Community philanthropy in Uruguay: The case of Colonia

Discussions and criticism regarding current development paradigms and the role of civil society organizations have become increasingly complex in the last few years. International cooperation practices related to development were specifically discussed at the Global Summit on Community Philanthropy. In addition, the need for shifting the power and advocating for direct interventions and investments in communities were clearly identified during the Summit.

In that framework, community foundations and so‑called “community philanthropy organizations” would become key players, in that they could channel the flow of resources directly to local communities. Such a hypothesis, though plausible, lacks unequivocal evidence on which to better advocate to #ShiftThePower. This paper was prepared within such a framework. Its main purpose is to describe the strengths and weaknesses of community philanthropy by examining  the case of the Fondo Región Colonia in Uruguay. The analysis centers on two main variables: capacity for social change, and, resource mobilization through a multi‑stakeholder approach.

Author: Andrés Thompson

Published by: GFCF

Published: December 2019

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