As traditional philanthropic models falter in addressing the complexity of global crises, the emergence of trust networks presents a groundbreaking solution for collective impact through interconnected efforts.

This innovative approach harnesses financial ingenuity, cutting-edge technology and intuitive decision-making to overcome the limitations of isolated initiatives. It reshapes the philanthropy landscape to prioritize collective benefit over individual gain, according to Elliott Donnelley (pictured), chairman of the board of Forward Global (The Philanthropy Workshop Inc.), an organization focused on philanthropy and social change.

Forward Global’s Elliott Donnelley talks to theCUBE’s John Furrier about trust networks.

“The new world is how you work across silos, how you work between finance, through technology and through philanthropic lenses to kind of solve global problems in innovative and more effective ways,” Donnelley said, highlighting the shift away from traditional philanthropic models toward a more dynamic, collaborative approach. “In the past, your pool of philanthropic capital is not just something that you gave way. You can now integrate it with finance to underrate new tranches of risk and the furtherance of impact outcomes.”

Donnelley spoke with theCUBE’s John Furrier at the Forward Global Summit, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how trust networks, financial innovation and intuitive decision-making are reshaping philanthropy, moving beyond traditional models to foster collective impact and rapid global change.

Trust networks as a key driver in modern philanthropy

Trust networks represent an innovative method of connecting diverse resources and expertise to address global issues collectively. These networks foster deep collaboration across sectors, breaking down traditional barriers to facilitate rapid, impactful change, according to Donnelley.

“These are networks that are not based on personal or self-interest but collective interests,” he emphasized. “That to me unlocks a huge amount of potential for where we are today. I think once you bring people into the room who are no longer thinking about I need to win, I need to be safe, I need to get more because I’m not enough, you then change the dialogue of the conversation in very profound and subtle ways, not so subtle ways.”

Integrating financial innovation into philanthropy also enables organizations to leverage capital more effectively, facilitating broader and faster impacts. This approach challenges the established endowed foundation model, promoting the rapid deployment of resources rather than long-term investment strategies, onnelley explained.

“The grant making a down foundation model is a broken model if you’re optimizing for change and radical change and quick change and leverage change,” he said. “I think we have to recontextualize these things. We have to work on those networks as we’re creating these nodes. We have to look at capital more broadly against all these forms of capital.”

Philanthropy, according to this perspective, extends beyond financial contributions to include relational, intellectual, intuitive and temporal forms of capital. Emphasizing intuition and leveraging it alongside analytical capabilities can significantly enhance decision-making processes within philanthropic efforts, according to Donnelley.

“There’s a whole side of change that we can create in the world and value that we can create when we unlock what I would call intuition, something beyond the thinking mind,” he added. “There’s this entire resource which I’m also excited to explore, which is kind of what I would call the intuitive mind or beyond the thinking logical construct mind. I think it’s always been there.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Forward Global Summit:

Photo: SiliconANGLE