Jan 03, 2019

Turning a blind eye to the racism underlying our education system means that any solution will be partial at bestWhen the US education system was created more than 150 years ago, fewer career paths required college degrees, the student population was far less diverse, and antiquated and destructive ideas about race, gender and disability influenced perceptions of whether a student could succeed. The system was built to direct a few students (typically those who were white, male and middle-class) toward rigorous learning experiences and therefore careers that sustained their privilege, while providing a basic education to the rest. This legacy still undergirds our education system today and, as a result, race and class remain the most reliable predictors of students' academic achievements - even as our schools and nation become more diverse.Alliance issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1.

Mar 04, 2019

It's an auspicious moment for philanthropy in France but the sector is still finding its feetIn May, the European Foundation Centre will hold its annual conference in Paris and 2019 also marks the 50th anniversary of Fondation de France, founded with the support of Général de Gaulle to promote philanthropy in France. The sector has undergone prodigious growth since the turn of the century. It's a bit like a baby giraffe, though – it's grown quickly, but sometimes seems as if it hasn't entirely found its feet. Traditional ambivalence towards philanthropy is still evident in France and the conservative stance of its foundations towards the most divisive issues of French society – the gilets jaunes protests are still fresh in the mind – raises questions about its role and purpose.Alliance Issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1

Mar 04, 2019

Threats to the right to protest have caught the liberal funding community in the US unprepared, but the response is gathering momentum Traditionally, while American foundations have supported the protection of these rights abroad only a handful of funders – such as environmental and rights funders the 11th Hour Project and the CS Fund – have dedicated resources to the issue here in the US. In the past year, however, additional funders have entered the field or increased investment in it, and we have learned important lessons for our work in future.Threats to freedom of assembly are growing in the United States. We have never witnessed such significant and coordinated attacks on the right to protest and this has required advocates and funders alike to quickly assess and respond to these threats.Alliance Issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1

Mar 04, 2019

Funders and communities working together in Chicago show that collaborations can perform effectively and quickly if the need is urgent and trust is established.Chicago is facing dual crises of increasing gun violence and eroding police legitimacy. In 2016, there was a 58 per cent increase in shootings and 284 more gun homicides than the previous year, representing nearly half the nation's total increase in urban murders. Chicago Police Department (CPD) solved fewer than 1 in 5 of those murders. In response to the police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald, the Police Accountability Task Force (PATF) and later the US Department of Justice issued reports that identified systemic issues within CPD training and operations, as well as patterns of unconstitutional, excessive force and deep community mistrust of the police.Alliance Issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1

Sep 03, 2019

Almost as great as the outpouring to restore the cathedral of Notre-Dame has been the flood of controversy it has unleashedOn 15 April this year, a major fire broke out in Notre-Dame cathedral in the very heart of Paris. That same evening, French president Emmanuel Macron announced the launch of a national subscription to rebuild this gem of French history and heritage.No more than 24 hours later, €850 million had already been pledged by a handful of billionaires, either in their names or through their companies or foundations. At the same time, Fondation de France was one of the four organisations charged by the French government with raising funds for Notre-Dame. As international media coverage was massive, donations also came from all over the world.Alliance Issue: Human rights philanthropy; September 2019, Volume 24, Number 3

Mar 03, 2019

Recent political developments are threatening civic space in Europe. Foundations are stepping forward to defend itThis year marks three decades since the establishment of the European Foundation Centre (EFC), as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Given what Europe was going through in 1989, and the ups and downs it has encountered in the 30 years since, it is quite something to observe that the political situation has never been more complicated – or precarious – than it is today.Institutional philanthropy is an integral part of civil society and many foundations work on ensuring an independent, active and flourishing civil society space. The whole ecosystem depends on the freedom to act and the ability to respond to current trends affecting this space.Alliance Issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1

Sep 03, 2019

The potential advantages of far-reaching collaboration underpinned AVPN's conference in Singapore. But it is a virtue more often preached than practised.Underlying all the themes at the recent AVPN conference in Singapore was the idea of partnership and collaboration. It was almost a leitmotif of the whole proceedings and was present by implication in the conference's overall aim – breaking the boundaries between social and more mainstream finance and encouraging cooperation along what AVPN calls the continuum of capital in pursuit of social goals. What the conference also showed, however, is that collaboration is a virtue more often preached than practised. Yet, the advantages appear self-evident – greater concentration of funding on key areas, a greater pool of expertise and experience to draw on.Alliance Issue: Human rights philanthropy; September 2019, Volume 24, Number 3

Mar 04, 2019

How should funders understand and respond to the forces that create systems change? Amidst Guatemala's civil war, a small group of women in Santiago Sacatepéquez came together in 1988 to address chronic malnutrition and the lack of educational opportunities. A few years later, the Asociación Femenina para el Desarrollo de Sacatepéquez, or AFEDES, developed a robust microcredit and income-generating skills building programme.Alliance Issue: Systems Change, March 2019, Volume 24 , Number 1