Author Archive:
Michael Alberg-Seberich
Peer Dialogue: ‘Walking the talk of transformation’
Don’t just state your values – live them. Romy Krämer of the Guerrilla Foundation and Kavita Ramdas, independent philanthropy adviser and founder of KNR Sisters Consulting who also has long experience of institutional philanthropy, discuss …
Transforming philanthropy from within
Remaking institutional philanthropy to serve the purpose it needs to serve requires an honest, ‘warts-and-all’ self-assessment by those involved The rallying cry for philanthropy to change has been resounding and gaining momentum over the past …
From inside out
Transforming philanthropy means transforming the institutions that practice it. What does this mean for their attitudes and their day-to-day work? Philanthropy needs to change – this seems to be the common denominator in current debates …
Modern Grantmaking: A guide for funders who believe better is possible
Reviewed by Michael Alberg-Seberich, Managing director, Wider Sense This book is two things: first, a practical toolbox for everybody working in the field of grantmaking. Second, the manifestation – not a manifesto – of a …
Trust-based philanthropy
Trust should be at the heart of relationships but what happens when one party to those relationships has more power than the other? People on the receiving end of power often don’t have a choice …
Giving Done Right: Effective philanthropy and making every dollar count – Phil Buchanan
Reviewed by Michael Alberg-Seberich, Wider Sense If you drew a map of philanthropy-land Giving Done Right would be the vast, fertile, middle ground situated between the mountains of Giving is like Business, the ocean of …
The Tyranny of Metrics
Reviewed by Michael Alberg-Seberich, Wider Sense, Germany How many letters does the word philanthropy have? Twelve, exactly. How many vowels and consonants? Three and nine. What does that say about the actual impact of philanthropy? …
Making infrastructure future-ready
In order to meet the challenges philanthropy and social investment is contending against, its infrastructure needs to be rethought and retooled. Those of us who live in the developed world take many things for granted: …
‘Money Well Spent: A strategic plan for smart philanthropy’ second edition by Paul Brest and Hal Harvey
Reviewed by Michael Alberg-Seberich How do you review the second edition of a book that has become a standard on many foundation managers’ and philanthropists’ desks? The first edition of Money Well Spent was published …
The Global Philanthropy Environment Index 2018 – A storm front ahead in Europe?
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 …
