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Philanthropy’s Brave New World

Time changes all things, but according to some experts, philanthropy moved into the fast lane in 2015 and brought about some very significant advances.

“Philanthropy isn’t what it was 50 years ago; in fact, the sector isn’t even what it was last year,” according to Robert Harrison, Chief Executive Officer at Clinton Global Initiative. “From the emergence of Silicon Valley philanthropy, to the growing influence of millennials as social entrepreneurs, to new adventures in virtual reality — 2015 took philanthropy on a ride that captured headlines and our imagination.”

One significant lesson was the impact of technology. The last decade saw the rise of Twitter and other social media, as well as the advent of the smartphone. Harrison points to those advances ushering in “an era of crowdfunding, micro-philanthropy, and other approaches that are revolutionizing how people can make social impact.” He predicts that this year we will see virtual reality “explode” as a tool for inspiring action.

Also, millennials began to take charge in fixing what they see as the most pressing problems worldwide, and are poised to continue their fights in 2016 using social entrepreneurship, which involves putting innovation and ideas into social change.  

To learn more about the changes seen in the last year, see 5 Things 2015 Taught Us About Modern Philanthropy.

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