According to "Changing our way of giving: a briefing by Greenstar Foundation"
August, 1999by Michael North and Jock Gill
The Web will cause philanthropy to undergo major changes, as with most fields. This means more than just improvements in speed and efficiency for public charities. There will be qualitative transformations in the way people give, how they interact and the purpose of their giving, and in the very definition of philanthropy itself. These changes will be driven by inherent capabilities of the Web that are not obvious at first glance.
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"The Web changes everything."paraphrased from Steve Jobs, Wired; February 1996
We've heard it repeatedly, in countless ways. Yes, the way people use the Web changes many things -- how we buy books and music, read news, invest our savings, the way we learn, shop for a home, a vacation, a mortgage or a gift, how we vote and exchange ideas.
In the process, the "bricks-and-mortar" people -- publishers, bankers, teachers, merchants, travel agents, politicians and salesmen -- are scrambling to protect their franchises. The nimble are trying to move into cyberspace themselves, to take advantage of the most significant transformation in human affairs since the invention of the printing press. No one wants to be caught second-guessing the new Gutenberg. But...
The Web Doesn't Change Everything
The Web doesn't change basic human needs. It doesn't change our need to be informed, to plan for the future, to own a home, to travel and explore, to express ourselves -- or to find a good deal. And it doesn't change our need to give to others, to share with the less fortunate, to reach out and leave something personal, of lasting value, behind.
The Web doesn't change the fundamental need behind "philanthropy, n. [L. philanthropia, Gr. : cf. F. philanthropie.] love to mankind; benevolence toward the whole human family; universal goodwill; desire and readiness to do good to all men" (Webster's Dictionary, 1913). But it does change who participates, how they give, what they give, to whom, when and for what purpose.
The Web creates E-philanthropy and the ephilanthropist.
The Technology of Giving
We're not talking about foundations using the Web to communicate with donors and collect funds more efficiently. We're not talking about using technology to deliver services, to better publicize global needs, or to fine-tune vertical marketing
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