This module prepares participants to address the essential questions of setting up a philanthropic organisation. It showcases how to translate philanthropic ideals, good intentions and moral values into actionable principles defining the essence of a philanthropic organisation. It will address questions such as:

• How detailed should a mission statement be, i.e. what are the trade-offs between specificity and (in) flexibility in the areas in which an organisation sets out to operate?
• What time-frame should it consider?
• What risk mitigation strategies should be put into place?
• What legal options do founders have to allow different degrees of agility for the organisations?

19-23 September 2022: asynchronous online activities

According to the purpose of the philanthropic organisation and the country in which it is based, legal possibilities for structure and tax aspects can vary. This module considers available Swiss, European and international philanthropic legal structures, and will focus on those structures available under Swiss law. These range from traditional single purpose forms (foundations and associations) to hybrid (profit/non-profit) models. Innovative contract-based solutions, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and impact bonds will also be presented. Tax, governance and financial-related restrictions and/or requirements are addressed when reviewing the various possible structures. Finally, the module also covers data protection and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

10-14 October 2022 : asynchronous online activities

This module covers evaluative practices to value, assess and increase the chance of sustainable and fair positive impacts. How can philanthropic organisations know if they are doing the right things and are investing strategically? How can they gather evidence and communicate about their impact to others? Developing a strategy and understanding how to measure its effectiveness is a requirement in today’s philanthropic activity. In this module participants will learn how organisations can evaluate their impact, learn from experience and use evidence and insights to inform their decisions. Participants will learn about practical planning tools and frameworks such as logical frameworks, theory of change and theory of philanthropy. They will understand the importance of learning and how it can increase the organisation’s effectiveness and programme quality. They will be exposed to different evaluation approaches and will be able to choose the most appropriate one in each case.  This module also covers how to identify unintended (potentially negative) consequences of philanthropic interventions and how to best adapt strategies to course-correct in real time.

A rigorous selection of projects in line with the vision and strategy of the organisation is the best way to ensure efficiency and to maintain donor trust. This module therefore looks at a strategic and structured assessment of benefits, risks, collateral efforts and key success factors of each project. We examine how to distribute and coordinate resource allocations across projects, strategies for maximising complementarity between projects, and effective project management. It will include best practices in working with grantees, acknowledging the power dynamic of the funder-donor relationship, using trust and relationship building. The module also proposes monitoring and evaluation tools adapted to different sectors of philanthropy e.g. health, education, poverty reduction, as well as sourcing opportunities, such as using open applications, call for proposals, invite-only etc.

22-25 November 2022 : asynchronous online activities

For philanthropic organisations to reach their objectives with the minimum operating expense and (on the understanding that engaged employees deliver higher performance) they must ensure that employees are engaged and active. It is crucial for organisations to have an effective Board. This module explains the levers that enable leaders to motivate teams and reassure donors. Understanding what leadership means to different generations, how strong leadership selects diverse teams, how to mobilize and motivate teams, members and volunteers and how to manage in complex situations are all part of this course. When poorly managed, the interaction between Board and staff can be harmful to a philanthropic venture. As such., this module examines how philanthropic boards and staff can interact most effectively. Finally, this module explores how to integrate ethics and what ethics means for a philanthropic leader.

12-16 December 2022 : asynchronous online activities

Philanthropic organisations often have limited human resources and need to rely on volunteers and co-optation (e.g. of friends and family members). This module provides the know-how to assess required skills, develop a staff growth plan, and put into place policies that are coherent with the overall philanthropic vision and mission. This module examines human resource management, needs assessment, running volunteer teams, multi-country staff and multicultural settings, to ensure that learning and development is happening at all levels of the organisation. It discusses Swiss and international staffing laws and practices and draws general guidelines for international staff. It also addresses how to motivate and retain volunteers.

9-13 January 2023 : asynchronous online activities

This module covers basic financial management principles as well as how to create budgets, monitor and control spending, creating financial statements and General Accounting Accepted Principles (GAAP) compliance. It includes information on the structure of financial planning and management of a foundation, depending on: 1) its structure, for example is it a foundation managed into perpetuity or one that is in spend-down? 2) how finances are managed and invested: for example, in-house, with asset managers or as part of holdings in a company? And 3) on the region of activity of the organisation: does it operate nationally, cross-border, both, etc.?. It delivers the means to estimate the sustainability and level of agreement between the mission of a foundation and its investments. Finally, this module examines the impact of cryptocurrencies on current financial practices.

Philanthropy frequently operates internationally, interacting with very diverse geographies, cultures, societies and traditions. These are often very different from the backgrounds of organisations' board members, project managers and decisionmakers. To successfully and ethically develop projects across borders and cultures, philanthropic organisations need to build solid relations with local entities, such as grassroots movements or local NGOs. This module focuses on strategies to involve and listen to local entities in the project planning of organisations and analyses to anticipate potential unintended consequences. It also looks at the current debate on the legitimacy of philanthropy which results in well-intended but poorly planned cross-border philanthropic initiatives. Participants will learn how to plan and develop advocacy strategies to engage with local governments and NGOs (including potentially illegal organisations), tailoring these to local traditions and customs, discussing the limitations of a one-size fits all advocacy.

27 January - 3rd March 2023 : asynchronous online activities

In an increasingly connected world, partnerships, networks and collaborations are essential to garnering funds and in-kind contributions. This module focuses on donor-grantee relationships and understanding grantees' needs. It covers principles for online (crowdsourcing, etc.) and offline (door-to-door, campaigning, legacy, etc.) fundraising. It will explore how to complement for-profit activities to raise funds for non-profit operations and how to integrate new business models within non-profits. This module examines different collaborations, partnership and network models that facilitate impact. It also looks at new and innovative models to build sustainable partnerships, both in kind and financial, between private, and public private partnerships (PPPs), to further philanthropic action.

Today organisations compete for attention andcommunication plays a vital role in raising awareness, attracting staff and volunteers, as well as donors. Understanding how to target specific audiences online and offline and craft meaningful messaging and campaigns are a key part of having visibility and reach. This is particularly relevant for organisations whose current projects are frequently international and involve different cultures, geo-political landscapes and religions. It is in such scenarios that the legitimacy of philanthropy and its effectiveness is most likely to be questioned. This module delivers key insights for achieving effective communications, considering, among others, audience segmentation, messaging, and storytelling. It will focus on effective communication both online and offline. Finally, this module discusses how to leverage diversity and cross-cultural settings looking at techniques for conflict resolution and strategies for negotiations with other stakeholders to build successful partnerships.

24 - 28 April 2023 : asynchronous online activities

This module covers the role of philanthropic organisations in funding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), innovation, scaling and systems change, and examines the role of technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). It equips participants with an understanding of the latest trends in philanthropy (including growth, activism, collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and accountability debates). The module will help participants understand the motivation and drivers of philanthropists and foundations and develop their own point of view and role in influencing the future of philanthropy.

15 - 19 May 2023 : asynchronous online activities