SUMMER MEETING

30 May 2017

Warsaw

Foreword

The DAFNE 2017 Summer Meeting took place as a pre-conference event ahead of the EFC’s

2017 Annual Conference ‘Courage to Re-embrace Solidarity in Europe – Can philanthropy

take the lead?’. There is nothing that represents solidarity more than the DAFNE network, a

group of peers, from national associations and donors’ forums, who share knowledge and

experience to develop their individual and collective capacities to lead in, and strengthen the

philanthropy field.

There was participation from 19 European countries and a wider perspective was added with

participation from Colombia, the USA, and the global network WINGS.

The meeting was the last with Rosa Gallego (Spanish Association of Foundations) as chair.

Rosa has been an exemplary leader of DAFNE for eight years. Krasi Velichkova (Bulgarian

Donors Forum) also completed several terms as vice chair, and we said farewell to David

Emerson who has retired from ACF (UK). We welcomed a new leadership team comprising

Felix Oldenburg (German Association of Foundations), in-coming chair, Madga Pękacka

(Polish Donors Forum), Beatrice de Durfort (Centre Français des Fonds et Fondations), and

for her second term Beate Eckhardt (SwissFoundations).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jochen Klingler (DAFNE Secretariat), for his

work in preparation, running and reporting on the meeting. We are all indebted to Magda

Pękacka and Julia Kluczyńska (Polish Donors Forum) for hosting the meeting in Warsaw.

James Magowan

Co-ordinating Director

DAFNE

Contents

Country Updates .........................................................................................................................1

Benchmark Me ...........................................................................................................................5

Learning from the USA: Maximizing the Engagement of Network Members ............................6

Growing and Strengthening the Field ........................................................................................7

What Difference are we making? ...............................................................................................8

Appendix: Participants ............................................................................................................ 10

1

Country Updates Members reflected on recent highlights of their work, key goals and activities for 2017 and

described the outlook for the near future with one word.

These are summarized below:

Association Highlights of work, key goals and activities Outlook in a

word

Belgian Federation

of Philanthropic

Foundations

- Change process including new name

and website

- Planning European Day of Foundations

and Donors

- Acquisition of additional members and

engagement

- Engaging with government

Give added value

to members

Bulgarian Donors

Forum

- Legal changes in registration process

- Development of standards for good

donors’ practices

- Anniversary of the DMS platform

- Educational activities in schools

- Working on public collection and

community building

- Planning European Day of Foundations

and Donors

Pro-activity

Croatian

Foundations

Forum

- 8 new members

- Successful Philanthropy week last year

and aim to run again in 2017

- Co-operating with government in

drafting new legislation for foundations

- Advocating for increasing tax benefit

for philanthropic giving

- Encouraging members to partner with

EU ESF funding

Czech Donors

Forum

- Focus on fundraising

- Development of individual giving

(online and mobile)

- Capacity building of Czech non-profit

sector

Punk (=new

points of view,

joy, energy,

potential)

