The Next Era of Philanthropy: How Next-Gen Giving is Reshaping Impact
Published by Ryan Gollan / 12 March 2025
I have always been committed to staying up-to-date with the latest trends, data, and tools in the philanthropic world.Through ongoing training and engagement in Singapore and various other channels, I have observed significant shifts in giving patterns, particularly in the aftermath of COVID-19.
As the world faced unprecedented challenges, my focus naturally evolved. While I have always supported art and culture, I became increasingly drawn toward environmental philanthropy - not just as a passion, but out of necessity. Environmental causes consistently receive one of the smallest shares of philanthropic funding globally, despite being one of the most urgent areas requiring support.
Last year, we hosted a Great Barrier Reef Foundation & Sapphire cocktail event in Singapore, bringing together 140 guests from the philanthropy sector, family offices, private banks, and government agencies. This event provided a unique opportunity to engage with key stakeholders in Singapore's philanthropic landscape, and the conversations that emerged were telling.
Key Insights from Singapore’s Philanthropy Landscape
📌 Next-Gen Priorities:
In Singapore, emerging philanthropists are shifting their focus toward social and environmental causes.
This aligns with global trends, where younger generations are redefining philanthropy by integrating giving into their daily lives and professional endeavours.
A significant portion of Gen Z regularly donates to charitable causes, reflecting their proactive approach to social issues.
📌 Traditional Focus of Older Generations:
Conversely, older generations continue to prioritise traditional sectors such as education and healthcare.
Their approach remains structured, legacy-driven, and institutionally focused, favouring established charitable organisations, universities, and hospitals over newer, disruptive philanthropic models.
Family foundations, trusts, and major institutional giving remain their primary avenues for philanthropy.
📌 Emerging Interests in Family Offices:
Within family offices, many next-gen leaders have yet to fully assume control of their family’s wealth and philanthropic decision-making.
However, there is clear and growing interest in impact investing and sustainability.
This suggests that as the next-gen takes over in the next 5-10 years, we will likely see a significant shift in philanthropic priorities and strategies.
These insights point to a major transformation in philanthropy over the coming decade, not just in terms of total giving amounts, but also where the money flows and how philanthropy is structured and executed.
Motivated by these findings, I delved deeper into global data to better understand where philanthropy is heading. Here’s what I discovered.
Global Giving Trend
1. Generational Shifts in Giving: How Next-Gen is Changing the Landscape
- Baby Boomers & Gen X: Structured, Legacy-Driven Giving
Prefer large, traditional charities with long histories.
Often donate through family foundations and trusts.
Major focus on education, healthcare, and institutional giving (e.g., universities, hospitals).
Philanthropy is often passive, donating large sums but not necessarily engaging in the cause directly.
- Millennials & Gen Z: Impact-Driven, Hands-On Giving
Want transparency and measurable outcomes: they want to see how their money is used.
Engage in everyday philanthropy: micro-donations, crowdfunding, direct support to individuals.
Prefer impact investing, where capital is used for both financial return and social/environmental good.
Actively participate in causes, not just donate - volunteering, activism, and using social media for advocacy.
💡 This shift means philanthropy is moving from a passive, wealth-based approach to an active, purpose-driven movement. Younger generations want their giving to be directly linked to impact.
2. The Rise of Integrated & Everyday Philanthropy
Unlike previous generations, where philanthropy was a separate part of life, younger donors are making giving an integrated part of how they live and work.
✔ Social Enterprises & Ethical Businesses → Many entrepreneurs today build philanthropy into their business models (e.g., Patagonia, TOMS).
✔ Crowdfunding & Peer-to-Peer Giving → Platforms like GoFundMe and GiveDirectly allow people to support causes without relying on traditional charities.
✔ Round-Up Donations & Subscription Giving → Apps now let people donate small amounts daily or with every purchase.
✔ Skill-Based Giving → Instead of just donating money, next-gen donors offer their expertise: marketing, business strategy, financial planning, to nonprofits.
💡 Philanthropy is no longer just about large one-time donations, it’s about continuous engagement and impact.
3. What Causes Are Gaining (or Losing) Support?
The new era of philanthropy is shifting funding priorities.
- Where Is the Money Going?
Increasing Focus Areas:
✔ Environmental Causes & Sustainability → Younger generations prioritise climate action, conservation, and ocean protection.
✔ Social Justice & Equity → Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are seeing higher funding than ever before.
✔ Mental Health & Well-Being → Traditional healthcare is still important, but there’s a bigger push for mental health awareness and accessibility.
Declining Focus Areas:
Traditional Religious Giving → More donations are going toward social change rather than faith-based institutions.
Large Institutional Giving → Younger philanthropists prefer grassroots organisations over large, bureaucratic nonprofits.
💡 In 5-10 years, the global philanthropic sector will look very different from today.
4. The Future of Philanthropy: What’s Changing?
(1) Technological Innovation in Philanthropy
AI & blockchain are making donations more transparent and efficient (e.g., tracking exactly where money goes).
Digital fundraising is expanding philanthropy beyond traditional donor bases.
(2) Collaborative Philanthropy: Pooling Resources for Greater Impact
Instead of individual donations, next-gen donors are collaborating through donor circles, shared impact funds, and venture philanthropy.
Example: The Co-Impact Initiative pools funds from billionaires and investors to drive systemic change rather than just temporary fixes.
(3) Solving Root Causes Instead of Treating Symptoms
The focus is shifting from temporary aid to long-term solutions.
Example: Instead of funding food aid, donors are investing in sustainable agriculture and food security.
💡 The new wave of philanthropy is moving toward big picture change, not just temporary relief.
5. What This Means for the Future of Giving
✔ If charities want to engage next-gen donors, they need to provide more transparency and impact reporting.
✔ If businesses want to attract younger consumers, they need to embed philanthropy into their business model, authentically.
✔ If family offices want to continue their legacy of giving, they need to adapt to newer generations’ approach to philanthropy.
💡 The next era of philanthropy will be less about one-time donations and more about creating long-term, meaningful change.
How Do You See the Future of Philanthropy?
Do you think philanthropy should be about giving money or driving impact?
How do you balance traditional giving with new, innovative approaches?
REPORT: USA Givings - Americans donated $557.16 billion to various charitable causes in 2023.
Distribution by Sector:
Religion: 24%
Education: 14%
Human Services: 14%
Grantmaking Foundations: 13%
Public-Society Benefit: 10%
Health: 9%
International Affairs: 6%
Arts, Culture, and Humanities: 5%
Environment/Animals: 3%
Individuals: 2%
