In this episode we speak to Sara Lomelin, founding CEO of Philanthropy Together, about the rise of giving circles and the intersection between philanthropy, community and identity
Including:
(credit: Bryan Patrick Photography) How did Philanthropy Together come about, and what is the organisation’s mission?
- Who gets involved in giving circles? Are they different from”typical donors”?
- Do collective giving models appeal more to younger donors?
- What different approaches to giving circles take to decision-making?
- Are there models of collective giving that bring recipients into the decision making process as well as donors?
- How much collective giving takes place through long-term giving circles, and how much is through shorter-term “pop-up” collaborations? Is it possible to combine the strengths of both of these approaches?
- Are giving circles more likely to give to smaller grassroots orgs that might be perceived as “risky” by institutional funders?
- Can collective giving models help to make philanthropy more justice-focussed?
- Can collective giving help to build a sense of shared identity, or does it rely on there being a pre-existing sense of identity around which a group can be formed?
- How do identity-based groups accommodate intersectional identities?
- Does collective giving build social capital? If so, is it merely “bonding” social capital or also “bridging”?
- The internet allows us to form communities of interest, identity or purpose that are not tied to geographic boundaries- in this context, is there still a meaningful relationship between ‘place’ and ‘community’?
- How can we learn more effectively from other cultures of giving where collective or horizontal models are more common?
- What is the relationship between collective giving and mutual aid? Is it more common to see a focus on notions such as solidarity when people are giving collectively?
- Do collective giving models address some of the concerns about the potentially anti-democratic nature of elite philanthropy?
- Should elite philanthropy fund collective giving models in recognition of their unique value? Or should elite philanthropists adopt practices and insights from collective giving?
Related Links:
- Philanthropy Together
- Hali Lee’s article on “Cultures of Generosity and Philanthropy Within Communities of Color”
- Sara’s talk at the 2022 TED conference, “Your invitation to disrupt philanthropy“
- Sara’s 2021 article with Asha Curran in Ms magazine
- Sara’s Alliance magazine article with Isis Krause on “The future of collective giving and what’s next for Philanthropy Together“
- Philanthropisms podcast with Mihaela Giurgiu
- WPM article on the 2023 Gates Foundation Greater Giving Summit
- WPM article on the language we use to talk about philanthropy
