3 Questions to Ask in This Era of Trump and Uncertainty

By Stephanie Ellis-Smith

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

— James Baldwin

Photo by Julie Aag

It has been less than a month since Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and his inauguration is still more than eight weeks away. 

Given the freshness of the news and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, I am struck by the wave of commentators confidently declaring exactly why Trump won and detailing exactly what philanthropy and the nonprofit sector must do to prevent the awfulness they are certain is to come.  

I tend to agree with Adam Grant that the future is unknowable and that humans — myself included — are terrible forecasters. Our brains are programmed to seek evidence that validates our beliefs, and in times like this, we must be especially careful with our predictions. 

So rather than share advice based on my own guesses about the next four years, I will  share three questions that I believe all of us — advisers, donors, nonprofit leaders, fundraisers — should be asking now. 

By doing so, I am following the advice we give to our clients when the way forward is unclear: We get curious. We summon the courage to face uncomfortable truths head on. And we resolve to act differently based on what we learn. 

Do we have the stamina to fight for justice over the long haul? 

Much has been written about the cascade of “rage giving” and the resistance movement that followed Trump’s first election in 2016. It remains to be seen whether a similar surge of activity is underway now. There is certainly value in quick-response gifts that fund legal and policy efforts to advance causes that donors care about, particularly in areas like immigrant rights, racial justice, and environmental protection, where Trump has signaled loudly that he plans extreme rollbacks. 

But donors and nonprofit leaders would do well to pace themselves and plan for a long, drawn-out battle. If we learn nothing else from this election, we should heed what real resistance looks like. It’s patient, it’s organized, and it’s unrelenting in its pursuit of its goals. 

We need stamina and patience to keep pushing on creating an equitable and truly democratic nation. While we have a few long-game wins of our own (see marriage equality), we can still be too quick to follow shiny new theories or fads that may be great in a moment but can still pull us off course. Will our multi-factioned coalition of social justice practitioners be able to find a pace that is slow and steady enough to be sustained over many decades, yet with the same sense of urgency that moves us forward?

Philanthropy was meant to fund the gap left from government services. What do we do if the gap becomes a canyon?

While we cannot purport to know what the future holds, we can take seriously what we’ve been told about immediate plans for change. For example, we know that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will team up to run the Department of Government Efficiency, a new agency to cut “waste” from other federal agencies. They and their acolytes are signaling drastic cuts or even the elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more. 

Taking these announcements at face value, donors and nonprofit leaders must plan how to serve their communities in these crucial program areas without their federal government partners. For example, what does the conservation and environmental movement look like with no EPA? Philanthropies  often promote  approaches that incorporate  lofty and sometimes academic theories of change, celebrating those that are laser-focused on fixing “root causes” or changing entire systems that contribute to intractable problems — while overlooking the need for day-to-day support.

If these agencies are dissolved and their funding dries up, donors will need to invest more in direct service while also devising new strategies for longer-term change. We may face unprecedented and urgent needs for basic assistance in our communities.  What role will philanthropy play to, at minimum, take care of the daily needs of our fellow citizens? What could the modern version of old-school “charity” look like?

If a hole is left by the withdrawal of government funding, will we allow ourselves to organize and fund in a way that is responsive to our communities without judgment, and without unhelpful infighting about what “good” and “effective” philanthropy looks like? 

The rich are likely to get richer. What will they do with the surplus capital?

Trump gave tax breaks to the wealthy in his first administration with the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act and has signaled his intention to do more of the same. Investors are seeing their portfolios soar since the election. The one prediction I am willing to make is that wealth inequality will worsen as the rich get richer. 

Many philanthropists will have more resources than ever before. Call me a cynic, but I’m not sure their gains will translate to bigger gifts to the sector. While I hope I am wrong, this election was won by stoking fear in the electorate. The unpredictability of what the Trump administration may do, and when and how, likely means prolonged periods of unease and uncertainty ahead. 

Will the wealthiest take that as a sign to squirrel away more of their assets for themselves as a hedge? That’s a tough question to ask, and the answer may be even harder to hear, but history (and human nature) indicates that periods of extreme uncertainty and “scarcity thinking,” drive people to act more in their own self-interest rather than for the common good. 

