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Social change
Aspiring to greatness – little by little
The heady days of the 2012 Olympic Games seems like an age ago. In recent weeks, though, as I’ve discussed citizen action and global justice around northern Europe, one story above all still lingers. For me, rather …
Philanthropy week highlights need for more social collaboration in India
‘Collaboration’ is the bugle call from social change leaders globally. It is understood that the scale and complexity of social problems make it imperative for broader cross-sector collaboration. While the answer stares us in …
Let’s be realistic about measuring impact
‘Measure impact’ has become a mantra for creating social change. Claims about making a difference are no longer sufficient; evidence of how much difference you’re making is now required. We should applaud this trend, because …
Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear
Nearly a year ago, I wrote about the value of initiatives that create space for reflection, learning and mutual support among people working in the area of social change, and the tremendous contribution they make …
Collaboration: a leveraged way of investing in social change?
In mid-October, the Institute for Philanthropy brought together members of the current cohort of The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW) as well as TPW alumni to discuss with practitioners the opportunities and challenges facing collaboratives of all …
Call for nominations for the Olga Alexeeva Memorial Prize
The Olga Alexeeva Memorial Prize of £5,000 was announced on 20 July, the first anniversary of Olga’s death. The prize will be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated remarkable leadership, creativity and results in …
Getting ready for the sea change: notes from the launch of Impact Economy in North America
Around the world, ‘impact’ is gradually moving to centre stage. Reported impact investments are up from 1,105 in 2010 to 2,213 in 2011 (see Insight into the Impact Investment Market); the number of impact-oriented funds …
Discussing progress, growth and development
When most of the year is gone, it is easy to look back and try to see what worked and what did not. We keep on trying to evaluate our actions, maybe in order to …
High risk/high gain? Why isn’t this more appealing to foundations?
‘High risk/high gain? Opportunity, risk and global development’ was the topic for discussion at a panel discussion in Belfast on 5 June preceding the EFC conference which started the following day. This was also the …
It’s the journey, not the destination: a reflection on Ellen Remmer’s ‘Off the beaten path’
In her recent post, Ellen Remmer refers to a number of factors such as role models, time and safe spaces, continuous learning and reflection to help ‘catalyse’ donors. Looking at this list from the perspective …
