‘A sense of community is really strong amongst the diaspora, achieving things together, recognising that there are problems at home that can’t be solved without the diaspora… It’s about creating spaces where those people with shared passions can get together and realise that impact.’
– expert from a Bangladeshi development organisation 

Cross-border philanthropy – estimated to be worth $70 billion – connects people and communities around the world. Within this, diasporas have an impactful role to play because of the enduring personal, emotional and cultural ties people and communities retain to their homeland. We wanted to understand more about this potentially powerful motivator for giving, its complexities and mechanisms – and how to support this form of international giving.

To do this, we spoke to experts and members of diaspora communities to explore cross-border giving through the lens of eight different diaspora communities in the UK: Bangladesh, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States.

Defining diaspora

For this research, we defined a diaspora community to mean first-, second- and third-generation individuals, as well as those with ethnic, religious or, more generally, emotional ties to a place. Diaspora giving means donations to causes and/or charities in that place. While remittances are a large part of cross-border giving, our research focused on philanthropy to explore the relationships between individuals and charities.

How do people choose to give?

Technology has revolutionised the way people give – building connections, spurring crowdfunding campaigns, and simplifying processes. In our research, members of the Indian diaspora used social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, to collect donations for local causes; whereas members of the Irish diaspora tended to use websites like JustGiving or GoFundMe.

But tech is not always deemed a positive force, with some people opting instead for in-person or bank money transfers to relatives to make charitable donations, especially in the Nigerian, Bangladeshi, and South African diasporas. Rather than relying on tech intermediaries or charities, they trust relatives or friends to allocate money where it is needed.

In addition to money, significant focus is placed on the exchange of knowledge and skills via networking and mentorship. For example, members of the Nigerian diaspora who developed tech skills and knowledge in the UK seek to share these with working individuals back in Nigeria, to grow local expertise and support development.

Diaspora communities tend to give consistently to education, health, and heritage/arts. However, there were notable differences across generations in terms of the methods, locations, and causes to which people donate. Some of these differences stemmed from younger generations having weakened ties to these countries, resulting in less habitual ‘giving back’.

For example, younger members of the Irish diaspora are less likely to donate to Ireland because they think there are international causes more in need. Meanwhile, younger members of the Nigerian diaspora tend to use more formal and ‘Western’ giving structures, such as organising fundraising events, compared to older members, who maintain more traditional donation methods rooted in local connections in Nigeria.

What motivates giving?

Every donor has their own story but there are shared reasons behind much cross-border giving. These include a desire to make an impact, a sense of responsibility, a determination to offer equal opportunities to others and a personal connection to a cause. Members of the Indian diaspora exemplified these core motives, prioritising urgent appeals for emergency medical treatments like dialysis or local projects to promote gender equity. A first-generation Irish participant highlighted the importance of connection and desired impact: ‘I like to give back to the country that I’ve come from and try and help in any small way that I can.’

The relative importance of spirituality and religion varied across diaspora communities. For instance, the concept of ubuntu – a shared care for others – inspires giving in the South African diaspora, whereas zakat – a core Islamic practice – largely influences Bangladeshi diaspora giving. One third-generation Bangladeshi participant said, ‘I feel like charity is built into us from a very young age due to the religion.’

What discourages people from giving?

Despite these motivations, obstacles can hinder giving across borders. Local and international regulations play a crucial role in determining if and how diaspora members donate. For example, government regulations in India limit cross-border donations to a handful of authorised charities. While practical issues, such as the cumbersome user experience for certain donation methods, complications of currency exchange, unregulated money transfer shops, and lack of banking in rural areas, provide further barriers for donors.

How people think about giving can also be a barrier. There was general distrust expressed about how large, international charities use funds. This was fuelled by a perceived lack of transparency, with little to no communication around the impact of individual donations and the charity’s overall progress cited. One first-generation Irish participant noted that, ‘you can give £500 to [a charity] and you’ve no idea how it’s spent.’ As a result, some fear that if they don’t donate directly or to a trusted person in the place, they won’t achieve the impact they seek.

Ways to harness diaspora giving

Our research just skimmed the surface of what is an under-researched and evolving space. But some opportunities emerged for organisations looking to support giving by diaspora communities:

1. Creating physical and online spaces could bring people within diaspora communities together to identify areas of need and collaborate to multiply impact. These opportunities could also help second- and third-generation diaspora members strengthen ties to their country of origin.
2. Transparency by charities about the processing time for donations and how they are used could help counteract growing scepticism and dwindling trust which are significant obstacles for some donors.
3. Local governments and organisations looking to harness diaspora giving should consider the barriers associated with their country and highlight trustworthy and straightforward giving tools.
4. Support for the distribution of non-financial gifts to enable members to share skills, goods, and opportunities.
5. Continuing to improve the digital experience for giving (i.e. fundraising apps, charity websites) could encourage donors to give across causes and areas.

Cross-border giving, with its host of multi-faceted risks and cultural challenges, requires a collaborative approach. We will continue to encourage transparent and effective cross-border giving – if you’d like to be involved in driving progress on this, please get in touch.

Christine Rush is senior research manager at Charities Aid Foundation, and Sofi Larrine is researcher at Charities Aid Foundation.