In his nonfiction debut, the author paints a wide-range portrait of the current state of the world and the challenges that it poses to contemporary philanthropic institutions: “The geopolitical fractures that constitute the headlines every day—regional conflicts, political extremism, and the resulting refugee and humanitarian crises,” he writes, “are compounded by environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, energy and food shortages, and global health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.” Wealth is being created at unprecedented rates everywhere in the emerging markets of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, he notes, and whether motivated by an urge to give back to communities, religious obligations, or government incentives, “strategic philanthropy,” as Jafar calls it, has likewise been on the rise. But in many of these countries, as the author points out, “next-generation donors are demanding more hands-on and evidence-based approaches to giving, and higher standards of accountability and transparency.” In this book, he collects many detailed interviews he’s conducted with CEOs and industry leaders, young and old, and the perspectives range over many aspects of philanthropy. Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of Singapore-based AVPN, points out that although Southeast Asian countries have been involved in philanthropic causes for centuries, it needs much more “institutional” philanthropy to meet the needs of the modern world, and Wamda Group Chairman Fadi Ghandour reflects on the connection between business and philosophy: “This story of ‘the business of business is only business’ doesn’t work anymore,” he warns. “There is a social responsibility for business, not only in the PR sense.”
Jafar’s collection of reflections on “strategic philanthropy” must contend with the common criticism that some wealthy philanthropists pursue their activities not only to help humankind, but also, as Ghandour notes, for good PR. Cynical readers are likely to find some fuel for such criticism in these pages, which feature reflections by princes, sheiks, sultans, and at least one baroness. Certainly, there are questionable moments, as when readers are told of an annual roundtable that has “welcomed nearly 40 philanthropists from around the world”—a not-inconsiderable outlay of air-traffic carbon emissions for an event that aims to address sustainable carbon emissions. However, there are also a great many earnest, heartfelt sentiments in this book about the urgent need for giving, especially in the modern moment: “We are not human beings anymore, because the word ‘human’ doesn’t exist in economic jargon,” says the well-known professor Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Jafar also proves himself to be a skilled interviewer, highlighting conversations that are uniformly engaging, particularly when multiple subjects bring up common concerns. For instance, Jacqueline Novogratz, the CEO of the award-winning not-for-profit Acumen, is not the only interviewee to mention how the new interconnectedness of the modern world affects philanthropic activities. Overall, this balance makes the book a compelling read throughout.
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English (US) ·