Philanthropisms

Rhodri Davies
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Philanthropisms is the podcast that puts philanthropy in context. Through conversations with expert guests and deep dives into topics, host Rhodri Davies explores giving throughout history, the key trends shaping generosity around the world today and what the future might hold for philanthropy. Contact: rhodri@whyphilanthropymatters.com.

  1. APR 23

    Dr Xanthe Scharff: Mackenzie Scott gifts, collaborative funding & combatting modern slavery

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode we are joined by Dr Xanthe Scharff, Managing Director for External Affairs and Editor-at-Large at the Freedom Fund, to discuss their work combatting modern slavery and what it is like to receive not one but two major gifts from Mackenzie Scott. Including: What is Freedom Fund’s mission, and how does it go about delivering on this?What is the scale of modern slavery as an issue? How much philanthropic funding does modern slavery currently attract? How did the original Mackenzie Scott gift come about? ($35m in 2021).How did the second gift then come about? Was there any difference in process from the first gift?What have the gifts from Mackenzie Scott enabled Freedom Fund to do that it otherwise would not have been able to do? Freedom Fund chose to spend the $60m it received from Mackenzie Scott, rather than creating an endowment – what was the thinking behind this?How do you balance increased support for existing partners against the need to expand your work by finding new partners?Will the funding from Mackenzie Scott make it easier or harder to leverage further philanthropic funding? How does the Freedom Fund work as a collaborative/pooled fund?Do collaborative funds make it easier for donors to fund things that they might otherwise deem “too risky”?When it comes to risk, is the role of an intermediary like Freedom Fund to reduce the risk for funders, or to help them shift their own risk tolerance so they can fund directly in future?Are there challenges in the current political moment when it comes to working on an issue like modern slavery, which overlaps with highly politicised issues around immigration?Have wider attacks on the legitimacy of nonprofits and philanthropy have an effect on Freedom Foundation’s work?Further Resources: Freedom Fund"How MacKenzie Scott channeled $4 billion via collaboratives", Devex"MacKenzie Scott Gave us $60m. We're Giving it Away", Chronicle of PhilanthropyWPM article, "MacKenzie Scott & the History of Challenging Philanthropy’s Status Quo"Philanthropisms podcast episodes with Rachael Jarosh & Suzanne Ehlers; Elizabeth Barajas-Román; and Sara Lomelin.

    54 min

  2. APR 9

    ERNOP: Connecting Philanthropy Academia & Practice #13

    Send us Fan Mail In the thirteenth edition of our podcast partnership with the European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP), we talk to more academics whose work is featured in the latest batch of short, practitioner-focused ERNOP Research Notes.  In this episode we hear from:  Lauren Dula (Binghamton University, State University of New York) & Laurie Paarlberg (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University), about their research into the literature on how power manifests in philanthropic foundations.Marius van Dijke (Nottingham Trent University) about his paper (with Gijs van Houwelingen) looking at the impact that cognitive abstraction has on prosocial behaviour.Oto Potluka (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague) about his research (with Lenka Svecova, Eva Blahova & Natasa Diatkova) on whether formal and informal volunteering compete for engaged individuals.FURTHER RESOURCES ERNOP's Research NotesLauren & Laurie's paper, "Philanthropic Foundations and the Exercise of Power: An Integrative Literature Review of the Many Faces of Power", and the accompanying ERNOP research note by Jemima ChanaMarius's paper, "Cognitive abstraction increases prosociality when loyalty is valued lowly, but decreases prosociality when loyalty is valued highly", and the accompanying ERNOP research note by Gerlad Czech.Oto's paper, "Do Formal and Informal Volunteering Compete for Engaged Individuals?", and the accompanying ERNOP research note by Ashifa Agede.If you would like to contribute to making academic work accessible and more relevant for people working in, with or for philanthropy, then why not consider becoming an ERNOP practitioner expert and help translate academic work on philanthropy into research notes in close collaboration with the authors of the original work.  https://ernop.eu/information-for-practitioner-experts/ Or, if you or your organisation might be interested in supporting ERNOP’s wider mission to advance philanthropy research and make it accessible to those working in, with, and for philanthropy, then why not consider joining as a member:  https://ernop.eu/member-portal/subscription-plan/

