Skoll Foundation

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Skoll Foundation

• Yale School of Management
• The Future of Philanthropy
• November 4, 2005

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Philanthropys Context

• More than any other time in history, mankind
  faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and
  utter hopelessness, the other, to total
  extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to
  choose correctly.

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Philanthropys Origins

• The first and fundamental fact about
  foundations is that they do not start with a
  concept or an organization chart or a strategic
  plan. A foundation starts with a person, the
  donor.
• Waldemar A. Nielsen. Inside American
  Philanthropy

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How have one donors values, vision and
personality shaped one foundation?

• The real Jeff Skoll
• Mind of an engineer disciplined, analytical,
  looks for leverage
• Heart of an artist imaginative, intuitive, seeks
  meaning
• Soul of an entrepreneur driven, innovative,
  generates value

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How have Jeff Skolls values, vision and
personality shaped this foundation?

• Our vision is to live in a world of peace and
  prosperity where all people, regardless of
  geography, background or economic status, enjoy
  and employ the full range of their talents and
  abilities.Many of the problems of our modern
  world, ranging from disease to drugs to crime to
  terrorism, derive from the inequities between
  rich and poor...be they rich nation vs. poor
  nation or rich community vs. poor community. It
  is in the best interests of the well-off to help
  empower those who are not as well-off to improve
  their lives. Jeff
  Skoll
• Our mission is to advance systemic change to
  benefit communities around the world by investing
  in, connecting and celebrating social
  entrepreneurs.

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What is a Social Entrepreneur?
Societys change agents extraordinary
individuals who dedicate their lives to
pioneering new solutions to complex problems
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Myths How Hard Could It Be?

• Philanthropy stretches back millennia
• To give away money is an easy matter ... and in
  any man's power. But to decide to whom to give
  it, and how large and when, for what purpose and
  how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy
  matter. - Aristotle, 384-322 B.C.
• Organized American philanthropy rooted in early
  20th Century
• 1929 203 foundations with assets 1 million
• 1959 2,058 foundations
• 2005 70,000 explosive growth in the 90s

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Myths Significance Of Philanthropy

• Philanthropys financial significance

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Trends

• Growth of civil society, organized philanthropy

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Trends

• Transparency, accountability, and scrutiny

Foundation Executive In Spending Spree!
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Trends New market-based structures, approaches
and questions
For me, its philanthropy. I dont expect to see
any money come back to me personally.
- Jeff Skoll,
BusinessWeek, November 7, 2005
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The future of philanthropy is yours to create
You!