PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
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This is a blog about the future. The year 2173 seems sufficiently far enough in the future to give us some perspective. As sure as we are of ourselves now, talking about the future - and making philanthropic investments - requires that we keep a sense of modesty and humor about what we are doing. Philanthropy is for the long-term - for the year 2173.
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
1M ago
Photo by Richard Stovall on Unsplash
Democracy in the USA is not "naturally" withering, it is under attack. And the call(s) are coming from both inside the house and outside, domestic and foreign. One source of attack is the Republican Party. Threats can't be beaten if they aren't named. I strongly suggest both foundations, their associations, and th ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
4M ago
Photo by Enrique Macias on Unsplash
Open source technology has a long history of being a counterbalancing force to closed, proprietary systems. For decades it was open source versus corporations. Then Microsoft (closed, proprietary) bought GitHub (most used repository of open source code). Today, in the AI battles, Facebook/Meta, IBM and Oracl ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
4M ago
M.C. Escher, Relativity Stairs
Imagine a large - no, bigger, much bigger - nonprofit hospital, university, housing developer, or after school program. Bigger by assets than any other. Right now, there are 13 univer ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
4M ago
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Has a philanthropic strategy ever before become an identity? I'm confident that neither John D. Rockefeller nor Andrew Carnegie ever referred to themselves as scientific philanthropists - names which historians have applied ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
4M ago
Photo by Ruy Reis on Unsplash
A headline in today's Chronicle of Philanthropy, reads:
"Philanthropy’s Job in Polarized America: Make Partners of Enemies, a New Poll Says"
Which raises an obvious question,
"Why do you think philanthropy is the solution and not part of the problem?"
We often talk about civil society and philanthropy as if they only do good. And then we go on to debate the meaning of good. While that can be hard, we're often pretty clear we know what it isn't when we see it.
So when I see headlines about Project 2025 - a coordinated effort by more than 80 nonpr ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
5M ago
Photo by JJ Ying on Unsplash
Ah, AI. Can't avoid it.
I've been to the conferences and workshops, read the listservs, talked to the researchers and read some of the research, played with the public tools. The Blueprint 2024 lays out my thoughts on nonprofits, philanthropy and AI for 2024.
This coming Bluepr ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
5M ago
Photo by Uriel Soberanes on Unsplash
I had a chance to speak on a zoom panel today. In the before times, this would not be worthy of a comment - it's what I did. Dozens in a year. However, since getting covid that became long covid, I haven't been able to do...much. Between managing the illness, doctors and tests, and staying emplo ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
6M ago
I am so excited about this. Join us!
The speaker series is open to anyone who wishes to engage with critical insights on the intersections and implications of digital dependencies with democratic norms and civil society values and actors. It is structured a as hybrid experience, allowing you to choose whether you’d like to attend in person or join us virtually. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Register here to join in-person or register here to join the event virtually. Click here to learn more about our upcoming events ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
10M ago
Screenshot from Candid.org
You know that the PGA Tour is a nonprofit, don't you?*
I'm also sure you've heard the news that the Saudi government (via its public investment fund, with $600+ billion in assets) launched a new tour (called LIV) which has announced a merger with the PGA Tour. Details are being worked out (and investigated.)
Why does this deal stink so much? Sport washing by a country with a dismal human rights record is pretty obvious - especially as the country is unabashadly trying to buy soccer talent also. Certainly, families of people who were killed on September 11, 200 ..read more
PHILANTHROPY 2173 | The future of good
11M ago
Photo from Possessed Photography on Unsplash
Dateline: May, 2027
Location: Pretty much anywhere on earth
“Miriam was one of those rare people who could remember reading about her cause of death before it happened. It wasn’t the reading that was rare - the ..read more