Can your
philanthropy save your
world?
Every day, philanthropy works to close the gap between the world we have and the world we imagine. Where to direct limited resources. What to prioritize. What to let go. The tensions are real — and the trade-offs are never simple.
The Philanthropy Challenge is a crisis-driven strategy game that puts you in the seat of a philanthropic leader. Six rounds. Three dimensions of world health. Hard choices with real consequences.
Play Solo
Experience the simulation on your own. Make every choice yourself.
Host a Workshop
Run the Challenge with your team or conference. Facilitated & competitive.
three dimensions.the choices are yours
From Gary Community Ventures
The Power of Impermanence
What becomes possible when you have a deadline?
The Philanthropy Challenge was born from this question. The same urgency that drives the game — limited resources, compounding crises, a world that won't wait — is the lived experience of philanthropic organizations choosing to embrace impermanence.
Watch the Film & Read the Report →How It Works
The game mirrors the real choices philanthropic organizations face every day — where to direct resources, what to prioritize, and what to let go.
Build Your Foundation
Name your world, create your foundation, and set your strategy. How much will you spend each year? Will you invest for returns or for impact?
Face Crises
Every round brings a new crisis. Allocate resources across Direct Relief, Systemic Reform, Civic Infrastructure, and Environment. Every choice has a trade-off.
See the Consequences
After 6 rounds, your decisions play out over 10 more years. Did you build something lasting, or just put out fires? The answer reveals itself.
The Real Question
Philanthropy exists in a world of tensions. Speed versus sustainability. Direct relief versus structural change. Financial returns versus mission alignment. These trade-offs are hard to see in spreadsheets and strategy documents. The Challenge makes them felt.
Do you help people now?
Direct relief saves lives today but the need keeps coming back.
Do you fix the system?
Systemic reform is slow and uncertain but can shift the conditions that create crises.
Do you protect the future?
Environmental investment takes years but without it there is no world left to save.