Main Content Jump to Footer

Going Global - a review of international development funding by UK foundations

Mon, 12 November 2007

For many UK foundations, funding work in developing countries presents a dilemma. The potential benefits are great but funding internationally may appear difficult at the operational level, particularly if funding on a smaller scale.

Nuffield, together with the Baring Foundation and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation commissioned a study, Going Global – a review of international development funding by UK trusts and foundations, to look specifically at foundations whose international funding, like their own, is less than £1 million per annum. By learning more about the wider funding context to which foundations contribute and about the methods that are being used, they hope to improve their own international grants programmes and to gather information that would be helpful to others either already or considering funding on a similar scale.

With other organisations in Europe and in US, including Government aid agencies, sharing this interest in the issue of foundation funding for international development, there are opportunities for discussions and possible co-operation at the international level. At the same time, the role of the newer foundations in funding international work and the increase in organisations and individuals exploring new methods for philanthropy are changing the context in which the funders in this study operate. Although these issues go beyond the scope of the present study, the commissioning group believe that further investigation would be timely and productive and intends to progress this agenda in the near future.

The report is downloadable here and you can request hard copies here

Last Updated Mon, 12 November 2007