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Why Shrinking Civil Society Space Matters in International Development and Humanitarian Action

November 1, 2017

Closing civil society space is a growing trend, impacting civic actors in countries throughout the world. This paper examines how the trend effects development funders and actors, and how they are responding. Questions explored include: what are funders doing to engage around re-opening space for civil society? How are they adapting? What are the impacts of the development community's approach to civil society as a whole? The European Foundation Centre and the Funders' Initiative for Civil Society have come together to develop better insight into these questions and to increase awareness of the threats to civil society.

Estratégias de Saída: finalizando programas e investindo em relacionamentos

December 2, 2014

Para dar visibilidade às alternativas construídas por diversos investidores sociais a partir de erros e acertos, trazemos aqui traduzido, com o apoio do Instituto C&A, mais este guia da série Grantcraft do Foundation Center, que contou com o apoio do The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund para sua elaboração. "Foundations moving on: Ending programmes and funding relationships" apresenta abertamente situações em que investidores sociais precisaram finalizar programas, encerrar suas operações, e as estratégias que desenvolveram para fazer essa saída da maneira mais responsável possível. A partir de um processo cuidadoso de aprendizado, entregam boas orientações como a importância de deixar um legado, de investir em programas que gerem transformação e autonomia dos beneficiários, de reconhecer coletivamente essas transformações e a participação de cada envolvido, de comunicar sempre e de forma clara, franca e consistente, e de usar os resultados dos processos de avaliação para embasar tais alternativas.

Foundations and Family Farming: Exploratory Study on Strategies, Operational Practices and Learning

October 1, 2014

The celebration of the IYFF (International Year of Family Farming 2014) gave impetus to a group of foundations to launch the European Foundations for Family Farming (E4F) initiative, with the support of the European Foundation Centre (EFC). This initiative seeks to raise the visibility of the family farming agenda among foundations, increase awareness of the role and contribution of foundations and their partners in this area, and create opportunities for connecting philanthropic actors with other key stakeholders and international processes on family farming. This report was commissioned to help inform and support these goals.The study is based on in-depth interviews with foundation representatives, a quick scan of foundations working on family farming and a literature review. For the in-depth case studies, 14 European foundations, 1 African foundation and 1 American foundation1 were interviewed on their strategies and operational choices, their perceptions towards and interventions in family farming, the role of foundations in family farming, types of collaboration they engage in and on their work on the three identified themes. Interviewees were also asked for some minimal, quantitative information and additional documents and websites were reviewed.A bibliography and a reference list are included.

YouthBank Model Has Global Appeal

May 13, 2014

Philanthropy is about strategy and choices. When foundations make choices and award grants, young people do not usually have a say in them, even when the grants affect them. Yet, young people have tremendous capacity to listen, to understand, and to make tough decisions. Involving them in grantmaking can have huge benefits and some interesting practices are emerging that give young people a prominent role in grantmaking. This case story explores in more detail one model -- Youth Bank -- that engages young people directly in grantmaking.Inspired by practices of community foundations in the US and Canada, the model is spreading rapidly in Europe and globally. It particularly appeals to funders who are interested in engaging young people more actively with their communities. Since the model is very much hands on and youth-led, YouthBank has a strong appeal for young people.

Foundations Moving On: Ending Programmes and Funding Relationships

May 16, 2013

Whether you are part of a family foundation that runs its own programmes, a big corporate grantmaker, a small venture philanthropist, an NGO that re-grants resources from a back-donor, or a mix of any of the above, exits are inevitable. Funders move on, and relationships with grantees, partners, or investees change along the way. Exit decisions and strategies are complicated; while a diversity of experiences has not (yet) produced blueprints for smart exits, we've pulled our favourite practices.HighlightsNine helpful techniquesPractice example: Timelines and core fundingPractice example: How operational foundations end programmesHanding over a brandFinding opportunity in crisisLearning from spend-out foundationsFour thought-provoking cartoonsAn annotated bibliography on Exits, Transitions, and Moving OnWhat's in the Guide?Natural life cyclesEntering to exitDeciding to leaveBeing supportiveManaging transformationCommunication: An essential ingredientAfter the exitNine helpful practices - a summary of the ingredients for a good exit

Foundations in Europe Working Together

July 13, 2012

The practice of foundations in Europe is very diverse and the context in which they work may vary from country to country. This diversity enriches collaboration among funders in Europe, but it can also present challenges, particularly when foundations look to work together across borders. HighlightsFoundations in Europe working together: How is it different?Collaborative health-checkCartoonsCase study on the European Foundation Initiative for African Research into Neglected Tropical DiseasesA sample of European collaborations What's in the Guide?Working together in Europe: Drawing on diversityStarting out: How to get it rightThe human factor: Critical for successOrganising for collaboration: Mix and matchKeep looking ahead: Learning from experience