This article was provided by and expresses the views of Nancy Bikson, Managing Director at Chapel & York, a partner firm of the Beacon Gainer private client advisory services group.

One of the privileges of working in the charity/philanthropy field is learning about some of the inspiring initiatives around the world.  One of the benefits of being part of the Beacon Gainer family is the ability to provide information to those in the wealth advice and family office sector.

I would like to share with you two completely different but intensely imaginative initiatives to give you once again an idea of the depth and breadth of creativity in the charitable sector.

YALLAGIVE [yallagive.com]

YallaGive is the first licensed online donation and crowdfunding platform in the Middle East, which also has an international outreach and presence. It offers personal crowdfunding and online fundraising for their members around the world. YallaGive has won numerous awards for its innovative fundraising platform and initiatives including the Give a Smile initiative where users can “give a smile” to each campaign they like, and the platform will donate a set amount for each smile given to the campaign.

And the name? “Yalla” is an Arabic word used throughout the Middle East. It is also used by non-Arabic speakers who work or live with Arabs, as the Arabs use this word more than 50 times a day! The meaning of Yalla is an informal request to act on something. For instance, your friend could tell you, “Yalla let’s go!” and it would mean a casual request to get going. The other meaning of Yalla, which is more formal (Ya Allah), is a prayer to God and literally could mean “Oh God.”

THE CONSERVATION COLLECTIVE [conservation-collective.org]

The Conservation Collective is a global network of locally focused environmental organisations who facilitate funding for grassroots environmental initiatives, using oversight, management and programme aid. The group has raised over £4 million to date.

Today there are twelve affiliated funds in the network, based all over the world from Mallorca (Spain) to Sri Lanka, and most recently the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with more under development. The Conservation Collective network collates and shares best practice and cultivates a ‘virtual’ global team in order to ensure maximum collaboration.

I was particularly struck with their ‘toolkit’ which is made available to the funds to help them:

  • 10 for 10! Identify a group of (minimum) ten individuals and businesses committed to protecting their patch, and willing to donate c10,000 (local currency) per year to cover one full-time employee and establish the annual grants programme.
  • Form a steering committee with a group (5-10) of actively engaged donors to advise on strategy and introduce new supporters. Develop an expert local, technical and scientific advisory board to add contextual oversight.
  • Hire a well-integrated local executive director to conduct a scoping report, mapping out the key environmental issues, opportunities in the area. This report becomes the basis for the grant-giving strategy.
  • The Executive Director identifies the best grass-roots environmental projects, campaigns and initiatives broadly within the following themes: marine conservation, landscape protection and local food, and the sustainable use of resources (across water, waste and energy).

At Chapel & York, we and our wealth advisors and their clients have also been privileged to learn about some of the most pressing global issues, and how they are being addressed by charities, through our series of Philanthropy Briefings this year.  The Philanthropy Briefings have given platforms to three charities working in a particular area to talk about their work in an informational and non-fundraising setting.  I would invite you to watch our videos on organisations from the arts, heritage and culture, ocean reclaim, women’s rights, and street children sectors on our website, www.chapel-york.com.  One story in particular has had us all riveted to our screens: a charity told us of how its ship gave chase to another who was destroying environmental habitats; the pursuit traversed the world for 120 days, until the ‘villain’ ship ultimately scuttled itself – a tale worthy of a Hollywood film! And do let me know if you would like an invitation to further Briefings.

I will share further information about organisations and their stories in future posts.

Nancy Bikson
Chapel & York