Being on the board of a major environment NGO, I think that the conclusion that donor institutions are motivated by a desire to mitigate "illnesses" is too broad a generalization. Often donors do have a vision of what they or the recipient organization are striving for. This being said, the idea of applying complexity theory to institutional philanthropy is certainly interesting and perhaps very useful. How to do it is the question. "Tipping points" and threshold analysis? Choosing where and how to give most effectively based on ABMs and emergence? Worth a discussion, particularly by those seeped in complexity! Paul
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