CUHK Centre for Family Business’ Post

Challenging Philanthropic Elitism: A Global Call to Action Addressing and tackling #elitism in philanthropy is no easy feat, but it's a journey we must embark upon: -The concentration of power among a select group perpetuates existing power structures, marginalizing voices and perpetuating social problems. -Wealthy donors may leverage contributions to advance personal interests, exacerbating socioeconomic disparities. -Tax benefits for charity giving can inadvertently widen the wealth gap in society. To combat philanthropic elitism, Boards must lead the charge: 1. Focus on mission, values, and priorities. 2. Examine power dynamics and address structural inequities. 3. Insist on accountability and transparency, ensuring all stakeholders have a voice. 4. Promote diversity within the board and organization.

💼 **Is Philanthropy Becoming the New Voice of the Affluent?** Having advised UHNW individuals and worked closely with charities, I’ve noticed an interesting shift in the philanthropy space, one that the recent Citi GPS report, "Global Giving: Generosity and Economics of Philanthropy", highlights quite well. Charitable giving is increasingly being led by the ultra-wealthy, evolving into an “institutionalized” and well-resourced ecosystem. As larger, more strategic donations from affluent donors rise, we're also seeing fewer contributions from those with modest means, likely due to economic pressures. While some may view this as a narrowing of the philanthropic base, there is another perspective: the ultra-wealthy are uniquely positioned to fund large-scale, transformative initiatives with the potential for lasting impact. They have the means and influence to address complex global challenges that require sustained funding and often cross borders, from climate change to healthcare access. For those of us in the field: **What does this trend mean for philanthropy’s role in society? Is this shift empowering philanthropy to tackle larger issues more effectively, or are we missing valuable perspectives from a broader base of donors?** #Philanthropy #SocialImpact #CharitableGiving

Who will be the superpowers of philanthropy in the next 25 years? Who will have the capacity and resources to influence social, economic, and political arenas? The answer is women. Historically, women have always played crucial roles in philanthropy. Early social service work was seen as “women’s work.” Female philanthropy started with parochial institutions, where nuns, deaconesses, and women of all faiths offered comfort to the marginalized in their communities. Now, with women holding more than half of private wealth in the U.S. and the capacity to influence global change, their impact is poised to grow exponentially. Despite progress, support for women's and girls' organizations remains low, receiving just 1.8% of charitable giving. However, women are stepping up to fill this gap, often giving broadly, holistically, and collectively. They focus on aligning their passion with their resources, working collaboratively, and demanding transparency about the impact of their contributions. Women’s philanthropy offers vast opportunities: from supporting traditional nonprofits to becoming angel investors and engaging in impact investing. In my role as a philanthropic advisor, I work to help women donors align their values with their charitable giving, grow their confidence and celebrate their achievements. #PhilanthropyConcierge #WDM2024 #WomensPhilanthropy #WomenInLeadership https://lnkd.in/gSZhsadi

India's philanthropy scene is experiencing a surge in collaboration, with the number of "philanthropic collaboratives" nearly tripling in just four years, according to a Bridgespan article titled "The Growing Momentum Behind Philanthropic Collaboratives in India." Originally formed to tackle COVID-19 relief efforts, these groups are now tackling bigger, long-term social and environmental issues. They work in three key ways: strengthening existing organizations, attracting more funding, and directly implementing programs. However, the article identifies a lack of capacity within backbone organizations, which are critical for collaboration success. Therefore, investing in capacity building is seen as essential. We hope that with time, such studies create more awareness among donors for funding capacity-building initiatives for nonprofits. The growing momentum behind these collaboratives indicates that capacity building will soon become non-negotiable, and calls for more services and resources to aid this. . . #CapacityBuilding #NGOImpact #NonProfitLife #DonorSupport #EmpowerCommunities #Philanthropy #SustainableDevelopment #GivingBack #CommunityDevelopment #SocialChange #CharityWork #VolunteerImpact #Fundraising #NonProfitOrganizations #SupportNGOs #own2feet #own2feetngo #own2feetassociation

📊 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 a 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: 𝗔 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗛𝗡𝗪 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 🔓 As Wealth Advisors to Ultra-High Net Worth individuals, understanding a client's philanthropic motivations is crucial to your relationship with them. A study from Family Wealth Report, last week, reveals fascinating generational shifts in giving patterns that can really inform your approach: 🔹 Younger donors (21-43) prioritise direct action and hands-on involvement with the causes they support (whereas older philanthropists often give out of a sense of duty). 🔹 One key emerging focus among younger donors is on social justice or what might be termed increasing societal fairness. 🔹 There's also increased use of charitable trusts and family foundations by next-gen givers. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, and recognising philanthropic interests as an indicator of different generational and gender viewpoints will make your firm more responsive to the overall needs of your family clients. A good process to develop this approach would include 🔹 Doing a dive deep into their personal 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 and 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 🔹 Understanding their desired level of 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 and 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🔹 Exploring innovative giving vehicles that 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 How are you adapting your strategies to meet the evolving philanthropic landscape? 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱-𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 👇 #𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝘆 #𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 #𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗪𝗲𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗺

