Shaping Philanthropy – Details, episodes & analysis

Room to Read is a global nonprofit working to address educational, gender and economic inequities affecting children around the world. Since its launch in 2000, the NGO has deployed almost US$1bn to deliver foundational learning to more than 52 million children, including thousands across Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.

Its literacy pillar comprises teacher training, the publishing of local language books, and the development of school and community libraries. And through its Girls Education Programme, it delivers life skills education, mentorship and other community engagement.

Room to Read’s latest initiative, She Creates Change, is a global multimedia storytelling campaign designed to empower adolescent girls with educational content and life skills.

For CEO, Dr Geetha Murali, the mission to empower girls is deeply personal. Both her grandmothers were child brides, but her mother, the eldest of seven, refused. “She redirected an entire lineage towards alternative futures, and I am a living example of the ripple effect,” Murali tells the Shaping Philanthropy podcast.

“If it's not enough to see educating girls as a moral imperative, it is also just smart economics,” she explained. “Every extra year of school increases a girl's future income.”

Room to Read has been working in the Middle East for several years and has recently scaled up its work in response to regional conflicts.

In Gaza, the NGO partnered with ANERA to distribute locally-authored Palestinian children's books and educational materials to displaced families. In Lebanon, Room to Read has supported 125 non-formal education centres, providing 69,000 children with both books and safe spaces for learning. 

And in Jordan, through a partnership with the Queen Rania Foundation, it has established 43 public school libraries and adapted 40 Arabic storybooks for national use. 

In November, Room to Read announced it was launching a US$75m fundraising initiative to expand its African programming (currently in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zambia) and deliver foundational literacy and life skills to eight million children on the continent.

Listen to the full interview with Anissa Punjani to hear more from Murali about how reading transforms lives and why investing in girls’ education is the smartest move for global progress.

Read more about Room to Read on the Circle website here.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

In this special live recording of the Shaping Philanthropy podcast, Nafez Dakkak,  shares the story behind launching Anara Impact Capital, a groundbreaking US$50 million fund to support startups across MENA focused on learning, climate, and well-being. 

Anchored by Alfanar Venture Philanthropy, Anara is the first regionally-backed impact investment fund of its kind.

The episode opens with a personal reflection on growing up in occupied Palestine and Dakkak’s decision to pivot from neuroscience to economics at Yale. “I realised that if I became a neurosurgeon, I'd be saving one person at a time, but if I could do something at a societal level, it would be a lot more important.”

Speaking to an audience of practitioners, advisors, entrepreneurs, foundation staff, and humanitarians at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI), Dakkak outlined Anara’s investment strategy and the importance of working closely with founders to help them scale regionally and beyond. “The best way to predict the future is to create it,” he said.

While acknowledging the growth of the region’s venture capital scene, he highlighted that only 5 percent of funding currently goes to learning, climate, and well-being—compared to 20 percent globally. 

Drawing on his experience at the Queen Rania Foundation, where he led the creation of the Edraak learning platform, Dakkak spoke passionately about the need to raise literacy standards and move beyond flashy tech solutions. “We learn to read, but then we read to learn—and if our kids can't read to learn, then what?”

Funders include Dara Holdings, the family office of Saudi businesswoman Lubna Olayan, several other family offices, and a European development bank providing first-loss capital. Dakkak acknowledged the challenges of securing regional backers, citing cultural hesitations around publicly discussing impact. “We're trying to create a movement and start something new—and that doesn't happen unless we can share these stories.”

He also addressed the recent withdrawal of USAID funding, describing it as painful in the short term but potentially beneficial in the long run. “I hope it’s going to create more sustainable and locally-based solutions that are culturally attuned.”

Finally, Dakkak emphasised that impact investing is not a panacea. “There will always be a need for philanthropy. I'm not asking an entrepreneur to come and figure out the capitalist market-based solution to famine in Sudan—that needs direct humanitarian aid.”

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

How did Covid-19 change philanthropy in the Global South?

