Myths of Philanthropy #3: Individualism and Scarcity, with Zaineb Mohammed & Devi Leiper O'Malley

What does it mean to have a scarcity mindset, and why is it so common in the nonprofit sector?

What does a scarcity mindset lead to?

How can funders and nonprofits overcome the scarcity mindset themselves, and how can they help the nonprofits they fund to do so? (E.g. by giving big grants up front, removing restrictions, working over longer timescales etc.)

Is there too much competition and not enough collaboration in the nonprofit sector? Why is this?

Is the emphasis on competition a legacy of modern institutional philanthropy’s roots in capitalism?

How can we design better approaches? What kinds of resources and infrastructure will this require?

Can organisational identity be a barrier to effective collaboration?

Is the idea that foundations need to exist in perpetuity a reflection of a scarcity mindset? If so, how?

Does adopting an abundance mindset make it easier to consider spending down?

Why does the myth of the “philanthropic lone hero” (i.e. individuals or ogranisations working alone to solve complex social issues) continue to be so pervasive?

Is part of the challenge that we find stories about individuals more compelling than ones about systems, so there is a tendency to frame things in terms of the former?

How can we effectively recognise the role individuals play whilst at the same time emphasising the importance of the collective?