New Norms in Technology and the Social Economy Are Transforming Civil Society

Blueprint 2016 Documents Philanthropy's Role, Predicts Future Shifts

New York, NY — December 9, 2015. GrantCraft, a service of Foundation Center, has releasedPhilanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2016, the annual industry forecast authored by scholar Lucy Bernholz. In its seventh installment, this year's report explores how changes in the structure of work, especially the emergence of the "gig economy" made possible by new technologies, will precede an associated shift in the role and approach of civil society organizations. The observations in Blueprint can help social enterprises think about and plan for the future.

Bernholz documents changes underway in the nature of employment (as more than half of workers may soon be freelancers); the spread of automation; and the fluctuating value and liabilities associated with prevalence of digital data (the need to balance data collection against personal privacy rights). As these developments take place in the broader economy, they raise serious questions for civil society about how systems of social supports must adapt accordingly.

"Philanthropy can no longer rely on a system that was based on a world of the past," said Lucy Bernholz, visiting scholar at Stanford University's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. "The question now is, how will the activities, policies, and values need to change among those who are using private resources for the public good?"

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