Blog
Philanthropy needs all the help it can get
It is good to see that the Alliance Special Feature on ‘Philanthropy’s Developers’ pays homage to some of the pioneers of philanthropy infrastructure. To my mind, one of these – Barry Gaberman – merits special mention. When he was Senior Vice President at the Ford Foundation, he saw the importance of the unglamorous backroom role played by…
How community philanthropy shifts power and changes the world
‘Every year billions of dollars are spent in aid to help the poor, the vulnerable, the excluded. But how much really changes?’ This animated film by the Global Fund for Community Foundations talks about ‘new paths’, alternative ways of doing things, i.e. the growing community philanthropy movement that challenges traditional development approaches (that often undermine the agency of…
Community philanthropy initiative launched in Palestine
Rawa, a philanthropic fund rooted in participatory community decision-making, has been launched in Palestine to promote community development and the mobilisation of local resources. Following an exploration period, supported by Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Open Society Foundations, The Middle East Children’s Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Al-Maamal Foundation and the Ford Foundation, Rawa will support initiatives…
‘How do we solve poverty if all your jobs depend on it?’
Recent books by Barry Knight and by Alan Marsh and colleagues have shown that efforts to end poverty in low-income neighbourhoods in the UK have failed to make much progress. Darren McGarvey, or Rapper Loki, in his book Poverty Safari criticises the well-meaning but fundamentally misguided behaviour of the poverty industry which behaves ‘much like an imperial power’ and is not tuned into what…
Resources
Philanthropy in Brazil
This report on Brazilian philanthropy is part of a larger study by Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace (PSJP), started in 2016, to review the current state of philanthropy in emerging economies and the role philanthropy is playing in the world today. It aims to throw light on current developments in, obstacles to, and possibilities for philanthropy in Brazil, especially highlighting innovations and new initiatives. The areas covered include various forms of giving by the wealthy, including corporate philanthropy, family foundations and impact investing, social justice philanthropy, community philanthropy, and giving by ordinary individuals.
How community philanthropy shifts power
While slogans like “think globally, act locally” have been around for decades, so much decision making about philanthropy and development aid still happens by stakeholders outside of communities. GrantCraft, a service of Foundation Center, released a new Leadership Series paper on how funders around the globe are challenging this norm by sharing and shifting power into the hands of local leadership. How Community Philanthropy Shifts Power: What Donors Can Do to Help Make That Happen by Jenny Hodgson and Anna Pond explores examples, advice, and the driving questions for donors interested in producing people-owned changes, without losing sight of their institutional interests.
News
Learn about the Shine Campaign
The Shine Campaign is a unique global collaboration founded by philanthropy, faith, and development leaders, working together with the finance community to supply clean energy for the 1 billion people without access. Shine is dedicated to ending energy poverty and achieving universal clean energy access for all to realize Sustainable Development Goal 7. Clean and reliable…
Ignite Philanthropy is looking for a Program Associate
Ignite Philanthropy: Inspiring the End to Violence Against Girls and Boys is a pooled, collaborative donor fund whose founding members are Human Dignity Foundation, Oak Foundation, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Ignite is looking for a Program Associate who will play a central role in ensuring efficient and effective use of this flexible funding mechanism.
International grassroots funder Thousand Currents is recruiting a new Executive Director
Thousand Currents is seeking a visionary, inspirational Executive Director to realize the strategic goals of the organization while reimagining traditional philanthropy. Thousand Currents ED Position Description Thousand Currents is a boldly unique 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to building an interconnected global community rooted in love, imagination and joy. Formerly IDEX, Thousand Currents has funded, connected, and…
South Asia Women’s Fund is now Women’s Fund Asia
On 8th March 2018, International Women’s Day, Tulika Srivastav announced the transmogrification of the South Asia Women’s Fund to Women’s Fund Asia, expanding the work of the fund to 18 countries in Asia. In a message to partners and friends, Tulika wrote: The journey to become Women’s Fund Asia consisted of many consultations, debates and…