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Profiles of Big Bets in Philanthropy Tackling Complex Issues

Stanford Social Innovation Review Feb 22, 2019
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
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Profiles of Big Bets in Philanthropy Tackling Climate Change Giving Compass
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Giving Compass’ Take:

• Climate and Land Use Alliance’s (CLUA) is an example of how collaborative philanthropic investment can tackle a complex issue. In this post, The Bridgespan Group explains other big bets in philanthropy that are doing the same. 

• How can more donors get involved in big bets in philanthropy through collective impact? 

• Jean Case explains the value of big bets in philanthropy. 


Climate change is among the most daunting social problems for philanthropists to address. The issue is global in scale, involves a very large number of stakeholders and regulatory environments, and must take into account the continually evolving scientific understanding of how to slow climate change and help communities and countries adapt to it. Even the biggest big bets from individual funders may seem insufficient to make a dent in the problem.

Even the biggest big bets from individual funders may seem insufficient to make a dent in the problem.

Since 2010, the Climate and Land Use Alliance’s (CLUA) five main funders (Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, ClimateWorks Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and The David & Lucile Packard Foundation) have committed more than a half a billion dollars to a set of common strategies, with $211 million of that total coming in 2018. 


Interested in learning more about Impact Philanthropy? Other readers at Giving Compass found the following articles helpful for impact giving related to Impact Philanthropy.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Providing Advanced Workforce Training Opportunities

    Giving Compass' Take: • MDRC discusses the model of WorkAdvance, a sector-based development program that helps fill middle-skill jobs by providing workforce training for candidates.  • How will program models such as this be effective in rural areas that suffer from brain drain as well as lower job growth?  • Read the Giving Compass Workforce Development guide for donors.  In today’s polarized labor market, there is a critical need to identify middle-skill jobs that pay good wages with benefits. WorkAdvance, a sectoral-focused advancement program, is designed to find and fill such jobs, serving workers and employers alike. For unemployed and low-wage working adults, the program provides work training in targeted sectors that have good-quality job openings and opportunities for upward mobility. For employers in those sectors, WorkAdvance identifies and trains workers who are prepared to meet technical skill and work readiness expectations and grow into second and third jobs.


Outside of their CLUA work, these funders pursue climate action with different strategies.But in CLUA, the funders are taking advantage of an opportunity to come together around a shared belief in land use as a climate change mitigation strategy.

 

Among its results to date, CLUA has been able to convince some of the world’s largest paper- and pulp-manufacturing companies to make zero-deforestation commitments.

CLUA demonstrates how collaborative philanthropy can bring together funders with different strategies but a common overall goal in order to focus large investments on a complex issue. Here are some other examples of big bets in philanthropy tackling larger problems:

  • Big Bet to the Bail Project (total grant size not public)
  • $39 Million to Opportunity Insights
  • $27 Million to the Susan G. Komen African-American Health Equity Initiative
  • $50 Million to TheDream.US

Read the full article about profile of big bets by The Bridgespan Group at Stanford Social Innovation Review.

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