The Future of Philanthropy: Scale = Networked

With the end of another year—one that saw nations rocked by debt, political and environmental crises, millions raised for relief efforts via mobile phones, and millions mobilized into action by online appeals—we’re reminded of how things rarely stay the same. In the business of social change, this couldn’t be more true. While our values remain deeply rooted in ourselves and our mission statements, the challenges we face and the tools with which we overcome them are constantly evolving.

With the start of a new decade, we look forward to bringing our values—environmental sustainability, social justice, and a number of qualities that define the process (including trust, integrity, flexibility)—to life. Philanthropy is front and center in making that possible. Although its importance in promoting social good is as strong as ever, the processes and possibilities of philanthropy will continue to change.

Lucy Bernholz, author of the renowned Philanthropy 2173 blog, lays out how things might shape up in the next ten years. In “Ten for Ten: Philanthropy from 2010 to 2020”, which was also cross-posted in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Bernholz lists her “premonitions on what will become familiar in philanthropy in the decade to come.” One item particularly resonated with us:

Scale will have a networked meaning. Scale is one of the buzzwords of the last decade in philanthropy. By 2020, we’ll have given up our misconception that “scale = big” and instead be focused on “scale = networked.” We will have recognized that problems get solved through “small pieces loosely coupled.

For those of you familiar with Global Greengrants Fund, Bernholz’s prediction hits strikingly close to home. With the generosity of our network of donors, we make small grants through an expansive network of expert advisors. This process and the values behind it (inclusiveness, diversity, intuition) are what set us apart; they’re how we envision real, just social change.

Stay tuned for our forthcoming annual report to see our networks in action.

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We’d also like to thank Lucy Bernholz for mentioning Global Greengrants Fund in her more recent post, “How Things Have Changed.” It’s a fantastic commentary on the information age, told through the story of a 10 year-old selecting the organizations to which he’d like to donate.

Global Greengrants Fund

Global Greengrants Fund believes solutions to environmental harm and social injustice come from people whose lives are most impacted. Every day, our global network of people on the frontlines and donors comes together to support communities to protect their ways of life and our planet. Because when local people have a say in the health of their food, water, and resources, they are forces for change.

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