Strategies for philanthropy

Strategic philanthropy

The idea that philanthropic altruism is incompatible with a strategic approach is now outdated. In a context of professionalisation of the social economy sector, general interest organisations are now being asked to be ever more transparent, to measure their impact and to be accountable to their donors in order to demonstrate the proper use of their donations. Naturally, building a strategy has quickly become just as necessary for philanthropic structures, especially for foundations with large budgets and significant influence. It is no longer just a question of "doing good", but also of "doing it well".

How to give effectively? American professor Peter Frumkin was one of the first people to theorize this issue in his book The Essence of Strategic Giving published in 2010. Now a valuable reference on the subject, he explains that a good philanthropic strategy is based on 5 main pillars: the value, the logical framework, the system, the time horizon and the vehicle. It aims to find the right balance between the personal satisfaction of the donor and the needs of society, the general interest.

This project aims to analyze how this theory can be transposed to the French context. It also take a close look at the bodies that make up strategy, in particular the governance bodies of foundations, and at strategic dimensions that are little addressed in Peter Frumkin's book: the networking of philanthropic actors and the financing of systemic change.

Funding for systemic change

Since about 2015, there has been a remarkable intellectual enthusiasm for the idea of "systems change" in the field of social innovation. While many associations and social enterprises are already engaged in this type of approach, they often come up against the misunderstanding of their funders. This is due to inappropriate support practices that are too restrictive and focused on short-term projects, the effects of which are easy to measure. Foundations are therefore invited to modify their practices to support systems change. But what exactly are we talking about? What is "systemic" philanthropy? How far have we come in practice? This project aims to explore these fundamental questions that challenge the mission, strategy and funding practices of foundations.

Research subtopics: Strategic philanthropy🔹 Funding for systems change🔹 Governance of foundations

Articles for the public

This infographic summarizes Peter Frumkin's theory. It is drawn from the work of adaptation of Frumkin's theory to the French context, by Anne-Claire Pache and Arthur Gautier.