The landscape of global philanthropy stands at a critical juncture. In 2023, the world's ultra-high-net-wealth population reached more than 426,000 individuals, collectively holding $49 trillion in assets, yet fundamental questions remain about how this wealth translates into meaningful systemic change. Ultra-wealthy individuals donated $190 billion to philanthropic causes in 2022, representing nearly 38% of all individual giving, but despite these impressive figures, many of today's most pressing challenges—climate change, inequality, and social injustice—persist and even intensify.
The complexity lies not in the absence of capital or good intentions, but in the system itself. Funders face a tricky balancing act: they need to grasp the complexity and ever-shifting nature of the systems they seek to change while also needing constant feedback loops that signal progress toward impact goals. According to the 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker, 47 countries contributed $70 billion in cross-border philanthropic outflows in 2020, yet this represents only a fraction of what's possible when we consider the untapped potential of the private wealth system.
The 2024 Cerulli Report estimates that $124 trillion will be transferred across generations in the next 25 years, with $18 trillion designated for philanthropy —a transfer that presents both unprecedented opportunity and risk. Will this intergenerational wealth transition perpetuate systems of extraction and accumulation, or can it catalyze genuine transformation?
In this episode of DONORS|TIPS, we explore these questions with Jess Hackett, Coordinator of the Coalition for Impact, a global network of networks working to shift the private wealth system from extraction toward capital that preserves and improves all life. We dive into the complexities of the private wealth ecosystem, examine the real challenges faced by families wanting to create systemic impact, and uncover how collaboration and systems thinking can unlock transformation at scale.
For more information:
> Website of the Coalition for Impact
> Mapping of the private wealth system
Additional resources mentioned in this episode:
1. The Impact a community of families investing for impact.
2. Toniic - a global community of impact investors
3. TWIST & their white paper on Emergence & Co-creation for investing for systems change
4. Centre for Sustainable Finance & Private Wealth - Investor's Guide to Systemic Investing