By Sarah Bahn and Manuel Montes In the 1980s and 1990s, the pressure on developing countries to embrace economic liberalization was overwhelming. They were bullied by global aid and trade organizations, such as the World Bank, into adopting reforms whose benefits were questionable and many argue hurt the poorest. Through its International Economic…
By Sarah Bahn and Stephen Pittam Five years ago the term ‘stranded assets’ was unknown; now it is central to financial markets thinking about the value of fossil fuel holdings. This is due to the work of the Carbon Tracker Initiative, funded in its early stages by grants from a handful of…
By Sarah Bahn and Atallah Kuttab Mission drives foundation work, and it can often point towards grassroots efforts. We know that local leadership is key to these efforts, but it can be challenging to navigate alignment of foundation practices with the execution of a local agenda from a distance. Fikra, a Brussels-based foundation created…
By Sarah Bahn and Suzanne Siskel When I was working for the Ford Foundation as a representative in the Philippines in the late 1990s, the foundation expanded its programming, giving us the opportunity to work on addressing the failing public education system. After just three years, Ford was supporting 27 local education reform…
By Sarah Bahn and Hania Aswad ‘Al Ouneh’ is a type of informal, collective philanthropy led by community members to help individuals or the well-being of the entire community. The concept has been practiced in the Middle East and North Africa for generations. Al Ouneh can be used in a number of ways,…
By Sarah Bahn and Ana Valeria Araujo In May 2006, prison gang violence and police retaliation unleashed a wave of killings in São Paulo, Brazil. The victims were mostly poor, young people of African or indigenous descent. Most were not involved in organized crime, and their mothers were unable to find out what…
By Sarah Bahn and Avila Kilmurray It is not every day that the iconic ‘Free Derry Corner’ landmark turns bright pink. But this is what happened as a result of a small £3,000 grant awarded by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI) to the Rainbow Project, which works in Derry/Londonderry in Northern…
By Sarah Bahn and Lisa Jordon The Bernard van Leer Foundation has a solid reputation in the area of early childhood education. It is known for financing early education models, publishing articles, and supporting research on early childhood development. It has been a respected figure in this field for over 60 years, operating…
By Sarah Bahn and Andrew Milner In 1989, the US state of Louisiana passed a law that all children who achieve certain academic standards should be allowed to go to college regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. This was the culmination of four years of campaigning by the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, led by businessman…
By Sarah Bahn and Barry Knight Despite many efforts over the years, child poverty remains a widespread problem in the United Kingdom. In an attempt to accelerate efforts, we at the Webb Memorial Trust decided to support plans to give children true leadership roles in the issue, as opposed to just consulting them. At…