There have been many articles about the “new” face of philanthropy. So what does it really look like?
If anything is
clear about the new philanthropists it is that there is no single profile. They
are of all ages and in industries from tech to retail to finance to real
estate.
There is evidence
of a shift from legacy foundations to living donors as a major source of
giving.
Those in the new
philanthropy may also be willing to take more risk and to respond with greater
urgency.
Many of these
donors are giving to very traditional recipients like universities, cultural
institutions, and hospitals. And, as with previous generations, much of the
giving is waiting until the donor is older. As David Callahan said in
Inside Philanthropy,
they “turn from making futures to depositing them.”
Some big gifts
have made waves, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s donations to
support the
unexpected goal of “curing all diseases.” But there have always been gifts focused on
fresh causes. It isn’t clear that this generation is fundamentally different.
To read more
about new philanthropy visit “What’s Different about the ‘New Philanthropists (If Anything?) in Inside Philanthropy.