By Latin America Funders Collective, NEID Global, and Pathway Philanthropic Solutions
Philanthropy is at an inflection point. Amidst increased global crises, drastic reductions in global foreign aid, and an anticipated great wealth transfer involving next-gen donors, a heightened level of interest in international giving is emerging, particularly amongst donors new to philanthropy. The good news – it’s never been easier for individual donors in the U.S. to find and fund locally-led organisations abroad, where their support is more critical than ever. However, while more and more US-based donors understand the global complexities and interconnectedness of many of the crises facing the world today (access to quality healthcare and education, climate change, and threats to democracy, to name a few), they’re not always sure how to give or where to go for advice. Legal questions and logistics are major barriers, as is sorting through the many organisations and individuals driving meaningful change abroad. For those with limited time or networks in which to seek support, the whole process can seem unnecessarily overwhelming.
The recently released International Giving Guide, authored by the Latin America Funders Collective (comprised of Tinker Foundation, Tawingo Fund, Focus Central America Foundation), NEID Global, and Pathway Philanthropic Solutions, seeks to support curious and early-stage donors in overcoming those barriers to engage in international giving in a purposeful and fulfilling way. The guide provides practical, anecdotal, and inspirational advice and is particularly relevant for individual donors, philanthropic advisors, and small or family foundations that do not yet have established cross-border giving practices.
As authors of the guide, we believe that lasting change happens when those closest to the challenges shape the solutions. This guide encourages donors to provide flexible funding and partner with locally-led organisations, which are often best positioned to surface the needs and harness the strengths of their communities, all while operating within a culturally appropriate context. By supporting local leaders and organisations, donors can ensure their contributions address the most pressing issues on the ground, as defined by those who know the context best.
The good news? New donors don’t need to find those local leaders all on their own. Philanthropic Support Organisations (PSOs)1 and regional networks can support new (and long-time) donors in identifying, vetting, and supporting trusted local partners. Such organisations can also support newer donors in testing approaches and setting expectations for their commitments, including:
- Observing the ways in which flexible funding can have a long-term (and far more sustainable) impact than project-specific donations,
- Developing an understanding of the ecosystem in which each local organisation and leader contributes to a broader development agenda, and
- Defining reporting and communication commitments (if any).
The Guide includes several considerations for early-stage donors (see the image below), as well as ways to go about implementing approaches.
The guide also offers several anecdotal examples of how donors have worked with networks to begin their philanthropic journeys. In many cases, a virtuous circle is created in which those donors initially seeking advice and connections soon are able to leverage their knowledge and experience to support the next stage of funders. Mollie Van Horn of the Tawingo Fund serves as an exemplary model of this evolution. Started in 2016, the Tawingo Fund initially set out to provide opportunities to as many people as possible to improve their lives. Leveraging network connections and PSO expertise, the Tawingo Fund quickly acknowledged that their financial commitments could make the most substantial difference in low- and middle-income countries. Over the past decade, the Tawingo Fund has leveraged its experiences to build a robust and focused portfolio and has become a philanthropic leader in supporting children living with disabilities in Latin America. Moreover, Mollie has since participated in and led several donor collaborations, mentored new funders, and shared her knowledge at philanthropic conferences, on podcasts, and with news outlets. Not only is the Tawingo Fund having a significant impact in the geographies it serves, but it’s also supporting new donors as they consider their own giving strategies.
Rather than promoting the work of any single resource, the guide pulls together a wide range of practical tools and advice for those coming to the conversation with various experiences and interest areas. These sections range from ‘Identifying Potential Organisations To Support’ to ‘The Mechanics Of Making An International Gift’, and beyond. Recognising that embarking on cross-border giving can feel lonely, confusing, and potentially overwhelming, especially for those just getting started, the guide also offers a wide range of options for finding a community of like-minded donors. This theme of leveraging the wealth of knowledge already circulating, instead of reinventing the wheel, is promoted throughout the guide.
We encourage readers to use the guide to explore giving strategies, begin conversations with PSOs, networks, and advisors, and develop their own approaches to kickstarting their international giving journeys.
- Philanthropy support organisations, sometimes referred to as ‘intermediary’ or ‘infrastructure’ organisations, include entities that provide a variety of services to support and strengthen philanthropy in a region or around a theme. PSOs usually do not directly fund or implement philanthropic programmes themselves, but rather provide services to support those that do. That said, some philanthropic funders do provide ecosystem support services too, so the distinction is not always clear-cut. https://wings.issuelab.org/resource/understanding-the-meaning-of-terms-definitions-and-taxonomy.html
