• Motivation to focus on philanthropy
• Context of career and current portfolio of work
• Thought exercise: If you had a large fortune, what would be your approach to philanthropy? – also see Rhodri’s blog on this at https://whyphilanthropymatters.com/article/youre-the-philanthropist-now-a-roll-your-own-adventure/
• How do you think about your own giving (i.e. giving small amounts)?
• Understanding the impact and effectiveness of charities and their approaches – impact measurement, learning and evaluation, trust-based philanthropy, human learning systems, delivering outcomes in complex systems and more.
• The obesity systems map I mentioned can be seen in an article here.
• What can smaller charities do to attract (or be attractive to) philanthropists?
• Technology trends and their impact for philanthropy and civil society, including cryptocurrency, blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) e.g. Chat GPT
• Frustrations in philanthropy e.g. lack of data and polarising views; hopes for the future of philanthropy
• A plea for more content to make philanthropy more interesting to a broader audience, rather than technocratic reports that say similar things and don’t move things forward enough.

The main place to find Rhodri’s work is at www.whyphilanthropymatters.com, which includes the Philanthropisms podcast. You can also find him on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Rhodri’s new book, ‘What is Philanthropy for?’ is available here and some further information is below:

The book description is:

“Does charitable giving still matter but need to change?

Philanthropy, the use of private assets for public good, has been much criticised in recent years. Do elite philanthropists wield too much power? Is big-money philanthropy unaccountable and therefore anti-democratic? And what about so-called “tainted donations” and “dark money” funding pseudo-philanthropic political projects? The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified many of these criticisms, leading some to conclude that philanthropy needs to be fundamentally reshaped if it is to play a positive role in our future.

Rhodri Davies, drawing on his deep knowledge of the past and present landscape of philanthropy and civil society, explains why it’s important to ask what philanthropy is for because it has for centuries played a major role in shaping our world. Considering the alternatives, including charity, justice, taxation, the state, democracy and the market, he examines the pressing questions that philanthropy must tackle if it is to be equal to the challenges of the 21st century.”

Reviews include:

“There could not be a more important time to be considering the role of philanthropy in society. This book brilliantly and intelligently places contemporary debates in a historic context. In doing so, Rhodri Davies avoids the extremes of being simply a cheerleader on the one hand, or undertaking a hatchet job on the other. Essential reading for anyone interested in the charity sector.” —Paul Ramsbottom OBE, Chief Executive, Wolfson Foundation

“An unbiased analysis of the various approaches our sector engages in – equal parts historic treatise and futurism think-piece, which tries to answer the salient question: how can we improve philanthropy?” —Edgar Villanueva, activist, author and founder/principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital

“Philanthropy has never been as controversial as it is now. Davies, one of the sector’s most nuanced and intelligent thinkers, explores the complex history of philanthropy, deftly weaving together stories and insights to provide an engaging account of this transformational moment. Whether you’re a seasoned philanthropist or interested in the history and impact of charitable giving, this book is a must-read.” —Asha Curran, Giving Tuesday