Giving Thought

In this episode we talk to Matthew Bowcock and Cath Dovey, founders of the Beacon Collaborative, about developing the UK's culture of philanthropy both pre- and post-Covid. Including

• What is the Beacon Collaborative?
• What was the UK culture of philanthropy like pre-Covid?
• How does this perhaps differ from the culture in other countries (e.g. the US?)
• What do we know about the barriers that prevent more wealthy people giving?
• What has the response from wealthy philanthropists to the Covid-19 crisis been like?
• How have attitudes to collaboration among philanthropists and funders changed as a result of the current context?
• How do we balance the emphasis on centralisation/coordination of philanthropy necessitated by the crisis with the choice and freedom that is likely to motivate donors over the longer term?
• Why are many donors moving from restricted to unrestricted funding right now? Is this going to herald a longer-term shift?
• Should we expect anything in philanthropy to change fundamentally as a result of what we are going through? If so, what?
• Are we likely to see a more positive or more negative narrative about philanthropy post-Covid?

Related Links

• The Beacon Collaborative website
• The Beacon Collaborative Manifesto
• CAF's Coronavirus Hub
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast interview series on Covid-19: Voices from Civil Society
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast on Questioning the philanthropic response to Covid-19, with Kris Putnam-Walkerly
• Our CAF Giving Thought podcast Philanthropy, civil society and covid-19: what now, what next?
• Rhod's blog on Philanthropy and Civil Society after Covid-19: Key questions for the future

In this episode we talk to Simon Burton, founder and CEO of the Charity Film Awards, about how charities can use film to portray and amplify their work. Including:

-What is the aim of the Charity Film Awards and how did it come about?

-In what interesting ways have charity entrants to the competition been using video?

-Why is storytelling important for charities?

-Positive vs negative representations of charities and the people they serve: do upbeat messages work? Or are tragic images still the norm?

-Is it possible for organisations with limited resources to use video effectively as a tool?

-Will we see more charities engaging with video as a result of the enforced digital transformation brought about by Covid-19?

-Have any charities used short-form video and platforms like TikTok effectively?

-Are any charities using virtual and augmented reality or 360 video?

-How did the CFA turn itself into a virtual event in such a short space of time?

-Will we see virtual events becoming more the norm after the coronavirus situation is over?

-Are charities well-represented in mainstream screen media?

-Are there any good TV programmes, films about charities or philanthropy? If not, why not?

Related links:

• The Charity Film Awards website- including links to this year's winners and winners from previous years.
• Out previous CAF Giving Thought podcast on "Philanthropy at the Movies"
• Rhod's Giving Thought blog, Lights, Camera, Altruism: Philanthropy in movies
• Rhod's Third Sector article "Are Marvel's Avengers just modern-day philanthropists?"

In episode 77 we talk to Jon Dean, Senior Lecturer in Politics & Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University, about his new book The Good Glow: Charity and the Symbolic Power of Doing Good. Including:

• What role does the way in which our charitable actions are viewed by others play in shaping our giving?
• Is the "warm glow" of giving always dependent on one's acts being visible to others, or can it be entirely personal?
• Does the symbolic power of giving diminish if others are aware of how this functions? (i.e. once we suspect that charity is motivated partly a desire for social status, does that reduce our willingness to play along?)
• To what extent has the halo effect of philanthropy been deliberately used by the wealthy to preclude or offset wider criticism (e.g. of their tax affairs, business practices etc.)?
• What happens if critiques of philanthropy undermine its symbolic value to the donor? (i.e. if people's default mode is scepticism or cynicism, does this lessen the appeal to the donor of making public gifts?)
• Does the desire for anonymity among some donors run counter to the idea that a desire for social status is a crucial part of the motivation for giving? (Or is it merely important that the "right" people know you gave?)
• What happens when the social rewards/warm glow of giving become temporally dissociated from the actual transfer of money (as with the tendency to make "pledges" rather than outright gifts)?
• What about when this is taken to its extreme conclusion (as with Donald Trump's appropriation of the trappings of philanthropy without actually giving any money)?
• How has social media changed things when it comes to using charity to present ourselves positively to others?
• Does a focus on the outcomes/impact of giving, rather than the act or intention, potentially lessen the importance of the social symbolism of charity (an extreme case being that of Effective Altruism)?
• Do charities rely too much on the authority that comes from their "symbolic power"? In a future where the options for doing good are likely to be far wider (e.g. crowdfunding, online movements, corporate purpose etc.) and charities are not the only game in town, will they have a rude awakening?
• How do the themes in the book relate to the current context of charity during the covid-19 pandemic? Have charities come to rely on the enormous symbolic power of the NHS? Have views on the responsibilities of the state vs charity shifted in ways that will affect the perception of charitable acts in future?

