International Philanthropy: How to Find Your Focus

The Philanthropic Initiative Aug 10, 2018
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international philanthropy

Giving Compass’ Take:

• The Philanthropic Initiative discusses the challenges and opportunities in international philanthropy, from climate change to human rights.

• With distance and cultural differences often obstacles, how can funders feel confident in their strategies? The steps suggested here are basic, but important.

• Here’s why a lack of diversity in international development is holding us back.

Donors of all shapes and sizes are recognizing that the most pressing problems facing communities around the world today are complex, multifaceted, and often interconnected, including issues such as human rights, climate change, poverty, health, forced migration, refugees, human trafficking, peace and security. As a result, more donors are seeking ways to address issues that impact their local communities and communities halfway around the globe.

Donors often struggle with being “an inch deep and a mile wide” in their giving. Finding your philanthropic focus may seem daunting for both new and seasoned donors alike, especially in an international context. Breaking the process down into simple, defined steps can help get you started:

  • Consider Your Values and Passions
  • Mind the Gaps and Needs
  • Balance Your Head and Your Heart
  • Imagine the Change You Want to Support
  • Learn, Get Support, and Collaborate

Read the full article about international philanthropy by Maggi Alexander at The Philanthropic Initiative.

Learning and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact on Impact Philanthropy take a look at these selections from Giving Compass.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    What to Do When A Funder Takes Your Nonprofit Off Course

    Giving Compass' Take: • Nell Edgington at Social Velocity discusses the relationship between grantmakers and grantees, giving some advice on how nonprofit leaders can respond to the demands of a funder that may not align with one's mission. • The upshot is: Stay true to yourself. Gather evidence and make sure you articulate clearly why there's a difference in strategy, but never be afraid to speak up for your beliefs. • On that note, this article asks the question: Do grantmakers make life harder for nonprofits? It’s fairly common knowledge that in the nonprofit sector the relationship between funders and nonprofit leaders is often fraught. A power imbalance between those with the purse strings and those without can sometimes lead to poor decisions about a nonprofit’s future direction. As a nonprofit leader, there are so many interested parties, so many stakeholders, so many voices telling you what is right and what is best. But the problem is that often those voices have inserted their, or their organization’s, self interest. So when faced with a critical decision (and so many competing voices) how do you get clear about the right move for your nonprofit and then articulate that potentially unpopular decision to others?

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Impact Philanthropy is an important topic. Other members found these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations and Projects aggregated by Giving Compass to be relevant to individuals with a passion for Impact Philanthropy.

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