Giving Compass' Take:

· Philanthropy can play a role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 but has to embrace the various complexities. 

· How is philanthropy addressing local issues with local solutions and pushing unexpected changes? How can philanthropists strengthen philanthropy’s ecosystem of support?

· Read and learn more about the role of philanthropy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

What will philanthropy do to get the world closer to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030?

When doctors see symptoms that are associated with common ailments, they are told to think that a typical disease, not an exotic one, is the cause. If a child arrives to a clinic with a fever, doctors first look for a common infection that could explain the symptoms, not Kawasaki. The general thinking is that the most likely explanation is often the correct one. When you hear hooves, for example, think that a regular horse is nearby, not a zebra. What does this have to do with philanthropy and development?

To many, philanthropy is a welcome source of funding for development programmes across the world. The size of philanthropic funds heading to developing countries is anything but trivial and has increased markedly over time: Recent OECD estimates show that philanthropy for development between 2013 and 2015 was around USD 8 billion a year, most of it directed towards health and reproductive health programmes, but also sectors like education and agriculture.

Read the full article about philanthropy for the SDGs by Benjamin Bellegy, Michael Mapstone, and Lorenzo Pavone at Charities Aid Foundation.