The Philea Forum 2024 will take place on 27-30 May 2024, in Ghent, Belgium, under the title “Trust and Philanthropy”, hosted by a group of Belgian foundations, chaired by the King Baudouin Foundation.
In an era marked by the ongoing erosion of public trust in established institutions and growing demands for democracy, equality, climate action and social justice, philanthropic organisations face critical challenges. How can they build and maintain trust in the eyes of the communities they serve? And how can they help push back against the constant flow of misinformation?
This challenge is not peripheral; it’s foundational to philanthropic organisations’ legitimacy and license to operate. Common pitfalls and problematic approaches can diminish the credibility and effectiveness of philanthropy, undermining the very causes they aim to support. In turn, for a sector that prides itself on its ability to take risks and work collaboratively, philanthropy can sometimes itself be mistrustful – of new partners or ideas. Questions then arise regarding philanthropy’s legitimacy, accountability, and power imbalances.
Philea Forum 2024 will address these questions and explore practical strategies for enhancing both trust in philanthropy, and philanthropy’s role in building trust in democracy, in institutions, and between generations. We will examine the roots and branches of trust deficits (including between generations), and how they hamper the ability of foundations to address complex, interconnected challenges. We will visit the principles of mutual, trust-based philanthropy and why they are gaining momentum to help rebalance the dynamics between funders, grantees, and the communities they serve.
Philea is shaking things up for the Philea Forum 2024, and changing the way we select sessions for the programme. We have been listening to our members about their experiences from previous events and their recommendations for the future, and we have heard them loud and clear.
This latest edition of the Forum will celebrate and honour the deep commitment that our membership has to collaboration and impact. As such there will be no call for proposals, with the sessions in the programme being inspired by themes and ideas from our groups (networks, communities and committees).
We are working harder than ever to increase the sustainability of the Philea Forum and find novel ways to help lessen our environmental footprint, from going vegetarian, to emphasising public transport, reusing materials and much more.