The people of WINGS are equal parts think tank and do-team. We help set priorities and drive agendas across three strategic imperatives which, together, offer the greatest potential for creating lasting systemic change.

Philanthropy and governments need each other. The work of each is enhanced by the other. The philanthropic sector is a key partner in helping solve social and economic challenges that governments grapple with. Philanthropy can provide resources, non-financial assets, innovations and expertise. And philanthropy needs governments to provide the conditions and policies that enable the sector to do its work, and to have channels available for engagement and discussion - all in the name of the greater good.

WINGS works across three critical areas to promote our advocacy and policy agenda: 

Yet, around the world there is a growing trend toward governmental restrictions on the sector and on civil society at large. Limitations on cross-border funding and on the ability of philanthropic and civil society organisations (CSOs) to incorporate, operate and solicit donations for their work are becoming common.

PSOs work diligently to educate government actors and advocate for constructive policy. But advocacy and policy work are often not their core areas of expertise and they often lack the resources, tools and capacity they need to sustain this crucial effort. WINGS provides that support and a neutral/safe space for PSOs to learn the most effective strategies and tactics from each other.

Direct action to help shape the global policy agenda for building civil society

WINGS has been invited to take leadership roles in critical international forums and policy-setting organisations to advocate for the role of philanthropy and strengthen social impact ecosystems. We also serve as an observer, advisor, featured speaker and agenda setter at a number of different social impact forums throughout the year. 

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WINGS is host of the Commitment, which will open for signature by individual foundations and philanthropic organisations in September 2021. The signatories commit to strive for progress on seven pillars of climate action: 1. Education and learning; 2. Commitment of resources; 3. Integration (of a climate lens); 4. Endowments and assets; 5.Operations; 6.Influencing and advocacy; 7. Transparency.

International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change

The GPEDC is led by the organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and UN Development Programme (UNDP). Its purpose is to define the best way to ensure social impact organisations play the greatest possible role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. WINGS was invited to hold the seat representing philanthropy and leads the Action Area on Foundations Engagement.

Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC)

The Private Sector Consultative Forum offers direct engagement between the FATF and private sector on anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing issues, the European Foundation Centre represents the WINGS network by holding one of the NGO seats on this forum

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Private Sector Consultative Forum

The PFD brings together civil society organisations, local authorities from the European Union and partner countries with European institutions and bodies to ensure policies within the EU create the best possible environment for philanthropy to flourish. WINGS holds a seat on the PDF and is an active contributor to its work.

Policy Forum on Development (PFD)

This is a multi-stakeholder platform for driving stakeholder responsibility for social justice in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through collective action and systems change interventions with civil society on the design, deployment, use and governance of technology.

WEF Initiative on Partnering with Civil Society in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

How we do it

Fostering multi-actor collaboration to help achieving the SDGs

In addition to having an important voice, WINGS members have exceptional talent and hands-on-experience with the kind of work and investment required to achieve the SDGs. WINGS seeks to build partnerships and collaborations to ensure our members are deeply engaged in showing policy makers what will (and will not) work and where critical investment is required.

We identify, gather and share best practices on multi-actor partnerships with the purpose of encouraging our members to become catalysts in the implementation of successful collaboration between philanthropy and other key players (governments, private sector, civil society).

Promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships involving philanthropy

At the GPEDC WINGS  is leading Action Area 2.5 on Foundations Engagement. Our objective is to promote and increase the engagement of philanthropic organisations in development cooperation by scaling up effective multi-stakeholder partnerships with foundations, taking into account their innovative approaches and financial and non-financial contributions to realising sustainable development.

Co-designing and sharing solutions through new ways of working.

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The SDGPP is a global and national facilitator helping optimise resources and efforts to achieve the SDGs by enabling effective collaboration between philanthropy and the broader ecosystem. In January 2020 WINGS assumed the co-leadership of the SDGPP together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform (SDGPP)

Benjamin Bellegy

If you are a WINGS member, join the Enabling Environment Working Group and learn more, along with your peers, about how different PSOs are supporting foundations and civil society in response to restrictions. But also how they are leading change towards a more open space for philanthropy and other non-profit actors to thrive.

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* Intermediary, joint and community funds can decide if they would rather be classified as a supporting member, including membership in the Funders Working Group. We will review this on a case-by-case basis.

The recommended scale is based on the principle of solidarity and to allow our regular membership to be as affordable as possible for a wide variety of philanthropy support organisations, many of which operate with very limited flexible resources.

For Global South-based institutions and in exceptional cases

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* INGOs can decide if they would rather be classified as a supporting member, including membership in the Funders Working Group. We will review this on a case-by-case basis.

If you think you meet the requirements for membership, please select your contribution and click the button below

WINGS offers the following types of membership:

Regular member — Regular members are recognised as legitimate organisations whose primary focus is to develop, strengthen and promote the field of philanthropy and giving (more than 50% of their activities should be aimed at this). Organisations can be for-profit but must contribute to building the field such as developing publicly available research.

Supporting member — Supporting members must demonstrate a commitment, investment (primarily financial) and/or interest in developing the field of philanthropy, local resource mobilisation, and strengthening civil society. They can include: Private institutional funders • Family offices • Multilateral and bilateral development finance agencies and other development funders. This category of supporting members has access to the Funders Working Group, a funder peer community. 

Enabling member — Enabling members support philanthropy as a subset of their main functions: • Audit firms • Banks/wealth management firms • Data analytics organisations • Fellowships and talent management organisations • Incubators and accelerators • INGOs* •  Law firms • Mainstream consulting firms • Marketing and PR Firms • Non-profit organisations • Social media and technology platforms.

If you have doubts or need additional information, contact Eva Rehse, Network and Ecosystems Director at WINGS.

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The WINGS network is grateful for the support of our funders and thought partners. Without their help, our important work would not be possible.