Is tact curbing our impact?

WHEN we talk about philanthropy, there are a lot of conventions dictating what we can and cannot say. Philanthropy is not a business, or at least, we can't call it that. Telling stories of real people in need while also discussing return on investment or risk assessment is generally seen as tactless. Even the etymology of the word (from Greek philanthropia) is tied to thoughts of altruism and self-sacrifice. When we talk about philanthropy, we don't like to use the word profit.

It's an unfortunate convention. And it's also a destructive one - mainly because it has inhibited the development of effective, sustainable funding mechanisms. After all, if we…