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Philanthropy Dispatch from the Future

The Financial Times got real scoop yesterday, a report on the state of philanthropy in 2033. The author of the report is Sean Stannard Stockton from Tactical Philanthropy.

Sean writes about the rise of “social capital markets”, in which non-profits compete for funds much as corporations do today. In the world of 2033, donors are more like investors – they seek out opportunities rather than demanding grant proposals. He talks more about the donor/investor divide on his blog.

The idea is interesting, and appealing.  But I do think that large donors would prefer continue to design development strategies that meet goals of their own choosing, rather than let the non-profits drive programming choices.

     
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    Comments (3)

    1. Sean Stannard-Stockton Monday - 03 / 03 / 2008 Reply
      Kevin, been enjoying your blog for awhile now. Thanks for highlighting my column. I agree that in a world where nonprofits are unable to demonstrate how effective their programs are, donors will dictate what they fund. But in a world where program effectiveness is regularly communicated by nonprofits, donations will follow the best programs.

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    1. [...] Philanthropy » Philanthropy Dispatch from the Future I’ve been reading Kevin Dean’s new blog for a couple months now. I appreciated him highlighting my recent FT column today. (tags: blog) [...]

    2. [...] Donorschoose.org is a domestic charity that allows people to fund projects designed by US public school teachers. It is a great initiative, started by teachers but expanded with funding from several successful internet entrepreneurs, and offers donors a lot of information before they give as well as information on project implemention. The format is a lot like Sean Stannard Stockton suggested was the future of philanthropy. [...]

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    Author

    Kevin Dean

    Kevin Dean is a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in international conflict management and humanitarian emergencies at Georgetown University. Before returning to school in Fall 2006, he spent six years working in the former Soviet Union - most of that time spent in Central Asia. He has managed a diverse range of international development programs for the US State Department and USAID. He has also consulted for several UN agencies and international NGOs, and is fluent in Russian. Kevin is originally from Des Moines, Iowa and studied Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Iowa.