Reimagining Philanthropy’s Response to the Polycrisis into the Future

By Louise Driver, Executive Director of IPASA

 

As 2024 draws to an end and we start planning for the new year, IPASA is focused on preparing independent philanthropy for the uncertainty and unpredictability that the immediate future holds. Last month our IPASA 2024 Annual Philanthropy Symposium focused on Reimagining Philanthropy for a Better Future, looking at a radical rethinking of how we approach the future and address complex challenges. The concept of futures thinking for philanthropy was introduced showing how this practice can help funders reimagine alternative pathways and develop a flexibility to adapt, anticipate and proactively shape better futures.

Following of from our symposium we launched our 2024 Annual Review of South African Philanthropy publication which focused on the power and promise of philanthropy in addressing the polycrisis. This latest edition looks at how philanthropy could view the intersecting crises we face locally and globally with a different lens to see where the opportunities are for philanthropy to be bold and innovate to develop effective cross-cutting solutions.

This newsletter delves deeper into these themes from our symposium and Annual Philanthropy Review reflecting on what is possible for philanthropy when it looks into the future and reimagines the way it can play to its strengths amidst the polycrisis. What does it mean for leaders in the philanthropy sector and the essential qualities they need, to succeed in this complex challenging times? What does it look like when funders adapt their perspectives and ways of working to respond differently and more effectively to an ever-changing and highly complex environment? How is philanthropy succeeding in adapting to respond to the fast-changing landscape in new and innovative ways?

The articles in this newsletter, many written by some of our symposium speakers, offer responses to some of these questions. They cover the importance of scenario planning in uncertain, complex times and the need for philanthropy leaders to embrace a futures mindset to grasp the possibilities and probabilities of the polycrisis. The contributors look at true systemic change work, emphasizing the need for applying a systems lens to encompass the multiple, complex systemic drivers of an issue as well as exploring the opportunities and initiatives that can leverage systemic change. The importance of community-led philanthropy is also showcased, demonstrating how this practice is often more agile and more context-appropriate during crises. We also look at expanding funders’ capability in funding beyond grants, and how all these intensifying practices can address the escalating issues and connecting crises of rising unemployment, economic decline, inequality and climate change in our country.

We hope this collection of articles, thought pieces and case studies will inspire you and influence you with new ways of thinking and practicing philanthropy into the promise of the new year.

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