Corporate philanthropy is becoming a growing trend in how civil society organizations are responding to shrinking civic space and new restrictions around external funding introduced by governments, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic heightened awareness of the interconnectedness between all citizens, whether individuals, communities, or corporations. In addition, it exposed and intensified existing fault lines and showed just how far civil society still has to go to build a world that works for everyone. A world in which everyone’s rights are assured, everyone’s fundamental needs are guaranteed, and everyone’s voices can be heard.
Collaborating with corporates not only builds broader local constituencies, but also contributes to the sustainability of impactful community-level work, particularly in an environment where funding is constrained. But while more community philanthropy organizations are expanding their resource mobilization efforts and exploring new ways of engaging with corporates, these types of collaborations are not without their own challenges. For effective and transformative corporate philanthropy to take root, it cannot continue to be seen as secondary to other business activities.
In this session, the Kilimani Project Foundation in Kenya and Haiti Community Foundation – two organizations on almost opposite sides of the world but with a shared history – will share their own stories of growth over the past decade, and how they have engaged with corporations in the communities they work in to advance community philanthropy. The session will also explore questions like: What types of corporate engagement have proven to be most effective? What are the challenges of working with corporations? Why it is worth taking the time to develop a strategy around corporate giving and engagement?