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Philanthropisms

Rhodri Davies

Philanthropisms is the podcast that puts philanthropy in context. Through conversations with expert guests and deep dives into topics, host Rhodri Davies explores giving throughout history, the key trends shaping generosity around the world today and what the future might hold for philanthropy. Contact: rhodri@whyphilanthropymatters.com.

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  • 24 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 54 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • S1 · E96
    Dec 18, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min

    What Next? 2026 Trends and Predictions for Philanthropy & Civil Society

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode we offer thoughts on the trends and topics that are going to shape philanthropy and civil society in 2026. Including: Philanthropy & Charities Ongoing political challenges for US philanthropy (more attacks on the legitimacy of foundations; will Trump weaponise the IRS?) More billion-dollar gifts; more donors signalling intent (e.g. by joining the Giving Pledge); the emergence of some new big-money philanthropists (including some high-profile women?) How will global civil society adapt to a new normal post-USAID? Will Asia start to shape global philanthropy? As the “impact economy" reframing takes hold in the UK, where will philanthropy fit in? Will the further rise of populism and the far right in UK lead to more attacks on charities and foundations? Renewed focus on locality/place as a lens for philanthropy? Societal Trends Will the growing desire for comfort/de-stressing and the emphasis on individual solutions contribute to the erosion of associational life? Do CSOs need to make the case for collective forms of wellbeing? Will growing demands for authenticity require CSOs to take stronger lines on issues, and to accord with supporters views and values? As people increasingly look to individuals as sources of authority, will CSOs need to find ways of partnering with influencers? As concerns about declining population growth enter the mainstream, what impact will this have on philanthropy and civil society? Technology: As platform philanthropy continues to grow, will we start to see the “enshittification of giving"? How can charities navigate the challenges of AI slop and misinformation? Will we see further ethical questions about CSOs use of GenAI? As search shifts towards GenA, will charities need to adapt to a new normal in which no-one visits their websites anymore? Is 2026 the year that technologies we’ve been talking about for a long time become mainstream? (E.g. autonomous vehicles, smart home appliances, AR/VR/Smart glasses?) Is 2026 the year of Quantum technology? (And what implications will this have for philanthropy and civil society?) Further Resources: WPM articles on Peter Thiel and Elon Musk WPM guide to quantum technology and philanthropy & civil society Philanthropisms podcast episodes on populism and AI Euromonitor's 2026 Global Consumer Trends report Nieman Labs 2026 Predictions for Journalism

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  • S1 · E95
    Dec 11, 2025 · 53 min

    Philippa Charles: Foundations and Grantmaking

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Philanthropisms podcast we speak to Philippa Charles OBE, Chief Executive of the DFN Foundation, about the role of foundations and what it means to be a good grantmaker. Including: What is required to make core cost funding work from the funder’s point of view? What challenges do current grant application processes present for charities? How can we minimise or overcome these challenges? The relationship between fundraisers and funders (or donors) is often portrayed as somewhat antagonistic. How do we reframe it as a partnership in which both sides are benefitting? How do you say no to funding requests in a constructive way? How can fundraisers build longer-term relationships with funders and donors? What else can donors/funders bring to the table beyond money? How useful is access to a donor/funder’s networks for grantees? Is there too much competition and not enough collaboration in the philanthropy sector? Why is this? It is often argued that a key part of the role of philanthropy is to drive society forward by taking risks and funding things that the state and market cannot – but has philanthropy become too risk-averse? Do we need a better narrative about what it means to “fail” and to “succeed” in philanthropy? Do foundations in general currently give enough each year as a percentage of their overall assets? Is there an argument for encouraging/pushing them to give more? Are their arguments in favour of at least some foundations existing for the long term (or in perpetuity)? Further Resources: https://dfnfoundation.org/ Philanthropisms podcast episodes with Sonal Patel, Sally Vivyan & Oli French, and Kate Symondson. WPM articles: “Why Isn’t All Philanthropy Trust-Based Philanthropy?” and “What’s The Point of Philanthropic Foundations? Part 3: Current Issues”

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  • S1 · E94
    Nov 27, 2025 · 45 min

    Rachael Jarosh & Suzanne Ehlers: Women-led philanthropy in support of refugees

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk to Rachael Jarosh and Suzanne Ehlers, Chair and CEO respectively of USA for UNHCR, the US-based support organisation for the United Nations refugee agency, about their new women-led philanthropy project Building Better Futures. Including What is the aim of the Building Better Futures campaign and how did it come about? Why was it decided to focus on access to education? What makes that such an powerful catalyst for wider change? Why do female refugees face particular challenges when it comes to accessing education? Does fundraising from female donors need to be done differently? If so, how? Why is narrative and storytelling so important? What impact does applying a gender lens to funding have? Do female donors put more of an emphasis on collective approaches? What additional value can this bring? Is it easier or harder for a large organisation like the UNHCR to fundraise from donors than for a smaller organisation? Are there particular challenges right now for organisations working with refugees and migrants? How can these be overcome? Further Resources: USA for UNHCR The Building Better Futures campaign Jessica de Rothschild talking about her involvement with Building Better Futures in Spears Magazine Suzanne and Jessica de Rothschild's article for Inside Philanthropy, "Fundraising Wasn’t Built for Women. So We Built Something New" WPM article "Philanthropy at a time of chaos" Philanthropisms podcasts with Sarah Jeffrey, Victoria Tayler & Lonnie Hackett; Lisa Greer, Farahnaz Karim; and Elizabeth Barajas-Román

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  • S1 · E93
    Nov 13, 2025 · 59 min

    Asha Curran: Radical generosity & the power of everyday giving

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk to Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday, about the evolution of Giving Tuesday from its origins as a US-based giving day to its current incarnation as a global generosity movement operating in over 100 countries worldwide; and what she has learned about the power of everyday acts of giving. Including: How has GivingTuesday evolved since its inception over a decade ago? What are the key aims of the organisation today? How important does the actual Giving Tuesday day itself remain? What does success look like on the day? What is the role of the GT Data Commons? Is there a decline in generosity in the US (and other countries), or is giving just evolving into new forms? Can emphasising the impact of small acts of generosity give people a sense of agency at a time when they might otherwise feel powerless in the face of major challenges facing our world? Does collective giving build social capital? Can mass giving movements help to counter concerns about the potentially anti-democratic impact of big money philanthropy? Have the Trump administration’s attacks on philanthropy and nonprofits had any impact on GivingTuesday as an organisation and on its mission? What lessons should the nonprofit sector should be taking from populist attacks? FURTHER READING: Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday Data Commons Asha's 2023 SSIR article "The Case for Effusive Altruism" BBC article from 2022, "Giving Tuesday: How day for 'radical generosity' went global" 2021 event "Rewriting the Rules of Giving", moderated by Rhodri, featuring Asha, Lucy Bernholz and Edgar Villanueva. WPM articles, "Language Barriers: is the way we talk about philanthropy and civil society holding us back?" and "Why Are We So Bad at Measuring Giving and Why Does It Matter?" Philanthropisms podcast episodes with Pamala Wiepking, Sara Lomelin and Lucy Bernholz.

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Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes