GPPi launches research project "The Role of Private Donors in International Development"

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has commissioned the Global Public Policy Institute to conduct a scoping study to provide a preliminary assessment of private donor engagement in international development.

Private donors are playing an increasingly significant role in international development. Foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation or the Rockefeller Foundation are increasingly becoming involved as they continue to give and expand the range of activities in the developing world. The same is true for new types of venture philanthropies, such as the Acumen Fund. With the OECD’s Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in mind, traditional bilateral and multilateral donors, from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development to the World Bank, are taking notice and are looking for ways to engage and coordinate their actions with these new actors.

Building on a comprehensive literature review and a range of expert interviews, GPPi will produce a Policy Paper that provides an overview of current foundation activities in international development as well as a number of recommendations for BMZ on how to improve coordination and cooperation with foundations. The project will conclude in December 2007.