Comments on: The Strengths and Weaknesses of ‘Philanthrocapitalism’ http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-philanthrocapitalism Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sean Stannard-Stockton http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-philanthrocapitalism/comment-page-1#comment-6204 Sean Stannard-Stockton Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:00:36 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-philanthrocapitalism#comment-6204 I'm sure I've made the naive mistake you warn against: "it can be an equally daunting challenge to encourage the new players to not assume that everything they’re espousing is all that new." I like the way you put the issue "these are complex issues occurring in rapidly changing times." I DO think that something "new" is emerging in philanthropy. That we are in the midst of a tectonic shift in the field. But I believe we are in an age of integration, not revolution. I’m sure I’ve made the naive mistake you warn against: “it can be an equally daunting challenge to encourage the new players to not assume that everything they’re espousing is all that new.”

I like the way you put the issue “these are complex issues occurring in rapidly changing times.” I DO think that something “new” is emerging in philanthropy. That we are in the midst of a tectonic shift in the field. But I believe we are in an age of integration, not revolution.

]]> By: Cynthia Gibson http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-philanthrocapitalism/comment-page-1#comment-6203 Cynthia Gibson Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:39:04 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2008/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-of-philanthrocapitalism#comment-6203 Serendipitously, someone today asked for advice on whom they might contact to provide a rebuttal to the philanthrocapitalism concept at an upcoming philanthropy forum, and the first name that popped into my mind was Phil Buchanan's (and I sent this exact piece to them). And for the exact same reasons as you outline, Sean. We need more voices like Phil's -- those who understand that these are complex issues occurring in rapidly changing times and that falling into the trap of "this is good" and "this is bad" hurts everyone who's trying to figure out how to increase nonprofits' resources. Nuances aren't necessarily bad things but can be incentives for deeper exploration. What I think sometimes happens, though, is that those "new" on the scene (at least in the eyes of old-timers) sometimes appear to be promoting "big new ideas" in ways that automatically challenge (and irritate) those they ostensibly want to convert. Language is important and to many in the nonprofit sector who don't have MBAs or are economists, the terms that are increasingly used to discuss new ideas are confusing and, to some, "old wine in new bottles." So, it's important to recognize that while it can be an ongoing struggle to persuade the "old guard" to be more open-minded, it can be an equally daunting challenge to encourage the new players to not assume that everything they're espousing is all that new. Serendipitously, someone today asked for advice on whom they might contact to provide a rebuttal to the philanthrocapitalism concept at an upcoming philanthropy forum, and the first name that popped into my mind was Phil Buchanan’s (and I sent this exact piece to them). And for the exact same reasons as you outline, Sean. We need more voices like Phil’s — those who understand that these are complex issues occurring in rapidly changing times and that falling into the trap of “this is good” and “this is bad” hurts everyone who’s trying to figure out how to increase nonprofits’ resources. Nuances aren’t necessarily bad things but can be incentives for deeper exploration. What I think sometimes happens, though, is that those “new” on the scene (at least in the eyes of old-timers) sometimes appear to be promoting “big new ideas” in ways that automatically challenge (and irritate) those they ostensibly want to convert. Language is important and to many in the nonprofit sector who don’t have MBAs or are economists, the terms that are increasingly used to discuss new ideas are confusing and, to some, “old wine in new bottles.” So, it’s important to recognize that while it can be an ongoing struggle to persuade the “old guard” to be more open-minded, it can be an equally daunting challenge to encourage the new players to not assume that everything they’re espousing is all that new.

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