Effective philanthropy: Another Take (edited and with an introduction by Caroline Hartnell and Andrew Milner) is a collection of 11 stories describing a philanthropic intervention against some form of injustice (socioeconomic and/or political) at a local, national or global scale. These stories are told through the lens of a grantmaker illuminating the sorts of considerations, dilemmas…
Chandrika Sahai (PSJP Working Group) draws out lessons from a new resource produced by the Global Fund for Community Foundations that tells the story of a community foundation in the Northeast of India. “The story of the Foundation for Social Transformation India is testament to the difficult conditions in which many grassroots foundations in the global south are established and operate, the adjustments they have to make along the way and how it is their unique capacity to constantly reinvent themselves and keep their ear to the ground that keeps them going.”
The new report, Framing the Discourse, Advancing the Work: Philanthropy at the Nexus of Peace and Social Justice and Arts and Culture, is based on Moukhtar Kocache’s research and experience in philanthropy at the nexus of peace, social justice, culture and the arts. Hania Aswad, PSJP member and executive director of Naseej Foundation in Jordan, and PSJP network coordinator Chandrika Sahai explain how arts and culture are advancing social justice and peace around the world. “We hope that philanthropy that seeks to support progressive social change will recognize the transformational power of arts and culture and ingrain it in its work as a holistic strategy.”
Ambika Satkunanathan (Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust) responds to Avila Kilmurray’s WINGSForum 2014 presentation, The Role of Philanthropy in Difficult Times. “As the only indigenous philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting social justice and peace initiatives in Sri Lanka, NTT has occupied a position that while being unique has also required us to deal with a number of challenges.”
Chandrika Sahai, network coordinator for the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace, asks how foundations can collectively ensure transformational impact in the sector, bringing attention to the critical role associations play in building trust and driving innovation. “I’m hoping that, through WINGS, discussions about a network approach in philanthropy will include the role of associations as leaders of innovation, and as the glue that binds the field together.”
Halima Mahomed (TrustAfrica, PSJP) presents her new report—Of Narratives, Networks and New Spaces: A Baseline Mapping of the African Philanthropy Infrastructure Sector. “Poor visibility of the sector and the limitations of existing frameworks in reflecting adequately its value, role and impact have been cited as important issues, as is the necessity of developing strong communications strategies to help profile and build awareness of the work.”
This month we explore one of six plenaries for WINGSForum—women in philanthropy. We look at regional cross border trade, philanthropy during national transitions, and the impact of women’s rights movements, along with new articles from Barbara Ibrahim, Ruth Jones, and CAF’s Adam Pickering. We also take a special look at gender and agency in Africa…
During a recent Skype call, we asked Mahomed to explain the state of gender within the African context, and to give us a few words on women in philanthropy as we approach WINGSForum 2014: The Power of Networks, where we will further explore the topic in one of six plenaries.
We’re happy to welcome Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace Working Group (PSJP) who recently joined the WINGS global network as a full member. Take a look at these PSJP reports.
The Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace is exploring how philanthropy can leverage existing knowledge and develop new tools to expand resources and improve impact of work on the confluence of arts, culture, peace and social justice.
The impact of philanthropy is often constrained by concerns around the symptoms of poverty and injustice, missing in the process the factors that perpetuate them. Good social justice grantmaking attempts to ultimately address the root causes and mechanisms that underlie unjust treatment.
Philanthropy in Focus 