New guide lays out argument for funding SDG‐related programming

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nba.30624
• Date: 01 July 2019
• Published date: 01 July 2019

JULY 2019 NONPROFIT BUSINESS ADVISOR

7

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company • All rights reserved

DOI: 10.1002/nba

Industry News

New guide lays out argument for funding

SDG‑related programming

Grantmakers have a vast universe of social issues

and causes to commit their resources to. But for many,

the focus tends to be close to home—supporting

nonprot groups and programs that directly benet

their local communities and where the impact is easily

seen and measured.

Committing those resources to efforts that are

global in scale and might not have much of a local

impact may seem counterintuitive. But experts who

advocate for investment in the United Nations’ Sus-

tainable Development Goals argue that doing so can

offer advantages, and opportunities, that localized

giving can’t match.

A new two-volume guide issued by Rockefeller

Philanthropy Advisors—titled Philanthropy and the

SDGs—lays out the reasoning for funders to direct

their cash, in-kind and volunteer resources to the 17

SDGs, regardless of where they hail from or what

their core focus might be.

In addition to providing a range of advice on

how to plan, assess, report and act on the SDGs, the

report gives a succinct set of reasons why funders of

all stripes should do so—which may prove useful to

foundation staff looking to convince their boards to

pull resources away from hometown charities in favor

of global initiatives. These include:

• The SDGs, together, can achieve the larger goals

philanthropy cares about. According to the RPA re-

port, the SDGs “provide a common framework for

systematically organizing data on the social, environ-

mental, and economic challenges of our time.” That’s

due to the nature of their development, in part—they

were developed by leading issue experts, practitioners

and activists over a period spanning several years,

and honed in light of years of data on a multitude

of impact metrics. That much input and distilled

knowledge can be of use in a wide variety of ways,

the report notes—providing inspiration on program

strategies and, for some, shining the light on ways to

get from a broad goal to the best, most effective and

specic targets around which to structure programs.

• They offer a shared language that can be used

by funders and other stakeholders across sectors,

borders and issue areas. According to the report,

the common language provided by the SDGs makes

it easier for people from the for-prot, nonprot,

government and academic worlds to communicate,

thus easing the formation of partnerships that span

sectors and geographies. And, by highlighting that

countries around the world face many of the same

challenges—such as reducing poverty and inequal-

ity, promoting innovation, protecting the environ-

ment, creating inclusive societies and ensuring good

health for all—the SDGs enable funders and their

philanthropic partners to connect their programs,

strategies and funding at home and abroad, the

report said.

• The SDGs prompt deep thinking and action on

systems change. The SDGs are founded on the under-

standing that any given social problem is caused by a

number of interrelated factors, and therefore, solving

one requires addressing the others—what the report

refers to as a systems-change approach. As such,

funders looking at ways to align their giving with the

SDGs would be prompted to explore the connections

among many different underlying and related issues,

and take a broader view of the impact that individual

programs and projects might have—opening the door

to collaborations with others to achieve a greater

impact on the issues that most concern them.

• Aligning with the SDGs can motivate staff, board

members, volunteers and donors. According to the re-

port, funders whose missions are primarily local can

align with the SDGs and demonstrate how their local

work is linked to a global effort—which is a draw for

many donors who have a global perspective on the

most pressing social issues.

For more information, the RPA report can be viewed

in full at https://www.rockpa.org. ■

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