Chaired by Ingrid Hamm, Robert Bosch Stiftung & EFC Interim Chair

** Governing Council members only **

It has been argued that limited-life philanthropy, when a foundation spends all of its assets within a pre-determined time frame, is a way of focusing greater philanthropic resources on the most pressing issues of our time. Those more in favour of giving in perpetuity argue that it can take significant time for a foundation to get established, build a reputation, find its niche and become effective. This session will debate the benefits and disadvantages of ‘giving while living.’

MODERATOR: Jenny Hodgson, The Global Fund for Community Foundations

SPEAKERS:

Rui Esgaio, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

Karisia Gichuke, The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund

Increasingly, foundations are seeking to share information in a more efficient and intuitive manner among their staff, grantees and partners. Continuous technology developments as well as numerous social media channels are providing foundations with an overwhelming sea of opportunities for information management and dissemination. Is it therefore time for European foundations to step firmly into the 21^st century and to embrace new technologies in their work, or do the pitfalls of incorporating technology and social media (integrating archives and older information, instilling a culture of change, developing user friendly policies and procedures, doubts about its impact, etc.) outweigh the benefits?

The topic of legitimacy of foundations is of critical interest to the EFC, DAFNE, and their members, given recent public scrutiny of foundation activities, spending and influence. The EFC, like many other national associations, has a voluntary code of practice which was always intended to be aspirational. But has the time come for stricter enforcement of the EFC Principles of Good Practice and the spirit they represent? Or are such Principles overly ambitious and is it unrealistic to expect any European ‘watchdog’ to monitor the activities of such incongruent organisations?

Discussions from the day will be summarised and key questions put to Autumn Assembly participants: What are the key issues looming on the agendas of foundations? How can it be better illustrated that foundations in Europe are well-governed, compliant and liable: legitimate bodies that deserve more recognition? How can we work collectively to achieve common goals?

SPEAKERS:

Haki Abazi, Rockefeller Brothers Fund

John R. Healy, Philanthropy Ireland

Join us for a cocktail at Foundation House!

What better way to end a busy day than to enjoy an informal cocktail reception and enjoy some well-deserved refreshments at Foundation House - the future ‘home away from home’ for European foundations. Guests should be aware that the house is a barebones building site and therefore will be able to experience firsthand the full potential of what will become the hub of foundations situated in the heart of Europe. Foundation House was made possible thanks to the foresight and financial commitment of six European foundations: King Baudouin Foundation, Körber-Stiftung, Institusjonen Fritt Ord, Realdania, Stichting Fonds 1818 and the Van Leer Group Foundation who each provided one million euros to develop a green, accessible, state-of-the-art centre for foundations in Brussels.

Address: 94, rue Royale (next to Le Soir)