In this episode we look at the relationship between sport, philanthropy and civil society through history and up to the present day. Including:
Sportspeople as donors
- Big name examples of sportspeople who give generously: David Beckham, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi
- What drives this high-profile giving? Altruism, or brand-management/PR?
- Lance Armstrong and the potential risks of making philanthropy over-reliant on the individual
- Does the fact that many sportspeople's careers end relatively early leave them searching for purpose, and can philanthropy fill that gap?
- Can philanthropy be partly motivate by a desire to create positive narrative about wealth accrued through sport?
- Is sport one area where people from poor backgrounds can become rich, and what does this mean for their approach to philanthropy?
Sportspeople as campaigners
- Are some sportspeople perceived as campaigners simply by virtue of who they are?
- When have sportspeople campaigned for change within their sport and when have they taken on wider social issues?
- After many notable examples of campaigning by sportspeople in the 1960s and 70s, why did we see a decline in the 1980s and 1990s?
- Are we seeing a resurgence in campaigning by sportspeople, with figures like Colin Kapaernick, Megan Rapinoe and Marcus Rashford coming to the fore?
- How do sports fans perceive campaigning by sportspeople?
Sports and Fundraising
- The long history of sporting charity fundraising events and the role of charity matches in the evolution of professional football
- Sportspeople fundraising: from the traditional of testimonial matches to raise money for players' retirements to sportspeople taking on charity fundraising challenges in other sports
- Has the pandemic hit sports fundraising particularly hard, and what does this mean for charities that rely on running events etc?
Sports clubs and civil society
- What is the history of the relationship between sports clubs and voluntary associations?
- How did the development of sporting associations helped to foster civic engagement skills and ideals of mutual aid?
- What is the role of modern sports clubs as corporate donors?
- Is owning sports club a form of philanthropy…?
- What role do clubs play in acting as community anchors and giving people a sense of shared identity? How can this inform social action?
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