This blog was previously posted on the MAVA Foundation website. This year marks the 25th anniversary of MAVA grant-making. Established originally as a vehicle for our founder’s personal philanthropy, MAVA’s grant-making has evolved over time. I’d like to briefly reflect on the different phases of… Read More
Congratulations EFC on celebrating 30 years of fruitful networking and peer-learning! As a relative newcomer to the philanthropic sector, I already feel welcome: through an inspiring first meeting with Gerry Salole earlier this year, followed by the impressive the annual conference in Paris in May. After three successful decades, it… Read More
This post originally appeared on the Wellcome Trust website on 10 September 2019. The emphasis on excellence in the research system is stifling diverse thinking and positive behaviours. As a community we can rethink our approach to research culture to achieve excellence in all… Read More
One early morning in August 1990, Mott Foundation Chairman Bill White was on a tour bus in Krakow, Poland, while attending the Johns Hopkins Second Annual International Fellows in Philanthropy Conference. The trip was delayed, and he was stretched out on a pile of luggage in the back of the… Read More
Historically foundation activity has largely meant grant giving, and as grant givers much of our attention has focussed on “how” questions: How do we communicate our requirements? How do we treat applicants fairly? How do we measure effectiveness? Reflecting on how things have changed over the past 30 years my… Read More
We have ten years, ten short years left to activate the transition towards a global system able to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition to the environmental imbalances caused by rising temperatures, the impact on the most precarious populations will further aggravate social inequalities. However, the mobilisation… Read More
Congratulations, EFC, and many happy returns! Privately established foundations working for the common good are central to European history, first appearing in recorded history when Plato founded the “Academia” in Athens in 387 BC. Foundations are central to liberal societies as they allow the individual to engage in the development… Read More
Michael Mapstone of the Charities Aid Foundation looks back on 30 years of the European Foundation Centre and examines how the institution has evolved, the challenges that civil society faces today, and how to best harness the potential of young people in the future. The EFC… Read More
The EFC is turning 30, an accomplishment in its own right. Yet, we can think of far more than 30 reasons to celebrate achievements by philanthropy in Europe. Past EFC conferences and ongoing progress within its 2016-2022 Strategic Framework show us to what extent institutional philanthropy has matured and professionalised… Read More
As the general set up of Europe underwent fundamental changes in 1989, it seemed that European foundations were getting their act together to help trigger them. One might remember this as we celebrate the EFC’s 30th birthday, which unintentionally coincided to the day with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Read More