2

Council of Finnish

Foundations

- Organizing the greatest European Day

of Foundations and Donors with four

hours of fun and information

- Increasing foundation expertise

- Increasing foundation knowledge

within society

Positive

Centre Francais

des Fonds et

Fondations

- Stressful period in France – changes

expected in legal and fiscal framework

- Promoting next generation

philanthropy

- Greater role for CFF in representing

members in national institutions and in

advocacy

- Strengthening skills and know-how of

foundations

- Planning European Day of Foundations

and Donors

Breakdown /

Transformation

Association of

German

Foundations

- Advocacy for the civil foundation law

reform process

- Implementing a new system for the

Association’s financial planning and

reporting

- Increased regional activity

- Think Lab

- Tool box for foundations operating in

low interest environment

- Transforming and developing database

- Developing a strategy for supporting

foundations working abroad

Excitement

Philanthropy

Ireland

- Completion of stage 1 of advocacy plan

- Increased engagement with wealth

advisors

- Two young leader workshops

- Planning of All Island Conference on

Philanthropy

Optimistic

3

Assifero

- Implementing new strategic plan 2017

– 2020, using 4Cs framework

- Some positive legal reform recognizing

role of philanthropy, new regulation on

tax exemption

- Charter introduced for members and

new fee structure

- Moving HQ from Milan to Rome

Transformation

Acri – Association

of Foundations of

Banking Origin

- Political parties have attacked the NGO

sector in particular in relation to work

with migrants

- General election will be significant

- Implementing the fund against

educational poverty

- Launching European Day of

Foundations and Donors with Assifero

with education as key topic

? uncertainty

Association of

Lichtenstein

Charitable

Foundations

- Development and extension of

facilitation of cooperation to

implement and support projects

- Foundation lunch 1st

Thursday every

month

- Conducting a “project platform” on the

European Day of Foundations and

Donors to support the cooperation

among foundations

Partnership

Vereniging van

Fondsen in

Nederland

- Successful voluntary self-regulation

- FIN becoming a more effective and

influential spokesperson for

foundations

- Focused recently on the issue of

Registers of Beneficial Ownership

- Facilitating engagement of members in

small group exchange on specific

themes / areas of work

4

Polish Donors

Forum

- Difficult time in Poland, NPO sector

united in opposition to restrictions

being imposed

- Developing and publishing standards

and providing support in relation to

impact measurement (network of staff

interested in this established)

- New research on corporate

foundations inspired by CFF/DAFNE

Knowledge Exchange

- Seeking to expand membership base

and engage more employees of

members

Enthusiasm

Portuguese

Foundations’

Centre

- Mapping the sector using public data

- Survey of members and non-members

on challenges, role of PFC, reasons for

not joining

- Engaging members in good practice

workshops on evaluation, governance

and compliance

- Presenting conclusions from the XV

Meeting of Portuguese Foundations

- Preparing for European Day of

Foundations and Donors

Intense work

Spanish

Association of

Foundations

- Heavily engaged in policy work

- Potential move to new premises and

creation of new co-working space

- New system of fees

- Working with members on improving

transparency

- Broadening range of research

- Report together with PwC on structure

and functioning of the boards of

trustees of Spanish foundations

Repositioning

SwissFoundations

- Building a sound advocacy strategy for

the Swiss foundation sector

(campaigning, lobbying, stakeholder

engagement), have moved from service

provider to leading on behalf of the

sector – in particular demonstrating

added value

Excitement

5

- Evaluating the creation of a service hub

for charitable foundations

(management services, shared office

spaces, consulting etc.)

- Aiming to have Exec Summary of Swiss

Foundation Sector report for European

Day of Foundations and Donors

Third Sector

Foundation of

Turkey

- Tough year in Turkey

- Have focused on research and digital

campaign on individual giving, and

corporate giving

- Advocacy for a better fiscal/taxation

system

Hope

Association of

Charitable

Foundations

- Developing principles of good

foundation practice (in collaboration

with members)

- Developing policy work

- More proactive approach to

membership recruitment

- Scoping potential for collaborative

work by foundations on tackling

poverty

Unsettled

Benchmark Me Mário Curveira Santos, Portuguese Foundation

Centre, introduced his approach to benchmarking.

He highlighted the focus on processes and the

importance of selecting who to benchmark with.

Criteria used for selection included number of

member, budget, and human resources. He

reported on a benchmarking visit to FIN in

Netherlands which also included a study visit on

issues of relevance to members in order to learn

from practice. The areas for benchmarking included:

• Governance

• Membership / member services

• Finances

6

There was discussion about how this approach could be adopted by others. The starting

point might be help with identifying suitable benchmarking partners. It was emphasised

that that the process should be conducted on a one to one basis. However, the discussion

showed that some members seemed attracted to the idea of creating “ID” cards for each

national association. Such ID cards might be useful for DAFNE members to find appropriate

benchmark partners. It was acknowldged that a common benchmarking framework could

not be produced for the network given its diversity however it was agreed there could be

scope in producing and sharing a list of benchmark areas and some relevant metrics. It was

noted that self-reflection on agreed metrics was an essential pre-cursor for a successful

bench-marking exchange.

