By now you may have heard from Bill Gates or Thomas Friedman that Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to fundamentally transform our world. Or you heard the CEO of Google’s parent company Sundar Pinchai claim that AI is “more profound” than fire or electricity in the history of human invention. Or maybe you listened to the fascinating conversation between The New York Times’ Ezra Klein and VOX’s Kelsey Piper, or heard Kara Swisher’s interview with the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman. Reading and listening to these well-informed views, you get a sense that tomorrow will be quite different from today.
Humanity has a new epistemic beast of burden that gets stronger by the day, in the form of a machine that will free our minds from drudgery. Soon, with the help of AI, we will be able to accomplish great things (hopefully avoiding its dangers), allowing our minds to operate at ever more sublime levels, supported by a “co-pilot,” as Microsoft refers to its AI app.
Think of our ancestors’ ability to domesticate animals to carry loads and plough fields, allowing the emergence of cities, the roots of civilization. We are apparently on the cusp of a new era of possibility for human civilization. This time it is not our bodies but our minds that are being freed from toil.
You can sense the immediate utility of an AI like Chat-GPT in enabling the work of philanthropy. Ask it to draft a fundraising letter for a specific amount to benefit a particular nonprofit and it will generate a workable draft in a matter of moments. It may include too much negative information about challenges, but the speed of providing something serviceable is a godsend for every writer who has stared at a blank sheet of paper, or its digital equivalent.
It can be equally helpful to donors seeking to explore a range of strategies to advance their philanthropy. You can ask it to formulate a grantmaking strategy for a family foundation interested in women’s and girls’ causes, and you will get an adequate five-point summary – not unlike what you might expect from an initial conversation with a philanthropic advisor.
Chat-GPT can also help you with research in ways that give you more direct answers than the myriad of links that are generated by a search engine. You can ask it to define philanthropy, to synthesize the key critiques of philanthropy, or to express it in a variety of styles. You can even search for the best graduate program in philanthropy, and you will get an answer that I find quite pleasing.
It is natural that so much attention is focusing on the power of AI as a tool, one that is disrupting the creation of content (drafting news stories and college essays), the evaluation of cognitive competency (passing AP and Bar exams), and the advancement of science (successfully predicting how proteins fold). Indeed, this is what our new Data for Good Certificate seeks to enable – to help professionals harness data to improve the outcomes of their work.
As a tool, or a rapidly expanding set of tools, AI continues to grow in power, promising profound transformation. Much more than accelerating and improving the current ways we do things and organize ourselves, AI has the potential to upend the status quo and create what has not even been imagined yet.
Some predict an era of such material abundance that philanthropy will recede in importance. Others, like Sam Altman, envision a utopian future where we are free to truly devote ourselves completely to philanthropy. Actually, philanthropy may be much more integral to generating the kind of AI that synthesizes vast amounts of human knowledge at breakneck speed to benefit the public. The community of science and the public knowledge it generates are based on an ethic of generous sharing that has produced much of the data that AI is now using as its raw material.
Thomas Friedman calls the advent of AI a Promethean moment, akin to the invention of the printing press or the scientific revolution. Students of philanthropy will recall that the Promethean myth is the first literate articulation of philanthropy, with Prometheus being punished by the gods of Olympus for providing humans a fateful gift – knowledge. The question to ask is what will happen to the ecosystem of scientific knowledge that is in part at least based on the generous exchange of knowledge among us. What will happen as this deeply communal process becomes increasingly mediated by machines?
We are entering an era of hard-to-fathom syntheses and manipulations of the available store of human knowledge that will generate new capabilities reliant on the ability of machines to process knowledge in ways that are beyond unaided human capacity. Beyond programming AI’s to “love humanity,” will their human minders also be selected based on their philanthropic instincts or commitments?
Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt (the former CEO of Google) and the dean of MIT’s new Computing School write: “AI begs for an ethic of its own—one that reflects not only the technology’s nature, but also the challenges posed by it.”
