Articles

23rd Sept 2023

Is the “landscape of doing good” getting bigger and more diverse than ever before? And what might this mean for traditional philanthropy and nonprofits? We pose the questions that are going to guide a new essay series on this website.

9th September 2023

We explore how and why philanthropy informs our judgements about other people’s moral worth.

17th August 2023

Rhodri Davies highlights a few thoughts prompted by the recent New Yorker magazine profile of philanthropist Leah Hunt-Hendrix.

14th July 2023

We explore the idea that “in an ideal world there would be no philanthropy”: why does it have such deep roots, how should we understand it, and is it right?

23rd June 2023

This is the text of a keynote speech Rhodri Davies gave at the 2023 Yorkshire Funders Conference in Leeds, outlining some of the key questions about the nature and role of philanthropy and why there is a particular need to engage with them right now.

22nd May 2023

In this article Lorena Gonzalez and Jes Olvera from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights highlight some of the key challenges they have faced in their work trying to give voice to children from minoritsed communities (whose voices have often been little-heard) and explore why this dictates taking a justice-centered approach to philanthropy; which asks funders to think in terms of solidarity, rather than charity.

10th May 2023

Rhodri reflects on the key insights and topics of discussion at the recent Greater Giving Summit 2023, hosted by the Gates Foundation in Seattle.

6th February 2023

Hugely successful YouTuber MrBeast has become well known for his model of on-screen “Beast Philanthropy”. We take a look at what it is, why it has become controversial & what we should make of it.

19th January 2023

As debate grows over whether we should be more concerned about over-population or declining birth rates, we explore why philanthropy has such a problematic history when it comes to engaging with population issues, and what lessons this holds for modern-day donors and non-profits.

18th November 2022

If you had the resources to be a philanthropist, how would you go about it? We explore some of the key choices and issues.

13th October 2022

Why does the relationship between charities and politics in the UK continue to cause so much debate? What benefits does charity campaigning bring, and what risks does it pose? And are the rules governing this area fit for purpose, or do we need a radical rethink?

16th September 2022

Yvon Chouinard’s decision to hand ownership of outdoor fashion company Patagonia to two newly-created nonprofit entities has made headlines around the world. We explore the precedents for his approach and what they might tell us about the questions we should be asking.