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Letters
Formal risk management training needed
Lisa Jordan’s article in the March issue of Alliance addresses a critical topic for any grantmaking organization or individual donor. I agree that information about failures is not shared with the same enthusiasm as are …
Reappraising the systemic constraints to change
I loved Lisa Jordan’s opinion piece on foundations and risk. However, while Lisa discusses the basis for revoking a grant, I think it is critical to reflect more deeply on how choices are made by …
What about values?
I am glad that Lisa Jordan has raised the issue of risk and how to measure failure. However, though I could wish our sector had only one parameter, namely profits, for measuring failure and success, …
Failing to talk about failure
Failure is failing to talk about it! Lisa Jordan makes an important point about the links between risk-taking and potential failure. It is difficult to assess how often philanthropy fails. And if it does, who learns from …
Always make new mistakes
Lisa Jordan’s challenge to embrace risk in organized philanthropy reminded me of a quote from technology writer Esther Dyson (who used it as a tagline on her email) – ‘always make new mistakes’. Dyson, daughter …
In defence of gorillas
When I saw the ‘gorilla’ cover on the September 2011 issue of Alliance, I congratulated Caroline Hartnell on it. I liked the tongue-in-cheek allusion to the size of the Gates Foundation. I teach the law …
What about gender justice investing?
Regarding an otherwise excellent special feature on resilience investing, I was missing a discussion of gender justice grantmaking/investing (besides mentioning SEWA). As Mary Robinson, president of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, recently reminded …
Foundation accountability in India
I would like to congratulate Jacob Harold for his interesting suggestions in his article ‘Gorillas in the midst: foundation accountability in a networked age’ in the December issue of Alliance and for highlighting how ‘a …
Guerrillas or gorillas?
As a board member of Alliance Publishing Trust, I feel it is my responsibility to provide Caroline Hartnell with regular feedback on the content of Alliance magazine, and to play the role of friendly critic. …
We are all Gates now
The emergence of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a major force in global public health and US public education should be welcomed by those who believe in the promise of philanthropy to address …
