Post by Swatee Deepak

Grateful to the OECD - OCDE and Sabanci Foundation for hosting a dialogue on the role of private philanthropy and the future of gender financing which I was happy to moderate. While the overall picture looks bleak - ODA and private philanthropy is in decline while development aims feel further out of reach, rights backslide and private wealth increases - I left feeling hopeful. Güler Sabancı reminded us that her grandmother gave all her wealth to start the Sabanci Foundation, several decades ago- today over 60% of its funding is committed to gender equality. With women set to inherit more in the great wealth transfer - I hope other philanthropists are just as bold and visionary in their work and legacy. Nevgul Bilsel Safkan shared the ways in which domestic philanthropy needs to grow, measure it's impact, use it's platform to bring others along and ensure there is dialogue, accountability and recognition of the expertise that lie in communities. Kurt Peleman and Niloufer Memon reminded us that to go far, philanthropy must collaborate - to reduce volatility in funding, ensure there is always value add, that the approaches are transparent and that there is accountability to communities. It is tough to align but if we want change we have to be courageous. Emily Usher Shrair reminded us to maintain radical optimism in the face of fears...and that this time feels fraught with so many fears and backsliding. Ultimately I left reminded that this moment of rupture gives way to reimagining new possibilities. We still must demand ODA and commitments from the Global North to address issues for which they are responsible, but we also have to engage Majority actors, especially as the axis of power and geopolitics shifts.