Although I am now the President of the American University in Cairo, what follows is primarily based on my long experience with the Ford Foundation, in East Africa, in Egypt, and in South Africa. In particular, I think the South African experience may have useful parallels with the situation in Pakistan. Both countries possess vibrant private sectors, a rich array of community-based organizations, and a strong tradition of religiously motivated giving to social causes. All three characteristics are important for the development of a healthy philanthropic sector.