Next Gen Philanthropy, with Sharna Goldseker & Michael Moody
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody about their book Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors are Revolutionizing Giving, which is now available in an updated and expanded 2nd edition
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Philanthropy, Domestic Violence & Partnering with the Public Sector, with Stelio Stefanou
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Stelio Stefanou OBE, philanthropist and Founder of the For Baby’s Sake Trust (FBST) - a charity which focuses on working with parents to address the impact of domestic violence on the early years development of children.
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Modern Grantmaking, with Gemma Bull & Tom Steinberg
Giving Thought
In this episode Rhod sat down with Gemma Bull and Tom Steinberg, authors of new book "Modern Grantmaking: A Guide for Funders Who Believe Better is Possible"
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Philanthropy, Racial Justice & Funding Grassroots Organizing, with Lori Bezahler
Giving Thought
In this episode we're joined by Lori Bezhaler, President of the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, to discuss the role of philanthropy in supporting racial justice and funding grassroots organizing or social movements.
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Poverty, Participation & The Pandemic, with Jo Kerr & Sonya Ruparel
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Jo Kerr and Sonya Ruparel, from UK charity Turn2Us, about poverty, participation and the impact of the pandemic.
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Participatory grantmaking, with Meg Massey & Hannah Paterson
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk participatory approaches in philanthropy and social investment, with Meg Massey, co-author of “Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control” and Hannah Paterson, Senior Portfolio Manager at the National Lottery Community Fund.
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Silicon Valley, Billionaires & Philanthropy, with Teddy Schleifer
Giving Thought
On this episode we talk to Teddy Schleifer, Senior Reporter, Money & Influence at Recode (part of the Vox Media group), about billionaires, Silicon Valley and philanthropy.
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Philanthropy in Brazil during the pandemic, with Denis Mizne
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Denis Mizne, CEO of Lemann Foundation - Brazil’s largest educational funder – about philanthropy in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Lemann Foundation’s pivot to supporting vaccine trials in the country
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Why Civil Society Matters More Than Ever, with Andy Haldane (and Neil Heslop)
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Andy Haldane, Chief Economist of the Bank of England about his long-standing interest in civil society, why he thinks it is so important yet undervalued, and what sort of challenges and opportunities the coming years may bring. We also have some analysis and additional insight from CAF CEO Neil Heslop.
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Technology, Philanthropy & Civil Society, with Nanjira Sambuli
Giving Thought
In this episode we talk to Nanjira Sambuli about technology, philanthropy and civil society. Nanjira is a researcher, policy analyst and advocacy strategist based in Nairobi, Kenya and we had a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion about the intersection of tech and civil society.
info_outlineIn episode 54, we take a look at Effective Altruism. Why has this approach to philanthropy based on utilitarian philosophy gained so many admirers - and so many critics - over the last few years? Including:
-What is Effective Altruism (EA)?
-How is it informing new approaches to philanthropy?
-Why are so many tech philanthropists EA advocates?
-Could the emergence of data-driven, AI approaches to philanthropy put EA in the driving seat?
-What is the historical lineage of Utilitarian thinking?
-What role did religion play in giving birth to the idea that philanthropy needs to be effective?
-How did the Charity Organization Society and the Scientific Philanthropy movements take this idea forward, and are they the intellectual forebears of EA?
-What, if anything, is genuinely new about EA?
-Is EA merely theoretical because it doesn't reflect how philanthropy actually works or what motivates donors?
-Does the focus on outcomes come at the expense of other considerations such as justice, democracy or individual agency?
-Do EA metrics favour short-term, tangible interventions over longer-term campaigns for social change?
-Does EA dictate working within existing structures and systems, rather than driving the reforms to those structures and systems that many believe are needed for real change?
-Does EA lead to a bias against local giving in favour of giving overseas? And can this have unintended consequences in terms of how other perceive us?
-Existential threats and "Pascal's Mugging"
Related Content
EA organisations:
The History of Utilitarianism & Rationality in Philanthropy
- “The History of Utilitarianism”, Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
- Peter Singer’s seminal paper “Famine, Affluence & Morality”
- Schneewind, J.B. (1996) “Philosophical Ideas of Charity: Some Historical Reflections” in Schneewind (ed) Giving: Western Ideas of Philanthropy
- Roberts, M.J.D. (1998) “Head vs Heart: Voluntary Associations and Charity Organization in England, c. 1700-1850” in Cunningham & Innes (eds) Charity, Philanthropy and Reform: From the 1690s to 1850
- William Rathbone’s memoir Social Duties
- Simey, M (1992) Charity Rediscovered: A Study of Philanthropic Effort in 19th Century Liverpool
Criticism of Effective Altruism
- Schambra, W. (2014) “The Emerging Threat of Effective Altruism” in Breeze & Moody (eds) The Philanthropy Reader
- Berger & Penna (2013) “The Elitist Philanthropy of So-Called Effective Altruism” in Stanford Social Innovation Review
- Ashford, E. (2018) “Severe Poverty as an Unjust Emergency” in Woodruff (ed) The Ethics of Giving
- Acemoglu, D. (2015) “The Logic of Effective Altruism”, Boston Review
- Dylan Matthews 2015 Vox article “I spent a weekend at Google talking with nerds about charity. I came away … worried.”
- Law, Campbell & Gaesser (2019). Biased Benevolence: The Morality of Effective Altruism, journal pre-print on PsyArXiv
- Nick Bostrom’s paper on “Pascal’s Mugging”
- The chapter on “Criticisms of philanthropy” from my book, which contains a subsection on “telescopic philanthropy”