News and updates from BCSDN and the region
Violent conflict is at a 30-year high. Building peace in any country requires local leadership, broad participation, and unwavering effort. Yet, the people, communities, and organizations best equipped to prevent violence and sustain peace are not receiving the recognition, respect, or resources they need from the international community. This is a situation that funders –
Read more →In 2020, the King Baudouin Foundation will once again be organising the “Spring of Philanthropy” event to promote philanthropy in our society. The “Spring of Philanthropy” will explore and deepen particular philanthropic topics and offer a forum for innovative ideas and new practices that can inspire philanthropists in the way they are committed and tackle
Read more →Donors are at a fascinating and equally challenging time for fundraising in Europe, when the sector is broadening to encompass new types of charities. At the same time, donors are seeing increased emphasis on environmental causes in reflection of growing public concern about the climate crisis. Within this rapidly changing environment where the borders of
Read more →Private foundations working internationally have a challenging agenda to pursue if they want their practice to be consistent with organizational values. They need to figure out how to foster relationships of trust not only with their own grantees — almost all of which are international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) — but also with the in-country CSOs
Read more →The rise of authoritarian political options globally has fostered an agenda that rejects multilateralism and international cooperation, while blaming traditional parties’ corruption, human rights and social movements, and migrants for the most endemic problems that societies are facing today. If the human rights movement wants to keep its role as a game changer, it substantially
Read more →The recent report on philanthropy confirms that the vast majority of funding is project-based, that this type of funding rarely covers the full cost of the associated work, that “cost-minus” funding is not just unfair, but also causes a whole host of financial and non-financial problems for nonprofits, and that funders serious about doing their
Read more →As international donor funding recedes, CSOs in resource poor environments have struggled to remain financially viable. Over-reliance on a single or limited number of donors impedes CSOs’ ability to advocate for causes that are meaningful to their constituents and to act independently on initiatives which they value. To help address this challenge, a Domestic Resource
Read more →Philanthropy has a power problem because too often, foundations get in the way of nonprofits doing the work they know best. This can slow down progress, perpetuate inefficiency, and obstruct nonprofit growth and innovation. Infused by core values of power sharing, equity, humility, transparency, curiosity, and collaboration, Trust-Based Philanthropy believes that donor’s work will be
Read more →Across our field, in politics, in business, and in our communities, Americans are questioning the very nature of philanthropy and probing its core value, putting a question on what place should philanthropy hold in a democratic society? These questions are not new; they have been at the heart of the sector since the beginning. Rather,
Read more →The publication is an annual industry forecast about the ways we use private resources for public benefit in the digital age. Each year the Blueprint is used to provide an overview of the current landscape, point to big ideas that will matter in the coming year, and direct your attention to changes on the horizon.
Read more →The 1990s ushered in an era of widespread governmental support for liberal democracy and an opportunity to build civil society in countries where there had long been a dearth of public space separate from government control. The establishment of the funds—the Environmental Partnership for Central Europe, the Baltic-American Partnership Fund, the Trust for Civil Society
Read more →China’s growing influence in the world has been identified as one of the top global trends influencing the trajectory and development of other major trends relating to sustainable development. China’s relevance for CSOs is therefore also growing rapidly on a global scale. This means even organizations without a dedicated country programme or a physical presence
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