Swarovski Foundation director Jakhya Rahman-Corey says there is a power imbalance between funders and grantees remains rife in philanthropy. 

‘Unfortunately, there is a power imbalance between funders and organisations on the ground and to recognise that goes back to the object of the grant-giving body – what is it trying to achieve?’, she told Civil Society.  

Born and raised in the UK, Rahman-Corey was inspired to ‘give back’ after witnessing ‘extreme poverty’ during a trip to Bangladesh, where her family originate. 

There, she also saw ‘young girls in the village getting married quite early on and had this moment of questioning’.  

Jakhya Rahman-Corey was 14 when she volunteered in her local Oxfam shop. After studying economics at university, she joined Austrian jewellery company Swarovski’s charitable trust as a programme officer. 

In 2018, she took the position of director, which she has held since.    

The jewellery company is the source of the majority of the foundation’s income, which totalled £2.09 million in 2022. 

Rahman-Corey says her role remains embedded inside the philanthropic vision of Daniel Swarovski, the founder of the crystal business in 1895. 

‘Swarovski believed in philanthropy. He has this famous quote: ‘A precondition for your long-term success is that you endeavour to think not only of yourselves but also of your fellow human beings. Those who adhere to this condition will certainly be blessed with success,’ she said.  

The foundation director says she has previously experienced a disconnect, citing her time as a programme officer for Cambodian HIV/AIDS Education and Care (CHEC), an NGO in Asia.  

The Cambodian NGO asked for the funder to adapt to local needs, but instead the programme continued without tweaks.

‘There was a disconnect and I vowed that if I were ever in a position as a grant funder, I would never not listen to the voices of our charity partners,’ Rahman-Corey said.  

‘We as an organisation work with charities overseas and they’re the experts who can say: ‘These are the needs and this is how it’s going to be.’ 

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance magazine