January, as always, is a time for forecasting by philanthropy observers and “opiners”. But during this never-ending pandemic period, as I read and listen to blogs and podcasts about the year ahead, I notice that no-one is being definitive about their forecasts. Uncertainty is greater than ever. People don’t want to make predictions. They would […]
Foxes and Hedgehogs: Governance in Uncertain Times
I had the pleasure recently of participating in a panel discussion with the Toronto Arts Foundation and its Creative Champions Network, which provides guidance on good governance to Toronto’s many arts board directors. The theme of the discussion was Some Damn Good Ideas for Building Back Better. The conversation was led by Jini Stolk, the […]
Philanthropy Truths and Dares
I have been listening to some interesting conversations recently in Canada, Europe, and the United States about what philanthropy has learned over the past two years. As we near the end of 2021, people are asking whether the changes that we see in the practices of at least some in the foundation world will be […]
Why Foundations Matter to the Social Ecosystem
There is shouting at the gates of institutional philanthropy these days. Give more…give without conditions…give more equitably…give with urgency. We were hearing these shouts before 2020. The pandemic and its consequences have justifiably turned up the volume and multiplied the voices. And there has been a response. One of the most striking has been that of MacKenzie […]
Canadian Philanthropy in North America
A talk given to a panel discussion on the future of North American philanthropy hosted by Alliance Magazine on July 14, 2021. Here is a summary and recording of the panel discussion We Canadians live in a small country that sits next to a very large, influential and noisy one. Inevitably our trajectory has been […]
Are You Listening?
I have been considering the importance of better listening over the last few days. Many voices are being raised in Canada calling for reflection, learning and inclusion in response to the grief and anger being expressed by Indigenous communities, and by other communities as well. People are talking about “hearing” these voices. That is necessary and important. […]
Is Change Coming to Philanthropy?
Is Change Coming to Philanthropy? The pandemic has changed us all, at least in the short term. Is it too soon to come to conclusions on how the pandemic has changed philanthropy? In an interesting recent piece, Ben Soskis, a historian of philanthropy, comments on the shifts that he perceives in what he calls the […]
Smart Data, Smarter Charities
Do discussions about “data” make your eyes glaze? Why is it important for you to pay attention and why now? The answer is that, as the last two years have shown us, we need good data more and we need it urgently. We are surrounded by a sea of data. In the digital age, we can […]
The Deep Importance of Language in Philanthropy
How much does language matter to philanthropy? Deeply, as it turns out. A stimulating piece by Rhodri Davies from the Charities Aid Foundation on the uses and misuses of philanthropic language got me thinking recently about how much it affects us. I can’t count the number of times that I have seen the word “philanthropy” […]