This guide is for all funders who wish to understand how they can contribute to unlocking philanthropy’s potential to build more resilient, sustainable and democratic societies. This is what the philanthropy support ecosystem, also called philanthropy infrastructure, is all about. It is about developing and harnessing private resources for social good, building civil society and democracy, and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is central to the mission of all visionary funders who want to increase the impact and sustainability of their work.

This guide will:

• Examine current trends in global philanthropy and how these are increasing the need for a strong ecosystem of support and development
• Make the case that all funders should contribute to this ecosystem
• Suggest questions funders should be asking themselves, to which supporting this ecosystem might provide an answer
• Suggest concrete ways in which funders can help to grow philanthropy locally, regionally and globally, both as individual funders and as part of a collective effort