This month marks the end of Caroline Hartnell’s tenure at Alliance magazine, and it brings us great pleasure to highlight her outstanding contributions to WINGS and to the field of philanthropy with a few words from our members and partners.
One of the main challenges for the sector in Latin America is strengthening the role of donors — these being foundations, individuals and private social investors. WINGS is working on developing country profiles with basic information on the legal and fiscal environment for philanthropy and private social investment in the region. We asked Carolina Suarez (AFE) for an overview of the legal status of the sector there, and the country’s current legal environment.
WINGS Chairman Atallah Kuttab is inviting members to read and comment on learnings from four recent focus group discussions in Colombia, and shares plans for similar consultations in other regions over the coming months. “Hopefully this will contribute to reinvent local discourses and reinvigorate local and global philanthropy.”
WINGS member AFE held four focus group discussions from 19 to 22 August in the four largest Colombian cities: Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali and Medellin. The purpose was to reflect upon the challenges in private social investment and philanthropy. This is part of a wider study in Latin America covering Colombia, Brazil and Argentina that is being carried out by GIFE, CEMEFI, GDFA and AFE, with the support of AVINA Foundation and the Inter American Bank Foundation, and the active participation of WINGS. Atallah Kuttab (SAANED) and Maria Carolina Suarez (AFE) recently shared key impressions ahead of a more detailed report.
“Philanthropy is on the rise in Latin America. And, increasingly, corporate foundations, wealthy families, and high net worth individuals are getting involved in social impact investing. In a region where the government is still the default for social programs and overall philanthropy remains low, especially compared with the U.S., this is a welcome development.” Article by Gabriel Sanchez Zinny.
In this article from Philanthropy Impact Magazine, WINGS Executive Director Helena Monteiro joins other key voices in Latin America for an update on philanthropy in the region. Contributors also include Andre Degenszjain, Carolina Suarez (AFE), Carolina Langan (GDFE), and Jorge Villalobos (CEMEFI).
Forty participants, representing various corporate foundations, non-profit organisations, associations and foundation networks, gathered in Bogota, Colombia, to exchange ideas on the conditions of transparency and accountability practices for private social investment organisations in the Latin American region.
The objective of the workshop was to exchange ideas with all participants on the importance of accountability in the social sector, and discuss how civil society organisations can be more transparent. A report of the workshop will be available online in the coming weeks. Article by Octavia Roufogalis.
Grantmaker and grantseeker, foundation and NGO. These are fairly common and well-established concepts in the philanthropic sector. In countries where legislation is clear and the sector is more developed, organizations roles, and therefore identities, are generally well-defined. However, in countries where there is no clear legislation on private philanthropy, the line between grantmaking and running…
Philanthropy in Focus 