Alliance in collaboration with WINGS has been commissioned by Propel Philanthropy to conduct a 10 part interview series on the work of Social Impact Support Organisations and the benefits they bring to the sector. Over the course of the coming weeks, these interviews will be published here and we begin the series with a conversation with Benjamin Bellegy, Executive Director of WINGS.
AM: Benjamin, obviously, WINGS is a network body. What do you tell people when they ask you what you do?
BB: WINGS is a unique and I would say a critical piece of the philanthropy ecosystem globally, in the sense that it’s the only network that, at the global level, brings together all sorts of actors that are helping the philanthropic and giving sector to grow, to be more collaborative, to be more transformative. We also have a unique and very diverse constituency because we cover the entire spectrum of philanthropy. Some of our members are supporting retail philanthropy, some are supporting grassroots community philanthropy, and we have others helping corporate philanthropy, family philanthropy. They each have different perspectives on the sector and how to create change. Geographically, we have more than 200 members based in 60 countries, but because we are a network of networks and other field builders, who we also indirectly represent and reach more than 100,000 foundations and philanthropy actors across the globe. That is potentially very powerful in terms of how we influence our own sector, how we ignite collaboration within it and with other actors including governments. Read more