Policy Briefs

This paper focuses on the shadow side of philanthropy. The paper analyses some of the areas practitioners in the philanthropy sector should apply their minds to and avoid in the journey of building a progressive philanthropy ecosystem that works to serve the aspirations of those who give with good-will and those who receive the good-will gestures. In the analysis on the dimensions that sometimes cast a shadow on giving, the paper shows that this produces mistrust, frustration, exploitation, abuse and misfortune among several other negative ramifications. In this paper we shall point out areas where challenges and excesses exist for purposes of supporting boundary-setting actions in the practice of philanthropy.

This paper focuses on exploring the issues around the mindsets (and orthodoxies) that inform philanthropy and giving. A mindset has been defined by scholars as a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself.
Mindset influences how one thinks, feels, and behaves in any given situation. These mindsets or what some writers call ‘orthodoxies’ are deeply held beliefs about how things are done that often go unstated and unquestioned. These mindsets are not only individual traits, but they can be found in a host of places. Mindsets can be individual or they can be embedded in protocols of organizations and even in practices of an entire industry or different sections of society. The military may have its mindset, just as the church may also have its own mindset.

Mindsets are in themselves conventional wisdoms and help create standard practices that support people and organizations to function efficiently. Mindsets are also known to stimulate both productivity and unproductive resistance. Words like “that’s not how we do things around here” can sometime be mentioned to defend a certain mindset

This paper attempts to explore the nuances around the evolution of aid/development cooperation and philanthropy in Africa and the possibilities of leveraging a progressive relationship between the two forms of giving in development work. It should be noted at the outset that philanthropy and development aid have existed for quite some time as tools for financing and supporting development.

While the story of philanthropy dates back to the Greek formulation of philanthropy as ‘love for humanity’ and the seminal
works of influential capitalist like Andrew Carnegie in his article the ‘Gospel of Wealth’,vphilanthropy has significantly evolved. In its numerous historical epochs, philanthropy has been posited as a tool for addressing the social deficits in society by helping the poor,
contributing to social causes and many such interventions.