Nan Ransohoff's essay, "The third wave of American philanthropy," ignited debate over whether AI wealth could create a new surge in charitable funding - and whether the sector's ability to deploy that money, not the cash itself, would be the real bottleneck. A recent Devex Pro Briefing examined what this moment means for global development, shifting the conversation from predicting the size of AI fortunes to two immediate questions for organizations facing shrinking aid budgets: how to influence where new AI-linked funding flows, and how to connect with a rising generation of donors from the tech sector.
The funding pressure behind the debate
Official aid budgets are under strain, pushing development organizations to look beyond traditional government and multilateral sources. Ransohoff's thesis argues that AI-driven wealth could represent a third major wave of American philanthropy, following the industrial and tech booms. The Devex discussion did not try to forecast exact dollar figures. Instead, it asked participants to consider whether the real constraint would be a lack of ready, scalable projects rather than a shortage of money.
Shaping where AI-linked capital goes
Development groups want to help steer new funding toward overlooked areas, not just high-profile tech solutions. That means presenting clear, evidence-backed proposals and building relationships early with founders and investors who are still forming their giving strategies. The conversation stressed that organizations that wait until large fortunes are fully established may find the giving patterns already set.
Positioning for a new donor class
Engaging AI donors requires different approaches than those used with foundations or governments. These donors often move faster, expect data-driven results, and may favor direct implementation over long-term institutional grants. Development professionals will need to speak the language of metrics and technical feasibility, and to demonstrate how their work aligns with the systems-thinking common in engineering and product circles.
Why this matters for IT and development professionals
IT and development teams are on the front line of making aid programs measurable, transparent, and technically credible to a donor base that values data and scalability. Whether building monitoring platforms, designing APIs for cash transfers, or securing digital identity systems, the work done by technologists inside development organizations will directly shape which projects attract AI-linked funding. The ability to articulate technical architecture and impact metrics in clear terms is becoming as important as the program design itself.
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