BOOK TALK | Hilary Pearson- From Charity to Change

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION:

Join Hilary Pearson for a talk at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin.

What role do foundations play in shaping social change? Are they drivers of change? How do they contribute to the development of social innovations and their diffusion? These are the questions philanthropy expert Hilary Pearson addresses in her 2022 book From Charity to Change: Inside the World of Canadian Foundations. She will share her observations on the foundation sector in Canada and around the world.

When: September 27th, from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM

Where: at the Embassy of Canada, Leipziger Platz 17, 10117 Berlin

Free, but registration required: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/foundations-as-changemakers-experiences-in-canada-and-germany-tickets-690808265117?aff=oddtdtcreator

The ensuing panel will discuss the social role of foundations in Canada and Germany with Susanna Krüger (Managing Director of the bcause platform), Dorothee Vogt (Programme Manager Economy & Democracy, Schöpflin Foundation), Burkhard Wilke (Managing & Scientific Director, DZI) and other guests.

The event takes place in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada and the Berliner Stiftungswoche and will be moderated by the Maecenata Institute and Wider Sense. The conversation will take place in English.

Doors open at 12:00 pm and a light refreshment will be provided. All attendees will be required to complete a security check and entry will only be granted with a valid government-issued photo ID. Large bags are not permitted for security reasons. To make this event as inclusive and accessible as possible, please let us know if you have any accommodation needs or dietary restrictions. Health and safety: Please do not attend if you feel unwell.

about the book

The world of philanthropy and private foundations remains mysterious to most Canadians. Memorably likened to giraffes, foundations are creatures that should not exist, but they do, surrounded by a certain mystique.

In From Charity to Change Hilary Pearson demystifies the world of Canadian philanthropy, offering a portrait of today’s foundation landscape and highlighting organizations that are acting with purpose on some of the most pressing social and economic challenges of our time: climate change, the future of cities, education and the evolving workforce, housing, and the urgent need to repair and build new relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Pearson, who for two decades worked with leaders of foundations across Canada, provides an insider’s perspective on the ways these organizations continue to evolve. Through personal interviews with private funders - large and small, long established and newly formed - Pearson describes their strategies and the varied roles they play, whether as convenors, advocates, brokers, or partners.

A timely contribution to the current debate on the legitimacy of organized philanthropy in an era of increasing social division and inequality, From Charity to Change makes a compelling case for the valuable role private philanthropy plays in addressing the challenges of our rapidly changing times.