The global community of science relies on an ethic of sharing and a commitment to the public good. Regrettably, there have been many examples of authorities harnessing science for purposes that scientists themselves were reluctant to engage. This may be a reason why many are revisiting accounts of the advent of nuclear weapons: to understand how powerful new technologies emerge, but also how they have, so far, been able to be managed without unleashing their full destructive power. There is a robust tradition that developed an ethic to accompany the advent of nuclear weapons. It could inform emerging efforts to engage the ethics of digital technologies. In any case, the moral imagination that is part of philanthropic traditions at their best is now being called on to comprehend and manage the transformational changes we face.
In partnership with national organizations UNCF, the Indiana Fever WNBA team, the NCAA, and the PepsiCo Foundation, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School are helping changemakers, rising leaders and nonprofit organizations increase opportunities for making social change and address equity gaps in philanthropy.
Each of these initiatives is designed to help individuals from under-resourced groups and diverse communities prepare for leadership roles in ways that will help them advance in both their career opportunities and their philanthropic engagement. These opportunities also help the nonprofit organizations the individuals lead and serve by increasing their capacity to make an impact and achieve their missions.
The PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK recently announced that 16 Black nonprofit leaders have been selected for the 2023 Black Changemakers program, a program developed to uplift Black community leaders and amplify their voices to showcase the positive impact they are making. The nonprofit leaders selected for this year’s program, who each receive a $50,000 grant for their nonprofit, represent organizations focused on education, youth development and mentorship, food insecurity, job training, financial literacy, and more.
The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School have been chosen to provide leadership development training for the program to help further propel positive impact in the Black Changemakers’ communities. In addition, the 2023 Black Changemakers receive software, technical assistance and one-on-one coaching from Network for Good.
Faculty from the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School designed a research-based leadership development curriculum and are leading training sessions to help the Black Changemakers guide their organizations thoughtfully into the future. Participants are learning essential leadership skills including developing vision, serving as a change agent leader, coaching, serving as an in-group leader, innovation, strategic planning, program development, and storytelling, all of which lead to compelling fundraising opportunities.
In partnership with UNCF’s (United Negro College Fund) Teaching and Learning Center, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School hosted more than 50 senior development leaders from 27 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as UNCF staff members, for the UNCF Teaching and Learning Center Philanthropy Institute, an executive leadership program held in Indianapolis in summer 2022. Institute participants primarily are vice presidents for development or chief development officers at their respective institutions.
The institute provided the leaders with research-based knowledge and practical instruction on how they can enhance their fundraising efforts and on heightened leadership and communication skills to have a positive impact across their advancement offices. The curriculum, offered over two and a half days, focused on leadership on fundraising, board engagement, engaging women and donors of color, and examining what it means to be African American in the field of fundraising.
Following the Institute, the Mays Institute and The Fund Raising School developed and are leading a series of virtual course sessions on specific aspects of fundraising and philanthropy such as major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaigns. The sessions are being offered between fall 2022 and fall 2023.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School partnered to help prepare two groups of 40 rising professionals from college athletic departments across the United States become leaders in their organizations and their field. They participated in an eight-week virtual course, Foundations of Fundraising, in spring 2022 and winter 2023. Participants were selected by the NCAA, with preference given to women and people of color. The program was designed to help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within the leadership ranks of college sports through access to training that is essential for upward career advancement.
Sports are an integral part of society, transcending race, religion, socio-economic status, and cultural difference, and they provide athletes with a unique platform for raising social awareness, which in turn can inspire valuable solutions to societal issues. For the past two years, in collaboration with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever basketball team and Anthem, Inc. (now known as Elevance Health), the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, with curriculum support from The Fund Raising School has led the Athlete to Advocate program for Fever players through which they earn a professional executive certificate on “Sports, Leadership and Social Justice.”
The program is designed for emerging leaders in athletics seeking to gain insights and apply cutting-edge knowledge to their leadership roles on and off the basketball court. Participating players expand their awareness of how philanthropy, sports, leadership and social justice intersect to inform effective approaches to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion while alleviating social inequality. They hone skills that enhance their philanthropic activities and advocacy and enable them to have a positive impact across society, including on issues associated with racial injustice, through their unique platform as professional athletes.
