Book review: A New Era of Philanthropy

I'm honored to have written a review of Dimple Abichandani's book, A New Era of Philanthropy (Penguin Random House) in Alliance magazine, which was also featured in the publication's December 2025 print issue (You can order a copy here!) The online version is behind a paywall, so I’m teasing out a few paragraphs for you to read:

"Abichandani pulls no punches here: ‘Philanthropy is inextricable from power and its introduction into any system is never neutral: It either affirms and amplifies the existing power structures, or challenges and shifts them.’ She invokes the imagery of ‘gilding’ to describe an older era of philanthropic practice wherein men like Carnegie, Rockefeller, and others cover up the ‘extractive hypercapitalist economy’ with extravagant but self-serving–and also wealth-preserving–acts of charity that failed to address and undo the systems of exploitation and greed from which they benefited. In contrast, Abichandani suggests the real ‘alchemy’ worth building, through the transformative power of sustained relationship-building and resource-sharing, is the ‘gold’ of a truly just economy and a diverse democracy of communities lasting generations."

And:

"Abichandani reminds readers that real transformation begins with a change in posture toward power and control. Therein lies my own scepticism ("skepticism" for the Americans!) around how soon the tide will turn for a majority of donors and funders still in the business of merely ‘distributing grants’ rather than being committed to the actual redistribution of wealth."

That line above is probably the closest thing to a ‘critique’ I raised in my review of Abichandani’s book. Overall, her argument reads as though it would be well-received by donors and funders who themselves might already be at a crossroads in their philanthropic practice. But I wonder about those who remain unconvinced about a more ground-up, community-centered way of doing this work. For those privileged to do immense amounts of good with their wealth, is it possible to cede power while doing so?

I am also curious about whether there are cultural hurdles philanthropists based in regions outside of North America or Europe must navigate before adopting these alternative principles of giving.

How might donors in Asia, for example, buck the norms of “standard” philanthropic practice within their countries without alienating established partners in the government or corporate sectors, and with the utmost respect to cultural values and traditions around the stewardship of money and resources for the benefit of the collective?

This and other questions are certainly worth exploring, whether in future book reviews or in future posts. Stay tuned!