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PhilanthropismsAuthor: Rhodri Davies
Philanthropisms is the podcast that puts philanthropy in context. Through conversations with expert guests and deep dives into topics, host Rhodri Davies explores giving throughout history, the key trends shaping generosity around the world today and what the future might hold for philanthropy. Contact: rhodri@whyphilanthropymatters.com. Language: en-us Genres: Business, History, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Glen Galaich: Big philanthropy and the Mindset of Control
Episode 115
Friday, 2 October, 2026
Send us Fan MailIn this episode we talk to Glen Galaich, CEO of Stupski Foundation about his new book Control: Why big giving falls short, why the 'mindset of control' is pervasive in elite philanthropy, and why that is a problem. Including:What is the mindset of control, and why is it so prevalent?What are the main problems this mindset gives rise to? Are there donors who have successfully rejected this mindset? If so, how, and what does that look like? Are we guilty as a society of conflating wealth with wisdom? How does the mindset of control lead to low levels of foundation payout?Is the process of giving power or control away necessarily uncomfortable?Should we view foundation assets as public, rather than private? How would this affect the ways in which we think about them?If philanthropy was done without taking advantage of tax breaks, would the same arguments still apply?Why is it important to scrutinise or critique philanthropy?What does writing a book like Control teach you about how to frame critiques of philanthropy most effectively? Does the current climate, in which philanthropy and nonprofits feel under attack from external political critics (especially in the US), make people more defensive in response to insider critiques of the sort explored in the book?To what extent do foundations exist in perpetuity as a default, rather than an active choice?Would it be enough to shift this norm? (i.e. allow for foundations to be perpetual, but make that more of an opt-in/active choice than it is currently?)What should continue to give us hope about big giving's potential as a force for good in the world? What presents the biggest barrier to that hope?Further Resources:Buy a copy of ControlThe "Break Fake Rules" podcastStupski FoundationGlen's Who Gives?! SubstackGlen's interview for Alliance magazine earlier this yearPhilanthropisms podcasts episodes with Jen Ford Reedy; Renata Minerbo; Xanthe Scharff; élysse marcellin & Tesmerelna Atsbeha; Oli French & Sally Vivyan.WPM guides to short term vs long term funding and funding core costs.WPM long reads on "Why Isn’t All Philanthropy Trust-Based Philanthropy?" and "What’s The Point of Philanthropic Foundations? Part 3: Current Issues".