Athlete to Advocate equips athletes to engage new external audiences within their local communities; help develop and cultivate national audiences; demonstrate and set an example of how philanthropy (including time, talent, treasure, and testimonies) has a positive impact on reducing systematic racial inequality; and display how sports can help pioneer the way to a better tomorrow.
"We are honored to collaborate with and learn from these organizations as they create meaningful change,” said Una Osili, Ph.D., Dean’s Fellow for the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy. “By sharing our research, expertise, and proven practices, the school and these partners are taking positive, practical steps that foster greater diversity in professional fundraising and the leadership of the philanthropic sector.”
Inquire about customized training from The Fund Raising School
The 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT) recently released by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy highlights data and insights on international giving that can inform NGOs and policy makers as they address global issues. Representing data from 47 countries at all stages of economic development, the GPT measures cross-border charitable giving and examines how philanthropy enables and enhances efforts to address complex challenges – from poverty, food insecurity, health, and climate change to racial injustice to inequality facing women and girls.
The GPT is a critical tool that bridges the gap between the increasing need for philanthropy and the lack of available data insights about the scope of cross-border giving. It is a part of the suite of Global Philanthropy Indices and other international giving resources researched and written by the school.
The new report also compares cross-border philanthropy to three other cross-border financial resource flows, including official development assistance (ODA), private capital investment, and remittances. The GPT demonstrates how civil society, government, business, and individuals collaborate to find sustainable solutions for societal issues around the globe.
“The Global Philanthropy Tracker provides a holistic picture of the global community that is rarely depicted publicly. Private capital investment represents the role of financial markets, ODA is from the government, remittances are from family, and philanthropy is about helping strangers,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the school. “These are the resource-based bonds we form across borders to address problems and support people beyond our own countries. The 2023 GPT’s findings reflect the enduring commitment to helping others that is a foundational element of all cultures around the world.”
The 47 countries in the 2023 GPT represent 22% of all economies worldwide, including 61% of the global population and 85% of the global GDP in 2020. Among the insights:
“Global philanthropy proved its resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic by adjusting to the new normal of economic shocks and uncertainty,” said Una Osili, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “Remittances saw a large increase (19%) in 2020 as migrants sent more money back home to support their families during the pandemic. We have also witnessed the role that both philanthropy and remittances can play in addressing urgent needs and challenges in communities. NGOs, policymakers and other leaders can apply the insights gained from global giving during this crisis to support local and regional actors working for social change.”
The 2023 GPT identifies three ideas for the international community to reimagine the role of philanthropy in sustainable development. By leveraging the lessons learned, leaders can respond appropriately to current and future challenges. The GPT report identifies opportunities for developing global standards for data tracking and promotion of data transparency; strengthening the role of local philanthropic organizations and enabling innovation in cross-border philanthropy.
Additional resources from the Global Philanthropy Tracker, including an infographic, the full report, individual country reports, and an executive summary available in multiple languages are available on the Global Indices website.
Associated Press/The Chronicle of Philanthropy:Americans know very little about charities, new poll finds
Axios (national): The season of giving
Bloomberg News: Crypto Donations to Charity Falter on Fuzzy Tax Rules, Value Dips
Barron’s: Voice of Change: 16 U.S. Black Nonprofit Leaders Receive $50,000 Grants
Devex: Global giving tracking could be key to reaching UN goals: Report
NonProfitPRO: 8 major nonprofit trends for 2023
The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Banking Failures Add to Growing Economic Uncertainty for Nonprofits
2024 IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Commencement Ceremony
700 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
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IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy will be hosting a recognition ceremony for the 2024 graduates at the NCAA on May 11, 2024, starting promptly at 3:00 PM. Please plan to arrive no earlier than 2:...Read more
Philanthropic Landscape and Engagement of African Donors in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Join the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for a webinar on the philanthropic landscape and engagement of African donors in sub-Saharan Africa. Register
Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference 2024
700 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis
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Come together as researchers studying charitable giving share their findings with practitioners in the field of philanthropy.
Science of Philanthropy Initiative Conference 2024
700 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis
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Come together as researchers studying charitable giving share their findings with practitioners in the field of philanthropy.
