DOI
10.9707/1944-5660.1706
Key Points
The term “polycrisis” calls attention to overlapping, mutually reinforcing, and potentially disastrous trends and crises that are interconnected, like climate change, increasing global inequities, widespread disinformation, pandemic dangers, the ravages of war, and pollution of land, air, and water. Vulnerable and marginalized populations are most directly affected by the intensifying problems that are manifested in the polycrisis.
This article, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of The Foundation Review, invites readers to ponder the risks posed by the polycrisis and how philanthropy might look beyond business as usual to respond to those risks. We review the evolution of philanthropic program design and evaluation over the last quarter century to arrive at a philanthropic theory of systems transformation that might be one potential response to the challenges of the polycrisis.
Multiple, integrated theories of change implemented through collective action and philanthropic alliances offer potential pathways to systems transformation. We offer this version of and perspective on the evolution of philanthropic engagement to stimulate dialogue about where philanthropy has come from, where it is now, and what the future may hold. To stimulate that dialogue, we offer four premises to ponder about the implications of the polycrisis and raise four corresponding questions to address going forward.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Patton, M. Q., & Richardson, R. (2024). A Philanthropic Theory of Systems Transformation for Advancing Equity in the Polycrisis. The Foundation Review, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1706
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