Foundations More Willing to Acknowledge Failures - Philanthropy News Digest
webTangentially relevant to AI safety funding ecosystems; discusses philanthropic transparency norms that could apply to AI safety funders evaluating grant effectiveness and sharing lessons from unsuccessful interventions.
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Summary
This article reports on a growing trend among philanthropic foundations to openly acknowledge failures and share lessons learned, moving away from a culture of projecting only successes. It highlights how transparency about what doesn't work can improve the effectiveness of grantmaking and the broader philanthropic sector.
Key Points
- •Philanthropic foundations are increasingly willing to publicly admit when initiatives or grants fail to achieve intended outcomes.
- •Sharing failure stories is seen as a way to help other funders avoid similar mistakes and improve sector-wide learning.
- •This shift reflects broader accountability and transparency movements within philanthropy.
- •Open discussion of failures can help grantees feel less stigmatized for honest reporting on setbacks.
- •Some foundations are creating formal mechanisms for capturing and disseminating lessons from unsuccessful projects.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | Organization | 55.0 |
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