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Funding practice
Building the new: Supporting African movements with participatory grantmaking
What does it take to shift power in North-South grantmaking while also getting funds to bold African groups fighting for justice? This question guided us – the ‘Core Group’ of African activists and civil society …
Does the penny cost more than it’s worth? The hidden cost of grant seeking
Infamously, the US government spends more than a penny to make a penny. Is grant-seeking similar? Does it cost the social sector more than what it is worth? Are organisations and enterprises collectively spending more …
Rhetoric vs. reality of progressive trends in global philanthropy
The trust-based philanthropy movement is becoming ever more prominent in the discourse about charitable sector funding practices. The Bridgespan Group notes that it is ‘beginning to see evidence of a shift from a culture of compliance …
Why we leave outcome measurement in the hands of our grantee partners
Funders naturally want proof of outcome to mitigate the potential risk of ‘wasted’ funding. But how are results best defined across myriad global projects in diverse problem areas? A misperception often levelled at Trust Based …
Fiscal hosting is a critical part of civil society
A recent piece in Alliance about fiscal hosting by Jocelyn Ban hit the nail on the head when describing it as an ‘inconspicuous trend’ in philanthropy. As the founder of The Social Change Nest CIC, …
How innovative financing is powering real change within the NGO sector
A vision for a better world, and unilateral actions are no longer enough to realise true change. In the wake of large-scale humanitarian need, disruptions in the traditional funding sources, and a growing funding shortfall, …
Embracing unrestricted funding to drive transformation
In 2022 we were grateful to become an early recipient of funding from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott. This was a huge boost for us because of the generosity ($20 million) but also because it was, unusually …
The future of investing is impact
Like many foundations around the world, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is on a journey to make better use of our investment assets. As with our £50 million of annual grant-making, we want our £1.2 billion endowment …
Old habits prevent generous sustained funding for women and girls
Women’s and girls’ organizations received $8.8 billion in philanthropic support in 2020, which is 1.8 percent of total charitable giving – a key finding from the 2023 Women and Girls Index (WGI)*. A somewhat larger figure …
Most grantmakers don’t seem to know if they are effective
Is your foundation any good? I don’t mean: is it big, or does it give away a lot, or does it run an efficient process, or do the grantees achieve much. Rather, I mean: are …
