Conference Presentation, Panel
Investing in Hope: Philanthropy for What’s Next | Global Conference 2026
- Philanthropy is projected to evolve by mobilizing trust, speed, scale, and collaboration to address risks other sectors cannot, including catalyzing economic revitalization in cities like Detroit and acting as society's most effective risk capital.
- Speakers anticipate a shift toward locally rooted, sustained philanthropy and a "builder's culture" that replaces a "fixers" mentality to create hope for Americans who feel the future is fixed, while noting that technology has not yet proven to improve schools.
- A collective "basketball team" approach is viewed as essential for success in complex areas like AI and inclusive growth, as individual efforts, such as a single foundation investing its entire endowment, are predicted to fail; this contrasts with the expectation that philanthropy can move $400 billion in donor-advised funds into communities by making giving feel less risky.
- Specific initiatives include launching scholarship and support programs in Phoenix, Arizona, for skilled trades to address labor shortages, leveraging partners through "Next Ladder Ventures" and the "Beginnings Fund," and investing in CDFIs to utilize alternative credit data.
- The Gates Foundation plans to spend down its remaining assets by 2045 to achieve a world with controlled infectious diseases and economic mobility, building on $100 billion spent since 2000, while a potential 20% increase in collective foundation giving could generate tens of billions of dollars beyond Mark Sussman's current contributions.
- Shamina Singh has committed to connecting and protecting 500 million people and small business owners on their journey to financial health by 2030, recognizing that while the private sector moves fast, government and academia must handle depth and width to go far.
- Risks include potential community impacts from administration actions such as ICE raids in Minnesota, the persistence of a highly partisan and politicized environment, and the expectation that 70% of American parents and teachers remain suspicious of AI in education.
- The freedom to give and invest according to values is expected to remain intact as a basic American trait, though this requires active work to resist attacks, and corporate philanthropy is expected to pivot toward creating a "license to operate" by complementing institutional foundations and addressing business objectives.
- While the private sector alone may not naturally focus on the needs of the very poorest, there is an expectation that the pipeline for progress in the next two decades will be higher than in human history, contingent on intentional partnerships and the resolution of competing crises driven by AI and technology.