International Giving

  At the Council on Foundations Global Grantmaking Institute (GGI), participants grappled with the fact that wicked problems do not have single-sourced solutions, nor is there a clearly demarcated path leading to success in overcoming these problems. Our esteemed faculty gently but ever so…

A few years ago, a Guatemalan organization called the Women’s Association for the Development of Sacatepéquez (AFEDES), an International Development Exchange (IDEX) grant partner since 2005, discovered something troubling: Its programs were not making much of an impact. Comprised of 31 women’s…

At the Council on Foundations’ Global Grantmaking Institute (GGI) this week, participants are examining the essentials in the effective global grantmaker’s toolkit: our hearts, minds, stomachs, and ears. First, let’s talk about the hearts and minds. Reflecting on the seeds of America’s fight for…

Roughly 80 percent of the coastal mangroves around the coastal Colombian town of Tumaco have been lost through deforestation, urban development, and contamination from frequent oil spills. The area is a hub for industrial storage and transportation of petroleum, and during most of the last 15 years…

    The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We hear that phrase and understand that the most difficult tasks are accomplished one step at a time, with resolve and long-term dedication. And I would add, with the help of each other. At Dow, we see our 29-year partnership…

Every year, International Corporate Philanthropy Day is observed on the last Monday in February to “raise awareness of corporate-community partnerships and inspire businesses around the world to engage further.” But did you know that the three most important words in the previous sentence are…

I’m just back from an incredible visit to the Angkor Temple complex in Cambodia. It’s an area I’ve wanted to visit for some time, and I also have the added benefit of being able to see American Express philanthropic dollars at work there. Historic preservation is one of our company’s long-standing…

It’s International Corporate Philanthropy Day, when the business community celebrates achievements in philanthropy and corporate community partnerships. At General Mills, we’re celebrating by releasing the results of our global volunteer survey, which shows that our employees, no matter where they…

I used to question the value of conferences. They are expensive when you add up the flights, hotels, meals – Isn’t that money better spent on programmatic work that directly serves our grantees? As foundations we rightly and continually scrutinize our administrative expenses. We owe that to our…

by Daniela Fainberg The Council's Family Philanthropy Conference is an opportunity for international philanthropists to meet and exchange experiences with peers from the U.S. and other countries. It is a place to learn with other participants representing other foundations and specialists…

by John Harvey The Council on Foundations surveyed some of its leading members active in the global grantmaking sphere to learn what they see on the horizon. Here are their top 10 predictions for 2012: 1. Despite worldwide economic challenges, global philanthropy will continue its remarkable…

by Lisa Philip Four years ago, when I was a philanthropic adviser at a private bank, I spoke to The New York Times for an article on global giving. In my work with wealthy families in the United States and around the world, I was seeing a growing trend of cross-border giving. Part of this was…

By: Dan Hymowitz and Heather Lord   In America, the debate lumbers on about the best way to coordinate the philanthropic sector and the U.S. government. Meanwhile, one post-conflict West African country has jumped right in — the Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat is the fruit of…

by Dan Siegel and Jenny Yancey While the Gates Foundation has raised the bar for global philanthropy, today's youth will revolutionize global giving in the coming decades. Youth under 21, so-called digital natives, were born into the era of globalization in which communication technologies have…

by Matt Robertson In 2008, at the age of 17, I traveled with a group of other teens to Zambia and South Africa on a philanthropy-oriented trip organized by YouthGive. We went to look at how microfinance, a method of lending small amounts of money to people so they can start a livelihood for…

by Victoria Dunning You might already suspect from your Facebook or LinkedIn profiles that the world is getting smaller. It's true. The folks on the far sides of the Earth are practically down the block in terms of human connections. A recent study showed that there are only 4.74 degrees of…