Related links:

• Jon's new book The Good Glow
• Jon's recent blog about the book for HistPhil
• Jon's article "The limits of digital charity: Young people, giving and social media"
• David Fahrentold's Pulitzer Prize citation for reporting that helped to "cast doubt on Donald Trump's assertions of generosity toward charities."
• Our Giving Thought podcast episode on "philanthropic pledges"
• Our Giving Thought podcast with Ben Soskis on "learning from the history of philanthropy"

In episode 76 we talk to global philanthropy expert Kris Putnam-Walkerly about her new book "Delusional Altruism", and about how philanthropists and funders are being affected by - and responding to - the COVID-19 pandemic. Including:

• What is "delusional altruism"?
• 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?
• 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 is perceived as "failure" in philanthropy?
• How many donors see funding advocacy as a course of action, rather than direct services? If it is less common, why is that?
• How can we balance the imperative to respond to short-term needs in a crisis with ensuring that philanthropy makes the most of its strengths in taking a longer-term view? What does this mean for current debates on spending down endowments?
• How should we rate philanthropy's response to the current crisis?
• Will anything fundamentally change as a result of what we are going through? If so, what?

Related Links

• Kris's new book, "Delusional Altruism"
• Kris's author profile on Forbes
• Kris's Alliance Magazine blog
• Kris on Twitter
• Our recent CAF Giving Thought blog and podcast on philanthropy & civil society post COVID-19.

In episode 75 we take a look at the key issues facing civil society and philanthropy during the covid-19 pandemic crisis and beyond. We explore the benefits of historical insight, highlight some of the main challenges civil society organisations face right now, and consider the most important questions to ask as we look ahead to the future. Including:

The history of philanthropy and civil society in times of crisis

• Centralization- what can we learn from C18th Hamburg and WWI in the UK about how crises lead to a desire to rationalise philanthropy?
• How do views on the causes of crises affect the philanthropic response? Religious views on plagues and the role of charity, and how the understanding of epidemic illness affects collectivism and mutualism.
• Poverty, Power & Inequality: The unequal effects of crises and the dangers- does philanthropy entrench inequality, or can it help to overcome it?

Key current trends

• Reduced income but increased demand. Many orgs in survival mode.
• Universal nature of crisis makes fundraising ask more complex (i.e. not "them", but "us")
• Enforced pivot to digital - how do you adapt to new tools and avoid pitfalls?
• Funder behaviour: unrestricted grants, core-cost funding, reduced reporting, trust-based grantmaking
• Collaboration, cooperation & coordination
• New digitally-enabled networks emerging alongside traditional charities

What might the future hold?

• Will we see a shift in public expectations of state vs philanthropic provision?
• Will there be a rebalancing of the mutual vs charitable tradition?
• Philanthro-localism or philanthro-globalism?
• Will the reputation of philanthropy improve or deteriorate?
• Are decentralised and networked organisational models an opportunity or a threat for civil society?
• Does the response to the pandemic highlight an unmet desire for participation?
• Will the current period of enforced digitisation lead to more CSOs engaging with the opportunities and challenges of technology?
• Is the short-term imperative to meet critical need going to lead to a longer-term desire to rationalise philanthropy?
• Will we see more transparency and sharing of data?
• Are we seeing the end of organisational ego in philanthropy?
• Will there be longer-term changes in attitudes to core costs, unrestricted grants and reporting requirements?
• Will we see a shift in perception/norms with regard to endowed assets?
• Will there be more recognition of the need for foresight among funders and civil society?
• Will the crisis create new problems for civil society to address?

