Author Archive:
Hilary Pearson
Philanthropy and the problem of the Outer Commons
As I look around at the lack of political consensus on what to do about poverty, public health or climate, and as I listen to the arguments and debates in the media, I do wonder …
Getting to gender parity: Are quotas necessary?
Alliance editors have asked: should a time-limited quota be introduced in relation to gender diversity on the boards of foundation? Maja Spanu and Axelle Davezac, of the Fondation de France, answered this question in their …
Why foundations matter
Why do foundations matter? I have spent decades thinking about this question in a Canadian context. To try to answer it, I wrote a book about the work of Canadian foundations and their impact today, …
Foundations and researchers: collaborators or critics?
Should foundation grantmakers embrace or beware of academic researchers? Can we speak of true collaboration between these very different professions? What is the reality behind the myths of indifference or even antagonism between academics and …
Private philanthropy and public legitimacy
What makes a private foundation ‘legitimate’? And what role does public scrutiny play in answering this question? My reflection was piqued by two recent thought pieces on private philanthropy and public legitimacy. The first, from …
Canadian foundations must confront inequality and exclusion
Typically, Canadian foundations remain very reticent to draw attention to themselves, unlike our more visible American neighbours. This is partly a matter of size. It’s the rare Canadian foundation that grants more than $1 million …
2017: Canada’s Year?
Canada is getting global attention in 2017, not just for our charismatic and youthful Prime Minister, but for our apparent social harmony, in contrast to the social turbulence being experienced in other Western countries facing …
Studying philanthropy in Canada: from benevolence to impact
Three years ago, the two infrastructure organizations for foundation philanthropy in Canada, Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) and Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) joined forces with a national partnership of scholars dedicated to creating a more …
Strategic co-funding: exploring funder collaboration
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) organized a convening of about 140 funders in Washington on 21 February to discuss a rapidly developing field of activity for many philanthropic players: increasing impact through co-funding. The format …
Canadians come together to promote funder collaboration
Funders working together – the increasing interest in this approach in Canada denotes the coming to maturity of Canadian philanthropy. This was one of the conclusions of a symposium on the topic organized by Philanthropic …