    54 min

  3. MAR 26

    Craig Newmark on philanthropy

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode we are joined by Craig Newmark - founder of Craigslist, philanthropist and recent Giving Pledge signatory - to discuss his thoughts on the importance of philanthropy and how he approaches it. Including: What was it that particularly made him decide to sign the Giving Pledge last year, given that he has been doing philanthropy at a significant level for a long time now?Part of Craig's stated aim in signing the Giving Pledge is to “inspire really rich people to pony up some dough” – is this something he is planning on doing primarily by example, or in other ways too?Why were his Sunday School teachers and Leonard Cohen both important in shaping his thinking about giving and responsibility?Why is a desire to “defend the country” a key common thread in Craig's philanthropy, and what are the different ways that manifests?Can it be a challenge these days to be patriotic in a way that isn’t seen as partisan or nationalistic? Is it important to use philanthropy to model a ‘good’ version of patriotism?In his Giving Pledge letter Craig wrote that“My most effective approach to addressing a manageable number of needs is to build a network of networks of people who know how to get the job done on stuff I care about….I find the group, fund them, nudge them to work together, and get out of the way.” So how does he find the people who know how to get the job done, and what does it mean to “get out of the way?”Why has cybersecurity and fighting online scams become such a big area of focus? Are there other philanthropists or funders working in this area? Do we need more? What was it that originally drove Craig's interest in supporting journalism through his philanthropy? How has that evolved?Where did his interest in support for military veterans and their families come from?What is the most important lesson he has learned about philanthropy?  Further Resources Craig Newmark PhilanthropiesCraig and Eileen Newmarks' Giving Pledge letterChronicle of Philanthropy, "Craigslist Founder Signs Giving Pledge and Narrows Focus"Nieman Lab, "Craig Newmark explains why he’s pulling back on funding journalism"Fortune, "Craigslist founder signs the Giving Pledge, and his fortune will go to military families, fighting cyberattacks—and a pigeon rescue"Inside Philanthropy, "Why Craig Newmark Is Concerned — and Hopeful — for American Democracy"WPM article "When Nobody Knows You’re a Dog: Tech, Civil Society, and the Fight for Authenticity"Philanthropisms podcast with Jonathan Heawood

    44 min

  4. MAR 12

    Myths of Philanthropy #3: Individualism and Scarcity, with Zaineb Mohammed & Devi Leiper O'Malley

    Send us Fan Mail In the third and final episode of our "Myths of Philanthropy" series, Rhodri and Chiara are joined by Zaineb Mohammed (Kataly Fund) and Devi Leiper O'Malley (Closer Than You Think) to discuss individualism and scarcity. Including: What does it mean to have a scarcity mindset, and why is it so common in the nonprofit sector?What does a scarcity mindset lead to?How can funders and nonprofits overcome the scarcity mindset themselves, and how can they help the nonprofits they fund to do so? (E.g. by giving big grants up front, removing restrictions, working over longer timescales etc.)Is there too much competition and not enough collaboration in the nonprofit sector? Why is this?Is the emphasis on competition a legacy of modern institutional philanthropy’s roots in capitalism?How can we design better approaches? What kinds of resources and infrastructure will this require?Can organisational identity be a barrier to effective collaboration?Is the idea that foundations need to exist in perpetuity a reflection of a scarcity mindset? If so, how?Does adopting an abundance mindset make it easier to consider spending down?Why does the myth of the “philanthropic lone hero” (i.e. individuals or ogranisations working alone to solve complex social issues) continue to be so pervasive?Is part of the challenge that we find stories about individuals more compelling than ones about systems, so there is a tendency to frame things in terms of the former?How can we effectively recognise the role individuals play whilst at the same time emphasising the importance of the collective?Further Resources: Zaineb's "Myths of philanthropy" essay, "Leaning Into Abundance: What If Philanthropy’s Potential Wasn’t Limited by Manufactured Scarcity?"Devi's "Myths of Philanthropy" essay (with Ruby Johnson and Swatee Deepak), "Solidarity Leadership: What If Philanthropy Encouraged Collaboration Rather Than Competition? "Kataly Foundation Closer Than You Think

