The landscape of giving (aka the altruistic economy) is beginning to shift. Not content with the traditional institutions of charity and philanthropy, people are experimenting
with new approaches. New Giving is characterized by new platforms and tools to aggregate project funding from
distributed crowds, self-organized giving communities (sometimes called giving circles) coordinating, usually at the local level, to drive funds to smaller projects that are typically off the radar of traditional funders and
investors, and a focus on building social capital by moving financial capital to important projects. New Giving is civic participation.
Adventures in New Giving is about discovery, storytelling and community-building.
-On the discovery side, this is a
field research project. What is going on? Who are these New Givers? Why are they giving? And what can strengthen their impact?
-This is a
compelling story that deserves to be shared widely. Why are people doing this in the depths of a recession? How can we help more people follow their lead?
-On
community: Often, people are not networking beyond their particular New Giving project circles. What we have now is an organic uprising of a self-organized giving communities and platforms for organizing crowds. How can we build a mutual aid
network to help New Givers can learn, share and enhance their impact together?
www.AdventuresinNewGiving.com will be a living hub for collecting and sharing
these stories and connecting participants.
When the Adventure concludes, I want the community of New Givers to help decide what steps we take next based on what we learn. Maybe we will write a book, or make a
documentary series. We can produce documents and kits to help people join the New Giving movement, for both potential givers and for people looking for funds. It’s entirely possible that we’ll discover a new opportunity together, something I can’t come
up with alone.
