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October-December 2005
Resources & Links
Activities, Web sites and other cutting-edge information for global givers
Spotlight on philanthropy in Romania
Allavida (www.allavida.org), which promotes locally based constructive change in communities around the world, has been working with a leading Romanian NGO to research the extent and characteristics of indigenous philanthropy in that country. One outgrowth of the collaboration with the Asociatia pentru Relatii Comunitare (Association for Community Relations -- ARC -- www.arcromania.ro) is the recently published study, Romanians' Generosity: Research into Philanthropy among Individuals and the Business Sector. The study analyzes philanthropic behavior of both individuals and businesses, and considers the extent and reason for giving, donation strategies and potential for future donations. It includes several case studies and gives examples of nonprofit organizations that have developed successful fundraising actions in their communities. The study also identifies challenges particular to conditions in Romania today, including the near impossibility of making Internet donations, the limited use of credit cards, and high bank charges that make individual donations difficult. A brochure that highlights relevant data from the study is available on the Allavida website.
Why German philanthropists give
A new report on private giving in Germany, Bertelsmann Stiftung's StifterStudie (Philanthropist Study) provides insights into who today's philanthropists are and why they get involved. The study, conducted by Dr. Karsten Timmer of Bertelsmann Stiftung's Philanthropy and Foundation Division, surveyed donors who had established foundations since 1990, and was supplemented by extensive interviews with the founders themselves. "The study provided us with very substantial information on the motivations and the thinking of contemporary donors," said Dr. Volker Then, Program Manager for Bertelsmann Stiftung's Philanthropy and Foundation Division. Almost half of the 1,360 individuals in Germany who have started a foundation since 1990 completed an extensive questionnaire, with 22 philanthropists providing detailed information on their attitudes and giving practices in detailed interviews. Among those surveyed, many were entrepreneurs with 53% saying their money came from their own business. Forty percent were younger than 60 when they set up their foundations and the majority said that they chose a foundation as a vehicle for giving because they wanted to make sure the money was spent on public benefit purposes over a long time. Bertelsmann Stiftung (www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de) plans to use the study as a springboard for further discussion with philanthropists about the benefits of giving, to help ensure that Germany's steadily growing wealth is used for the common good. An English language summary of the survey results is available. For more information, contact Timmer at karsten.timmer@bertelsmann.de.
Exploring diaspora giving and equitable development in Mexico
Although private giving from the United States to Mexico is growing in significance, the impact of these resources remains insufficiently understood. A new book will help address this information gap: New Patterns for Mexico: Observations on Remittances, Philanthropic Giving, and Equitable Development. Contributors to the book, which was edited by Barbara J. Merz, director of the Global Philanthropy Program of the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard University, illuminate various aspects of emerging patterns of cross-border giving. Merz said the book was intended to "inspire debate and dialogue on both sides of the border about how to increase the quantity and effectiveness of resources dedicated to equitable development in Mexico." Highlights include an analysis of the emergence of hometown associations, through which Mexican migrants in the US have organized themselves to raise money to finance a wide range of benefits for their communities of origin in Mexico. In another chapter, Merz and co-author Lincoln Chen also examine the evolution of philanthropic activity in Mexico by leading US foundations, and conclude that they can play a leading role in advancing equity, but that the potential has not yet been realized. Merz and Chen highlight avenues for leveraging philanthropy's role in promoting equitable development. Each chapter is presented in both English and Spanish. Through its Global Philanthropy Program, the Global Equity Initiative aims to advance knowledge about global philanthropy and the role of private philanthropic investments in furthering global equity. New Patterns for Mexico, one in a series on diaspora giving, builds on the initiative's earlier work on diaspora philanthropy, Perspectives on India and China. For more information, contact Merz at merz@fas.harvard.edu.
Remittances a growing economic force for developing countries
Placing diaspora giving in a global context, remittances from migrants to their home countries, including India, are the second largest source of external finance for developing countries after foreign direct investment, according to the Press Trust of India Limited and the Hindustan Times. A World Bank study found that in some cases, remittances are even larger than official development aid. In 2004, remittances to developing countries exceeded $126 billion, up nearly 48.7% from 2001 -- though actual amounts are probably much larger because remittances often flow through informal and unrecorded channels. In 2004, India received an estimated $17.4 billion; Mexico, $14.6 billion; the Philippines, $7.9 billion; and China, $4.6 billion. The United States was the largest source of migrants' remittances ($34.1 billion) followed by Saudi Arabia, at $14.9 billion. (World Bank Press Review, August 4, 2005)
© 2005 The Synergos Institute
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