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Letters
The bigger picture lying behind royal philanthropy
I appreciate Alliance focusing on the philanthropy of royal families around the world (December 2018) because in order for philanthropy to be effective and accountable, it does need to be scrutinised. Several articles in the issue ask …
Power is a complex issue
The Alliance editorial and lead article introducing the issue on Royal Philanthropy raised thoughtful questions about covering some of the most consequential donors in the world: royalty. Yes, there are very specific power dynamics when …
Fascinating insight into working at scale
I enjoyed reading the interview with James Chen (December 2018). James’ steadfast approach to philanthropy, leveraging deep domain expertise to catalyse social impacts is worth emulating by those who seek to do good outside of …
Open your black books
It excites me no end when I see what can be achieved without a personal agenda. When Charles Keidan mentioned in passing that the September 2018 edition of Alliance would look in-depth at Muslim philanthropy, …
Harnessing the power of Muslim giving
In the most recent issue of Alliance magazine (September 2018), guest editor Yunus Sola suggested that the value of Muslim giving was $1 trillion a year. While actual figures are hard to find, if this …
Forward-thinking is the way ahead
The expert insight into the current state of Muslim philanthropy, as interpreted in Tariq Cheema’s Muslim philanthropy at the crossroads (September 2018), accurately captured many of the opinions I heard at the recent Global Donors …
Infrastructure is a central challenge
Muslim philanthropy, like all philanthropy occurring through foundations, trusts and donor networks, shares the critical concerns of philanthropic action worldwide. Yet as global philanthropy gains visibility, Muslim philanthropy faces unique challenges, while often facing levels …
Changing systems means changing ourselves
The impressive scale of Co-Impact’s ambition, as set out in Olivia Leland’s Interview (June 2018), prompted me to reflect on the relationship between philanthropic power and Co-Impact’s goal of ‘systems change’. Leland suggests that while …
Pivotal place of peer-learning
The growing breadth and depth of knowledge about global philanthropy in Alliance magazine never ceases to amaze me. But I felt there were some notable omissions in the June edition on philanthropy’s infrastructure. If one …
Calling time on top-down approach
Browsing through the June 2018 issue, I was struck by the interview with Scottish philanthropist, Sir Ian Wood. Notwithstanding that his philanthropy undoubtedly has had some positive impact, I was surprised by Wood’s somewhat anachronistic …
