Why is Venture Philanthropy so controversial?
As is true of many things that are “new,” Venture Philanthropy is often presented as a critique and alternative to traditional or Classical Philanthropy. In public discussions and articles, it is often easier to make cursory critiques of each approach rather then spending the time to really dig down and understand the relative value of each. In addition, the advocates of VP have sometimes had to justify the very practice of VP in the face of opposition from those who feel any direct involvement of donors in relation to their grants is inappropriate and that nonprofits should be free to pursue their vision without what is perceived of as “interference” by funders. Furthermore, many practitioners of VP ask their investees to engage in significant documentation of the results of their work, often called social impact tracking, social return on investment or other approaches. Some critics of VP feel that the central work of the nonprofit sector is beyond measurement and it is wrong to atte