I’m grateful that there are so many community-minded donors who care about underserved communities and underresourced issues. I hope their numbers rise in the coming years. But it would serve us well as a sector to understand the emotional and economic motivations that drove the election’s outcome and to ask how we may engage an increasingly fearful, and at times self-interested, population. 

No doubt there will be many more questions to ask and hard truths to swallow in the weeks and months ahead. But for now, my message to my peers and colleagues is to face our future with courage. We are such an optimistic bunch; we have to be to do what we do. We must have faith in our convictions and that we won’t be shaken off course, even when we’re forced to ask tough questions of ourselves. 

Finally, to all indefatigable donors and community organizers out there (especially to my Black sisters), make time for rest. We are in it for the long haul, and whether the electorate at large recognizes you for it or not, you make this world go around, and we would not be where we are today without you.

(Originally published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy Nov. 21, 2024)

Giving Across the Pond

By Lauren Janus

This summer, our family will move back to the US after close to 8 years spent in the United Kingdom. It’s been, as they say here, “a brilliant” ride. 

I’ve made lasting friendships, gained an appreciation for a proper cup of tea, and had two British babies on this undeniably chilly isle. When American friends ask about life in Britain, they usually want to know about these things…and Brexit, ugh. 

While I’m always up for chatting about British versus American cuisine or parenting styles, I usually try to steer the conversation to the topic I’ve found to be, hands down, the most fascinating--the differences between the US and UK charitable giving culture. 

My background is in the non-profit sector and when we arrived, I naively assumed the cultures would be the same. We speak the same language and share similar values, after all. It only makes sense that we’d give to charity in the same way!

But what I found after working in the UK charity sector and advising British clients on their own philanthropy, was that the differences are significant and somewhat surprising.

Americans give 1.45% of GDP to charity—the highest percentage of any other country in the world. The UK gives generously, but it still comes out to just 0.4% of GDP. In dollar terms, Americans give on average $694 per year to nonprofits; Brits give $247.

While by dollar (or pound) amount Brits may seem stingy in comparison to their American cousins, the fact is that people in the UK are incredibly generous. There are just a number of factors at play—many of them rooted in our undeniably different histories and cultural experiences. Here are a few I’ve come to more fully appreciate: 

1.     The strength of the welfare state. It’s no great revelation that British people can, and do, expect a lot from their government. The state provides everything here from healthcare for premature infants to senior housing. 

I know from friends who work in social services charities that it can be a major challenge to convince the British public to donate to causes like homelessness and hospice care, because so many people just expect the government to look after people. 

But things are changing, especially as budgets for healthcare to education come under increasing pressure. In fact, when you look at British charities raising the most money today, groups like Cancer Research UK top the list. So it’s entirely possible British giving to these issues will grow in the coming years.

2.     The relative insignificance of religious giving. One reason Americans give so much to charity is that many of us are giving to our own religious institutions. In fact, 32% of all American charitable giving is to religious causes. In this UK, it’s just 17%.

The fact is that British people just aren’t as religious as Americans. Christmas is essentially a secular holiday here, and religious organizations like churches vary rarely come with the array of services—from youth programs to adult education—that are common (and expensive) in larger American religious institutions. 

Add to that the fact that many Brits grow visibly uncomfortable when you bring up the topics of religion or money, and you’ll certainly see less giving in this area!

3.     The cultural importance of national charities. Before I arrived on these shores, I didn’t understand that the handful of established, national charities in the UK aren’t just widely respected here. In many cases they’re symbols of national pride and values. 

Groups like Save the Children, MacMillan Cancer Support and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution are household names in the UK. They raise millions of pounds a year and inspire thousands of bake sales and prospective marathon runners. 

You simply cannot be a public official and not wear a poppy on your over coat in November to show your support for the Royal British Legion, an independent charity for veterans, for example.   

I happened to be working for Oxfam here when a horrific scandal hit the 80 year-old charity. Oxfam workers were found to have engaged in sex with underage beneficiaries in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti. 

