The four impulses of philanthropy

The four major impulses for philanthropy are listed below, strongest to weakest. Of course, several of them can be present in the mind of any given person, with varying degrees of intensity.

Creative urge

One of the strongest impulses within a human being is the one towards creative expression, towards telling the future “I was here.” That’s what the cave painters wanted 30,000 years ago, and that’s what we want today. 

This fact was the most clearly recognized by writers in the post-Freudian tradition of psychology, most notably Otto Rank. He built on the the pillars of psychoanalysis and existential thinkers like Heidegger and drew a direct line between our primordial fear of death, our desire for symbolic immortality, and our creative expression. An essential reading in this respect is his book Art and Artist, a text every changemaker should study.

As it stands, the creative urge is a poorly understood impulse in philanthropy. We sort of recognize it in people’s desire to have their names on buildings, but its power goes much beyond. If nurtured and shaped, it could motivate us to solve monumental challenges to our civilizations, difficult problems that take decades to tackle, like hunger and poverty. It could give meaning and mission to a whole new segment in philanthropists in today’s society, once they realized that, in a sense, instead of collecting art they could be making it, embodying it. But that’s a whole other discussion.

For now, an example: in the chaos of renaissance Italy, the Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, was one of the most famous condottieri, basically a glorified mercenary for hire. He never lost a battle, and introduced, centuries before it became common practice, pensions for families of fallen or injured soldiers and dowries for their daughters. He amassed a library second only to the Vatican’s and was patron to the arts, including to the likes of Raphael. Montefeltro was an example of a person who could rise above the madness of his time to construct his legacy through, effectively, philanthropy.

Moral beliefs

Examples of this common motivation for altruism, often understood as the “purest,” are everywhere around us. Most of the people donating to your local church probably embody it.

Henri Dunant, a relatively unremarkable Swiss businessman, was passing by chance through the battlefield where, earlier that day, the Battle of Solferino had taken place. The date was 24 June 1859. More than twenty thousand lay wounded, dying. Dunant organized the local population, built makeshift hospitals, and spent his own money so that the soldiers could be treated, regardless of which side they had fought on. His actions sparked the entire Red Cross movement, 160 years old and still going strong.

Dunant’s book, A Memory of Solferino, is a must for anyone aspiring to do organized altruism.

Entrepreneurial drive

This impulse became prominent with the modern, much-analysed phenomenon of billionaire philanthropy, the idea of applying good business practices onto problems such as hunger, poverty, disease or education.

This has had major successes. Organizations like the Gates Foundation have built up a good track record with their fight against malaria, and have made running a philanthropy a more professional undertaking. Their size has allowed them to have better bargaining power, for example when buying vaccines. 

Of course, billionaire philanthropy has also had practical failures. A Gates Foundation project aiming to improve teacher effectiveness lasted seven years and used up close to a billion dollars before it was judged a complete failure in a 500+ page report published by RAND, a think tank.

Pragmatism

Philanthropy can also result from less lofty ambitions in some people. They might like the power and the esteem that comes with it. They might enjoy being asked for money and having an influence over people’s fates.

For the pragmatist, philanthropy can also be a defensive tool. In times when inequality and injustice in a society grow philanthropists begin raining gifts in order to legitimize their position and win the favor of the population and the politicians. It is cheaper than paying taxes or risking regulation and losing your monopolies.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is one of the world’s wealthiest people. He announced in 2018 a USD 2 billion philanthropic initiative to address homelessness and education. The announcement received positive press. 

A few months prior, less publicly, his company had fought and defeated a tax proposed by the city of Seattle which would have had companies with revenues of more than $20 million pay $275 per employee to alleviate the city’s homelessness. Some Amazon’s workers work 9.5 hours per day with 18 minutes of total break time. Others are on food stamps, or have been left homeless following a workplace injury.

Summary

The point here is not that this philanthropist is better than the other one, or vice versa. It is that pragmatism, for which modern philanthropy is often accused, is one of the weakest impulses behind contemporary philanthropy, with unremarkable and short-term effects. This impulse is simply the most common and the easiest to act upon. Others need a specific mix of character traits, mindset and/or training. The Altruist League is particularly dedicated to nurturing the creative impulse in its members and sees it as by far the most potent force for true, long-term altruism.