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August-September 2002
Global Giving Round-Up
Overviews of best-practices around the world and links to learn more about them
New Russian philanthropies offer new models of giving
Two of Russia's wealthiest men -- one based in Russia, the other in exile -- have established philanthropies that aim to have global impact. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of Yukos, Russia's second largest oil company, and sometimes described as Russia's richest man, has created the Open Russia Foundation (www.openrussiafoundation.org) with a donation of €16.3 million (US$14.4 million). With secretariats in Russia and London, where the Foundation was launched, its projects include the Young Leaders Program; the Federation of Internet Education and the New Civilization project. A second Russian philanthropist, this one living in New York under a self-imposed political exile, is media entrepreneur Boris Berezovsky. He has created the International Foundation for Civil Liberties (www.kolokol.org) to support journalists. It currently has offices in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia whose activities focus on preserving and developing Russian Culture. (Philanthropy in Europe, April 2002)
Indian engineers in US spread wealth at home
A group of Indian-born engineers based in Silicon Valley have formed VIDE (Volunteer for India Development and Empowerment), with the goal of supporting NGOs in India that have strong track records in promoting self-help initiatives. Since its founding in 2002, VIDE has raised over $900,000. They support not just disaster-relief initiatives but programs that have ongoing economic benefit, such as rebuilding artisans' workshops as a way to promote local craftsmanship; building and equipping a vocational school to provide skills to unemployed adults; and buying and supplying a medical van that provides prosthetics to adults in rural areas. Each VIDE volunteer oversees a project and then visits it on trips home to India. (The Mercury News, June 12, 2002)
Children in Poland raise funds for Afghanistan's only arts school
Children in Poland, working under the auspices of the Warsaw-based charity Polska Akcja Humanitarna (Polish Humanitarian Organisation -- pah.weblab.pl), recently raised funds to help rebuild the only music and arts school in Afghanistan. Built in 1973 near Kabul University, the school had been used as a military facility by the former ruling Taliban and had been mostly destroyed. Afghan arts instructors, many in exile, have been returning to re-staff the school, which teaches 200 children aged 12 to 18. Working with Polish specialists, an Afghan construction firm is rebuilding the school, which is expected to reopen in March. Polska Akcja Humanitarna works within Poland with refugees, helping to integrate them into society, and also has projects in Kosovo, Chechnya, Lithuania and Serbia. (Associated Press, August 1, 2002)
New funds support Afghan women and Caribbean families
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA -- www.rockpa.org) recently announced the creation of two special collaborative funds to support Afghan women's initiatives and projects in the Caribbean. What distinguishes these funds from past projects by RPA -- which works closely with individual donors on increasing their effectiveness -- is that they welcome donors beyond RPA's existing clients. In Afghanistan, the funds will focus on health, education and service organizations run by Afghan women leaders. In a second grantmaking phase, the fund will assist several international organizations that strengthen these leaders' capacity. The Caribbean fund was created to address severe needs in this generally under-funded region, with emphasis on children and youth at risk; improved livelihoods; environmental sustainability; and local empowerment.
Grantmakers increase Washington presence to influence national policy
Several US-based grantmakers are adding outreach to congress lobbying to their portfolios as a way to cause change. The Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation, based in Silicon Valley, announced plans to create a political advocacy group in Washington to counter conservative voices in Washington. In addition, the Open Society Institute, founded by George Soros, has opened an Open Society Policy Center in Washington to advocate on international issues (similar to the approach taken by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which opened a Washington office earlier this year). According to The Wall Street Journal, some foundation leaders are criticizing this development as moving beyond what they consider appropriate roles for foundations (identifying critical issues, funding research and projects to address them, and encouraging public discussion) to promoting their own ideas. (The Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2002)
Family foundation helps empower teachers and students around the world
A nonprofit organization called iEARN (International Education and Resource Network -- www.iearn.org), which operates in 4,000 schools in nearly 100 countries, encourages teachers and young people to work together online -- and often across borders -- at very low cost using the Internet and other new technologies. Founded in 1988 with funding from the New York City-based Copen Family Fund, iEARN now has more than 100 projects whose curricula teachers can draw on for their classes. A common feature of these projects is that they help develop research and critical thinking skills; experience with new technologies; an awareness of cultural diversity; and community involvement. Founder Peter Copen, who previously owned a textile business, has been involved with educational initiatives since 1975, and full-time with iEARN since its creation. He's currently a member of iEARN's US board of directors and of the international assembly of iEARN Global.
