Unequal pathways to addressing inequality: Divergent boundary work strategies in Belgian philanthropy

Philanthropic organizations seek to address the inequalities in our societies through funding and supporting diverse initiatives that contribute to the general interest. Yet, incumbent philanthropic organizations are increasingly challenged by the emergence of new-generation philanthropic initiatives, in particular social mission platforms that provide technology- supported mechanisms to conduct philanthropic actions and address inequalities in a new way. In this paper, we examine how philanthropic incumbents manage “boundary work” to respond to the arrival of platform-based newcomers. Drawing on an in-depth qualitative case study of Belgian philanthropy, we identify two divergent boundary work strategies. While the affiliating strategy seeks to include and take inspiration from social mission platforms, the discriminating strategy works to maintain rigid boundaries and exclude these platforms. Our findings further explain how these two strategies interact and how these interactions shape the field boundaries. In doing so, we extend the literature on boundaries and boundary work.