market folly

We're posting up notes from the Sohn London conference 2017.  Next up is Sir Paul Ruddock of Lansdowne Partners who gave a talk on philanthropy.


Sir Paul Ruddock's Sohn London Presentation

Sir Paul spoke about his journey in philanthropy. Those who have been successful in life have an obligation to give back. As Winston Churchill said, “You make a living from what you get, you make a life from what you give.” There are 4 key elements to philanthropy:

-    giving money
-    raising money
-    giving your time
-    using your skills

He wants his philanthropy to be a game changer. You need to research what you are going to do as thoroughly as you would an investment idea. His focus has been on education and the arts.

-    Engage the organisation to find out what they need not what you think they need.
-    Encourage the organisation to match your funding. This increases their engagement and commitment to the project.
-    Measuring philanthropic impact is not easy. Often there are no financial outcomes, but you can quantify some things. Success is often about raising aspirations and opportunities, including inspiring others to give.


Be sure to check out the rest of the presentations from Sohn London 2017.