6th Global Philanthropy Forum

This year’s Global Philanthropy Forum in early April focused on financing social change and took place in the headquarters of Google. The location inspired keynote speaker Judith Rodin of the Rockefeller Foundation to describe the history of US philanthropy in dot.com terms, starting with Philanthropy 1.0.

This, she said, involved the ‘fathers’ of modern American philanthropy, Rockefeller, Mellon and Ford. Its focus was on literacy, health and the building of infrastructure, but it also looked outside the USA and thus had a global aspect.

Philanthropy 2.0 emerged after World War II. It developed and encouraged the non-profit sector and also focused on the emerging states of Africa, South America and Asia. With the end of the Cold War and the onset of globalization, Philanthropy 3.0 began. It is characterized, she said, by new ideas and the greater involvement of donors and foundations in beneficiary projects.

Larry Brilliant, CEO of Google.org, highlighted two aspects of ‘new’ philanthropy – that it involves living benefactors and pays greater attention to topics such as climate change and global health. Philanthropy has broadened, he said, to include new forms of social investment and much greater collaboration across sectors. But he noted the continuing importance of policy, pointing out that not all problems can be solved through social investment.

In fact, the numerous presentations that showcased examples of blended private and social enterprises were not always as impressive in their results as their presenters claimed. But the audience, enchanted with ‘new giving’, did not pay attention to detail.

Disappointingly, the so-called global forum was not global at all. Only 40-50 out of the 600 guests came from outside the US, and these were mostly from Canada and Western Europe. Hopefully, Philanthropy 4.0 will have a global reach and a global face, and the next Global Philanthropy Forum will live up to its name.