An initial perspective on the Future of Doing Good used as stimulus for a workshop with the Big Lottery Fund and invited guests & experts on 17 May 2016.

1. The Future of Doing Good | An Ini4al Perspec4ve
Curated by Future Agenda
The Big Lo>ery Fund | London - May 2016

2. During 2015 we undertook 120 workshops in 45 ci=es around
the world discussing the future of 25 topics with over 3000 people.
The output is has been shared via website, social networks and a book.
Ini=al
Perspec=ves
Q4 2014
Global
Discussions
Q1-3 2015
Insight Synthesis
Q4 2015
Sharing of
Output / Deeper
Study
2016

3. Business Solu4ons to Societal Problems
Re-visioning the role of business in society may lead to a reduc=on in
inequality, less par=san poli=cs and greater ac=on as businesses take
the lead rather than wai=ng for Government to lead them.

4. Overhead Avoidance
Systems, salaries and training in not-for-profit organisa=ons oRen suffer
from lack of investment as these organisa=ons feel pressured by funders
(and other) expecta=ons to maintain unrealis=c overhead ra=os.

5. Third Sector Consensus
Society’s con=nuing dependence on the third sector to take on roles
tradi=onally provided by the state calls for it to beXer define and
co-ordinate its collec=ve approach, impact and needs.

6. The Climate Change Challenge
Climate change can no longer be ignored. While many are now looking at
improving the resilience of their facili=es to more extreme weather, how
many will also seek to adapt to the new world of 4C of global warming?

7. Crea4ng Skills Demand
NfP investment in leadership development ini=a=ves helps ensure the
long-term health of the sector but this requires funders and regulators to
support the adop=on of and measure against an agreed leadership code.

8. Redefining Ci4zen and State
Community engagement will come to define the rela=onship
between ci=zens and the state. Boundaries will become blurred
and power will become increasingly decentralised.

9. Contract Compromises
Increased involvement of social organisa=ons in the delivery of state
funded services limit social sector independence and may mean they
are obliged to deliver services which do not fit with their values.

10. Digital Engagement
Ci=es are using digital pla^orms to beXer plan for the future and encourage
public engagement. Using new technology and big data to support strategic
planning of a city can help improve public engagement with the process.

11. Social Sector’s Heart-to-Heart
Compe==on for funding and separate agendas con=nue to impede
shared learning within the charitable sector and prohibits
collabora=on and agreement about where it adds real value.

12. Spending Choices
There is a shiR in social investment toward capacity building and system
change because, despite best efforts, too much government money gets
lost in the system and too much philanthropic money is misdirected.

13. Austerity as Opportunity
Budget constraints mean that doing good shiRs from suppor=ng others to the
removal of obstacles which prevent individuals from accessing opportunity.
Social models change from ‘doing to’ people to “building self-reliance”.

14. Changing Direc4on In-transit
Although targets can drive change they can also s=fle flexibility.
To ensure relevance they are tempered by consistent
knowledge sharing, collabora=on and itera=ve ac=on.

15. Changing Corporate Mo4va4ons
Brought up with technology, 2025 business leaders have different mo=va=ons
and will challenge the current order of influence. In turn this will impact how
they collaborate with others and redefine the meaning of success.

16. New Models of Legi4macy
Interdependent issues and collec=ve intelligence re-designs governance
and civic par=cipa=on, maturing from small scale start ups to broader
based collabora=ons where success is judged by wide scale impact.

17. Truth to Power
There con=nues to be a need for services for the vulnerable - underpinned by
independent research, direct representa=on and advocacy to help shape public
policy: arguably the importance of speaking truth to power remains constant.

18. Those Who Hold the Purse Strings
Doing good is value-laden. The agenda is shaped by government and
the wealthy. The third sector con=nues to bow to this, poten=ally
limi=ng innova=on and the possibility of change.

19. Closing the Inequality Gap
One of the challenges facing the state is how to balance equity
and autonomy. A centralised system is oRen viewed to be
more equitable at the expense of autonomy.

20. ShiVing Balance
The delivery focus moves beyond ac=vi=es, people and organisa=ons
to focus on driving system and social change. This requires increased
collabora=on between public, private and social sectors.

21. Measuring Good
Despite the cost of collec=ng data, feedback from beneficiaries
plays an increasing role in measuring success par=cularly
when other outcomes are hard to measure.

22. Conflic4ng Mo4va4on
Increasing compe==on for limited funding, duplica=on of effort,
mistrust and poor collabora=on combine to reduce the impact of
social organisa=ons and leave the vulnerable to suffer.

23. Fuzzy Boundaries
Social enterprises and community interest ini=a=ves reduce the gap
between the private and social sectors and provide greater
opportuni=es to do good and create social value.

24. The Third Space for Data
By 2025, a new place for data emerges - between public and private. This is
driven by "data philanthropy" and the dona=on of data for social purposes
such as healthcare and improving our ability to respond to disasters.

25. Double Coun4ng
There is a growth in structured volunteering which helps individuals
develop new skills and rela=onships while also making a difference
in their community and in broader society.

26. Organised Growth
Charity CEOs cease to be measured against organisa=onal growth and instead
focus on delivering outcomes that permanently address their original target.
In so doing they set a =metable for their own relevance.

27. Devolu4on of Government
Local government provides a beXer locus for organisa=ons trying to influence
place-based strategies and cross sector ways of working, and also helps to
generate funding directly from the communi=es they are looking to serve.

28. Ac4on, Responsibility and Accountability
Increased corporate transparency and lack of government resource
means that millennials look to business rather than government to
drive social change. Public ac=on drives the agenda.

29. Breaking Good
Those who grew up with social media redefine charitable giving and
force transparency through relentless research, ruthless focus
and a fundamental belief in mul=ple community engagement.

30. Coali4on of the Willing
The need for intermediaries between the not-for-profit, corporate and
statutory sector grows as, despite different mo=va=ons, doing good provides
an opportunity for all to both benefit and have posi=ve impact.

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