Active Philanthropy supports you on every step of your philanthropic journey. No matter whether you are looking for a way to get started or need someone to manage your existing portfolio of donations and social investments, our dedicated consulting team can help you maximise the impact of your philanthropic activities. We tailor our services to meet your needs, whether you want to work locally or tackle a problem on a broader scale. Active Philanthropy’s services support you with the nuts and bolts of effective grantmaking, which can be time-consuming and complex, and help you make the most of your time and resources.
 

Purpose and Strategy Development

What is the issue closest to my heart? Where can I really make a difference? Where can we as a family leave a lasting positive legacy? Active helps you discover how you can make best use of your resources. We support you in developing a clear vision of what you would like to achieve. Together, we design strategies that bring about lasting change, and track the impact you have been able to make.
 

Sector and Topic Analysis

Who else is tackling the problem that I would like to help to solve? Where and how can my resources make a real difference in my chosen field of engagement? We provide you with critical knowledge about the specific topic you would like to work on. Our rigorous research and analysis help you to understand what the main challenges are, who else is working in the field, and solutions that have already been implemented. This will help you identify the precise area where you can make the biggest difference with your own work.
 

Partner and Project Identification

It can be daunting to find the right organisation to partner with among the thousands, if not millions, of organisations working in a particular field. We help you navigate the maze of organisations and players in the area you are interested in, and identify potential grantees and projects with a proven track record. Based on research, interviews and access to our network, we create a tailored portfolio of potential partners that are the right strategic fit for you or your family. We also help you connect to other funders who are interested in similar issues.
 

Due Diligence

You already know what projects or organisations you would like to support, but you would like a second opinion? Our due diligence process provides a thorough review of potential or existing grantees and investees. It aims to minimise risks and ensure the positive impact of your grants and social investments.
 

Grant Management

You don’t have the time or organisational capacity to manage your grants yourself? We are happy to support you with a whole range of services, from identifying grantees and conducting due diligence to setting up grant agreements. We can also help you to implement projects and monitor the progress of your grants as well as managing reporting and payment schedules. You can benefit from our professional service on an ongoing basis or as an incubator for your own foundation or charitable organisation. In the latter case, we would help you identify and launch projects, and set up a fully functioning and professional project management system, and then hand over the reins to a person you have appointed as project manager or foundation executive. We can also assist you in training your own staff in professional foundation or grant management, and act as sparring partner for any new staff member you bring on board.
 

100% Impact

“Venture philanthropy and social investment are about matching the soul of philanthropy with the spirit of investment, resulting in a high-engagement and long-term approach to creating social impact” (European Venture Philanthropy Association, 2018). In the spirit of this vision of venture philanthropy, we help our family and individual clients explore the possibilities of developing a 100% impact portfolio that includes impact investments and charitable giving alike. If you are interested in actually getting involved in social investing, including impact investing, we can help you get an overview of organisations active in the field and connect you to relevant players.
 

360° Assessment

Most of us get regular health check-ups. The 360° Assessment is a check-up for your philanthropic activities. On the basis of discussions and a half-day to full-day workshop, our 360° Assessment helps you to benchmark your engagement against sector best practices and identify possible approaches to increase your impact.
 

Our clients

We work with leading individuals and families in Europe who wish to leave a positive legacy in the world. Families and individuals who are committed to working strategically and leveraging their resources to make a difference.

A particular goal of Active Philanthropy is to encourage younger family members – the “next generation” – to find their own path. Our years of working with families have taught us that the younger generation measures success not only by the size of financial returns but also in terms of a sense of purpose and the impact they have on people and the environment.

Our consulting services are tailored especially for donors and social investors who have no staff or few staff to support them.
 

Prices

We aim to offer fixed prices based on a daily rate for our consulting services. Grant management services are offered on a retainer basis. As Active Philanthropy is a charitable organisation, all profits from our consulting services are used to finance our charitable programmes such as workshops helping aspiring philanthropists and social investors getting started. Click here for a list of upcoming events.

For further information please email

Gabriele Störmann, Senior Consultant
stoermann(at)activephilanthropy.org or

Janek Steitz, Consultant
steitz(at)activephilanthropy.org 

or call us at +49 30 240 88 240.