Philanthropy & Digitalisation

Last week, Boodle Hatfield hosted an event by Global Philanthropic, convening some of the most brilliant philanthropic thinkers and doers in the world to delve into the intersections of philanthropy and digitalisation.

Research shows that in the last five years, philanthropy has become more digital, instant, and democratised than ever before. Technological innovations and new donation initiatives have the potential to change the mindset and behaviour of everyday donors and strengthen philanthropy across the globe. But of course, there are many challenges associated with this, including inequality, trust, integration, and general digital fatigue. Throughout the evening, we had a host of expert speakers to share their experiences including Lady Edwina Grosvenor of One Small Thing, Sristi Bakshi of Global Philanthropic, Emily Thomas of Client Earth, Nick Taylor of Altrata and Geoff Holt MBE DL.

Some of my key takeaways from the evening include:

• When reflecting on their philanthropic journey, our speakers raised the common theme of purpose - where did they feel they could really make a difference and contribute meaningfully to dealing with problems with society.  
• There were some really interesting discussions on the impact of digital in the world of philanthropy and how it can enable philanthropists and funders to think far more creatively and ambitiously about the difference they can make. Sristi Bakshi's walk across India and her use of tech to engage people on the issues of gender violence and seek their support was inspirational. She also made a film available on Amazon Prime to tell her story - Women of my Billion 
• All speakers seemed to be thriving by focussing on areas that they love. Geoff Holt MBE DL was particularly inspirational - a born adventurer and sailor, his disability hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his passions and driving barrier free boating for disabled people. He is currently circumnavigating the UK in his boat aiming to raise £1.2m for his charity Wetwheels Foundation - I will post a link separately.

We were thrilled to host another event that provokes thought in an ever-evolving landscape and to be part of a discussion to drive positive change in philanthropy.