As horrendous as this revelation was, I was taken aback by just how personally this abuse was felt by the British public. People were outraged on behalf of the young girls, but perhaps more so at Oxfam itself. Staff who had dedicated their careers to the organization broke down in tears at staff meetings and security guards were placed at the entrance of the building. It was as if the country itself had been violated. 

American charities have seen their fair share of scandals, to which the public has expressed appropriate outrage. But I really don’t think Americans would have expressed as much hurt and anger as the UK public directed at Oxfam three years ago. Our charitable institutions just aren’t as central to our core sense of values, principles and self as they can feel to the British public. 

Homeward Bound

I’ll always be grateful to this country for the way it’s welcomed our family. But I’m especially thankful for how it’s taught me to question my assumptions about donors’ intentions and perspectives on giving.  The experiences someone has with charitable organizations, giving and community growing up fundamentally shapes how they see themselves as donors today.

Now that we’re ready to return to the US, I’m looking forward to putting this wider experience to use helping the hugely diverse range of American donors get the most joy and fulfilment from their own charitable giving, no matter where they live. 

I welcome discussion. Please feel free to share your comments and questions with me at lauren@philagiving.com.

"What Do You Do?" 5 Things to Know About Philanthropic Advisors

When I meet people for the first time and they ask what I do, I get a thrill in the telling. They often have their own vague ideas, but after hearing my answer, I invariably hear “Wow, you have an amazing job!” Oh yeah. I absolutely do.

This blog about what I do as a philanthropic advisor and why working with someone like me can be, dare I say, not only incredibly rewarding, but also fun. This post is written for major donors, of course, but also for financial advisors, trust and estate attorneys, tax specialists, and any professional working with charitably-minded, high-net-worth individuals who may be “stuck” when it comes to their giving.

Before I dive headlong into the details of the work, I will first answer a basic question: “What exactly IS a philanthropic advisor?” Well, we are those professional advisors you hire to help guide the charitable aspects of your life. We are thought partners to individuals, couples, families and estates who want to become more intentional and impact-focused with their giving. We advise on appropriate giving vehicles, help you discover both empirically and emotionally what you care most deeply about, and help you understand your impact. But that’s just the tip of iceberg. We do so much more.

Some philanthropic advisors specialize in issue areas (international giving, women and girls, etc.) or specific types of philanthropy (effective altruism, social justice, collective giving). Others specialize in different types of clientele (women, international families, the mega-wealthy, novices, companies small and large, etc.). Regardless, all are dedicated to making giving more meaningful and productive for the donor as well as the beneficiary.

And now, here are five things to know about what I (and Philanthropic Advisors in general) do:

1.   We know the field. The world of philanthropy is incredibly diverse and complex. Philanthropic Advisors are knowledgeable about giving vehicles, strategies, and opportunities that can make giving to charity joyful and meaningful. We are here to answer questions: Should you establish a Donor Advised Fund, a foundation, or both? Can you donate land, art, or real estate to fund your giving? To whom shall your gift be given, when, and under what terms? We are skilled at working with financial advisors and attorneys to help you sort out the best options available so that you make the wisest possible decision to meet your charitable goals.

2.   We know the issues. Philanthropic Advisors stay on top of the issues to help advise their clients on best practices in the field of giving. We are polymaths. We are able to take deep dives with you into your issue area, help you discern the best organizations with whom to engage and how, and even make strategic introductions to help you develop your own learning community. And when we don’t have the answer, we have deep and wide connections to professionals who do. 

3.   We help you get at the “Why”. When you’re ready to get more intentional with your giving, and maybe increase the size of your gifts, it’s no longer enough to just “write a check”, giving on the fly. At some point, it becomes necessary to become more strategic in affecting positive change. We ask deep and meaningful questions to help you discern the “why” of your giving. At Phila Engaged Giving, after an in-depth Discovery Period, you will receive a comprehensive Wealth and Giving Planthat outlines your mission, vision and values; a giving budget, and the specific methods you will employ to achieve your goals.

