Olivia Leland

Spear’s Review

Few figures have shaped the culture of modern philanthropy as subtly, but as decisively, as Olivia Leland. As founding director of The Giving Pledge – created with Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda French Gates – she helped establish a new code among the billionaire class: that fortunes should not only be amassed but given away. Today, more than 250 signatories across 30 countries have joined.

In 2017, Leland moved from commitment to execution with the launch of Co-Impact, a philanthropic collaborative uniting donors, governments and local organisations. Its focus is not on small projects but ‘systems change’ – reshaping the foundational policies and frameworks that determine whether social progress sustains.

The model has already shown its force. In Indonesia, Co-Impact is supporting a grassroots movement of women-headed households, working with the government to provide women with the support and training required to unlock their potential and lead in their communities. As Leland tells Spear’s: ‘What does Indonesia look like when women are empowered to work across around 74,000 rural villages?’

The organisation has successfully convened some of the world’s most significant donors – from MacKenzie Scott to Cartier Philanthropy – around long-term initiatives in health, education and gender equity. Leland’s power has consequently been both discreet and transformative: she has reshaped not just how the wealthy give, but the scale and ambition of giving itself.

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