    50 min

  5. MAR 9

    Myths of Philanthropy #2: Presumed Expertise, with élysse marcellin & Tesmerelna Atsbeha

    Send us Fan Mail For the second episode in our "Myths of Philanthropy" series, we are joined by élysse marcellin (Whose Knowledge?) and Tesmeralna Atsbeha (philanthropic strategist & advisor, formerly Wellspring Philanthropic Fund) to discuss presumed knowledge. Including: Why do we equate wealth with expertise across a broad range of domains, and why is this a mistake? Do we also make judgements about those who do not have money (i.e. that they have less knowledge or less capacity to absorb funding)?To what extent does the way in which a wealthy donor has made their money inform and shape their view about the role of philanthropy and how to practice it?How can donors approach their philanthropy with a suitable degree of humility?Are those who work in foundations also guilty of equating their position in relation to wealth with expertise in addressing issues? How can we get out of this mindset?Does this require understanding and re-evaluating our own attitudes to money?Does prioritisation of certain kinds of knowledge act as a barrier in philanthropy? How is this reflected in grant application processes, funding decisions etc?What role does language play in marginalising certain forms of knowledge (especially indigenous knowledge)?What does it look like for a philanthropic organisation to demonstrate that it genuinely values a wide range of different forms of knowledge?Further Resources:  élysse's "Myths of Philanthropy" essay (with Cassie Denbow and Anasuya Sengupta), If You Know You Know: What If Philanthropy is Mistaking Wealth for Expertise?Tesmerelna's "Myths of Philanthropy essay", Reconsidering Our Relationship to Power: What If Philanthropy’s Greatest Resource Isn’t Financial but Relational Capital?Liberatory Archives and Memory, a project by Whose knowledge?WPM articles, "Three currencies that are more important than money for philanthropy" and "Language Barriers"

    1 hr

  6. MAR 5

    Myths of Philanthropy #1: Legacy, with Lisa Cowan and Dimple Abichandani

    Send us Fan Mail In the first episode of our mini-series on "Myths of Philanthropy", Rhodri and Chiara are joined by Lisa Cowan (Director of The Haven Fund, previously Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation) and Dimple Abichandani (author of A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth Into a More Just and Sustainable Future)  to discuss the notion of legacy. Including: To what extent do foundations exist in perpetuity as a default, rather than an active choice?Would it be enough to shift this norm?Is there evidence that next generation philanthropists take a different view of perpetuity than previous generations?Is this likely to lead to more limited-life foundations being created in future, or more perpetual foundations shifting to a spend down approach?Are there valid arguments in favour of longevity?Are there ways of getting longevity without perpetual endowments? To what extent is adherence to perpetuity driven by funders taking an individualistic perspective?  Why is it important to understand the historic roots of the wealth, institutions and practices we have in philanthropy?What should philanthropic organisations do about links to historic injustices? Is it enough to acknowledge them, or do they need to go beyond that and seek means to make reparations somehow? What role did Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” play in justifying extractive or harmful business practices on the grounds that good would be done through philanthropy with the proceeds?Is philanthropy inherently a symptom of structural inequality and injustice, and does this limit its ability to be part of the solution to these challenges? Or are there forms of philanthropy that can be genuine tools for furthering equality and justice, and what do these look like?Does a reparative approach to philanthropy require a fundamental rethink of what we mean by “effectiveness” or “success”?What implications might taking a reparative approach have for the governance of philanthropic funders? (i.e. in terms of who works in foundations and who is on the board?) Further Resources: Lisa's original Myths of Philanthropy essay, "A Path to Repair: What if Philanthropy Wasn’t About Giving Away Money, but Returning It?" Dimple's original  Myths of Philanthropy essay, "Spending Stories: What If We Moved from Perpetuity to Purpose?"Dimple's book A New Era of Philanthropy: Ten Practices to Transform Wealth Into a More Just and Sustainable Future)Lisa's websiteDimple's website

