This powerpoint presentation by Senior Fellow Juraj Mesik, Senior Community Foundations Specialist at the World Bank, demonstrates what community foundations are, how they are created and how they can contribute positively to the global field of philanthropy. Mesik points that community foundations and NGOs have similar characteristics but it is the combination of the characteristics that makes a community foundation a distinctive brand of foundation. Beyond those characteristics, a community foundation also has the function of convening and providing leaderships that can empower people within and outside of the community. He exemplifies these characteristics by looking at three community foundations from Eastern European countries: Poland, Slovakia and Russia. In conclusion, Mesik emphasizes the creation of a sustainable community foundation must come from local people, not international donors.
By Juraj Mesik