Author Archive:

Rose Longhurst

Analysis Dr Stellah Wairimu Bosire, Rose Longhurst, Katy Love and Diana Samarasan 10 December 2019

Participatory grantmaking: can we afford not to do it?

Participatory grantmaking is a promising way to practise a more just and equitable approach to philanthropy, though implementing it requires considerable readjustment of both attitudes and ways of working. In this article, we – practitioners …

Opinion 2 Rose Longhurst 17 October 2019

Assessing your grantee’s financial sustainability? Then please read this.

Recently several small organisations I’m involved in have been quizzed about their ‘financial sustainability’ by foundation donors. This term has always made me bristle, as it’s often used as a cudgel to beat small organisations, …

Conference reports Rose Longhurst 5 June 2018

EFC AGA 2018: Diversity is not about numbers (but even that would be a start)

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 …

Conference reports Rose Longhurst 30 May 2018

Invest in academia to strengthen philanthropy

‘Without infrastructure, philanthropy can’t reach the level of sophistication necessary to solve social problems’, asserted Benjamin Bellegy of WINGS at the Alliance breakfast club around EFC AGA 2018. But what kind of infrastructure do we need? …

Opinion Rose Longhurst 16 November 2017

Changing philanthropy to challenge inequality

‘Philanthropy is not a sector that likes to change’, Darren Walker asserted at a recent lecture at the London School of Economics. Although the Ford Foundation (where Walker is President) has been changing in recent …

Opinion Rose Longhurst 7 August 2017

Five reasons to support participatory grantmaking

This year, UK grantmaker Edge Fund turns five. Since 2012 we’ve distributed more than £300,000, funded 175 grassroots groups, and learned a great deal about participatory grantmaking. In brief, participatory grantmaking is a means of putting …

Opinion Rose Longhurst 22 July 2016

From rhetoric to reality – How do we move beyond intentions when it comes to funding local CSOs directly?

Why do donors who support international causes fail to directly fund local civil society organisations, despite championing the benefits of funding locally-led solutions? In June, Bond convened a group of more than 50 donors and …