Cross-Border Philanthropy and Remittances

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Discussion

Abstract

Cross-border private capital flows—including remittances, private philanthropy, and capital investment—are almost four times the amount of official development assistance from governments and multilateral institutions (Osili et al., 2020; see also Espinosa, 2016; Ratha et al., 2023). This Roundtable explores such phenomenon. We seek to bring together third sector researchers who are engaging in topics around the intersection of philanthropy, remittances, migration, diaspora and development. We ask: What are broader trends of cross-border philanthropy? How are philanthropy and remittances responding to development challenges? How do experiences of conflict, loss and violence influence diaspora giving? To what extent does religion factor into cross-border transfers? And what are the different channels available for sending cross-border philanthropy and remittances? We will have five participants.

Una Osili of Indiana University will discuss the global challenges of 2020, from social injustice to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate disasters, that put the philanthropic sector to the test and provided an opportunity to reconceptualize the role of philanthropy, remittances and sustainable development. The 2023 Global Philanthropy Tracker (GPT). measures cross-border donations from individuals and organizations around the world. The GPT presents data on four flows—philanthropic outflows, official development assistance (ODA), remittances, and private capital investment—for 47 countries.

Jamie Levine Daniel of New York University will also focus on cross-border philanthropy, centering on financial transfers from US INGOs to Israeli NGOs. Her work with Galia Feit and Dr. Osnat Hazan from Tel Aviv University explores how the actions of seemingly domestic actors blur boundaries and obscure influences. Historically, transfers from the U.S. to Israel have been estimated to be $2B annually. They attempt to make this number more precise by examining financial disclosures and seek to understand who is giving money and who is getting money.

Susan Appe of the University at Albany, SUNY, will focus on global generosity through acts of diaspora philanthropy—that is, the transfers of private donations back to one’s home country. Appe’s current research focuses on how these diaspora and diaspora groups channel their generosity through U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and she will provide cases from India, Mexico and Colombia.

Shawn Flanigan, from San Diego State University, will discuss Syrian diaspora organizations and remittances as response to conflict. She will reflect on how experiences of conflict can greatly heighten identity salience, as can the knowledge that one’s relatives and fellow diaspora members are experiencing conflict related violence based on interviews with Syrians based in Canada, Germany, Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Malika Ouacha, from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University will share her ongoing research on diaspora philanthropy and the ways it challenges identity and governance in both the homeland and the (Western) country of residence. She will discuss how diaspora communities originally from North Africa who live in Western European countries perform their philanthropy in the homeland.

References

Ratha, D., S. Plaza, E. Ju Kim, V. Chandra, N. Kurasha, and B. Pradhan. (2023). Migration and Development Brief 38: Remittances Remain Resilient But Are Slowing. KNOMAD–World Bank, Washington, DC.”https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/publication-doc/migration_development_brief_38_june_2023_0.pdf
Espinosa, S. A. (2016). Diaspora philanthropy: the making of a new development aid?, Migration and Development, 5(3), 361-377.
Osili, U., X. Kou, V. Carrigan, J. Bergdoll, K. Horvath, C. Adelman, and C. Sellen, eds. 2020. Global Philanthropy Tracker 2020. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/handle/1805/24144.

Sub Unit

• Local and global philanthropy and voluntarism

Presenters

• Susan Appe, University at Albany, SUNY

• Una Osili, Indiana University

• Jamie Levine Daniel, New York University

• Shawn Teresa Flanigan, San Diego State University

• Malika Ouacha, Rotterdam School of Management