The Philea Virtual Library

The Philea Virtual Library includes over 1,000 free-to-download publications from a range of organisations and publishers on the topics of philanthropy, the management of foundations and the areas they are involved in and support. As a Philea member you can send us your publications for inclusion in the library which will also be added to the global IssueLab network where they will be made available to an extended audience, including users of Worldcat, the global catalogue used by tens of thousands of libraries. For questions or assistance, please contact the Philea Virtual Library.
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Featured

Assessing Research for Philanthropic Funding : Innovative Approaches

September 1, 2023

This publication on responsible research assessment aims to explore diverse approaches taken by foundations to enhance the fairness, transparency and effectiveness of evaluating research proposals for funding. The publication delves into three distinct methodologies that challenge traditional assessment methods and offer innovative alternatives: 1. Using artificial intelligence (AI); 2. Adopting narrative curriculum vitae (CVs); and 3. Implementing randomised selection. It provides an overview of general principles of responsible research assessment, key framing documents and recommendations for implementing these principles; and offers examples of the real-world application of these methods by various foundations and organisations.While these approaches demonstrate the innovative potential within research assessment, they are by no means an exhaustive representation of all available tools and methods. Nevertheless, they serve as compelling illustrations of the ongoing efforts to revolutionise evaluation practices and foster a more inclusive and equitable research ecosystem.

Ethical issues and Good Practices; Evaluation and Learning; Grantmaking and Programme Management; Science and Technology; Technology and Foundations

More than the Sum of its Parts: Insights on the Future of European Philanthropy and Social Investment Infrastructure

March 1, 2019

This study is based on an extensive literature review and more than 50 interviews with a broad specturm of foundation leaders, academic experts, EU officials, and staff of ESPII organizations. The results are like a health check up of our sector. They show that not everything is perfect in this system, a system that many of us have helped to shape over the last 25 years. We should make sure that the health indicators of the European Philanthropy and Social Investment Infrastructure are in good shape for the next 25 years. We need this infrastructure to represent our sector, to drive innovations and to increase in the impact of our work. The latter is very much connected to tackling some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Philanthropy, Theory, Philosophy and History

Re-energising Europe: A Package Deal for the EU27

November 1, 2017

The New Pact for Europe (NPE) initiative – launched in 2013 and steered by the King Baudouin Foundation, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Open Society Initiative for Europe and the European Policy Centre, supported by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Open Estonia Foundation, the BMW Foundation and the Network of European Foundations – aims to rebuild trust through national and transnational dialogue and develop new common ground on the way forward for the European Union. After years of multiple crises, the EU27 should re-energise the European project. This third NPE report, which is the culmination of five years of work reflecting more than 120 national and transnational debates throughout Europe, argues that the EU27 should have the political will and courage to agree on an ambitious but realistic win-win package deal to overcome deadlocks and counter the danger of a more regressive, nationalistic, closed, illiberal and authoritarian Europe, the greatest challenge we are currently facing.

Human Rights, Citizenship, Democracy; International Affairs, Global Challenges

The Theory of the Foundation European Initiative

January 23, 2017

The purpose of the Theory of the Foundation European Initiative was to contribute key insights into European foundations; and to look beyond the direct charitable activities or grant-making of European foundations and instead to explore and understand how foundations operate as organisations in their pursuit of mission and social impact. This we term a "whole foundation approach".Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) established a framework to stimulate discussion around the organisational form of philanthropy called "The Theory of the Foundation."1 Inspired by Peter Drucker's "Theory of the Business,"2 RPA's approach to framing philanthropic practice is detailed in Figure 1 and contains three core domains: Charter, Social Compact, and Operating Capabilities.

Philanthropy, Theory, Philosophy and History

The Civic Role of Arts Organisations: A Literature Review for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

January 1, 2016

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has initiated an inquiry into the civic role of arts organisations. The inquiry seeks to increase awareness of the civic role that arts organisations play nationally and in their communities. Through research and consultation they intend to develop understanding of what constitutes 'next practice' and create a movement of organisations committed to demonstrating it. This literature review provides a starting point for the research that supports the inquiry.

Arts and Culture; Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector, Civil Society

Supporting Social Change : A New Funding Ecology

March 1, 2015

This report, produced by the community interest company Collaborate and commissioned by the Big Lottery Fund and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, argues that strong ideas and bottom-up social change initiatives are undermined by a lack of strategic collaboration between the individuals and institutions that fund them.Based on interviews and focus groups with leading independent funders, the report says that in order to change systems and help projects to become more effective, funders should see their role less as "guardians of self-identified change" and more as partners in an ecosystem of support for others.

Collaborative Philanthropy and Partnerships; Foundation Sector, History and Analysis; Grantmaking and Programme Management

The Inventive Foundation: Creating New Ventures in Europe

May 14, 2014

This report explores the neglected topic of foundations' involvement in the creation of new organisations. In recent years much attention has been paid to venture philanthropy but there has been little focus on foundations as entrepreneurs creating new organisations and institutions.Based on interviews across Europe, the exploratory study tells nine stories of entrepreneurial, or inventive, foundations and their creations. It explores why foundations take the big and bold step of inventing something new, the processes, considerations and challenges along the way.The nine cases are very different in socio-political context, in purposes, and in scale. Despite these differences there are a number of common issues which all inventive foundations need to consider including how to let go while at the same time ensuring the future of their fledgling creation. The report does not tell foundations how to be inventive but rather highlights some of the issues they may wish to consider.

Grantmaking and Programme Management; Venture Philanthropy

Immigrant Citizens Survey

May 1, 2012

The survey was carried out in 15 cities in 7 countries in Europe and aims to better understand how migrants evaluate themselves the migration and integration policies in Europe.

Human Rights, Citizenship, Democracy; Minorities, Social Inclusion, Multiculturalism

Portugal's Nonprofit Sector in Comparative Context

April 1, 2012

This is a report comparing the scope, composition, and revenue of the nonprofit sector in Portugal to its counterparts in other countries. The report draws on the important new source of data on nonprofit institutions (NPIs) that has resulted from the implementation of the United Nations Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions in the System of National Accounts, including particularly the recently issued results generated by Portugal's Instituto Nacional de Estatistica - INE (National Institute for Statistics) in its Nonprofit Institutions Satellite Account.

Foundation Sector, History and Analysis; Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector, Civil Society

Measuring Social Value

June 1, 2010

This report provides a snapshot of the third sector's ability to measure the social value of the services it provides. It investigates the range of frameworks available for measuring social value, particularly the Social Return on Investment (SROI) model.

Evaluation and Learning; Foundation Sector, History and Analysis

Time for Growth: Findings on an Endowment Challenge Programme for Ten UK Community Foundations 2001-2005

July 1, 2005

This is the evaluation report of Time for Growth, a challenge established by a £1 million grant from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to Community Foundation Network. Ten community foundations each received £100,000 in core cost support in order to enable them to achieve a combined total of £20 million in new endowment investment over a three year period. By the end of the challenge the total raised in new endowment was nearly £19.5 million.

Finance and Investment

The Portuguese Nonprofit Sector in Comparative Perspective

January 1, 2005

This research project is the result of the efforts of researchers, data compilers, and analysts over two years, to understand the history, dimensions, and influence of the nonprofit sector in Portugal.

Foundation Sector, History and Analysis; Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector, Civil Society

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