Special report | Move fast and mend things

The super-rich are trying new approaches to philanthropy

They are hoping to get money to the needy faster, says Avantika Chilkoti

An illustration of a person on a rollercoaster doing a loop-de-loop, holding a spanner with money and tools falling out of the cart
Illustration: Sebastian König

A NUDGE is not always enough to force change within an industry. Sometimes a series of forceful shoves is required. In the rarified world of Western philanthropy, the shoves began in 2020. The covid-19 pandemic, protests for racial justice across America that summer and the outflow of refugees from Ukraine starting in early 2022 created a new urgency around charitable giving and revealed failings in how it worked. Donors began to consider how they could disburse money faster and with more impact.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “Move fast and mend things”

From the January 13th 2024 edition

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