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Pondo ng Pinoy – A new way of life
Since its founding in June 2004, sceptics have wondered how Pondo ng Pinoy (literally the Filipinos’ fund),[1] with its scheme of ‘gathering crumbs’, can address the debilitating problem of poverty in the Philippines. Surely, they …
Are we the right sort of glue?
If there is one thing that my experience of working in community philanthropy has taught me, it is that, if community philanthropy institutions are to fulfil their potential to increase the welfare of all members …
Community Foundations – Silver bullet or just part of the answer?
‘We’ve probably just passed an important watershed,’ says Barry Gaberman of the Ford Foundation. ‘There are more community foundations outside of the US than inside.’ People talk about a community foundation ‘movement’, and certainly a …
Sustaining community philanthropy – A response from Thailand
In Thai society, although the philanthropic impulse is strong, the ordinary channels for philanthropy are culturally and socially implanted. They include, for example, giving to Buddhist temples during the yearly Kathin fundraisers (each temple does …
Who’s afraid of mutual aid?
In working with Connie Ngondi-Houghton on the recently published Philanthropy in East Africa (see review, p54), we were forced to confront the issue of definition. She quite rightly challenged any imposition of a northern definition …
Learning from the poor philanthropist?
A new publication of the Building Community Philanthropy project[1] in southern Africa confirms that poor communities have a wealth of knowledge about mobilizing resources and getting them to where they are most needed. Backed by …
Community philanthropy organizations in Brazil – A new paradigm for corporate citizenship[1]
Last year, 25 civil society organizations in the municipality of Guarulhos in Brazil took part in a training programme in institution building and the management of community-based organizations. The programme was led by executives of …
Fiii satului giving in Romania – Scaling up for local development
As part of the growing interest in community philanthropy, development agencies are becoming more concerned to understand and scale up traditional forms of giving – beginning to put into practice the principle of ‘starting with …
Community foundations in Russia – Adapting for sustainability
Community foundations are established for the purpose of raising local funds and working with local donors; if they do this successfully, they will become sustainable. Sustainability is thus the key measure of success. To become …
Fundacion del Empresariado Chihuahuense – From welfare to well-being
Flooding in the province of Chihuahua in 1991 and the subsequent need for funds for reconstruction led to an arrangement between local employers and the state government whereby employers paid an extra 10 per cent …