Pluralism in Philanthropy

In this episode we take a deep dive into an issue that has been generating a lot of debate recently: is pluralism in philanthropy a good thing, or not? Including:

What has caused the latest furore, and what has the reaction been?Is philanthropic freedom genuinely under threat, and if so why? Or is this just a straw man?Should donors and foundations be free to "engage in the unfettered pursuit of their own mission, interests and prerogatives", or are there arguments for constraining this freedom?Is there an inherent tension in philanthropy between individual liberty and systemic equity? How can we balance these competing demands?Should we value pluralism because it enables diversity of thought and values, and provides the material for a healthy "battle of ideas" that can strengthen democracy? Is pluralism a necessary part of allowing marginalised groups and communities to overcome the "tyranny of the majority" and drive social change?Is accepting that civil society will contain things we may not like or agree with the necessary cost of pluralism? Is this a price worth paying?Is pluralism a noble idea in theory but naive in practice, when in reality power is skewed towards defence of the status quo and vested interests?Can everyday giving help to produce a form of pluralism that avoids some of the problems that come when we rely on elite philanthropy?Do we need to constrain pluralism, and if so how?To what extent is this a US-specific debate?Do nonprofits need to be "civil" or "polite" when they disagree? Or does this ignore the historical reality of social change?

Related links

The letter to the Chronicle of Philanthropy that has sparked this debate, "We Disagree on Many Things, but We Speak With One Voice in Support of Philanthropic Pluralism"Vu Le, "Philanthropy’s equivalent of “All Lives Matter”"Edgar Villanueva, "Debunking the Myth of Philanthropic Pluralism"Phil Buchanan, "Who Is Threatening ‘Philanthropic Freedom?’"Philip Rojc, "The End of Philanthropic History and that Pluralism Op-Ed"Philanthropisms podcast with Edgar VillanuevaPhilanthropisms podcast with Emma Saunders-HastingsWhy Philanthropy Matters article, "Voluntary Woke? Philanthropy, Civil Society & The Culture Wars"Rhod's article for Beacon Collaborative, "Can we agree to disagree when it comes to philanthropy?"Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell verdict in "Bob Jones University vs United States"JS  Mill, "Endowments"