Banque de Luxembourg Stiftungsgespräche 27 April 2010 in Würzburg, Germany

Click here for further information in German...

"We're still in the middle of the crisis"

by Jean-Marie Colombani 

We may be starting to see the end of the financial and economic crisis, but already two clear themes are starting to emerge. On the one hand, corporate social responsibility will be ever more prominent on the agenda. On the other, the increasing role of the State as governments have heavily engaged in spending and implemented new public policies in a bid to get out of the crisis.
There is one sector we often don't immediately think of when we talk about the crisis -   and that's the foundations sector. Foundations have obviously suffered, in terms of assets, of resources at their disposal. … During the recent debates in Luxembourg, representatives from foundations discussedtheir future.
In the short term, what do foundations need to do to get out of the crisis? Of course, there are the usual cost reduction measures. But mergers and alliances are also possible, as well as,  new approaches to social investment.
In the long term, the challenges include  a review of foundations' strategies and refocusing  their initiatives to ensure that they remain in line with  public policies, so as to perpetuate their missions and make them more efficient than before. Indeed, Europe has a diverse and extensive heritage of local foundations and a long-standing experience with public-private partnerships.
Those were the themes debated in Luxembourg, in a conference that brought together a broad cross-section of foundations from 22 countries. And from those debates, I can see that foundations are adapting, that they will continue to adapt and will remain a key player in the landscape.

18 november 2009, Amsterdam

The rise of social enterprise in Europe : a critical role for venture philanthropy

Social enterprise is a growing phenomenon throughout Europe and has been widely touted as a potentially important element in sustainable solutions to poverty and deprivation.
With a businesslike operation and a social purpose, it seems a natural partner for venture philanthropy. But what exactly is it and what can it achieve? What are the constraints to its development? How can venture philanthropy funds help social enterprises develop and have a lasting impact?
The conference will address these and other key questions, with panel sessions exploring the growth and potential of social enterprises, measuring their social impact and scaling up.
The afternoon session of the one-day conference will feature a workshop on starting a venture philanthropy fund and a number of roundtables on topics which include: the role of social enterprises in tackling environmental issues, supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and the use of debt and equity as investment tools for venture philanthropy.

A detailed program and all the information about EVPA annual conference, the event gathering some 350 personalities of venture philanthropy from all over the world, are on: www.evpa.eu.com/amsterdam09

By Cheryl Chapman, in www.philanthropyuk.org 07 September 2009

Susan Mackenzie, Philanthropy UK director and author of the guide, says:  “This is a practical guide that offers an excellent springboard for aspiring donors wanting to build programmes of their own.”  Read more...