Giving Thought
125 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 5 ratingsCharities Aid Foundation's Giving Thought podcast explored the big issues, themes and news stories relating to philanthropy and the work of civil society.
This podcast is no longer produced.
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Episodes
Fundraising (Interview with Dan Fluskey)
May 08, 2018 08:43 - 39 minutes - 22.5 MBIn this episode (number 25) Rhod chats to Dan Fluskey, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the UK's Institute of Fundraising about the asking side of the philanthropy equation. Topics covered include: -Is there actually a crisis of public trust in charities? -What has the impact of a number of fundraising scandals been on the charity world? -How do fundraisers balance the short term appeal of using techniques that work in terms of raising money against the danger of longer-term ...
Jeremy Heimans on Philanthropy, Civil Society & "New Power"
April 25, 2018 10:00 - 32 minutes - 18.5 MBEpisode 24 of the Giving Thought podcast is our first ever interview! And it is a cracker. Rhod speaks to Jeremy Heimans, co-author of bestselling book "New Power". We discussed Jeremy and his co-author Henry Timms' thesis on why the nature of power has changed in the 21st Century and what this might mean for philanthropy and civil society. We covered a whole range of issues including: -the challenges of giving away power -the benefits and downsides of decentralisation -whe...
Involuntary Philanthropy
April 10, 2018 08:45 - 28 minutes - 16.4 MBIn this episode, Rhod looks at whether philanthropic giving is always a choice on the part of the donor, or whether it can sometimes be compelled. Topics covered include: -Compelled by your peers: We look at the part peer pressure plays in philanthropy, both at a micro level (i.e. the effect that "being watched" has on prompting giving) and a macro level (i.e. the notion of a social contract). We also consider a bit of history (including a scathing attack on the culture of giving in Vi...
Is Philanthropy Progressive?
March 27, 2018 13:46 - 27 minutes - 16 MBIn episode 22, we explore whether philanthropy is progressive: i.e. is it a means for moving society forwards or a tool for defending the status quo? Including: The case for: On what grounds can we claim that philanthropy is progressive? We look at cause areas associated with progressive ideals, and the rich history of philanthropic support for campaigning. And could the very process of philanthropy also be seen as a tool for social progress? The case against: We ask whether cons...
New Money vs. Old Money
March 13, 2018 09:42 - 27 minutes - 15.6 MBIn episode 21, we look at "New Money vs. Old Money", and what the difference between inherited and created wealth means for philanthropy. Topics covered include: - Attitudes to Wealth: We explore historical and contemporary evidence to see what differences there might be in the attitudes towards wealth of those who have made or inherited money. We look at the crucial distinction between stewardship and ownership, the role of social status, and the recognition of the element of luck and...
Philanthropy, Death & Taxes (Part 2: Taxes)
February 27, 2018 09:51 - 27 minutes - 15.8 MBIn this week's episode (no. 20) - the second of our "Death & Taxes" two-parter, we look at the link between tax and philanthropy. Topics covered include: Importance and Controversy: Why does tax relief on donations matter to understanding the role of philanthropy, and why has it proved controversial over the years? We touch on the current US situation in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and look at previous political attempts to meddle with tax breaks on donations, such as Gladstone...
Philanthropy, Death & Taxes (Part 1)
February 13, 2018 10:29 - 26 minutes - 15 MBIn episode 19, the first of a two-parter on "Philanthropy, Death and Taxes", Rhod looks at the influence of mortality on giving. Topics covered include: -The History of Death & Philanthropy: how has mortality shaped modern philanthropy? We look at the pheonomenon of competitive eulogies in Tudor England, and the impact of the 1736 Statute odf Mortmain on creating a pluralist charity sector. We also consider the problems that can result from the "dead hand of the donor". -Giving w...
Philanthropy and Technology
January 30, 2018 08:14 - 24 minutes - 13.8 MBIn episode 18 of the podcast, Rhod takes a look at the relationship between philanthropy and technology. Including: Supporting technology: How has philanthropy has supported the development of new technologies over the years? We look at the rich history of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Department of Natural Sciences and the growth of the open source movement. We also consider the blurred lines between long-term tech investment and philanthropy, and the “moonshot” approach of Silicon Vall...
