‘Leadership for what? Leadership for whom?’ These questions seem to be uppermost in conversations with colleagues. We all seem to be feeling that we have not perhaps done enough, or are not doing enough, in our respective leadership roles to feel like we are making a difference. We are all constantly bombarded with books, articles,…
Candid (formerly the Foundation Center) and Centris (Rethinking Poverty) are conducting a study on the role of philanthropy in producing safe, healthy and just societies. At a time when many people are questioning the value of philanthropy, the study aims to clarify its role in creating peaceful and inclusive societies that provide access to justice for all…
The report Philanthropy in Brazil notes that Brazilian philanthropy is generally punching below its weight especially on matters of social justice and human rights. With President Jair Bolsonaro threatening not only some of the gains Brazil has made in securing the rights of marginalised groups but also the capacities of civil space in Brazil, what does…
By Márcia Kalvon Woods and João Paulo Vergueiro Pretty much everyone has heard about the new Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, who somehow resembles the American one to the point of having been called the ‘Trump from the Tropics’ by the Washington Post (US) and the Guardian (UK). Okay, we do have a right-wing president in…
‘New configurations of civic-led movements are playing an instrumental role in challenging political, social and economic abuses of power, at great personal risk. At the same time the organized and professionalised civil society spaces which are typically supported by philanthropy are losing momentum, relevance and connectivity to those whose interests they are meant to be…
By Barry Knight and Colin Greer I dream’d in a dream, I saw a city invincible to the Attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth; I dream’d that was the new City of Friends. Walt Whitman The unseen driver of our troubles causes no pain. But it is quietly destroying you…
Our organization, MICAIA, works in different parts of Mozambique to help people achieve local prosperity. PSJP’s recent paper on ‘Dignity and Development’ looked at the concept of dignity in development and philanthropy and this occasioned me to reflect on our own approach to our work. MICAIA has chosen to build its theory of change, and our practices,…
The Philanthropy in Russia published earlier this year by PSJP, CAF Russia, WINGS and Alliance report notes a dearth of foundations or individuals willing to support progressive causes in Russia. ‘Progressive causes are more likely to be supported where money is raised from the public’ says Maria Chertok of CAF Russia. This post on Alliance by Elisabeth…
PSJP’s recently published paper on ‘Dignity and Development’ looks at the concept of dignity in development and philanthropy. At the Zambian Governance Foundation for Civil Society (ZGF) this paper provided us with an opportunity to revisit our own journey from a dignity lens. In this blog post we would like to share the practices at…
By Jenny Hodgson (The title of this blog was inspired by a conversation with a colleague at the Africa Philanthropy Network conference in November 2018.) On 28 November 2018, together with GFCF board chair, Rita Thapa, and several community philanthropy partners from across India, I attended the launch of the Dalit Community Foundation in Patna, the capital of India’s…