In the ‘Power Matters – Leadership Culture in Philanthropic Organisations’ session at the European Foundation Centre conference, my table held a lively debate about ‘diversity’. This catch-all term was used to frame a conversation on …

Despite the unprecedented level of interconnectivity of our societies, today’s world is marked by growing social fragmentation. At a time when interdependence is extremely high rebuilding social cohesion at the local, regional and even global …

In Bob Dylan’s song Subterranean Homesick Blues it says “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows…” Well, in philanthropy we at least need a weatherperson to map the environment overall …

There are many good reasons to invest in infrastructure and all of them point to the need for concerted thought and action It is not that common to debate the question of philanthropy infrastructure. It’s …

The world of philanthropy support is increasingly multi-faceted. Philanthropy ‘infrastructure’ is something of a catch-all for a multiplicity of organizational forms and functions which defy easy categorization – an assortment of membership associations, research and …

Community philanthropy should be a star player in sustainable development The penny finally seems to have dropped: if civil society is going to be relevant and resilient over the long run, local support matters. As …

Spotting the main chance Scottish philanthropist Sir Ian Wood created a successful business in the oil and gas industry before setting up The Wood Foundation in 2007. As he explains to Alliance editor Charles Keidan, …

Reviewed by Michael Alberg-Seberich This is the fourth edition of a book that in the past had the title The Great Philanthropists and the Problem of ‘Donor Intent’. No doubt, donor intent is a crucial …

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the most ambitious — as well as expensive — global development framework in history. The framework sets specific targets in seventeen areas, from ending poverty in all its forms (Goal 1), …

The development of a pan-African venture philanthropy organisation – to be called the African Venture Philanthropy Association – have reached an advanced stage. Who is involved? What will it do? What are the specific challenges …