Learning from the USA: Maximizing the Engagement of Network

Members At this session, David Biemesderfer, CEO of the Forum of Regional Associations of

Grantmakers in Washington DC (USA), shared his experience of engagement and

sustainability at the Forum. He described a significant transition process which was

completed this year with the Forum moving from a network of 33 regional organizations in

the US representing 5,500 foundations to include national affinity / interest groups. The

membership now stands at 57 (with a collective membership of some 7000 foundations) and

there is scope for further increase.

The aim is to maximize the power of this extended network to lead, inform and support

philanthropy. Actions supporting this aim are public policy advocacy, education on

philanthropy, sharing knowledge on a knowledge platform as well as additional actions and

services for members.

David also highlighted the

importance of applying a network

model where everyone has a part to

play (members make it what they

want it to be). Where possible they

sought full staff engagement,

including the creation of peer

communities by job functions.

Volunteer job opportunities at the

Forum of Regional Associations as

well as scholarships for emerging

leaders are offered, and the Forum

provides a new staff / orientation pack for its members to use. Member participation is

tracked using SalesForce and there is on-going benchmarking.

It was noted that there had been a ‘crowded market place’ for philanthropy infrastructure in

the USA and there had been a need for consolidation and more effective collaboration.

7

While the potential of virtual meetings should be exploited face to face engagement remains

most valued, in particular in building trusted and mutually supportive relationships within

and outside the network – as had been the case with DAFNE.

Growing and Strengthening the Field At this session, Lauren Bradford, Director of Global

Partnerships from the Foundation Centre, presented

conclusions from the Infrastructure in Focus Report.

Key learning from this study are:

1. Ensure the long-term sustainability of

philanthropy infrastructure organizations

2. Recognize evaluation as a high priority for philanthropy infrastructure organizations

3. Build a strong infrastructure for philanthropy where it is most needed

4. Build the partnerships that are needed for a more effective philanthropy

5. Focus on the activities most needed to build philanthropy

6. Engage in advocacy to build a more enabling environment

In discussion it was recognized that project money is often easier to be attained than money

for infrastructure. In Europe, for instance, there is only a limited number of foundations like

interested and willing to invest in the philanthropic infrastructure. Furthermore, the political

environment and the motivation of decision makers at individual foundations are also

important factors when it comes to expanding and strengthening the philanthropic

infrastructure.

In discussion it was suggested that infrastructure organizations need to be more creative in

communications – for example in relation to highlighting value added through successful

8

advocacy and in connections made within and outside the philanthropy sector. Caution was

expressed around creating an internal market between philanthropic infrastructure and non-

profit sector infrastructure. Lauren Bradford also highlighted the importance of partnerships

for the growth and strengthening of the philanthropic infrastructure. She cited to following

factors conducive to achieving partnership:

• Having a global reach

• Being an older organisation

• Having a larger number of employees

Participants agreed and also emphasized the importance of personal contacts and the

building of trusted relationships. It was suggested that the narrative needed to be changed

from seeing infrastructure as an investment rather than a cost.

What Difference are we making? At this session, Dr James Magowan, Coordinating Director

of DAFNE, together with Benjamin Bellegy, Executive

Director of WINGS, updated participants on developments

and feedback on implementation of the 4Cs framework

which provides the basis for infrastructure support

organizations in the philanthropy field to plan and assess

the difference that they intend to and do make. As an

enabling framework and assessment tool, it has been

designed as a common framework for application at the

individual organizational level.

Benjamin Bellegy emphasized that the 4Cs framework can be in particularly helpful in this

regard since the assessment of infrastructure within the philanthropic realm can be elusive

due to its intangible character. The added value an analysis based on the 4Cs framework can

offer will provide us with feedback on how to design our own missions and strategies to

better achieve our goals and envisioned outcomes.

