Opinion: Philanthropy Stock Markets Will Be Common in the Next 25 Years

Twenty-five years from now, grant makers will seek out grantees — rather than the other way around — and base their decisions on extensive information that is widely shared, predicts Sean Stannard-Stockton, a principal and director of tactical philanthropy at Ensemble Capital Management, in a Financial Times column.

Grant makers will exchange information through social stock exchanges that resemble the financial markets, he writes. Looking back from the perspective of the year 2033, he says, “As funders became comfortable with the idea that sharing information with other donors provided greater social impact, a sense of community and camaraderie developed that set the social exchanges apart from the traditional financial markets.”

He also predicts that most Americans, even those with moderate means, will open donor-advised funds — in 2033, they will be available through bank accounts linked to checking accounts.