Category: Discussion

What would charity be like in a futuristic world?

Archibugi developed the concept of what he calls ‘blade runner economics‘ which shows that when think about a distant future we tend to vastly over-estimate some aspects and vastly under-estimate other aspects. His example from the film Blade Runner, which was released in 1982, is that the film shows an over-estimated expectation of bio-technological developments […]

How will emerging technology impact the charity sector?

Manifesto’s ‘The Future Charity‘ report includes an interesting graph about the impact of technology on the charity sector. Perhaps the most important thing to consider is that none of these technologies exist in isolation, it isn’t like one is going to impact charities more or less, because actually all of them are going to change […]

Should the charity sector provide the moral compass for society?

Mark Stevenson talks about charity’s “dreams of a more equitable, sustainable, humane and just world.” Does this reinforce the idea that charities provide the moral compass for society? Is that a role charities can/should assume? If so, why don’t we have more ethicists and philosophers working at charities?

What would the charity sector look like if charities were government funded essential services?

Charities perform an important role in society, often taking on delivering services that no other organisation can or want to. Many of these services are essential to the people that rely on them, but they are not regarded as ‘essential services’ in the same way as health services, education, policing, waste collection, trading standards, etc. […]

Charity law and regulations limit future definitions of a charity

In 2020, charity law and Charity Commission regulation place strict regulation on starting a new charity, making the cause of the charity central to its purpose, and reducing the number of charities tackling the same issues. Rightly so that charities are regulated to prevent unscrupulous behaviour and financial gain for individuals. Prevents cause-agnostic charities. Supports […]