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Unlocking philanthropic capital in developing regions

4 May 2022

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Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at Cambridge Judge Business School announces philanthropic research framework for global growth markets. 

Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at Cambridge Judge Business School announces philanthropic research framework for global growth markets. 

A new report by the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the Cambridge Judge Business School brings together findings from more than 40 philanthropists and philanthropic organisations from global growth markets. The report urges the need for the decolonising and localising of strategic philanthropy, the impact second-generation philanthropic leadership can play, and how we can utilise new financial instruments to further unlock philanthropic capital.  

Moreover, the findings in this report provide interested parties with a nuanced understanding of the varied and diverse range of research interests across these rapidly evolving regions, along with valuable insights on how to fill relevant knowledge gaps. 

Specifically, the report establishes the existing research and literature gaps on philanthropy in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia and the key geographic focus of the Centre. The report also breaks down localised differences regarding the approach to philanthropy: these include African organisations’ desire to see more research on power imbalances in philanthropy, Middle Eastern principals’ reflections on “traditional” giving mechanisms versus new financial instruments, and Southeast Asian discussions on moving beyond silo-ism in philanthropy. 

The report concludes with an appeal to all parties interested in philanthropy for development research to join the CSP in creating a cohesive, relevant and methodologically rigorous body of research on philanthropy in global growth markets. These final remarks urge research centres and practitioner organisations alike to root their current and future research in the needs of philanthropists and practitioners on the ground in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and encourages researchers to use this report as a foundational resource when building new lines of inquiry.

Read the full report, System Change in Philanthropy for Development: A Research Framework for Global Growth Markets