Faced with accelerating disruptions and social and environmental breakdowns, traditional forms of philanthropic giving may be less effective than they once were. Confronted with societal divisions, wars, and the climate crisis, core actors in philanthropy have begun to ask how philanthropy can respond more effectively in moments of a polycrisis. How can philanthropy deal with new forms of hypercomplexity? What is the role of philanthropy in responding to breakdown, and how can it promote regeneration and transformation?

Numerous experiments and innovations in the philanthropic sector are responding in various ways to these disruptive challenges — from trust-based funding to participatory grant-making to flexible multi-year core grants for transformative infrastructure building.

Underlying these innovative efforts is a desire to create systemic and long-lasting impact that leads to a transformation of existing patterns, and that supports sustainable and inclusive change for the well-being of communities and the planet.