4.   We facilitate the tough conversations. Are your family members aware of their potential inheritance, or how to manage it? Is your multi-generational family all on the same page about who you’re giving to and why? For some, these can be touchy topics, but Philanthropic Advisors are skilled at facilitating these conversations with grace and knowledge. We can help your family grow closer by planning and reflecting on values and interests that lead to intentional decisions as philanthropists. 

5.   We help you stay focused. We all have busy lives juggling work, family, school, and so much more. We know you care about the non-profits you are committed to and want to do more with your giving, but let’s face it. That noble goal is pretty easily lost in the hustle that is our daily grind. Philanthropic Advisors are here to remind you of important deadlines, opportunities, optimal times to give. We keep our eye on the ball so you don’t have to.

You likely have already hired lawyers, an accountant, and financial advisors (if you haven’t, call me) and those relationships are fairly well-understood. However, as philanthropy is getting ever more attention with the looming great wealth transfer, philanthropic advisors, like Phila Engaged Giving, are becoming necessary to understand the connection between money and meaning. If you are charitably-minded and are able to donate a sizeable amount each year ($100,000 or more), you should consider adding a strategic Philanthropic Advisor to your team. Doing so will help you reach the next level of charitable giving and expose you to a new world of meaningful opportunities. 

Faith and Charity

Photo by Billy Pasco

Depending on the part of the country in which you live, it may not be obvious how central religious giving is to the philanthropic sector in the United States. Donors in parts of the country that are more religious, tend to give more, give more widely, and volunteer more. For example, Southern donors give roughly 5.2 percent of their discretionary income to charity—religious and secular—compared with donors in the Northeast, who give 4.0 percent. Churches, temples, mosques, and their non-profit supporting agencies deploy billions annually to aid people all around the world. 

The value of generosity is a concept that has deep roots in many faiths. However, given that next month hosts the high holidays of the three Abrahamic faiths (Ramadan in Islam, Passover in Judaism, and Easter in Christianity), this blog post explores the role of giving in each of them.

For Muslims, giving is one of theFive Pillars of Islam. “Zakat” (meaning to grow in purity and is focused on charity or alms-giving) is an annual payment of 2.5 percent of one’s assets, considered by many as the minimum obligation of their religious giving. A majority of Muslims worldwide make their annual zakat payments as a central faith practice.

Above and beyond the required zakat, many Muslims make additional gifts (referred to broadly as “sadaqa”). Interestingly, the word shares the same root as the Jewish “tzedakah,” meaning justice. Muslim giving also focuses primarily on the poor. Of course, charitable giving is not just for the rich. For those with no money to give, the Prophet Muhammad considered even the simple act of smiling to be charity, a gift to another.

In Judaism, the Hebrew Scriptures refer to “tzedakah,” literally meaning justice. Tzedakah is considered a commandment and a moral obligation that all Jews should follow. The commitment to justice places a priority on their giving to help the poor. Beyond giving just time and money, rabbis even spoke of “gemilut chasadim,” literally meaning loving-kindness, or focusing on right relationship with one another as the prerogative of religious giving. 

Even more broadly, an ancient Jewish phrase, “tikkun olam,” meaning to repair or heal the world, has been adopted by many religious and secular causes. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush all spoke to a vision of “tikkun olam” in their speeches. 

Similarly, Christianity has considered giving a key religious practice. Many Christians still look to the Hebrew Bible and the tithe, which involves giving one-tenth of an individual’s income, as God’s commandment. In the New Testament, Jesus not only spoke of giving a tithe but challenged followers to give far beyond it. 

For instance, in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus challenged the rich, young ruler to sell all his possessions. Pursuing those values, a long monastic tradition has seen men and women taking vows of poverty to give themselves to the work of their faith. Today, while the tithe might not be practiced by a majority of Christians, most understand the practice of giving as a central part of their faith, especially in December as a mark to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

When I think of my own background, I reflexively thought that our Catholic family didn’t have much connection to philanthropy. But upon reflection, I realize that we embodied the consistency, generosity, and intentionality that I counsel in my clients. I remember so clearly that moment every Sunday at Mass when the ushers would walk up and down the aisles with a basket at the end of a long pole that reached in front of every sitting congregant, quietly imploring them to make a deposit. Every week, my father’s jacket pocket contained an envelope, pre-filled out by the Parish, with a contribution inside that he dutifully added to the collection. My sister and I, anticipating this moment in the Mass, pestered our parents for loose change, or even sometimes a bill, to drop in when the basket passed in front of us. In that moment just after making my contribution, I felt grown-up, a part of something, and proud to be joining others in giving. 

