We are living in an unprecedented time, facing a global health pandemic, climate change, natural and humanitarian disasters, structural inequalities, and much more, requiring us to rethink philanthropy and to act with courage.

We face a time of opportunity and revisioning, a time to be active, creative, and intentional citizens of the globe who harness philanthropy to effect real, lasting change. As the organisers of the 2021 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium, we felt a substantial responsibility to create a platform that would inspire the philanthropic community to move from ideas to action, equipped with concrete ways to move forward now, motivated by both urgency and hope. As one of our keynote speakers, Kumi Naidoo of Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity, so aptly put it, ‘We are in the most consequential decade in humanity, and truth is, we are one minute to midnight. What we do will define what kind of future humanity will have.’

Some of the other key opportunities we heard throughout the Symposium include:

  • Who you listen to and how you listen matters.
  • Long-term investments into systemic and systems change delivers results.
  • Today’s challenges require bigger picture responses.

These ideas and challenges can seem too big and daunting. But we must not become overwhelmed. We simply can’t afford to. Instead, we need to recognise our individual and collective ability to act now and be part of the solution. So, what does this mean for you? It’s simple. Philanthropists have a key role to play at this important moment. We urge you to:

Do something. Don’t allow whatever looming challenge you fear most to stop you. Tackle it however you can. Launch a pilot, experiment, learn, and share.

Do more. Use the breadth of your resources. Test impact investing and make sure your investments align with your values. This is not a time to hold back.

Do better. The ‘how’ of philanthropy is equally as important as the ‘what’. How we show up to listen and learn from others and successfully shift power and control is a key to greater success.

Read the full article about how crises create change by Maggi Alexander at Alliance Magazine.