New York Post’s Post

A nimbler model for modern challenges and focus on US domestic landscape. Without, apparently, forgetting relevant neighbors. ----------- George Soros’ Open Society Foundations will lay off at least 40 per cent of its staff amonth after the 92-year-old announced he handed the reins of the multi-billion-dollar foundation to his son, Alexander. The job cuts were announced in a statement signed by Alexander Soros and the foundation’s president, Mark Malloch-Brown, reports CNN. It said the foundation would undergo “significant changes” to its operating model. “Through this new model, the Board aims to transform operations across the global network, with the goal of generating a nimbler organization better able to build on past achievements and confront urgent and emerging challenges,” the statement said. A spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations told CNN that implementing the organization’s new vision required “difficult decisions”, and that it planned to reduce its headcount by no less than 40 per cent globally. Open Society Foundations currently has about 800 staff across the globe. In June, the senior Soros, a Hungarian-born billionaire investor, philanthropist and contributor to liberal causes, announced that he had tapped his 37-year-old son as the organization’s new chair. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal announcing the decision, Alexander Soros said he and his father “think alike”, but that he was more political than his father. Alexander Soros also said that under his leadership, he planned focus the foundation more on US domestic politics. He recently met US administration officials and liberal leaders of other countries, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to the Journal. https://lnkd.in/gqfenu4b

Interesting to see the #roadmap being laid for the development of European philanthropy which calls for empowerment, engagement, facilitation and partnership across, among and within philanthropy. At Humentum we encourage all of this through the lens of #equity, #resilience and #accountability, helping to transform the sector toward #locallyleddevelopment.

I'm a big fan of women with wealth putting their money towards social good, especially to #womensrights and #genderequality. MacKenzie Scott gave away 2 billion last year, with $640 million to non profits this year. Personally I think that should be applauded. So, when I heard Melinda French Gates was parting ways with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an expected move, I have been thinking of what she could do with her over 10 billion, for women's rights and gender equality. Here's what I hope she is doing/considering: 1. Invest in women's rights and feminist movements. Grassroots women's movements everywhere are the cornerstone of social change, yet work on a shoestring, receiving less than 1% of ODA (official development assistance). Whether it's in conflict and disasters responding to crisis, peacebuilding, or working on development - and often, all of it, women are at the forefront. Fund Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, Global Fund for Women and more. Go direct, fund grassroots organisations led and run by women. There's alot of talk about doing this, but noone seems to have cracked it! 2. Fund prevention of violence against women. 1 in 3 women experience some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Deeply rooted in patriarchy, unequal power relations, men's violence against women is so pervasive, resulting in femicide, long lasting impacts, trauma, stigma, loss of economic opportunities, and homelessness. Fund prevention programs that challenge attitudes that condone violence against women, that foster consent, and healthy and equal relationships. Fund women's organisations and partners of Spotlight Initiative Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) WhatWorks2PreventVAWG UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women 3. Support women's leadership in all spaces at all levels. Identify and fund women leaders and aspiring politicians to run in local and national elections in countries where they are needed (eg. everywhere!). 4. Use her voice to stand for women's rights including advocacy on women's access to sexual and reproductive health rights. 5. Champion feminist leadership. It is not a given that women in leadership positions promote gender equality or women's rights. In fact, sometimes it is the opposite, due to the patriarchal nature of the environments that we all operate within. 6. Fund microfinance and women's economic empowerment. Women want economic opportunities, that reinforce independence and agency. 7. Make it her mission to only fund, partner and support organisations that have genderequality as key objective. And lastly (for now), lend her voice to challenge all systems of oppression. Sexism operates with racism together with ablism and other forms of discrimination <iframe src="https://lnkd.in/d62694CG" height="789" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Embedded post"></iframe>

Max von Abendroth, Chair of the Philanthropy Forum at WAPPP | World Association of PPP Units & Professionals and a Senior Advisor for EU Affairs at Social Impact Alliance for CEE: “Civil society is the set of civic rights that forms the backbone of democracy. In a democracy, civil society groups have respect for the law, for the rights of individuals, and for the rights of other groups to express their interests and opinions. They act as a forum for people with common goals and interests to further develop democratic ideals, which in turn can lead to a more democratic state. The state of resilience of civil society across the CEE region is declining as we speak. During the post- soviet transformation of societies in the region, the influx of international donors helped to create and fund civil society institutions in many countries, but it also created dependency and challenges, especially once those donors withdrew. New sources of funding for an independent civil society are needed. This report unveils an enormous potential across the CEE region for unlocking funding – private capital – for social good. It is up to corporations, family offices, institutional and individual donors to step up their engagement. All of these private actors understand their markets and societies extremely well and are aware that their long term prosperity is interlinked with the prosperity of the society in which they operate. The Social Impact Alliance for Central & Eastern Europe provides unique data insights in this report and it has built an outstanding network over the last 4 years across the public, private and civil society field in the CEE region. This forms an excellent basis for creating pathways towards increasing the resilience of democratic institutions that will ensure social and environmental sustainability across the region and beyond”. The new comprehensive analysis,  "Unlocking Private Capital for Social Good in Central Eastern Europe" is now available for download free of charge: https://lnkd.in/dSHynzmg The report is a must-read for institutions and foundations who want to positively impact the countries of Central & Eastern Europe – philanthropists, businesses, investors, public administration, nonprofits and academia. Join us in our mission to drive systemic change and strengthen the social impact ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe through education, cooperation, and advocacy – gain exclusive insights and download the report now. #philanthropy #positiveimpact #socialimpact #corporatesocialresponsibility #CSR #employeevolunteering #probono #CEE #impact #socialgood #socialeconomy #sustainability 

This excellent Stanford Social Innovation Review article on the strategic reorientation currently happening at the Open Society Foundations (OSF) harbours three important #lessons for #foundations: 1. Don't let success go to your head – OSF's many successes of yesterday lulled the foundation into a state of "bloated" and "unfocused" organizational complacency. OSF would be wise to remember the bane of every artist's existence: 'You're only as good as your last gig.' 2. Adapt, adapt, adapt – George Soros built OSF into a philanthropic juggernaut around Karl Popper's, the Austrian philosopher's, concept of "open society." While OSF's steadfast commitment to its organizing principle should be applauded, no concept should be followed and applied blindly as contexts and conditions change. 3. Be open to external evaluation – Foundations are strange creatures because they don't answer to shareholders, investors, electorates or other traditional accountability mechanisms. In the absence of such feedback loops, OSF and its peers should consider periodically hiring external evaluators to produce evidence-based, long-run studies of individual programs or the organization as a whole. #philanthropy https://lnkd.in/gSJGyyEP

Endowments can transform nonprofit organizations and spark change in the communities around you! As leaders in the fight for civil rights and social justice for Latinos for more than 55 years, an endowment enabled us to make greater impact. Read more about how an endowment enabled us to respond to our community’s needs, support our almost 300 Affiliate organizations, and uplift Latino voices on a national scale in this op-ed written by our Chief Operating Officer Sonia Pérez. #UnidosUS

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