The Lotus Flower hosts a panel at philanthropy forum

The Lotus Flower was delighted to host a very special panel on the topic of Smart Philanthropy last week.

As part of the Face/Forward Ecosystem event at the renowned Skoll World Forum, our virtual panel explored ways of making giving smarter in future and addressed the effectiveness of philanthropy.

The panel was hosted by our founder and CEO Taban Shoresh, and included Atalanti Moquette, Founder of Giving Women, and Sophie Pelka, Co-creator of the Give It Forward Trust (GIFT). Our Regional Director Vian Ahmed also took part in the debate, describing the lack of sustainable funding that organisations encounter on-the-ground.

During the hour-long talk Atalanti spoke of the need for donors to be more trusting of charities in order to maximise impact. “We must respect our beneficiaries and listen to them so they can find their own answers,” she said. “There is a need for trust on both sides, and sharing and exchanging knowledge is the most important thing.”

Atalanti also explained why she is a long-term supporter of the Lotus Flower, saying: “A lot of people who run the projects are local and that's something I look for – local communities who are engaged. It relates to the idea of trust and listening. Seeing robust organisational structure and on-the-ground support is also really important to us.”

Meanwhile, Sophie emphasised the importance of donors providing unrestricted funding for charities. “We don't know how to transform lives, and so we need to let the organisation decide how to spend their funding,” she said. “That's why I was attracted to the Lotus Flower – because their programmes are designed to meet the needs of the beneficiaries.”

From L-R: Taban, Sophie, Atalanti and Vian

Sophie added that donors should be more willing to fund core costs such as overheads and staffing. “Philanthropy is all about human capital,” she said. “Overheads are the wrong metric, and I don’t really look at them. By not funding admin costs, it might mean an organisation can’t deliver their projects properly.”  

She also stressed her reasons for championing the Lotus Flower, and added: “We look for mission alignment and strong leadership, and in Taban I saw a great leader. We also look for an impact-driven approach, which is at the very centre of the Lotus Flower.”