James Magowan agreed and briefly introduced the 4Cs framework. He pointed out that the

4Cs recognise the difference that infrastructure organizations make in respect to capacity,

capability, connection and credibility. He also emphasized that the 4Cs framework is

not based on a rigid methodology. It is an enabling framework for adaptation and

application. He referred to 12 steps to apply the framework:

1. Decide to do it

2. Get help

3. Decide who will lead

4. One step at a time

9

5. Start with theory of change

6. Seek support about theory of change

7. How does your theory of change fit with the 12 outcome areas of 4Cs?

8. For each of the relevant Cs, describe the state of the field

9. Decide how to fill gaps in your knowledge

10. Devise performance indicators for each outcome area

11. Develop a baseline report on the outcome areas

12. Develop a system to monitor progress using the performance indicators

Participants joined the conversation and shared their own strategic approaches. Some

explained that they worked according to a 5-year plan based on outcome mapping which

helps them to assess their work in a structured way while taking account of the role of

stakeholders and partners. It was noted that the 4Cs framework offered a common language

to identify areas where value is added, for planning work, and assessing and communicating

impact. Participants who had been involved in the DAFNE / WINGS peer learning group that

developed the 4Cs framework reflected on their experience of implementation. Carola

Carrazone reported that she had focussed initially on just 2 of the 4 Cs (Credibility and

Connections) in order to develop their approach. Others reflected on how the 4Cs

framework had inspired their strategic planning.

An example of how the framework could be adapted for own use was shown

4C Outcome

area Objectives for

coming

period

Identify

indicators Who, how,

and when Baseline and

updates

Capacity Capability Connections Credibility

1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12

Set out what

needs to be

accomplished

Set out how

progress will

be measured

Specify who

has

responsibility

how data will

be gathered,

and when.

Establish your

starting point

and then

measure

progress.

In conclusion, DAFNE members confirmed their interest in applying the framework as a tool

for planning and of analysis and evaluation. It was suggested that another 4Cs workshop or

webinar, should be organized and there was merit in building a bank of indicators for

reference.

10

Appendix: Participants

DAFEN Members

Belgium

Belgian Federation of

Philanthropic

Foundations

Luc Luyten Chairman

Bulgaria Bulgarian Donor's

Forum

Krasimira Velichkova Executive Director

Croatia Croatian Foundation

Forum

Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic Director

Czech Republic Czech Donors Forum Klara Splichalova Executive Director

Finland Council of Finnish

Foundations

Liisa Suvikumpu CEO

France Centre Français des

Fonds et Fondations

Béatrice de Durfort Executive Director

Germany

Bundesverband

Deutscher Stiftungen

Anke Pätsch Director of

International

Relations

Germany Bundesverband

Deutscher Stiftungen

Felix Oldenburg Executive Director

Ireland Philanthropy Ireland Eilis Murray CEO

Italy Assifero Carola Carazzone Segretario generale

Italy ACRI Giorgio Righetti General Manager

Liechtenstein

VLGS - Association of

Liechtenstein

Charitable Foundations

Dagmar Bühler-Nigsch Managing Director

Netherlands FIN - Vereniging van

Fondsen in Nederland

Joost van Lanschot Chairman

Poland Polish Donors Forum Magdalena Pękacka Executive Director

Poland Polish Donors Forum Julia Kluczyńska Assistant Director

Portugal Portuguese

Foundations´ Centre

Mário Curveira Santos Secretary General

Spain Asociación Española de

Fundaciones

Isabel Peñalosa

Esteban

Director

Spain Asociación Española de

Fundaciones

Rosa Gallego García Director

Switzerland SwissFoundations Beate Eckhardt CEO

Turkey

Third Sector

Foundation of Turkey

(TUSEV)

Liana Varon Deputy Secretary

General

11

Turkey

Third Sector

Foundation of Turkey

(TUSEV)

Tevfik Başak Ersen Secretary General

UK Association of

Charitable Foundations

Carol Mack Chief Executive

UK DAFNE David Emerson DAFNE Treasurer

DAFNE DAFNE James Magowan Coordinating

Director

DAFNE DAFNE Jochen Klingler Secretariat

Observers

Colombia

Association of

Corporate and Family

Foundations

Carolina Suarez CEO

Denmark Bikubenfonden Susanne Dahl Head Advisor

Strategy

Belgium EFC Gerry Salole CEO

Brazil WINGS Benjamin Bellegy Exec. Director

Latvia

Community

Foundation Movement

Latvia

Ansis Berzins CEO Valmiera

Region Community

Foundation

USA Council on

Foundations

Natalie Ross Senior Director

USA Foundation Centre Lauren Bradford Director of Global

Partnerships

USA

Forum of Regional

Associations of Grand

Makers

David Biemesderfer President and CEO