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The conversation about the need for transformation in the practices of philanthropy continues across the philanthropy field. We hear about the what and the how of change. But we don’t hear as much about the reasons why change is so difficult. These often have to do with some of the built-in tensions and need for […]

It has been a very tough summer for the world, weather-wise. Heat, storms, floods and fires affected countries across the map. The changing climate convinces many of us that these are partly human-made, not just “natural”, disasters. This could be cause for despair. But there is still room for hope. And philanthropy can be both […]

It’s difficult, and somewhat unfair, to generalize about foundation philanthropy. If I have learned anything after two decades of working with foundations, it’s that generalizations quickly find their contradictions. There are great differences among foundations in motivation, strategies and governance. That said, there is reason to focus on one big generalization right now. It’s about […]

Do we need to open the curtains in the house of philanthropy? Many would say yes. But easier said than done. What does that look like? Who decides? And how far to go? WINGS, the global network of philanthropy associations, offers some answers, or at least some ways of getting to answers, with a new […]

More than a thousand people gathered in Brussels in the last week of April to talk about philanthropy – striking evidence of a pent-up demand for conversation and learning about the role of philanthropy today. The convenor of the sold-out gathering BePhilanthropy was itself a major philanthropic player, the King Baudouin Foundation, Belgium’s most significant […]

Since 2020, there has been no hotter topic in institutional philanthropy than the need for change to the traditional or standard model of grantmaking.  Across the spectrum, from those who focus on equity and power shifting to those simply interested in greater impact, we hear talk about transforming practices and culture within foundations. Much talk […]

It’s January again, time for forward looks (and a backward glance or two). In this post, I do some of both. In a similar post at the beginning of 2022, I noted that others looking at the coming year were cautiously avoiding predictions, given the uncertainties in our world. That uncertainty dominated 2022. Perhaps 2023 […]

This blog was posted initially on the site of the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Copies of my book can be ordered from McGill Queens University Press What’s the story on foundations? A simple question, with surprisingly many answers. A story is the way we interpret the meaning of actions and events. We tell stories about […]

This is a more personal post than usual. It’s about Canadian foundation philanthropy, as may of my posts are. But it is also sharing some of my personal reflections as I look forward to the publication at the end of November of my book From Charity To Change:  Inside The World of Canadian Foundations. Why did I […]