is properly funded?

Related Links:

• The European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI)
• UK Community Foundations (UKCF)
• The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF)
• CAF Giving Thought podcast with Fozia Irfan, CEO of Community Foundation for Bedfordshire & Luton
• CAF Giving Thought podcast with Rob Williamson, Community Foundation for Tyne & Wear and Northumberland
• Our recent CAF paper on European policy responses to COVID-19
• Rhod's blog, "Awkward Places: Austerity, democracy and the challenges of civic philanthropy"

This episode kicks off a mini-series on European philanthropy during and after COVID-19 pandemic, exploring how philanthropic funders have responded to the crisis and how it might affect philanthropy longer term. Our first conversation is with Max von Abendroth, Director of DAFNE, and Rosa Gallego, Director of International Relations at the Spanish Association of Foundations. In a wide-ranging chat we covered many fascinating topics including:

• The rich and varied history of philanthropy across Europe and how this has shaped the cultures of philanthropy and the legal and regulatory environments we see today.
• Are there more similarities or differences between philanthropy in different parts of Europe? To what extent does it make sense to talk about "European philanthropy"?
• How much philanthropy takes place at a local, national or international level in Europe?
• What has the philanthropic response across Europe to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic been like?
• What particular role have community foundations played?
• What are funders doing to address the stark inequalities that have been laid bare by the pandemic?
• Are funders and CSOs collaborating more as a result of the crisis? How can we build on this longer term?
• Will the short-term shift towards funding core costs result in longer-term changes?
• How can philanthropic funders make better use of data?
• Are new laws and restrictions imposed by governments to address the public health challenges of the pandemic resulting in a furthering shrinking of civic space in some countries? How concerned should we be?
• Has the crisis highlighted the importance of philanthropic infrastructure?
• What are the elements of a healthy ecosystem of philanthropy infrastructure?
• Should philanthropy support organisations merely reflect the views and interests of their members, or can they play a leadership role and provide constructive challenge?
• How do we ensure that infrastructure is sustainable over the longer term?

Related Links:

• DAFNE
• Spanish Association of Foundations
• PEX
• ACF Stronger Foundations project
• WINGS paper on Perspectives on Arab and Global Philanthropy: Roles and Approaches
• WINGS paper on "What Makes a Strong Ecosystem of Support for Philanthropy?"
• McKinsey Report on "Reimagining European Philanthropy"
• Candid
• Giving Thought blog on Philanthropy and Civil Society after Covid-19: Key questions for the future
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast Philanthropy, civil society and covid-19: what now, what next?
• Our Giving Thought podcast series on "COVID-19: Voices from Civil Society"