Philanthropy Talks

Glossary

Bequest Donation

With a bequest donation, a person can specify in their will the extent to which their assets should benefit a particular charitable purpose after their death.

Donation

A donation is a voluntary contribution in the form of money, in-kind goods, or time to an individual, organisation, or society. It is given without the expectation of direct compensation.

Endowment

An endowment is a voluntary contribution to a foundation, which can be in the form of money or in-kind goods. In contrast to donations, which are immediately used for the current foundation purpose, endowments are added to the foundation capital. Through endowments, the financial base of the foundation is strengthened, as the capital can be invested for the long-term to generate returns that can be used for the pursuit of the foundation's purpose.

ESG

The ESG criteria encompass requirements in the areas of Environmental, Social, and Governance. They serve to evaluate the sustainability performance of an organisation or investment in the areas of environment, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

Evaluation

Evaluation is the process of determining the results of philanthropic activities. This process includes analysis, measurement, and assessment to determine the achieved impact.

Expendable Foundation

In an expendable foundation, the entire assets are used up for a chosen purpose by a specific time.

Foundation

A foundation is an organisational form where the assets of a founding person are dedicated to a specific purpose. The purpose can be either a private concern or a charitable goal. The foundation ensures that the assets are used permanently for the defined purpose, creating a long-term impact.

Impact

Impact is the achieved effect at the societal level. In a positive impact, the social or economic conditions in the target group's environment have improved. Moreover, impact significantly defines the success of any philanthropic project, representing the final level of the results staircase.

Impact Investing

Impact Investing is an investment strategy where the focus is not only on financial returns but also on the intention to make a positive social or environmental contribution.

Input

Input refers to the resources and investments required for the implementation of philanthropic activities. These can include financial resources as well as other forms of support such as time, knowledge, or in-kind contributions.

Mission-related Investing

Mission-related Investing is an investment strategy that, in addition to financial returns, pursues a specific thematic mission or purpose.

Outcome

Outcome describes the achieved effect on the target group. Ideally, with the right input and output selection, long-term behavioural change can be achieved.

Output

Output refers to the offerings and services of the philanthropic project. These are presented to the target group and ideally accepted.

Protected Cell Company (PCC)

A Protected Cell Company is an organisational form open to all types of companies, consisting of a core and one or more segments that are separated from each other. In a PCC foundation, there is genuine liability separation between the assets of different contributors, both between the core and the segments and among the individual segments of the foundation. This allows individual asset allocations, which would otherwise need to be established as individual foundations, to be jointly managed by the core establishment while remaining separate in terms of liability, capital, and charitable purpose.

Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

Randomised Controlled Trials are used in a study to demonstrate the effectiveness of a measure. Participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. By observing both groups, the effectiveness of the intervention can be assessed.

SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 goals for sustainable development adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Each goal contains specific sub-goals, totalling 169. The SDGs aim to address global social and environmental challenges, creating a more sustainable future.

Sustainability

Sustainability means responsibly using resources without depleting them, allowing future generations to meet their needs. This requires maintaining a system in the long term without its condition deteriorating. The ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability are equally protected and preserved.

Theory of Change 

The Theory of Change is an approach to enhance the impact orientation of organisations. It promotes understanding the connections between activities carried out and the effects achieved. This enables clearer goal setting and the development of more effective plans, considering the available resources. The Theory of Change provides a fundamental basis for strategy development, work evaluation, and organisational communication. By applying the Theory of Change, organisations can better understand their impact, optimise their activities, and ultimately make a greater societal contribution.

Time Donation

With a time donation, one volunteers for the common good to help other individuals or organisations. It involves voluntarily providing one's time, skills, and resources.

Trust

A trust, also known as a trusteeship, manages the assets for one or more beneficiaries. A trust is not a separate legal entity but a contractual relationship without its own legal personality. Trusts are similar to trust settlements or family trusts in the English-speaking legal domain.

Trust Foundation

A trust foundation is a foundation form where the management of assets is undertaken by a trustee or a trust company.