Given the scope of the challenges ahead and the possibility of creating real change, now is a powerful moment for us to discuss how philanthropy needs to change to meet the past and be an active force in bending history’s arc toward justice. There is no more room for business as usual. The people and planet are demanding that we build a vision for philanthropy, let go of practices that no longer serve us, and create new ones that move us forward.

  • From extraction to regeneration. Society’s obsession with metrics such as GDP (gross domestic product) reinforces the myth that eternal growth is possible, or even desirable. The seasons, by contrast, teach us the natural cycle of life and death. Reaping and sowing, and never taking more than can be replenished. We live on a planet that is capable of regrowth, so abundance is possible only if we limit our greed and invest in that which renews.
  • From individualistic to interconnected. Having a great deal of money can be isolating, and perhaps that’s why so many wealthy donors hold tight to the illusion of the importance of self-sufficiency.Trust-based philanthropy, practiced thoughtfully over time, helps donors lock arms with communities working toward shared goals of equity and fairness.
  • From objective to experienced.  It is only in recent years that philanthropy has awakened to the wisdom of asking and engaging those most impacted by an issue what they believe should be the solutions.
  • From mechanistic to organic.  Too often, philanthropy mistakenly replicates that model, hoping that a streamlined and efficient process will work to address complex social problems in the same way it works to produce computers or cars. But it doesn’t.
  • From dominion to reciprocity. Philanthropy is a two-way street. Donors give but they also receive.
  • From hate to love. Too often, the hatred and violence of far-right extremists is excused as “fear” yet the people who have experienced actual harm and threats are the ones spreading love. Let’s invest in love.
  • From lies to truth. The myth that “education is your ticket out of poverty” denies the reality of crippling student debt for so many.

Read the full article about future of philanthropy by Crystal Hayling at Stanford Social Innovation Review.