Alliance magazine’s coverage of foundation investments is the focus of our September 2020 issue, ‘Investments: philanthropy in the balance’, out today. The issue takes a close look at how the sharp division between how philanthropic money is generated and how it is distributed is facing increasing scrutiny.

While foundations typically define themselves by their grantmaking, these grants account for only a small proportion of the total assets. How should foundation assets most effectively contribute to public good? At a time of heightened need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, guest-editor Danielle Walker Palmour of the Friends Provident Foundation explores whether philanthropy’s established norms and orthodoxies are about to change.

The new issue also features the launch of our new column, Philanthropy Confidential. The advice column tackles your real questions, concerns, and ethical dilemmas, which are answered by our secret philanthropy correspondent, Regi. Read this quarter’s column and get in touch this time to send us your questions for the next issue.

Elsewhere, a wide-ranging and candid conversation with two Hewlett leaders – CEO Larry Kramer and Chief Investment Officer Ana Marshall – with Palmour explores what a large foundation must consider when looking at its investments, why demands for foundations to divest from fossil fuels is virtue signalling, and how calls for everyone to spend more now to meet immediate needs is actually short-sighted.

Also, in the issue is an interview with the European Foundation Centre’s new CEO Angel Font and a look at how the AVPN conference fared when it moved entirely online.

The September 2020 issue of Alliance magazine is available for sale in digital and hard copy now.