2018 END OF YEAR SPECIAL (PART 1)

Our review of 2018

20 December 2018

In part 1, we review some of the biggest stories and themes affecting philanthropy and civil society over the year and look at how we got on with our predictions from the start of the year.  Topics covered include:

Stories and themes:

• Trust, power & accountability
• The Presidents Club Dinner scandal
• Safeguarding and international development
• The rise of networked social movements, New Power etc.
• All change at the Charity Commission
• The Civil Society Futures Inquiry
• A big year for books critiquing philanthropy:
  • Winners Take All: The elite charade of changing the world by Anand Giridharadas
  • Just Giving: How philanthropy is failing democracy and how it can do better by Rob Reich
  • Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva
    

   
Reviewing 2018 predictions

• US tax bill controversy re deduction & Focus on theoretical justification for tax breaks (linked to devolved Scottish powers)
• More focus on advocacy and campaigning (Johnson Amendment)
• More controversy re UK situation re advocacy & campaigning
• More closing space for CS
• Rebalance from service delivery to campaigning
• Non-standard structures for philanthropy
• Move away from impact
• More focus on SDGs
• More awareness of personal data bargain
• GDPR and big fines?
• Open Data and charities
• AI- more ML for social good?
• More bots for advice/customer services
• Conversational AI
• More focus on AI ethics, machine bias etc
• VAR resurgence
• Impact of virtual environments on behaviour
• More crypto-philanthropy
• More blockchain-based giving platforms and tokens
• New digital assets, cryptokitties