    55 min

  7. MAR 5

    Myths of Philanthropy: Introduction, with Mandy van Deven & Chiara Cattaneo

    Send us Fan Mail Rhodri is joined by Mandy van Deven and Chiara Cattaneo from Elemental, to introduce a new 3-part collaborative series on "Myths of Philanthropy".  Including: Why curate a series about the myths of philanthropy? How did the series take shape? Who are the contributors?What are the myths of philanthropy, and where did they come from?What do we hope readers and listeners will take away from this series?Further Resources: ElementalThe Myths of Philanthropy Filantropia, e se cambiassimo le narrative?Of monsters and margins, or why narrative work should be at the heart of philanthropy now2024 Philanthropisms podcast episode with Mandy and ChiaraWPM article "Three currencies that are more important than money for philanthropy"

    32 min

  8. FEB 19

    David Campbell & Lindsey McDougle: Can You Teach Philanthropy?

    Send us Fan Mail In our 100th episode we talk to David Campbell (Binghamton University, State University of New York) and Lindsey McDougle (Rutgers University - Newark) about their work on "Experiential Philanthropy" (EP) and using giving as a teaching tool. Including: What is experiential philanthropy?What are some of the different models for delivering EP courses? Is EP primarily a way of learning about philanthropy, a tool for learning about other subjects, or a means of promoting active citizenship? Do EP courses tend to give participants a primer on what philanthropy is first (i.e. key concepts, approaches, issues etc), or leave it up to them to find their own answers through participation?Are there constraints on what participants can give to? (i.e. in terms of geography, cause area or types of organisations?Does this ever cause problems? (E.g. if students want to give to more political causes, or to unregistered groups)?What sorts of decision-making do groups use? How do they decide how to decide?Is “philanthropy” a helpful term for these kinds of courses, or does it bring connotations that might frame things in unhelpful ways?How does taking part in an experiential philanthropy course change students’ perceptions of philanthropy? Does it make them more, or less, critical?Are participants more likely to have higher levels of trust in nonprofits, or to view them more positively?Do students go on to support or volunteer for nonprofit organisations they find out about during experiential philanthropy courses?Do the nonprofits that receive funding via an experiential philanthropy program know that that is where the money has come from? What is their perception of this?Where does the money that is being given away usually come from?Does the fact that it isn’t “their money” affect participants attitudes towards giving it away?What is the main motivation for foundations or philanthropic funders supporting the development and delivery of experiential philanthropy courses? Has the renewed interest in civic engagement and participation in recent years, in light of concerns about political polarisation and division, led to any increase in funders looking to support experiential philanthropy?Further Resources: Lindsey's personal websiteDavid's Binghamton University profile pageLindsey's articles "On Teaching Philanthropy" and "Can Philanthropy be Taught?"David's articles, "The experiential philanthropy canon: What students read in experiential philanthropy courses and why it matters" and "Practicing philanthropy in American higher education: Cultivating engaged citizens and nonprofit sector professionals"WPM article "Language Barriers: is the way we talk about philanthropy and civil society holding us back?"Philanthropisms podcast interviews with Natasha Friend & Maria Ahmed, and with David Clarke.

    58 min
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About

Philanthropisms is the podcast that puts philanthropy in context. Through conversations with expert guests and deep dives into topics, host Rhodri Davies explores giving throughout history, the key trends shaping generosity around the world today and what the future might hold for philanthropy. Contact: rhodri@whyphilanthropymatters.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Rhodri Davies
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Philanthropisms
  • Show Website
    Philanthropisms

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