The EFC realises its vision and mission through four priority areas:

• Creating an enabling legal and fiscal environment for foundations
• Documenting and communicating European philanthropy
• Benchmarking and capacity-building
• Network-building

Programmes and Services

Creating an enabling environment through representation and monitoring

Our core work is giving a voice to independent funders at the level of the European Union and global levels and providing our members with critical legal and fiscal guidance and knowledge.

>Go to Foundation Law
>Go to EU Affairs and Advocacy

Documenting and communicating European philanthropy

A core aim of the Centre is to tell the story of foundations, including the work they do and the people who make it happen. The EFC has built an in-depth knowledge base on foundations and corporate funders active in and with Europe. This knowledge is disseminated through a range of channels, including the Internet, hard copy publications such as the Centre’s flagship publication Effect magazine, and information releases. We use this knowledge base to give customised answers to information and research requests from Centre members and partners.

>Go to News & Knowledge

Capacity-building through professional development

Our capacity-building efforts help foundation staff strengthen their professional skills. This area includes the International Fellowship Programme (IFP), which supports staff of European foundations and other non-profit organisations in improving their management and leadership competences, through working stays in other European countries.

>Go to Capacity-Building

Network and partnership building

We give independent funders a platform to get together on issues and geographic regions they care about through our interest groups and fora.

We also reach out to form partnerships with other grantmaker associations, including European national associations of donors, consortia of funders, public authorities, multilateral institutions and individual donors in Europe and the world. The EFC hosts the WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support) Global Fund for Community Foundations.

>Go to Network-Building

Annual conference

The EFC’s Annual General Assembly (AGA) and Conference is the premier event on the calendar of major independent funders active in and with Europe.

>Go to AGA and Conference

For specific benefits of EFC membership, go to Membership