Global Fund for Community Foundations

20/01/2025

"We were the same and we were in the same mud...Colleagues in the beginning, allies in the middle and cronies in the end."

From Florencia Roitstein of ELLAS - Mujeres y Filantropía, a beautiful piece on Cazumbada 2024, hosted by Fundação Baixada. It was the opposite of what one might expect from a "philanthropy meeting" and a testament to what can happen if we really think and do differently.

    The 2024 Cazumbada[1] was a journey into brutal honesty. There was no staging. There was no show for donors or colleagues. There was no story-telling. There was an experience of the real, of the failure of the system, and of the infinite challenges for communities to create alternative respons...

17/01/2025

To close the week, we're delighted to introduce the three final Fellows!

There is Karolina Soliar, a communications professional with Філантропи (National Network of Local Philanthropy Development in Ukraine) and a champion of locally-led response and shifting the power in humanitarian aid. And Pham Truong Son, Director of the Tình Thân Foundation in Vietnam, who advocates for the shift from a charity mind-set to one of community philanthropy. Last but not least meet Era Shrestha, a board member of Tewa - Women's Fund of Nepal, who works with CSOs at the forefront of building social movements for the rights of marginalized groups.

https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/news/20242025fellows/

16/01/2025

Today's Fellows are working to in Kenya, India and South Africa!

There is June Omune with The Dignitas Project who is passionate about human-centered, participatory development. Snehlata Nath, an activist and co-founder of the Keystone Foundation, who as part of the Fellowship is interested in exploring the changing landscape of giving and philanthropy in India. Last but not least, Ntombi Mcoyi who works with Africa Unite and "Loves the idea of co-creating a preferred future, a life where individual and collective strengths are valued and used towards creating a better life for all."

https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/news/20242025fellows/

15/01/2025

Time to meet three more Fellows!

First we have Doel Jaikishen of Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action - YUVA in India, where she builds innovative partnerships to respond to complex issues. Next there is Hellen Kuria, a proponent of social movements for collective action in Africa and a community philanthropy champion at the Kenya Community Development Foundation. Finally, meet Vica K. Larasati, the co-founder of Qbukatabu in Indonesia, a leader in feminist-queer activism.

https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/news/20242025fellows/

14/01/2025

Today's Fellows hail from Argentina, Brazil and Hungary!

Meet Facundo Ibarlucia of Red Comunidades Rurales who is driving sustainable change in rural Argentinian communities, Graciela Hopstein a researcher and advocate for social justice and democracy (former Director of the Rede Comuá), and Éva Fekete a Hungarian change-maker working to build active, purpose-driven communities.

https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/news/20242025fellows/

12/12/2024

“We are all already in the same room, we have just entered through different doors.”

Why it's time to connect the dots between community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy and feminist philanthropy in order to build a "bigger us."

    In 2020, the GFCF, together with Serbian feminist activist and consultant, Marija Jakovljević, embarked on a journey of inquiry to better understand the intersections, similarities and differences between “community philanthropy”, “women’s philanthropy” and “feminist philanthropy....

04/12/2024

Podcast alert!!!!!
What if... we think differently?

In this episode of the African Philanthropy series, Tendai Murisa and Nontsikelelo Nzula examine the distinctive cultural factors influencing philanthropic practices in Africa, contrasting community-driven initiatives with global giving. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/african-philanthropy-series-part-3/id1735596733?i=1000678297752

Africa Philanthropy Network Tilitonse Foundation West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) STAR-Ghana Foundation

27/11/2024

With bill HR 9495 (the "kill nonprofits bill") passing in the U.S. House of Representatives, in this article in Alliance magazine Rebecca Hanshaw and Barry Knight call on us to avoid the common default position of apathy and silence. For what happens in the U.S. affects us all. We must work together to "offer a compelling alternative to the ‘snake oil charm of populism.’"

While there’s been talk about ‘closing’ civil society space for years, western societies have, for the most part, believed they’d escaped the problem. Until now, that is. In the United States, enormous threats have emerged. …

15/11/2024

Nearly three years into the war in , local organizations continue to support their communities and have more than proven their effectiveness. Yet the amount and quality of resources reaching them is entirely insufficient.

The time for discussions and declarations around "localization" is long past - now is time for action from the international funding community. If you agree, show your solidarity with our colleagues in Ukraine by signing this open letter from the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development (Філантропи).

This open letter was authored by the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development in Ukraine, and also appears on their website. Add your signature to this letter here.   We are Ukrainian civil society organizations that have been conducting humanitarian work in the midst of a full-scale war ...

07/11/2024

How are acting as a barrier to shifting more power and resources to local civil society? Join us for a discussion on 2 December as we chat with Deborah Doane, author of the new book "The INGO Problem – Power, Privilege and Renewal."

Join us on Monday 2nd December for a discussion on The INGO Problem – Power, Privilege and Renewal, by Deborah Doane. The central focus of this new book is on how International NGOs (INGOs) are acting as a barrier to shifting more power and resources to local civil society. It draws inspiration fr...

23/10/2024

Join us on 12 November as we discuss our new paper that explores the intersections, similarities & differences between community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy & feminist philanthropy. How can different actors in these fields come together to guide a decisive turn towards a more just & sustainable international funding system?

  Join an online discussion on Tuesday 12 November! Back in 2020, the GFCF, together with Serbian feminist activist and consultant, Marija Jakovljević, embarked on a journey of inquiry to better understand the intersections, similarities and differences between “community philanthropy”, “wom...