Released in 2021 and written during the Covid pandemic, this is an ambitious book. Ginard is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), with a breadth of personal experiences including as a political insider. He is a serial innovator and social entrepreneur, in the areas of philanthropy and civic engagement.
His assessment of the past, present, and future for non-profits (as well as civic activity) is framed from a United States perspective. The book includes extensive first-hand accounts of Ryan’s work and voluntary contributions, and it also showcases fourteen young leaders in the philanthropy sector (a fascinating cross-section of emerging talent).
There is a strong critique of traditional philanthropy and institutional structures throughout the book: unhealthy power dynamics; lack of innovation; ego-driven control of decisions; lack of support for worthy causes; and lagging achievements from a DEI perspective. This is contrasted with Giving Circles, which are championed for democratising philanthropy, getting new people actively involved, and organically growing from the grassroots level.
This is probably a book for fundraising and philanthropy specialists, plus people who are really passionate about charities and political change. I personally found the text hard to read (while also picking up insightful and enlightening snippets throughout the book). It is much longer than it needs to be, and would benefit from a re-write with an experienced editor.
I really applaud the efforts in this book to drive new thinking, and to push the ball down the field. It adds to thought leadership in the philanthropy space. There is a wide range of future-focused ideas, from applications of existing technologies to radically envisioning a fairer society in the longer-term.