A Manifesto for More Meaningful Giving

The Puzzle of Modern Philanthropy: Trillions in Untapped Potential

In a world rife with unprecedented challenges from climate change to chronic homelessness, wealth is also becoming more concentrated than ever. In response, many UHNW individuals are expressing genuine intentions to gear up their giving. Yet trillions of dollars in philanthropic capacity continues to sit on the sidelines and thousands of passionate and proximate social entrepreneurs are struggling to raise the resources they need to tackle our most pressing challenges.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The Inadequacy of Current Approaches

The most prevalent approaches to engage the wealthy in philanthropy largely fall under two categories: public shaming and policy reform. Neither is fully effective. Shaming is rarely motivating, while policy changes take too long in our divided political climate. Though the pandemic saw a slight increase in philanthropy, it’s not enough.

We Are Reaching a Crossroads: Ruin or Reinvention

We stand at a crossroads between destructive societal reset, as Walter Scheidel warns, and an opportunity for reinvention. Reshaping how we relate to each other and how we voluntarily allocate our resources is truly a viable option, not a naive dream. From the latest findings in evolutionary and behavioral psychology to the core teachings of world religions and indigenous practices, there’s plenty of evidence that the great majority of us are wired to look out for each other and freely give to meet others’ needs. But to pull this off at a scale that can actually move the needle on our biggest challenges will take new ways of thinking, feeling and acting across the field.

A Key Realization: Meaningful Giving Goes Beyond Just Trying to Maximize Impact

At Building Impact Partners, we've facilitated over $1B in giving over a decade. One of the key insights? Driving strategically towards maximum impact is not enough. To reach its full potential, philanthropy must also be grounded in personal growth, connection, and feelings of fulfillment for all those involved, including the donor.

Trying too hard to perfect the strategic side of philanthropy can turn it into a spiritless chore that keeps getting put off. This is a big reason why so much money is still sitting on the sidelines despite many donors’ genuine intentions to give more. For those who do put their money in play, chasing impact above all else can also lead to selfish giving, when high capacity donors don’t connect with those closest to the challenges and fail to reckon with the reality of the world as it actually is. This is the “elite charade of changing the world” that critics have so pointedly called out.

The good news is there is a better way. Meaningful giving is where social impact and donor satisfaction are integrated into something greater.

This is giving in which the donor pursues a personally meaningful vision for a better world, while at the same time embracing reality and seeking to connect and learn from those their giving touches. This way of giving is grounded in a respect for the agency of everyone involved and provides a rich context for personal growth, connecting deeply with others, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that resources are flowing to where they are truly needed.

Rising, Relating and Reallocating:

Three Guiding Principles for Meaningful Giving

Setting an Immediate, Achievable Goal: A 50% Increase in Individual Giving

Many of us see the critical potential for philanthropy to do more in a world on fire. What if we focus our efforts on an immediate target of increasing annual individual giving in the U.S. from $325 billion to $500 billion? There’s a role for everyone here, but when it comes to sheer giving capacity, the wealthiest 100,000 Americans are uniquely positioned to help. We could reach the $500B goal if the wealthiest 130,000 Americans (with a combined net worth of $15 trillion) increased their annual giving from $85B to $235B and giving from everyone else increased by less than 10%. Indeed, in a world with 5% interest on bank deposits, many UHNW individuals could double or even triple their current rate of giving each year without even reducing their overall wealth.

Reaching This Goal Will Require Philanthropy Advisors and Social Entrepreneurs to Step Up In New Ways Too

The call to rise, relate and re-allocate applies not just to donors, but to all of us engaged in the field of philanthropy. Advisors who answer this call can find themselves moving beyond the familiar comfort of strategic philanthropy, into deeper territory with their donors. Social entrepreneurs have an opportunity to transcend the dominant paradigm of transactional, scarcity-based fundraising, instead showing up in ways that align deeply with their lived experience and that create openings for donors to advance in their own journey towards more meaningful giving.

Access Customized Resources for Donors, Advisors and Social Entrepreneurs Here at Meaningfulgiving.co

Many of us share a vision to help make the most of philanthropy at a pivotal time. In service of this vision, Meaningfulgiving.co offers a platform to support three types of key players in the philanthropic ecosystem. Whether you're a donor, a philanthropy advisor, or a social entrepreneur, here you'll find resources and community connection points tailored to your specific role and your journey

E-Newsletters: Regular updates on best practices, useful tools and inspiring stories.
Money with Meaning book: An in-depth guide to meaningful giving, where joy and impact come together.
Learning Libraries: Curated content, including videos, worksheets and other resources specifically focused for donors, advisors and entrepreneurs.
Live Learning Opportunities: Interactive sessions targeted to donors, advisors, and entrepreneurs.
Training and Coaching Programs: One-on-one and cohort-based programs for personalized guidance and peer support.