Is Philanthropy Rational?
January 16, 2018 08:28 - 24 minutes - 13.7 MBIn episode 17, Rhod will be asking whether philanthropy is rational,and what lessons we should take from our answer to this question. Topics covered include: -The micro/macro philanthropy paradox: Philanthropy is both about individual voluntary acts of generosity and about the large scale redsitribution of private assets for public good. But while the former is largely irrational, the latter needs to be rational. What can policymakers and philanthropists do about this? -Rationali...
2018 Predictions
January 03, 2018 10:54 - 23 minutes - 17.4 MBIn episode 16, "2018 Predictions", Rhod gives some thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing charities, donors and civil society organisations around the globe over the coming year. Guesses Predictions include: -A renewed focus on tax relief for donations, -An increasingly difficult environment for advocacy, -A divergence of opinion over impact measurement -Greater use of non-traditional models for philanthropy -More focus on data, in terms of balancing privacy concern...
Hollywood Philanthropy
December 05, 2017 09:43 - 27 minutes - 31.2 MBIn episode 15 of the Giving Thought podcast, “Hollywood philanthropy”, Rhod and Adam (in his last appearance) look at the relationship between philanthropy and celebrity. Topics covered include: Where are the great movies about philanthropy? The history of philanthropy is full of colourful characters and inspiring stories, yet there have been very few if any movies about the great philanthropists. Why is this? Could the new ‘Golden Age of Television” heralded by Netflix, Amazon Prime et al ...
Behavioural Economics and philanthropy
November 21, 2017 09:30 - 21 minutes - 24.3 MBIn episode 14, Rhod and Adam take a look at the field of behavioural economics and how it affects philanthropy. Topics covered include: Classical Economics and charity: classical economics assumes we are all rational and self-interested, so it cannot explain behaviour that is apparently irrational and purely altruistic. Hence new explanatory mechanisms have arisen- in particular the “warm glow” theory which posits that all altruism is in fact “impure” because donors actually get a benef...
The End of Charities?
November 07, 2017 09:45 - 24 minutes - 27.5 MBIn episode 13, Rhod and Adam ask whether we could ever see the end of charities? Topics covered include: - Achieving the mission: Is the best possible end result for a charity to make itself redundant by solving the social or environmental problem it was founded to address? And does this ever happen in practice? We look at the importance role that criticisms of there being "too many charities" have played in the history of philanthropy, and ask whether evolution is more likely than dis...
Which is the most generous country?
October 24, 2017 13:02 - 27 minutes - 30.9 MBWho doesn’t love a bit of healthy competition? In this episode, Rhod and Adam ask which country is the most generous in the world. Topics covered include; 2017 World Giving Index: Every year CAF publishes the world’s most comprehensive analysis of charitable activity. This year’s index reveals a global fall in giving with the exception of Africa which is witnessing a remarkable rise. The potential of middle class giving in emerging economies: A new campaign by CAF called Groundwo...
No Place for Philanthropy
October 10, 2017 09:12 - 23 minutes - 27.1 MBIn this episode, Rhod and Adam look at the relationship between place and philanthropy. Topics covered include: -Does charity still begin at home?: Has the relationship between place and philanthropy become weaker over time, and what if anything can we do to reverse this downward trend? Can philanthropy be used to boost civic identity and pride, or does it rely on people having an existing sense of place? -The Dark Side of Civic Philanthropy: When does philanthropic action within...
Bad Money and philanthropy
September 26, 2017 08:07 - 23 minutes - 27.3 MBIn this episode, Rhod and Adam explore the question of "bad money" and the challenges this poses for philanthropy and charities. Topics covered include: -Dubious donations: what should charitable organisations do when they are offered donations from sources whose ethics or morals are run counter to their own? In cases where no law has been broken, who decides on what is "good" or not? Can saying no to donations actually bring risks beyond the obvious financial loss? -Money ...
