Emerging technologies will affect charitable giving in three main ways: where we give, what we give, and how we give. Non-charitable platforms and decentralized movements may enable new forms of donations. Gaming platforms and digital assets like cryptocurrencies could facilitate novel donation opportunities. Advanced technologies like AI, chatbots, and immersive experiences may enhance donor recommendations, conversations around donations, and feelings of empathy. Overall, trends point to increased filtering of donation options, greater transparency around donations, and more algorithmically-driven and rational approaches to charitable decision making over time.

1. 1
Charitable Giving 2030:
How will emerging technology affect our ability to
support good causes?
Rhodri Davies
Head of Policy & Programme Director, Giving Thought

2. 3 ways tech will affect how we support
causes
2
WHERE we give1)
WHAT we give2)
HOW we give3)

3. Disintermediation & Decentralisation
Commercial
Platforms:
Social Good
Platforms:
Decentralised
movements:

4. Non-Charitable Platforms enabling
donations

5. Giving Through Gaming
 63% would use funds from
online wallets to donate
 58% interested in
donating while playing
 67% would join other gamers
to raise funds for charity
Source: CAF Gaming for Charity survey (2017)

6. Digital Assets
Cryptocurrencies Unique Digital Objects

7. Donation Tracking & Radical Transparency

8. AI: Rationality & Data-Driven Decisions
Charity recommender
algorithms
Social Impact
Robo-advisors
Collective Intelligence
philanthropy
Philgorithms

9. Chatbots & Conversational AI
By 2020, the average
person will have more
conversations with bots
than with their spouse.
30% of web browsing will
be done by voice.
In 2019, 40% of all US
households will own a
smart speaker
Sources: Future Today Institute, Gartner
Awareness:
Info & Services:
Donations:
CHARITY APPLICATIONS

10. AI Advice and Recommendations
We are increasingly accustomed to algorithmic
recommendations

11. Philanthropy Recommender Algorithms
Charity recommendations
based on past preferences
or peer group behaviour
“If you liked Cancer
Research UK, you’ll
love RNLI!”

12. Hyper-Rationality & Philgorithms
12
Philgorithm: Algorithm which
identifies most pressing needs at
any given time + most effective
interventions for addressing them
& effects automated, rational
matching of supply and demand

13. Are Philgorithms Feasible?
13
You can’t remove the element of heart from charitable
giving, so this will never happen!
A) We will become
accustomed to algorithmic
advice in all areas of life, so
why not charity?
Objection:
But…
B) There has always
been a desire among
some to make giving
more rational
C) There will be
contexts in which giving
is only feasible without
human oversight

14. Immersive Tech & Empathy
14

15. Key Cross-Cutting Themes Recap
15
Disintermediation Networks & Platforms
Filtered experience
Radical Transparency Digital Assets
Algorithms Data, data, data
Hyper-Empathy
Attention Economy
Automation
Hyper-Rationality

16. Where to find more
16