Global Philanthropy Update - August 2016

To keep you in the know about happenings that affect foundations that fund across borders and new opportunities for learning, sharing, and collaboration, I am excited to introduce you to the Council’s new Global Philanthropy Update. Every month, we will highlight resources available through the Council and share important news from the field. I also encourage you to visit the global program page and global grantmaking resources on our website.

Sustainable Development Goals

In July, we released a report about how philanthropy can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the United States. It is based on lessons we learned working with members and other national and local partners over the last year, including our partner, the global SDG Philanthropy Platform. To date, we have convened over 150 foundations and more than 20 U.S. philanthropy affinity groups to discuss the universality of the SDGs.

With this report, we hope to inspire the sector to lead the way toward realizing the SDGs and “leaving no one behind” by 2030. In it we share examples of how funders are using the SDG framework to structure their work and offer suggestions — a “Philanthropy Checklist” — for how others might use the goals to advance their mission.

The Council is eager to build upon the conversations started by this report — through hosting additional convenings, increasing programming, and other activities to develop philanthropy’s efforts to realize the SDGs. I will update you as opportunities to get involved or additional resources become available.

I encourage you to download and read the free report — and then share it with others. Below are three additional resources, including an op-ed written by Council President and CEO Vikki Spruill and published in the Guardian, to provide you with additional context about the report, highlight the importance of learning from one another, and give you actionable next steps.

• It's not a wage gap, it's poverty — and it's why the US needs a development agenda
• 7 Steps Philanthropy Can Take To Bring the SDGs Home to America
• Ending American poverty: the SDGs in the global north

Laws and Regulations Impacting Your Global Grantmaking

To help ensure cross-border grantmaking is possible around the world, we monitor and assess policies and legislation that have the potential to impact international philanthropy. Where possible, we represent our sector and advocate for a better enabling environment that helps you make grants efficiently and effectively.

In May, we hosted a tele-briefing to discuss the effects of a new law in China regulating foreign NGOs working in the country. If you were not able to join this conversation, the recording and call summary are available for Council members on our website, along with other resources like trusted translations of the law.

In June, we also celebrated a big win for the international nonprofit community when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) adopted new language for regulating domestic nonprofit sectors. FATF has far-reaching influence on national governments’ regulation of the charitable sector, and more than 180 jurisdictions worldwide are committed to its regulations. The Council worked closely with a number of global partners to advocate for the removal of the assertion that the nonprofit sector is “particularly vulnerable” to terrorist financing and money laundering, and our efforts were successful.

Recent Council Articles and Blogs

This summer, our global philanthropy team was able to join partners and members at a number of conferences and meetings on international philanthropy. We want to share opportunities and resources from these types of meetings throughout the year. We also regularly host delegations of international foundations who want to learn more about the work of American philanthropy here at home and around the world.

Here are four highlights about recent convenings penned by our global team.

• Universal Human Rights: What Are We Sharing Across Borders?
• World Humanitarian Summit: Philanthropy's presence and potential
• EFC AGA 2016: Our new global language: The SDGs in Europe and around the world
• Learning Together: Finding Shared Goals in Global Conversation

Upcoming Events

Learn, share, and connect with the Council and other foundations and philanthropy affinity groups at four upcoming convenings we are helping to coordinate.

• Convergence: Philanthropy and the SDGs — New York, New York, September 21, 2016
• 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit — New York, New York, September 28-30, 2016
• Global Community Foundation Summit — Johannesburg, South Africa, December 2016
• WINGSForum 2017 — Mexico City, Mexico, February 2017