Related Links

• Rhod's HistPhil blog "Philanthropy in A Time of Crisis: Lessons from European History"
• CAF's Philanthropy Stimulus Package proposal paper
• CAF's recent webinar on "Covid-19: latest insight on how charities and donors are reacting"
• Rhod's Giving Thought blog "Philanthropy & Civil Society After Covid-19: Key questions for the future"
• Our recent CAF Giving Thought podcast series on "voices from civil society during Covid-19"
• Our podcast with Cassie Robinson from National Lottery Community Fund

In episode 74, we talk to Cassie Robinson, Senior Head of the UK Portfolio at the National Lottery Community Fund, and a prominent writer and thinker about the intersection of tech, civil society and philanthropy. I a wide-ranging conversation against the backdrop of the covid-19 pandemic, we discussed:

• How is the Covid 19 pandemic affecting National Lottery Community Fund and the organisations it works with?
• What has happened so far that should give us hope?
• Will the short-term, enforced digital transformation that many civil society organisations (CSOs) are undergoing right now result in longer term changes within the sector? And what support may be required for that to happen?
• What new challenges and unintended consequences might arise as a huge number of CSOs become reliant on platforms and digital tools?
• What role will civil society need to pay in ensuring that short-term policy changes re data and technology that are driven by the need to respond to the covid-19 pandemic do not result in longer-term human rights and civil liberties issues?
• Will funders and CSOs become more aware of/focussed on tech issues as a result of this period of enforced digitisation?
• Is civil society engagement on tech issues too narrowly-focussed on human rights and international development?
• What more needs to be done to engage wider civil society in these issues?
• We are seeing more focus on the idea of decentralised or non-hierarchical governance models for social change movements - do you think this will filter into wider civil society? What opportunities and challenges might this bring?
• Do charities and civil society organisations need to make a case for the continuing value of centralised or hierarchical structure in some cases? (I.e. can we "make infrastructure cool again" - if it ever was…?)
• What support can traditional funders give to networks and decentralised movements?
• Is the renewed focus on locality and place during the pandemic going to lead to longer-term shift towards 'philanthro-localism'?
• Does the nature of the current pandemic crisis mean that we are seeing more focus on mutuality and collectivism rather than charity and philanthropy, and will this affect anything longer term?
• Will we see more funders and CSOs thinking in terms of collaboration and systems, rather than individual action, as we move into a post-covid future?
• Will philanthropy's prominent role so far in the response to the covid-19 crisis lead to less criticism in the future? Or more?

Related Links

• Cassie's Medium account, where she writes all sots of interesting blogs about her work with TNLCF and other projects.
• Eventbrite page for the Collective Action Labs work Cassie is doing with Rachel Coldicutt
• The Foundation Design Lab (Full Disclosure: I'm working with Cassie and others on this as part of the Foresight strand).
• The paper I gave at the ARNOVA 2019 conference on the strengths and weaknesses of tech-enabled decentralisation in civil society and philanthropy
• My Alliance Magazine article, "Riding the Tiger of Technological Change"

This is a conversation with David Ainsworth, from Catalyst.

This is a conversation with Dan Fluskey, Head of Policy at the Institute of Fundraising.

This is a conversation with Dan Sutch, Director of CAST (Centre for Accelerating Social Technology)

In the fifth compilation episode in our series of conversation with leading voices across civil society during the covid-19 pandemic crisis, we talk to:

• Dan Sutch - Director of CAST (Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology)
• Dan Fluskey, Head of Policy, Chartered Institute of Fundraising
• David Ainsworth, Catalyst