Strategic Philanthropy Goes to Therapy

Strategic Philanthropy enters the Jungian therapist's office.

Fluent in SMART goals and KPIs, she enters with a confident look on her face, wearing her Patagonia sweatshirt adorned with the TEDx logo. While she knows she is not fully prepared to question herself, she is aware that something is off about not delivering the promised scale. She takes a seat, takes a deep breath, and feels the exhaustion from her recent international conferences, which insist on focusing on the decolonization of philanthropy. 

In front of her, sitting in a vegan leather armchair, the Jungian therapist lights some incense. The aroma of “non-linear complexity” fills the room. The therapist takes a sip of her drink, possibly homemade kombucha, and the session begins.

Strategic Philanthropy shifts in her chair. “Thank you for fitting me in. I’m not in the habit of analyzing myself, but I’ve been advised to optimize my... what’s the word? Oh, my impact posture.” The analyst asks, “That’s interesting. What makes you think your posture is misaligned?” “Look, I’ve optimized the model, moved us away from purely charitable philanthropy. It’s systemic, data-driven, and addresses the root causes of social problems. But lately... the more we measure, the more it feels like we’re spinning our wheels. Wars, threats to democracy... Besides, people keep calling me an extractivist and a colonialist... even when we fund equality, diversity, and inclusion. I don't understand, what more could they want from me?“ 

The therapist ponders. ”Hmm... It sounds like you built your house on shifting ground. Tell me something: do you have dreams?”. Confused, Strategic Philanthropy replies: “I model dreams. I plan globally scalable scenarios utilizing data from the best think tanks and collaboration between sectors and funding organizations, always optimizing the 5% of resources that endowment funds have available each year to drive change in the world, while the rest of the money... well, the rest of the money is for another session. Focus.” With her fingers on her chin, in the best representation of Rodin’s thinker emoji, the therapist takes a sip of kombucha and says, “That’s not quite what I meant. But I’m listening to you.... Maybe you’re stuck in an archetype, that of the engineer of change.

Precise and data-driven, constantly seeking process and technology optimization, always based on a knowledge base that you consider scientific and legitimate. What could go wrong, right? But beyond that, I'm here wondering if there isn't a deeper suffering..."

A little surprised, Strategic Philanthropy offers, without a shadow of a doubt or any other shadow she can see: “I don't suffer... I stop, replan, and start over. I am resilient, malleable, adaptable, and used to redesigning my theory of change every quarter.”

“Let me rephrase that,” offers the therapist.

“There is a part of you that fears that all your structures are acting like scaffolding on a collapsing building. Is that it?”

After a pause, Strategic Philanthropy responds, “Maybe.” “Maybe I’m just tired. Last quarter, we adopted a relational accountability tool that yielded good results despite the time lost talking to people.” “But nothing seemed very different... partners still whisper about power dynamics. The recipients of resources still seem to smile wanly. Everything has that sulfuric smell of... I'll pretend to do it, and you pretend to believe it, as long as it looks good in the annual report.”

After a pause, Strategic Philanthropy asks, “What am I really serving?”

“Ah!” exclaims the therapist excitedly, as if she sees a discreet beam of light through a hole in a thick cast-iron door: “That's a great question! Hold on to it. Hold on to the uncertainty.”

Strategic Philanthropy, already regretting her words, shifts uncomfortably... "I'm not here to philosophize! I'm here to develop a strategy. I do things. I finance things. I transform systems.“

”Exactly,“ replies the therapist, ”And who transforms you? But our time is up.“ She pauses for a few seconds. ”I propose we sign up for a package of 150 weekly sessions.