Philea and “la Caixa” Foundation meet with DG INTPA to discuss paths for collaboration
Her Royal Highness, the Infanta Cristina, Director of International Relations, “la Caixa” Foundation and Delphine Moralis, CEO, Philea and Board Member, WINGS met with Erica Gerretsen, Director of Directorate G, DG INTPA, in Brussels on 25 June 2025 to explore collaboration opportunities between the philanthropy sector and the EU.
During the EU Policy Forum on Development on 18 June, Director General Koen Doens, Director General, DG INTPA, acknowledged that “foundations at local and global level are very welcome as partners. We have collaborated already and we can look more into it and develop collaborations further – they can play a crucial role at local and global level”. The “la Caixa” Foundation and Laudes Foundation were presented as case studies of how foundations can contribute to multi-stakeholder partnerships to create more impact on the ground.
Philea has observed a growing interest from European foundations in aligning around international partnerships and cooperation and set up the Funders International Network for Development (FIND). Chaired by ‘la Caixa’ Foundation and Anglo American, the network offers a unique platform for foundations focusing on new trends and challenges in the field of international co-operation.
The “la Caixa” Foundation is active in Latin America, Africa and Asian countries working to combat poverty and inequality – especially among women, young people and vulnerable communities – through innovative cooperation programmes and strategic alliances. “la Caixa” Foundation’s main international programmes include Work4Progress (Impact Investment Strategy), Alliance for Child Vaccination and Juntos! and they are actively involved in Philea and in WINGS, with the former representing a strong voice of philanthropy connecting individual foundations at European level, and the latter representing the global level.
The European Commission was appreciative of the work of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Philea and WINGS, and emphasised the importance of collaboration with philanthropy. As part of its new approach to partnerships, the EC is keen to push for a strong Team Europe approach, which can also be strengthened through collaboration between stakeholders at national level. While the EC has traditionally held relationships with the larger US foundations, it has become increasingly clear that close collaboration is needed, through Philea, with European philanthropic actors.
The Commission is keen to continue structured dialogue, at the level of the PFD, but also beyond, and recognised that philanthropy can play a role in the 360° approach of the Global Gateway, which aims at creating long-term investments in infrastructure that matters. The “la Caixa” Foundation and Philea, in collaboration with WINGS, are working on a paper as a further step in the ongoing dialogue between philanthropy and the EU, to build a roadmap to facilitate closer collaboration. Based on the points of the paper and the ongoing FFPA with WINGS, the European Commission expressed a desire to establish a ‘group of the willing’ from within the philanthropic sector who would engage in concrete co-funding mechanisms with the European Commission. The aim would be for this to be realised by 2027, as a concrete example of a multi-stakeholder partnership.
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