In Brief
The Challenge
Many of today’s philanthropists aspire to audacious results. But despite having written big checks for years, they aren’t seeing large-scale results.
The Inspiration
Historical initiatives ranging from the virtual eradication of polio globally to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States demonstrate that ambitious social-change efforts can succeed.
The Lessons
A deep dive into 15 successful initiatives reveals five common elements. Those efforts built a shared understanding of the problem; set winnable milestones; designed approaches that work at massive scale; drove demand; and embraced course corrections.
Private philanthropists have helped propel some of the most important social-impact success stories of the past century: Virtually eradicating polio globally. Providing free and reduced-price lunches for all needy schoolchildren in the United States. Establishing a universal 911 service. Securing the right for same-sex couples to marry in the U.S. These efforts have transformed or saved hundreds of millions of lives. That we now take them for granted makes them no less astonishing: They were the inconceivable moon shots of their day before they were inevitable success stories in retrospect.