So what next? Final thoughts and future directions
When we started this project in March 2020, none of us expected that 9 months later, it would still feel like we were in the eye of the storm. It has been almost a year since the first news of COVID-19 started to spread around the world, and yet we remain in a fast moving, fast changing situation.
Where we are
The response and recovery around the world has been vastly different. We have been surprised by the way many countries, who are often sidelined on the world stage, have successfully responded to COVID-19. And we have felt angry and sad for the ways countries usually held in high regard have closed borders, obscured data, neglected vital groups and services, and chose to prioritise economy over human life.
History tells us that philanthropy always plays a pivotal role at a time of crisis. In the face of COVID-19, it is no different. Except that now it’s time to recentre the global philanthropic conversations away from Europe and North America.
Where we need to be
This is why we started this global scan - to explore and expose the brilliant examples of actions being taken by philanthropic organisations from all around the world. We need to be better connected and more aware of what others in the ecosystem are doing - whether it is organisations in our own city, or organisations on the other side of the world.
What we do with these new connections also matters. We need better ways to learn from each other: in this new hybrid world we are entering, a combination of physical and virtual meetings is the perfect opportunity to experiment with and catalyse new ways of exchanging globally.
COVID-19 is not the last crisis we will face - there will be more surprises that catch us out.We need to build different skills and capabilities in order to be better prepared. What will it take for foundations to be more ahead of the curve? What should and shouldn’t stick in the new ways of doing things we tried? How do we build more foresight into our work?
What next for this work
Of course, as we continue to grapple with multiple and intersecting crises, new tensions, needs and themes will emerge. Already we have started to ask what is the role of different types of philanthropy? How do we better support social movements? What is the role of philanthropy in shaping the disruptive impacts of technology on society? and what are the different roles and skills needed in foundations?
SIX will continue working with foundations in 2021 to collect more global stories, to use the ‘Questions for funders’ and ‘Provocations’ as a basis to better understand and adapt their response, and to participate in ongoing global learning exchanges. We will be developing new and tailored capacity building programmes to take further into 2021.
If you want to know more about this work, or you are interested to work with us, please contact info@socialinnovationexchange.org
About SIX Funders Node
One of SIX’s core programmes in the SIX Funders Node. As part of our work to build and support a healthy social innovation ecosystem, we have been convening individuals in philanthropic organisations from around the world for the last 5 years, to help them address the complex and urgent challenges of today. Through a series of small, carefully curated meetings over the years, a collaborative support group for foundations has been developing – one that has created a space for critical friends and pushed the boundaries of social change.
Each year since we started this work, we’ve explored different topics through hosting intimate global retreats (in Canada and Australia) and through developing and sharing global insights:
Funding Systems Change: Challenges and Opportunities (2016)
Aligning for Impact- a view from global foundations ( 2017)
The opportunity for strategic foresight in philanthropy (2018)
Philanthropy and data: How to better use, work with and fund data and emerging technologies (2018)
Taking risks and achieving greater impact( 2018)
Philanthropy and the private sector (2019)
Risk, legitimacy and philanthropy (2019)
Social cohesion and the role for philanthropy (2019)
About the Year on Power
At the end of 2019, we took stock of all the work we’d done with funders over the last 5 years. One of the key threads that ran through all of our work was power, so we decided 2020 should be dedicated to this. Power has been part of this global scanning work, and there are new power related challenges ahead. We hope you will continue to collaborate with us as out exploration of power and philanthropy continues into 2021.
Contact us.
info@socialinnovationexchange.org
3-5 Hardwidge Street
London
SE1 3SY