Case Study
Leading Tech Philanthropist
Leading Tech Philanthropist
Objective
Identifying an impact lane
Project Type
Program Development
Impact Area
Climate and Environment
Client Type
Influencer
Client Need
One of technology’s most innovative entrepreneurs approached Propper Daley to help him identify ways that he could build out his philanthropic work over time. He shared that – consistent with how he had been successful in his own career – he was particularly interested in supporting social entrepreneurs, cutting-edge ideas, and scaling them. He was open on areas of focus, naming a few areas in which he had given money in the past, all of which he was deeply proud. Propper Daley supported this philanthropist by identifying philanthropic areas in which he might focus (the “why” of the work), approaches he might consider (the “how” of the work), and, after a few discussions with him and his team, a few promising social impact efforts he could support (the “what” of the work).
Our Approach
To help him further refine his thinking, Propper Daley narrowed potential options to a few within climate adaptation, and conducted calls with experts in the field, conducted secondary research and literature review, and worked with the philanthropist and his close team to identify a cutting edge, innovative area of focus – regenerative agriculture. Unlike climate mitigation efforts, many climate adaptation strategies are hyperlocal and there is an opportunity to invest in cities with bold plans to reimagine urban food infrastructure.
Taking this a step further, Propper Daley worked to identify a few ways in which this philanthropist – could support work to improve outcomes for people at the local level. Specifically, we highlighted that climate change and racial-class disparities are intersectional, noted how this affects our ideas about food, land, and community, and recommended shifting from an emphasis on sustainable food systems to resilient food systems.
Our funding recommendations included investing in postsecondary programs that link food, land, and community; investing in Black agriculture entrepreneurs through a farm ownership fund; investing in infrastructure to connect indigenous and local changemakers; investing in a state-wide cohort resilient food communities; and investing in new initiatives that merge food system resilience with service.
Impact
With this thorough and strategic analysis, the individual is engaged and actively planning the next steps of a major investment and partnership in this field to make a meaningful positive change – all in a way that feels authentic to how this entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist sees the world.