Philanthropisms

Craig Newmark on philanthropy

• Rhodri Davies • Season 1 • Episode 105

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On this episode we are joined by Craig Newmark - founder of Craigslist, philanthropist and recent Giving Pledge signatory - to discuss his thoughts on the importance of philanthropy and how he approaches it. Including:

  • What was it that particularly made him decide to sign the Giving Pledge last year, given that he has been doing philanthropy at a significant level for a long time now?
  • Part of Craig's stated aim in signing the Giving Pledge is to “inspire really rich people to pony up some dough” – is this something he is planning on doing primarily by example, or in other ways too?
  • Why were his Sunday School teachers and Leonard Cohen both important in shaping his thinking about giving and responsibility?
  • Why is a desire to “defend the country” a key common thread in Craig's philanthropy, and what are the different ways that manifests?
  • Can it be a challenge these days to be patriotic in a way that isn’t seen as partisan or nationalistic? Is it important to use philanthropy to model a ‘good’ version of patriotism?
  • In his Giving Pledge letter Craig wrote that“My most effective approach to addressing a manageable number of needs is to build a network of networks of people who know how to get the job done on stuff I care about….I find the group, fund them, nudge them to work together, and get out of the way.” So how does he find the people who know how to get the job done, and what does it mean to “get out of the way?”
  • Why has cybersecurity and fighting online scams become such a big area of focus? 
  • Are there other philanthropists or funders working in this area? Do we need more? 
  • What was it that originally drove Craig's interest in supporting journalism through his philanthropy? How has that evolved?
  • Where did his interest in support for military veterans and their families come from?
  • What is the most important lesson he has learned about philanthropy? 


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