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"Is a new form of philanthropy (re)inventing capitalism with a social conscience?"
APRIL 2010 - This reference book, written by Virginie Seghers, gathers, for the first time, testimonies of 24 “philanthro-capitalists” and philanthropy experts. Among them, a reflective exchange with Etienne Eichenberger and Maurice Machenbaum, on Switzerland and wise philanthropy advisors. The book gives for the first time a panorama on philanthropy and focuses especially on a “new generation of “philanthro-capitalists” for whom giving is a new form of “social investment”. A work which contributes to shed light on this still discreet practice.
In this study Virginie Seghers, specialist in philanthropy, is especially interested in a “new generation of philanthropists” in the age group between 35 and 65 years old and who in majority did not inherit their wealth. Most of them made their fortune in a couple of years in finance, IT, real estate or raw material. These “new philanthropists” create their own foundations not to outlast themselves but to get personally engaged during their lifetime in a social activity, with high expectation for efficiency. They take capitalist methods, on which they have built their fortune, to apply them to the not-for-profit sector: giving becomes a “social investment” for which the impact will need to be measured. They do not talk about charities any more but about “capital-risk philanthropy” and some of them will even go to the extent of creating “venture philanthropy” funds.
This book describes the real motivations of these philanthropists and outlines a new economy of giving. The uniqueness of this book resides in the original testimonies of big donors.
At a time of economic and moral crisis, Virginie Seghers is convinced that “it is not the time for philanthropists to be absent”! She is determined to continue in this way and give the philanthropists of today and tomorrow the possibility, through new publications and conferences, to express themselves.
This book is only available in French and can be ordered on the following website.
© Thierry Parel