Latest from Alliance

Gunderson to leave COF at start of September

allianceadmin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:00:57 +0100

Steve Gunderson is to step down as president and CEO of the Council on Foundations with effect from 1 September, it was announced on Sunday. In an open letter posted on the Council’s website, Gunderson said that he stepped down confident that he was leaving ‘an outstanding organization’ to his successor. In announcing the news, the Council was keen to affirm its commitment to the expanded horizon of its work ushered in under Gunderson’s tenure.

Partnership foreshadows ‘new model’ of increased cooperation for charitable sector

allianceadmin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:50:58 +0100

Philanthropy Leadership Confluence brings Indian donor association a step closer

allianceadmin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:10:26 +0100

The Philanthropy Leadership Confluence (PLC) was held in Mumbai on 15 June 2011 and organized by the Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy, one of India’s leading philanthropy resource centres and Samhita, a philanthropic initiative that aims to create an enabling ecosystem for NGOs, donors, volunteers, service providers and other support organizations.

Husk Power Systems wins Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy

allianceadmin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:12:54 +0100

Indian organization Husk Power Systems (HPS), which generates electricity for remote villages in the Indian state of Bihar from the gasification of rice husk, and which featured prominently in the latest issue of Alliance, has been named one of the five international winners of this year’s Ashden Trust Awards for Sustainable Energy.

Report on US non-profit funding of journalism shows achievements and limits – and has lessons for Europe

allianceadmin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:56:28 +0100

In the last ten years, the US non-profit sector has invested over a billion dollars in safeguarding and promoting quality journalism to combat perceived threats to the role of the media as the watchdog of democratic principle and practice. The figures appear in a study released today, The Field of Nonprofit Funding of Journalism in the United States.

Philanthropy’s Promise: beyond the Giving Pledge

allianceadmin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:05:40 +0100

Last week, more than 60 grantmakers from across the US publicly expressed their intention to maximize the effectiveness and impact of their grants by prioritizing the underserved, and substantially supporting advocacy and community organizing.

NESsT doing a great job but social enterprise needs more actors

allianceadmin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:05:36 +0100

If you Google social enterprise development in Hungary you get singular references to the CEE Trust and the Euclid Network but almost all the content comes from NESsT, which began its work with nascent social enterprises in Hungary almost 15 years ago. It was therefore no surprise that the first Social Enterprise Day, held in Budapest on 3 June, was organized by NESsT and was a showcase for NESsT and its portfolio’s work in addressing critical social issues.

Prompted by Gates, Buffett and NCRP, US foundations adopt Philanthropy’s Promise

allianceadmin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:55:10 +0100

Apparently prompted by the much-touted Giving Pledge of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, more than 60 US foundations have set up their own pledge, Philanthropy’s Promise, by which they undertake to channel at least 50 per cent of their grant money to the poor and other disadvantaged people.

Why bother with a theory of change?

allianceadmin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:49:04 +0100

As a recent guest on BBC Radio’s Desert Island Discs, Martin Sheen described why he is a social activist. He said that he never expects to change anyone’s mind through his activism. He does what he does because he has to, it is right. That is not enough for me, and I suspect, not enough for many who work in the charitable sector. There is nothing wrong with being motivated by principle and values alone. But I imagine most of us need to make a difference. If I was not making a difference, I would go somewhere else that pays more!

Rich Australians keep their chequebooks in their pockets

allianceadmin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:30:42 +0100

It’s paradoxical that while Australia topped a recent World Giving Index of 153 countries in terms of people's willingness to give money, volunteer and help strangers, wealthy Australians are apt to be relatively stingy when it comes to philanthropy. This state of affairs is roundly castigated by, among others, Daniel Petre, a former Microsoft executive who describes Australia’s wealthy as ‘morally bankrupt’.