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Foundations
The business of the business of good
Michael Porter, the Harvard business school guru, defined how industries work in his book on competitive strategy. He drew out the relationships between competitive enterprises and their supply chains, infrastructure, distribution channels, and advocacy organizations. …
What’s different about philanthropy in Spain?
The scene was the first large-scale conference on family philanthropy in Spain. 160 hand-picked attendees with ties to significant family businesses were in the audience. What did I see from behind the podium as I …
Trends in institutional philanthropy in Russia
This is my second post based on the recent Russian Donors Forum Report on Institutional Philanthropy in Russia. I am very encouraged by e-mails and phone calls from readers of this blog, and as the …
Increasing activity in international basic education
In the early years of this millennium, I was puzzled by the lack of foundation activity in support of global basic education. Other development actors – bilaterals, the UN, national governments and households – were …
Living with the Gates Foundation: the debate continues
Describing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the world’s largest foundation is accurate but a substantial understatement. Its annual giving is more than six times larger than its closest ‘peer’. There are fewer than …
Responding to the hopes of the Arab Spring – December issue of Alliance just published
How can philanthropy help support the transition to more just and democratic societies following the series of spontaneous revolutions now known as the Arab Spring? Many funders from outside the Arab region are keen to …
Philanthropy’s demographic leadership challenge
Foundations are always looking for the latest trends and the one societal challenge nobody else has identified yet. For years one of these trends in European countries, especially in Germany, has been the aging of …
Inspiring impact: how funders can help to make the next decade one of high impact
The word ‘impact’ conjures up everything from passion to frustration, confusion to hostility. It means different things to different people. Many equate it with impact measurement – a rather narrow focus on how to measure …
Bellagio Summit: if foundations are not there to take risks, what are they for?
The title of the whole initiative of which the recently ended Bellagio Summit was part is The future of Philanthropy and Development in the Pursuit of Well-being. Going on the title alone, the two questions …
Russian Donors Forum presents the first Report on Institutional Philanthropy in Russia
The report is the first attempt of its kind to capture a comprehensive picture of foundations in Russia. It combines statistical data, results of quantitative and qualitative research, expert opinions on the environment for foundations …
