Giving Compass' Take:

• Devex interviews billionaires who are the emerging mega-donors in philanthropy and the implications this has for fundraising. 

• How can we leverage partnerships from high-net-worth donors that can help industries such as global development? Are there more donors concentrated in one area of giving/fundraising?

• Read about how some philanthropists are turning to donor-advised funds and how their effectiveness for impact philanthropy. 

Last year, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and richest person on the planet, took to Twitter to ask for suggestions for philanthropic giving.

The billionaire is just one example of an influx of ultra high net worth individuals in the field of philanthropy. Globally, there are 15 million millionaires and close to 2,000 billionaires, according to estimates by “The Global Philanthropy Report,” released Wednesday. And they are increasingly launching formal philanthropic structures to put their money to work for social outcomes — structures which don’t always look like they used to.

While not all billionaires are using social media to explore ways to make an impact with their money, their paths to giving often look different than traditional efforts, such as starting a foundation.

While not all billionaires are using social media to explore ways to make an impact with their money, their paths to giving often look different than traditional efforts, such as starting a foundation.

Many NGOs are in the midst of developing or improving strategies to engage ultra high net worth individuals, and in addition to highlighting best practices, Devex also spoke with a range of experts about what this growing number of billionaires could mean for fundraising in the sector.

Read the full article about the rise of mega-donors  by Catherine Cheney at Devex International Development.