Transformation in funding practice – listening, learning, and acting
In 2019, Community Foundation Wales initiated a community consultation process to better understand the needs of its grantees. The results were strikingly consistent: the main concern was short-term, project-related funding, which prevented them from focusing on and delivering their mission. The foundation responded swiftly by reviewing its funding strategy to include support for core costs and for multi-year funding. In this interview, Andrea Powell, Director of Programmes (and Deputy Chief Executive), shares the organisation’s journey, the challenges it has faced, and the opportunities ahead.
ECFI Guide: Community Foundations in Hungary
The Guide to Community Foundations in Hungary portrays a decade of perseverance and innovation within a restrictive civic environment. Despite political pressure, Hungarian community foundations—supported by the Roots & Wings Foundation—have built trust, mobilised local resources, and inspired civic participation in cities like Budapest, Pécs, and Miskolc. Their initiatives, from the Swimathon to community media projects, show how grassroots philanthropy fosters solidarity, creativity, and hope. The guide is both a chronicle of resilience and a call to strengthen democracy from the ground up through community-led action.
Growing Ambition in a Shrinking Space: Hungary’s Community Foundations after the election
In a politically constrained environment, Hungary’s community foundations are proving that civic energy and trust can thrive even under pressure. The article by Tamás Scsaurszki of the Roots & Wings Foundation portrays how local leaders in cities like Budapest, Miskolc, and Pécs use creativity, credibility, and inclusion to strengthen communities and resist fragmentation. Despite shrinking space for civil society, these initiatives show growing confidence, resilience, and ambition—supported by diverse local and international partners working to sustain civic life across Hungary.
