December 2023 - Alliance magazine

Philanthropy and politics

Where does the dividing line fall?

Many philanthropic foundations are ambivalent about political involvement or eschew it altogether. Yet, there is a lively trend within philanthropy to support political action through growing civic involvement and building trust in democratic institutions. This feature is guest edited by Sarah Durieux and Jeff Kwasi Klein of the Multitudes Foundation. It includes expert perspectives from around the world shining a light on a new political philanthropy acting in the service of democracy.

Elsewhere, we talk to Rena Greifinger of the Maverick Collective, a group of leading female philanthropists driving resources to reproductive justice and changing the conversation about women in philanthropy. Katy Love and Diana Samarasan respond to sceptics of participatory philanthropy and we hear from Gaston Wright in Argentina about philanthropy’s role in regulating the internet.

Special feature

Reimagining politics: The need is urgent

5 December 2023
Sarah Durieux and Jeff Kwasi Klein

Many people in Europe are under-represented by their supposedly representative institutions. We have to rebuild a political culture that serves all of us The mention of ‘political funding’ often provokes a blend of curiosity and scepticism among people and organisations in philanthropic Europe. But a growing community of actors is trying a new approach to funding political work. By challenging the barriers philanthropy has erected around political funding, they are supporting initiatives to fix the …

Charles Keidan

Editorial

Should philanthropy be more political?

The question may seem irrelevant. Many jurisdictions proscribe partisan or party-political activity and legal rulings in the UK, Germany, and elsewhere in recent years have sought to clarify the boundaries of charitable purpose and activity. Most would agree that there should be a demarcation between philanthropy and politics placing limits on the appropriate use of charitable resources. Such demarcations are broadly welcomed in philanthropy. Legal guidance enables trustees of philanthropic foundations to reassure themselves – with a little help from a professional class of lawyers, auditors and accountants – that they make or refuse grants in conformity with charitable purposes. …