Philanthropic foundations remain one of the main sources of support for global civil society organizations, and they operate as a potentially global force (Anheier and Daly 2004). While foundations differ in their size and scope worldwide, they are plagued by some common challenges which may be addressed by following good practices in the fields of governance, transparency and accountability.

An effective governance mechanism fuels robust transparency and accountability and vice versa. There are several good practices that may be followed, but a few sit at the top of the pyramid, including: adaptive learning, diverse skill sets, open and accessible databases, code of ethics and compliances, and building an enabling culture for transparency and accountability.