Those childhood feelings still inform how I give today, and I am not alone. Among Americans who give to any cause, 55 percent claim religious values as an important motivator for giving. The Discovery Process at Phila probes deeply into your values and how they inform your giving. And in this work, religion is not ignored. Regardless of the basis of your faith, most who grew up in a religious environment can speak to how the rituals, rules, and expectations have left their mark—for good or for ill. This exploration helps our clients reflect with intention and authenticity on what exactly informs the “why” of their giving. 

Instead of simply giving as part of a routine, it is worthwhile to explore the role of faith and values in your philanthropy. Doing so can provide insight into, among other things, the type of organizations you might support, your expectations around impact, and how or if you decide to become more involved with their work. And it is worth remembering too that including your children in your giving ritual, no matter how simple, lays good seeds for a robust philanthropic future.

Having a greater understanding for and appreciation of the charitable mandate in so many faiths, we might see that we have more in common with each other than we might realize. 

This post references statistics from The Chronicle of Philanthropy and uses descriptions of religions giving practices from The Conversation under the Creative Commons license.

Giving by High-Profile Individuals

Author and philanthropist, JK Rowling

Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Pitt, LeBron James, Mark Ruffalo, Oprah Winfrey. These entertainment industry superstars not only lend their names to charitable causes around the globe, they are also among the growing number of celebrities collectively giving over $1 billion dollars to causes ranging from the environment, to education, race and gender issues. Whether it’s J.K. Rowling giving away 16% of her net worth in just one year—with $160 million in donations to various charities—or Colin Kaepernick’s million-dollar pledge to organizations working in oppressed communities, celebrities are increasingly using their powerful voices to affect change.

Guiding those on the global stage through the charitable giving process requires a different approach than working with non-celebrity clients. With any client, Phila moves only as fast as the speed of trust. Trust and integrity are the keys to building the rapport necessary to begin our process. We begin by asking why are you interested in philanthropy and why now? Individuals with a public persona need to spend considerably more time than private individuals asking themselves the big questions around their giving because their success stems directly from the authenticity they display. Philanthropic choices lay bare your personal values to the world. You need more than just money and good intentions; you need to have a reason for giving and as well as a plan.

So what can you expect working with Phila?

Focus. Attention to and focus on not just the client, but their family to ascertain what is most important to them and why is central to our interaction. Our advisors acknowledge the full spectrum of individual and family values, needs, fears, joys, and sorrows—the human and spiritual complexities that come with great wealth and fame. Working with Phila assumes your willingness to engage in self-examination, to ask yourself probing and difficult questions, and to commit to answering them honestly. Questions like: “How did I get here? Who had to make sacrifices to make my success possible?”

Alignment. With all of our clients, the foundational work of planning for philanthropy does not involve reading balance sheets or writing a check. The very first indicator that a charity is a contender for your gift is if their mission aligns with your values. Thus, we spend a significant amount of time exploring who you are as a person. Being in alignment with a cause you publicly support makes the mission match all the sweeter and feels good not just to you the donor, but to the organization you are supporting as well. 

Authenticity. If your personal beliefs and experience are in alignment with a cause, the public will see your advocacy as authentic. Our firm is not about publicity. While it’s true that lending a well-known name to an issue can have positive outcomes for both parties, our driving force is forging authentic relationships based on altruism and shared values. Having a true, deep connection to an issue makes it more likely that your experience as a philanthropist will be rewarding.

