Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink

Fund for Shared Insight and Segal Family Foundation recently released an insightful case study: “Trusting Local Leadership: A Funder Builds Relationships in Sub‑Saharan Africa.” While rooted in a specific regional context, the lessons it offers about power, proximity, and trust are universal for anyone seeking to fund or support lasting social change. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eZm4BFkM Key Takeaways to Embrace: · Build relationships before investments. Centering relationships and deep listening—not checklists or timelines—lays the foundation for more authentic and sustainable partnerships. · Shift power by letting communities lead. Impact accelerates when resources are directed by those most proximate to the work, and most accountable to the outcomes. · Fund flexibly and trust generously. Adaptive, trust-based approaches enable community-led innovation to thrive and respond in real time. · Measure what matters to communities. Elevating local definitions of success ensures that impact is not just counted, but truly felt. This case study is a compelling call to action across global philanthropy, social innovation, and movement-building spaces. It challenges us to move beyond transactional funding models toward relational, equity-centered practices. This is exactly the kind of mindset shift Social Venture Partners International is committed to. As we advance our new Affiliate Principles across the SVP Global Network, we are doubling down on: · Centering equity by funding in ways that dismantle, not reinforce, systemic inequities · Amplifying community voice by shifting power to those closest to the work · Practicing trust and accountability by showing up as learning partners, not gatekeepers · Pursuing systems change with humility, collaboration, and courage For me, this case study doesn’t just affirm our direction, it sharpens it. And, I hope this piece sparks reflection and inspires shifts for you all as well, wherever you may sit in the Ecosystem, by reflecting and acting on these key questions: How are we centering local leadership, in any geography? What would it look like to build true partnerships, not just programs? #TrustBasedPhilanthropy #ShiftThePower #CommunityLedChange #GlobalPhilanthropy #LocalLeadership #SVPI #SVPGlobalNetwork #EquityInAction #ProximateLeaders

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Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms – supported by Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition – show what’s possible when humanitarian response is led by communities themselves: fast, accountable, and rooted in dignity. This op-ed by Andrea Tracy and Tom Perriello (former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan) in Inside Philanthropy makes a powerful case for why funders must urgently back these locally led efforts – especially as traditional systems struggle to reach those most at risk. Well worth reading and sharing. 🤲🏽 #Sudan #EyesOnSudan #MutualAidSudanCoalition #ERRs

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"Unlikely partnerships can unlock extraordinary impact” - that’s the message from The Rockefeller Foundation's CEO Rajiv J. Shah in Delivering Results: The Power of Unlikely Partnerships – the Foundation’s latest impact report. It’s a powerful reminder that to drive change at scale, especially in today’s complex world, we need to work across sectors, disciplines, and borders.   When it comes to climate and health, the old silos no longer serve us. We must build new alliances across finance, data, and delivery systems - and that’s exactly what we’re doing. As climate change reshapes global health, our work is focused on:   - Health systems in crisis: Climate shocks are overwhelming care systems. A resilient, system-wide response is urgently needed. - Data-driven local action: From Honduras to Thailand, real-time data is helping communities fight disease. 4,200 workers trained, 12M+ people reached. - Health at the heart of climate action: Through initiatives like the World Health Organization - World Meteorological Organization Joint Programme, supported by our $11.5M investment with Wellcome Trust, we can integrate climate considerations into health planning and response efforts.   This year’s report shows how, alongside our partners, we’ve reached 530 million people worldwide - and how meaningful change is still possible, even in a time of growing complexity and uncertainty.   Only through bold, cross-sector collaboration can we protect the health and wellbeing of the 3.3 billion people most vulnerable to climate threats.   Read more about our collective impact - and the road ahead: https://lnkd.in/gZffYYCp  

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Impact Evaluation Lab is thrilled to announce a strategic investment from entrepreneur, impact investor, and philanthropist Jim Sorenson— a leader whose vision and integrity have shaped the global impact investing landscape for many years. This partnership will accelerate IEL’s mission to make impact investing more transparent, accountable, and accessible to mainstream investors. Over the past two years, the IEL team has developed a rigorous, multidimensional due diligence process to assess both the impact and financial outcomes of investment strategies — bringing the analytical standards of traditional finance into the world of impact. In collaboration with Sorenson Impact at the University of Utah, IEL has also refined their fund assessment framework and launched the Impact Authenticity Score, a new benchmark for evaluating intentionality and transparency in impact investing. As Jim Sorenson put it: “The IEL team brings professionalism and innovation to the critical issue of impact evaluation. Their processes will help ensure greater authenticity and transparency across the impact investing sector.” IEL is deeply grateful for Jim’s support and shared belief that credible measurement and clear language are essential for impact investing to reach its full potential. Learn more about the partnership and our shared vision for authentic impact: 🌐 impactevaluationlab.com 🌐 https://lnkd.in/eq2dGwh6 #ImpactInvesting #AuthenticImpact #Transparency #ImpactMeasurement #JimSorenson #SorensonImpactInstitute #ImpactEvaluationLab

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🌍 Introducing SMART CARBON Building Africa’s Digital Climate Infrastructure Climate action must move beyond conversation to measurable, technology-driven execution. Smart Carbon is a climate-tech initiative focused on building transparent, data-powered systems for carbon tracking, ESG measurement, and digital verification. Our goal is to help organizations transition toward low-carbon operations while positioning Africa within the global carbon economy. Aligned with the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals, Smart Carbon integrates innovation, accountability, and youth digital empowerment to accelerate sustainable growth. We believe the future of climate action will be: • Data-driven • Digitally verified • Investment-ready • Inclusive The green economy is not coming. It is being built — and Africa must lead. #SmartCarbon #ClimateTech #Sustainability #ESG #AfricaInnovation

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We're often asked abroad, how much does the evidence from the Center for Effective Philanthropy on funders apply to their local context, or is it purely for the US context only? Well, today we released a new research report on the what grantees of European based funders have to say about them, with comparisons to what they say about their US funders. Check it out!

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Charities and donor-advised funds (DAFs) engaging in venture philanthropy typically invest through venture capital (VC) funds, acquiring indirect stakes in startups. This structure denies DAFs an insurable interest in the lives of founders or key personnel at those portfolio companies, as the DAF does not own the firms directly. NRP offers a superior alternative: direct deal flow enabling DAFs to invest in early-stage science and technology ventures aligned with the DAFs’ missions, bypassing funds entirely. VC funds rarely buy life insurance (term or whole life) on key persons. They demand such coverage within investee companies themselves, while fund-level policies are usually prohibited, and in any case, limited partners resist the 2/20 fee structure subsidizing an insurance strategy. DAFs face no such restrictions. They can legally own life insurance on donors, their own staff, and key individuals at directly invested private firms—even if the firm holds its own key-person policy. A DAF's independent policy avoids the firm's claims processes or governance, which could dilute benefits. Direct payouts to the DAF maximize utility. Applied across a portfolio of (for example) 40 firms, this strategy amplifies impact. The probability of a death benefit within five years rises substantially, creating a hedge against venture risks. These inflows should embolden DAFs to deploy more capital into high-potential science/tech innovations.  On the other hand, if just one firm is to be invested in, it helps reduce that risk also. Venture philanthropy already advances missions effectively. Integrating permissible life insurance elevates it, turning mortality risks into probabilistic returns. Tragically, traditional VC funds foreclose this synergy. https://lnkd.in/gcCjE88n

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