Ghanaian thankful for scholarship in US offers similar opportunities in Ghana
In 1985, Patrick Awuah left Ghana to attend Swarthmore College on a full scholarship and then spent eight years as an engineer and program manager at Microsoft, before he earned an MBA at the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business. His reason for getting the business degree wasn't just to enhance his own skills but to help other Ghanaians improve their lives. He created the Ashesi University Foundation (based in Seattle) and Ashesi University College (www.ashesi.org), based in Accra, where, as its president, he welcomed the first 31 students to campus this past March, as they undertook studies in business and computer science. He envisions Ashesi as a world-class institution to train "ethical and entrepreneurial" business leaders. Colleagues from the Haas School worked with him to do a feasibility study prior to creating Ashesi, and continue to collaborate in aspects of the university and foundation.
Indiana program teaches youth about philanthropy
A new, six-week summer Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service at Indiana University is introducing college students -- and giving them credits in the process -- to philanthropy. The program enables participants -- there were 23 this summer, including some from outside the US -- to work with service-oriented organizations while also discussing the ethics and history of philanthropy. The program appears to be in line with an increased bent towards altruism among young people aged eight to 17, according to a 2000 Roper Youth Report, which indicates that the target group is less focused on materialism and more on doing good. Of 1,200 children surveyed, 37% said they aimed to help other people -- up from 31% in 1995. (The Indianapolis Star, July 11, 2002)
Geekcorps recruits high-tech volunteers to bridge the global digital divide
In a novel approach to voluntarism and philanthropy, a nonprofit called Geekcorps (www.geekcorps.org) matches young high-tech experts with small businesses in emerging democracies in Africa and Asia to help them build technological capacity, and, in particular, to master the Internet. Geekcorps volunteers and its partner businesses first assess their technical needs, and then Geekcorps identify volunteers who have the necessary expertise. Geekcorps trains its volunteers to teach their skills to people from different backgrounds. Founder Ethan Zuckerman was a vice-president at Tripod, one of the largest community websites, prior to creating Geekcorps, which is based in North Adams, Massachusetts. Geekcorps, which has recently launched a program in Mongolia, is a division of the International Executive Service Corps.
Help Nepal Network enlists Nepalis overseas to bring help home
Since its founding in 1999 by London-based journalist Rabindra Mishra, the Help Nepal Network (HeNN -- www.helpnepal.net), has enlisted Nepalese living around the world (but mostly in 10 countries thus far) to support projects in Nepal, which has been in the throes of a severe economic and political crisis. In early June, HeNN members organized a "Help Nepal Day" fund-raising day that took place in the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and Nepal; some activities have also taken place in New Zealand, Belgium, Finland and the United States. To date, HeNN has helped build schools and libraries and has sponsored health camps. (The Kathmandu Post, June 4, 2002)
Philanthropy Ink: Foundation leaders should promote creativity and innovation
In an opinion piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Joel Orosz, former Kellogg Foundation program director, urges chief executives at the nation's largest foundations to make a concerted effort to promote creativity and innovation within their ranks. Evoking the "skunk works" of the "Li'l Abner" cartoons, Orosz suggests that foundations create a loose circle of the "most audaciously creative minds" at the organization, giving them the opportunity to strategize new ideas and directions. He noted that Lockheed Corporation used this model at an earlier time and came up with major innovations in the manufacture of jet aircraft. (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 27, 2002)
© 2002 The Synergos Institute
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