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀: Making a positive impact in our communities is within our reach! There are numerous ways to help needy individuals, and every effort counts. > 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: Donate your skills, expertise, and time to organizations or causes that resonate with you. > 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Donate generously to reputable charities, foundations, or crowdfunding campaigns. > 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: Share your professional skills, such as mentorship, coaching, or consulting, to empower others. > 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Offer resources like food, clothing, or essentials to those in need, through local drives or initiatives. > 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 & 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Raise awareness about social issues, amplify marginalized voices, and advocate for policy changes that promote equality and justice. Every act of kindness has a ripple effect! #HelpTheNeedy #SocialResponsibility #VolunteerWork #Philanthropy #MakeADifference"

Those with $30 mm or more gave 38% of all philanthropy. This UHNW giving was up 25% from 2018 to 2022. If you follow other studies, you will see that total giving was down slightly as everyday donors have fallen away. Not good for giving as civic participation. Recent work on both trust-based philanthropy and donor intent can be read as reflecting the power dynamics of an increasingly have and have not society. The rich see philanthropy as an often heroic expression of their identities and priorities. Those organizing at the base would prefer to shift power, including philanthropic dollars and decision making, in their own direction. I read all these white papers and dearly wish we could talk, rather than reciting talking points at each other. How can philanthropy serve the greatest good? What would have to change? Or are we good as is? And in five years, maybe half of all giving will come from those with $50 mm and up, and so on, until…. #trustbasedphikanthropy #uhnwphilanthropy

On October 7th, the Jewish community witnessed a pivotal moment that, amongst other things, changed the landscape of Jewish philanthropy. In this recent article in the Jerusalem Post, Adam Milstein and I discuss how we use strategic venture philanthropy to address these changes. You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gz5n-UrP Here are a few key examples: 1. 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦: We’re seeing an increasing number of new donors, some of whom previously supported non-Jewish causes, now directing their contributions towards supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. We offer our expertise and thorough vetting process to guide these donors on their philanthropic journey and ensure they are maximizing the impact of their charitable giving. 2. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬: With the influx of new funds, many pre-existing organizations are now scaling up their operations, hiring additional staff, and amplifying their impact. We work closely with these organizations to help them manage their growth, collaborate effectively, and multiply their efforts. 3. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧: More and more passionate individuals are entering the nonprofit sector, bringing their fresh energy and ideas. We help these new change-makers find the best places for their contributions. We also connect them with established initiatives that match their goals. If you're interested in learning how strategic venture philanthropy can improve your philanthropic efforts, please reach out. #Philanthropy #Antisemitism #Israel #StandWithIsrael 🎗️

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last posted about my philanthropy, so I thought that I would drop some lines here just to update you all on things and to ask you (politely) to continue to help support the causes that I am focussing on, both for my 70th birthday cause awareness and fundraising campaign as well as independently through Lordian Philanthropy (https://lnkd.in/ehKRurqb). They are: SEED - Eating Disorder Support Services (CEO: Gemma Oaten 🌱) https://lnkd.in/exJhvWEc Aims & Objectives: -         We aim to support both sufferers and carers in the hope that they do not feel alone with their problems. -         We aim to listen to others sympathetically and sensitively. -         We aim to deal with problems in a professional manner exercising strict confidentiality. -         We aim to empathise with both sufferers and carers in the hope that they are never alone with their problems. -         We aim to invite guest speakers in the hope that they will deliver professional help and advice. -         We aim to provide up to date information downloaded from the Internet and website addresses in the hope that members can then conduct their own searches. -         We aim to do our very best in helping others receive professional help in the hope that they go on to make a full recovery. Free to Fly (Founder: Nikki Tapley) https://lnkd.in/e8JG3b8k Mission: -         Helping expectant mothers find freedom from abuse, for themselves and their children   Vana Trust (Founder: @Nyasha Gwatidzo) https://lnkd.in/eYiasw6d Mission: -         To provide personalised education and training opportunities that celebrate individual achievement, foster social inclusion and empower young and vulnerable people to reach their potential.   Africa's Gift (Founder: Ken Dunn MBE.FRGS, MFA) https://lnkd.in/e_yWJAM9 Objectives: -         One of humanity’s big breakthroughs was working in partnership, realising that by working together, helping each other, everyone benefited. Africa's Gift is all about developing projects where communities work together so that everyone benefits.   Fatima’s UK Campaign (Founder: Fatima Whitbread MBE) https://lnkd.in/ejnAmxV7 Mission: -       We protect and support vulnerable children and young people. -         We do this by providing practical and emotional care and support. -         We make sure they’re seen, heard, and valued. -         We campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives. CEO Sleepout UK (CEO: Bianca Robinson) https://lnkd.in/esxzFrAw Objectives: -         By participating in a CEO Sleepout event, you’ll gain insight into the big issues surrounding homelessness and what – as business leader – you have the power to change. We hope you’ll be moved to create a positive social impact in your business, adding value that strengthens communities and society as a whole. Please, please do give & support to these incredible causes by clicking on the links......thank you in so much anticipation!!

In the field of philanthropy, the impact of individual contributions cannot be overstated. In the United States, an impressive 70% of funds raised for charitable causes come from individuals, highlighting the significant role donors play in our communities. However, in India, there exists a formidable challenge: shifting donors' mindsets to prioritize societal welfare over luxury and lifestyle. As we navigate this landscape, it becomes increasingly crucial to inspire individuals to recognize the transformative potential of their contributions. Now is the time to encourage a shift in perspective—a realization that while luxury holds appeal, the basic needs of billions should take precedence. By fostering trust and transparency, organizations can assure donors that their hard-earned resources are truly making a difference! #giving #ngocommunity #writeup