Alliance is proud to have been part of the media coverage for this year’s annual WINGS Conference in Mexico City, on 22-24 February 2017.

We provided coverage of the event from:

• Jens Böhme, Head of Philanthropy at Realdania, Denmark
• Fabiana Hernández Abreu, board member of the Ibero-American Network of Community Foundations, Uruguay
• Charles Keidan, Editor of Alliance
• Atallah Kuttab, Founder and CEO of SAANED for Philanthropy Advisory in the Arab Region
• Dana Preston, Program Manager at Hispanics in Philanthropy
• Natalie Ross, Senior Director for Global Philanthropy and Partnerships at the Council of Foundations
• David Venn, Director of Communications for the Community Foundations of Canada

Read their blogs here.

This year’s Forum was titled ‘Critical Philanthropy: Addressing Complexity, Challenging Ourselves’. The event encapsulated many ideas on how to influence social change, how to challenge current models and practices of philanthropy and how to create the conditions for philanthropy to thrive.

Traditional dancers started the proceedings. Photo credit: WINGS.

Social problems: business solutions – myth or fact?
Jens Böhme writes ‘One might ask a more fundamental question, seen from a foundation perspective: Why consider social entrepreneurship as a tool for solving social or environmental problems? Well, it depends on the problem you want to solve. It also depends on the context, the alternative solutions, and the required philanthropic investment measured against the impact return you can expect to get.’

Jens Böhme reports here.

‘Measuring philanthropy’s impact: development and quality of life’
During this discussion, Fabiana Hernández Abreu comments, the panelists were talking about the need of looking for alternative ways to evaluate impact, especially when some of the factors included in the assessment cannot be truly measured. What really matters, however, is whether the initiative in question is worth the donors’ support.

Fabiana Hernández Abreu reports here.

Douglas Rutzen wins WINGS Philanthropy prize
This year’s winner of the WINGS prize is Douglas Rutzen, President of the International Center for Non-profit law (ICNL), which campaigns for open societies and enabling legal environments worldwide. Charles Keidan reports on the prize, which is awarded every three years to recognize an individual or organization that has provided exemplary service to the global philanthropy sector.

Charles Keidan reports here.

Reflections from the WINGS Forum: A session on building philanthropy infrastructure
Focusing in on one session from this year’s WINGSForum in Mexico, the session on ‘Building philanthropy infrastructure: experiences from Africa, Arab countries and the Caribbean’ covered experiences in building networks from three regions: Africa, Arab countries and the Caribbean. Atallah Kuttab reports on the infrastructure of philanthropy which includes three elements of support services: networks and associations, research centers, and philanthropy advisory.

Atallah Kuttab reports here.

Getting creative and colourful at the 2017 WINGSForum
‘I’m not going to lie. I’ve always been slightly skeptical about the potential of art as a tool to heal. Maybe that’s because I was a terrible art student as a kid, or perhaps because I didn’t grow up in an artistic family’. Nevertheless, Dana Preston‘s mind was changed after a session at the Forum about the power of art to change communities. Yes, it even involved coloured pencils and paper…

Dana Preston reports here.

Global solidarity, with a dash of humility
Natalie Ross writes, ‘For perhaps the first time, networks from countries like mine were talking about our issues at home, not just the issues foundations from our countries face when engaging abroad. As we face new political realities that impact our members, there is a lot we can learn from peer philanthropy networks who have been dealing with this issue for decades’.

Natalie Ross reports here.

Where is philanthropy going next?
There are of course no easy answers. Existing models must be examined. New narratives must emerge. But as David Venn listened to panelists from around the world talk about the future, what resonated was a shared desire for philanthropy to be so much more than it currently is. ‘Perhaps now more than every there is an opportunity to channel the values that underpin global philanthropy – compassion, empathy, inclusion, belonging to name a few – into territory that for some may be less familiar.’

David Venn reports here.

It was also announced at the end of the 2017 Forum where the next WINGSForum will be held.

Photo credit: WINGS.