At the Minnesota Council on Foundations, we like to ask big questions about issues that impact philanthropy today and tomorrow. One question that comes up frequently is: What will be different and what will be the same in Minnesota’s philanthropy community in the future? Will we be making grants from spaceships? Or, better yet, can I clone myself so that someone else can answer all of my emails? While I too dream of a clone to manage my emails, let’s look at some more probable futures for philanthropy.
What will be different and what will be the same in Minnesota’s philanthropy community in 5 years?
Half a decade can seem like a long time, but we are entering a time in human history of much more rapid change. I believe we will feel a lot of change in these five short years. In 5 years, it’s likely that grantmakers will still be working on the same issues that we face today, but the difference will be seen in which additional tools we use besides just grants to make that change on those critical issues. I think funders will robustly use tools like mission investing to leverage more of their financial resources to create change. I also think more funders will be much more interested in the public policy decisions that impact the areas that they are funding.
What will be different and what will be the same in Minnesota’s philanthropy community in 10 years?
In 10 years, coalitions and partnerships will still come and go, organizations will go through leadership transitions, and global relationships will shift. Our members’ will continue to have a deep commitment to doing the work and a desire to find creative partners inside philanthropy and beyond. The big shift I believe we’ll see in 10 years is in how those partnerships take shape and what voices are around those tables.
What will be different and what will be the same in Minnesota’s philanthropy community in 20 years?
This is far enough in the future where it’s really fun to imagine hover-boards and to consider the roles artificial intelligence may play in our day to day lives. Maybe this is where we all get the email managing clone? The reality is that our daily lives will look and feel very different from now, but what will remain is a sector committed to making our community better. In 20 years, the challenges we face today may be mostly solved and new challenges will arise, but what will stay the same is philanthropy’s ability to adapt to change while building from the successes of the past.
Sincerely,
Trista Harris
President, Minnesota Council on Foundations
612-335-3557