Diligence. We are diligent in recommending not only which organizations to work with and how best to support them, but also the infrastructure needed to support your giving. Should you have a foundation or donor advised fund? And if it’s a foundation, should it be operating or non-operating? Many do not realize how complex giving vehicles can be; especially when you consider tax, estate planning, governance, evaluation, and the sustainability of your enterprise. Phila will help you make the right decisions based on your unique needs. 

Discretion. For many, giving is not about recognition it’s about the work. Many prefer to work silently in the background, and out of the spotlight. (Prince’s philanthropy comes to mind.) Based on a client’s preferences, we advise on giving anonymously, the best charitable vehicles to use based on how public you want your giving to be, as well as how to use one’s platform for advocacy. Regardless of your choice, Phila does not publicize who any of our individual clients are, as we believe in creating a private, non-judgmental space to learn and develop your charitable profile. 

Competency. We are experienced in working with individuals, families, and institutions to help our clients get the most out of their giving. Beyond the core competencies required in the social sector (such as, due diligence, governance, compliance, best practices), our greatest skills are the “softer” ones—clear communication, the ability to listen and to show empathy, and a responsiveness to the multiple demands on clients who lead busy, complex lives. 

Collaboration. No one person can do it all. Working with Phila means you gain access to a team of individuals who can address the complicated needs of every client. Whether it’s connecting you to wealth managers, attorneys, personal coaches, or PR agencies—or  working with your established team of professional advisors—we at Phila do not work in a vacuum. We are collaborative by nature and recognize that philanthropy is an expression of the whole person with a variety of needs. 

There are many ways the wealthy and famous can get involved in philanthropy. For those individuals who are looking to connect in a profound and meaningful way to issues they care about, who want to be a part of organizations doing the important work on the ground, and who want to use their talents as well as their treasure, a deep engagement with philanthropy can be especially rewarding. But before you begin in earnest, be sure to take the time to establish a clear understanding of who you are as a person so that your giving will reflect the values that shape your life. Doing so will guide you toward the people out there who are on the front lines of changing the world and need your support.  

A Trio of Books on Philanthropy to Get Your Mind Churning

Looking for thought-proving reading on the current state of philanthropy? Well, there has a been a flood of new books that have, in the words of Jeff Bezos in an entirely different context, “turned over the log” of philanthropy so that we can examine what has been hiding in the dark.

Three important books were published in 2018 that implore us to think critically about the role of philanthropy and wealth in our society. Whether you agree with them or not, you will definitely leave with an opinion and be better informed.

 The first is Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the Worldby Anand Giridharadas. The journalist dismantles the elites of "big philanthropy" and their institutions that maintain the status quo to their extreme advantage. Their giving is palliative rather reparative; in that it refuses to address the root causes of the suffering they’re trying to alleviate because to do so would threaten their position and lifestyle. He speaks with all of the zeal of the converted as an ex-member of the club of thought leaders and pundits who reinforce the notion to the world’s mega-wealthy that their good works is enough, rather than endure the true sacrifice necessary to enforce systemic change. 

 The second is Just Giving: How Philanthropy is Failing Democracy, by Robert Reich (not the former Secretary of Labor of the same name). The philosopher's argument is similar to Giridharadas' in positing that the immense power the very rich hold in philanthropy is inherently undemocratic and erodes the underpinnings of our aspirations toward justice. He goes further to argue that big philanthropy has a big problem with ethics and unfair uses of power by its being unaccountable, nearly perpetual, and hugely tax-advantaged. Reich also suggests ways to use legislation to bring more equity into the philanthropic sector. 

The final book is Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balanceby Edgar Villanueva. If you read his book last, you might think it will be a balm to the previous two books’ searing critiques. While his tone is gentler, he is no less forceful in his arguments on the extreme inequality in philanthropy and society. What is unique here is that Villanueva assesses our current state of affairs through the lens of colonialism. His thoughtful and unique arguments explain his view that finance and philanthropy have not strayed far from its imperialist beginnings. However, unlike Giridharadas and Reich, Villanueva offers Native American-rooted wisdom to help us rebalance and heal from these centuries-old wounds.

 These three authors will no doubt be remembered as the ones who shone a light on philanthropy and encouraged us to be better.