Excellence in Philanthropy | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In contemporary discourse, funding within the philanthropic sector in the Gulf Region gravitates towards causes that are well publicised in current affairs; this often means that funding is concentrated to certain causes and that other areas that require funding are overlooked.

By building an ecosystem that promotes transparency and traceability, data around causes and areas that are underfunded become readily available. However, it is up to the donor community to utilise this valuable data to drive their grant-making decision making process.

Strategic philanthropy, which is informed by facts, rigorous evaluation and heightened accountability, can help donors set clear goals, outcomes and performance indicators ensuring the success of their philanthropic endeavours.   

By shifting to a more strategic model for philanthropy, one that promotes transparency and traceability, the odds of success in achieving scalable impact are increased. Further, these odds are multiplied when appropriate reporting, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are in place as a measure of the outcomes of philanthropic activities.

Held in collaboration with Nafisa Shams, a Community Jameel initiative, this roundtable provided an open platform to gain insights on the tangible steps that can be taken to shift focus onto strategic philanthropy across the region. The roundtable aimed to establish collaborative efforts and collective impact to achieve scalable results in the Gulf Region, by promoting meaningful social impact through reporting, traceability and knowledge sharing.