ABSTRACT
Understanding the views of practitioners in the field is critical to gaining deeper insight into the ways in which science philanthropy works today and how it might better address the themes of responsible innovation going forward. This chapter presents and assesses perspectives on these matters from a range of interviewees involved in science philanthropy. Interviewees included: foundation presidents, who guide the overall strategic direction of these institutions; program directors who are responsible for managing the day-to-day matters of proposal review and grant awards; and additional experts in academic, non-profit, or consulting positions who work closely with science philanthropies. Interviewees shared their thoughts about an array of topics, including, but not limited to: establishing a new culture of science philanthropy, how to go about broadly scanning for new ideas, trade-offs associated with organizational flexibility and willingness to take risks, how to extend science philanthropy to new domains, and best practices associated with sharing learning and realizing partnerships. The chapter concludes by summarizing some of the key recommendations for how science philanthropies should operate in the years ahead, suggesting that these organizations embrace complexity, address global challenges, and recognize the value of taking a long-term view of the future.