Psychology of philanthropy
September 12, 2017 08:32 - 25 minutes - 29.2 MBIn episode 9 of the Giving Thought podcast, Rhod and Adam look at some of the psychological motivations that drive philanthropy, including: Social Status: Is a desire for enhanced social status part of the “warm glow” that people get from giving? How has the relationship between philanthropy and social status played out through history? Does highly visible giving place greater expectations on the donor, as well as bringing improved social status? And what impact will social media have o...
Education & Philanthropy
August 31, 2017 08:46 - 25 minutes - 29.4 MBIn episode 8 of the Giving Thought podcast, Rhod and Adam look at the long and complicated relationship between philanthropy and education, including: Charitable status of UK public schools: we look at the ongoing controversy over the charitable status of fee-paying schools in the UK. What is the history behind the definition of “educational purposes” in charity law? How do we interpret “public benefit” for public schools? The US Charter School movement: we explore the role that phi...
Origins of Philanthropy
August 14, 2017 16:44 - 27 minutes - 31.7 MBIn episode 7 of the Giving Thought podcast Rhod and Adam take a look at the origins of philanthropy, including: Altruism and Evolution: why does the existence of altruistic behaviour continue to present a significant challenge for evolutionary theory? Can this add to our understanding of philanthropy, and if so how? A Brief History of Western Philanthropy: we attempt to cover the 450 or so years since the birth of modern philanthropy in roughly 3 minutes. Including: the Reformation and...
Transparency
August 02, 2017 13:44 - 24 minutes - 27.8 MBEpisode 6 of the Giving Thought podcast looks at the issue of transparency of civil society organisations and philanthropy. Rhod and Adam take a tour through the following topics: The case for transparency: it has long been said that philanthropy needs to become more transparent in order to identify gaps, duplications drive efficiency, identify trends and increase accountability. Furthermore, advances in technology mean that philanthropy ‘Big Data’ could present powerful new opportunities f...
Good Business
July 07, 2017 15:34 - 27 minutes - 31.4 MBEpisode 5 of the Giving Thought podcast looks at the role of business when it comes to doing social good, and what this means for philanthropy in general. Rhod and Adam take a tour through the following topics: Why should businesses do good? We ask what theoretical grounding there is for expecting companies to show social responsibility or perform philanthropic acts is. Is there a social contract that places responsibilities on companies just as it does on individuals, or does it always...
Democracy & Power
July 03, 2017 14:40 - 23 minutes - 26.9 MBEpisode 4 of the Giving Thought podcast attempts to assess whether philanthropy supports or undermines democracy and whether that question even makes sense. Rhodri and Adam cover the following themes: Philanthropy is anti-democratic: We highlight recent examples of the long-standing controversy over the anti-democratic nature of philanthropy (e.g. Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, George Soros and the Koch brothers). But we ask: is being undemocratic in fact a strength to be celebrated? We lo...
Inequality
June 20, 2017 11:01 - 24 minutes - 27.5 MBWelcome to episode 3 of the Giving Thought Podcast, brought to you by the Charities Aid Foundation's in house think-tank Giving Thought. In this episode, we tackle the thorny subject of inequality and ask; is trying to address inequality with philanthropy possible, advisable or even legitimate and if so, how should it be done?. As always, we have broken the issue into three segments: Can philanthropy challenge inequality? How can philanthropy overcome the paradox of addressing i...
Algorithms & Effective Altruism
June 06, 2017 11:03 - 22 minutes - 25.6 MBWelcome to episode 2 of the Giving Thought Podcast, brought to you by the Charities Aid Foundation's in house think-tank Giving Thought. In this episode, we look at the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could play in accelerating new, data-driven approaches to philanthropy. We explore: The rise of algorithms, and what this might mean for philanthropy in terms of creating new challenges and opportunities The "Effective Altruism" movement and how this links to the growth of AI Sil...
Politics
May 24, 2017 15:15 - 18 minutes - 21.9 MBHere goes nothing! We are pleased to launch the Giving Thought Podcast, brought to you by the Charities Aid Foundation's in house think-tank Giving Thought. In our first episode, we will be looking at the interplay between philanthropy, charity and politics. Given recent political events around the world and the trend for civil society activism to singled out for special scrutiny for its political influence this seems timely. We have decided to look at this issue from three interesting a...