Giving Compass' Take:

• Felix Oldenburg explains how and why philanthropy and the EU are working to streamline international giving.

• How can the U.S. streamline international philanthropy? Is there a way for other international agreements to prioritize efficient philanthropy?

• Find out how Brexit is impacting EU development aid.

With a set of new EU policies, and with a next EU Parliament and Commission on the horizon, there is a new reason to open communication. After all, the EU and philanthropy work towards many similar goals.

While working towards many of the same goals, the EU has neither been aware of many of the barriers facing European philanthropy nor the potential of working together.

Together, European donors and foundations ask for a single market for philanthropy and citizen action that recognizes philanthropy, reduces barriers to cross-border philanthropy, enables and protects philanthropy, co-grants, and co-invests for the public good.

Representing one of the first major achievements of this joint advocacy effort, the European Commission has included a partnership with philanthropy in its proposal for the InvestEU fund, one of the signature projects in the multi-annual financial framework that will guide EU funding until 2027.

In a move to achieve more with less, the European Commission has included a co-granting mechanism as well as technical support and an innovative guarantee program de-risking foundations’ impact investments. Looking a few years into the future, it is easy to see how these measures alone could leverage substantial funding towards joint impact.

Read the full article about phialnthropy and the EU by Felix Oldenburg at Euractiv.