Reimagining philanthropy in the Global South: from analysis to action in a post-Covid world is a new book that tackles this very question. Join one of its editors, Clare Woodcraft, to find out more about the lessons learned, and how global south philanthropists are rewriting the giving playbook.

"We wanted to contribute to the new discourse around shifting the power balance from the Global North to the Global South and give an opportunity not just for us as researchers, academics to talk about it, but also for practitioners to talk about it," Clare explains to our host, Anissa Punjani.

Clare, a former CEO of Emirates Foundation, and until recently the executive director of the centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, also gives her views on the state of Arab philanthropy, and the exciting developments she's seeing in the region, from innovative next gen strategies, to new partnerships and collaborations.

Reimagining philanthropy in the Global South: from analysis to action in a post-Covid world, edited by Clare Woodcraft, Kamal Munir, and Nitya Mohan Khemka, was published by Cambridge University Press in February 2024.  Contributing authors include: Naina Subberwal Batra; Olivia Leland; Silvia Bastante de Unverhau; Natasha M. Matic; Maysa Jalbout; Katy Bullard; and Deval Sanghvi.

Read Clare's piece for Circle about de-mystifying impact assessment here.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Muna Al Gurg has blazed a trail for Emirati women in both philanthropy and business.

The vice chair and director of retail at the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Muna plays a leading role in her family’s Easa Saleh Al Gurg Charitable Foundation and earlier this year, she launched her own philanthropic initiative.

Meem Foundation aims to bridge gender gaps, creating more economic opportunity and better access to both the workplace and health care for women and girls in the MENA region.

In this interview, one of her first since launching Meem, Muna shares details about her scholarships for women at the London Business School, funding for Ureed.com to train women in the Northern Emirates in artificial intelligence and data annotation, and her support for a maternity hospital in the West Bank.

“Our vision is a world where all women and girls can achieve their ambitions,” Muna tells our host, Anissa Punjani. “Our goal is to find innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to address the unique challenges faced by women and girls in the region.”

Research – and funding for research – will be central to Meem’s work. Referring to a 2022 IMF study, Muna points out that while global investment into R&D has increased, in MENA its percentage of GDP is falling below global averages. 

“With a young and fast growing population, this is the greatest risk the region faces today,” she says. “At Meem Foundation, we are looking for investments into MENA ideas that are relevant to the region and therefore also investing in their intellectual property.”

During the wide-ranging interview, Muna also reflects on how her late father, Easa Saleh Al Gurg, has influenced her giving, recalling how he would return from overseas trips and share albums with the family showing them pictures of his charity work.

Muna, who is also a founding board member of Endeavour UAE and an investor with Mindshift Capital, a gender-lens venture fund, and sits on various other charitable boards, cites her key values as: integrity; courage; personal growth; and innovation.

Sharing learnings from along her philanthropic journey, Muna reflects on the importance of listening to beneficiaries. “One of the biggest lessons that I've learnt over the years is that it’s really important to understand what beneficiaries need rather than dictate to them what they need,” she says. “Once you come to that understanding, and you're calm in your listening and getting that data out of them, you can create the best programmes and create the best impact.”

Muna also underlines the importance of sustainability and explains why philanthropy isn’t just about writing a cheque but rather seeing a project through its lifetime to ensure lasting impact.

Find out more about Meem Foundation here. 

Discover more interviews like this at www.CircleMena.org

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Shaping Philanthropy is a new podcast from Circle shining light on philanthropy and CSR in the Arab region and beyond. It is a new space to share ideas and inspiration for donors as they explore new pathways and strategies for effective giving.

Produced by Philanthropy Age and hosted by Anissa Punjani, the manager of the Governance in Philanthropy programme at Pearl Initiative, Shaping Philanthropy will give a platform to regional philanthropists, CSR professionals, and nonprofit thought leaders. 

Join us for deep-dive conversations where we unpack the meaning of philanthropy and discuss practical steps for better giving and achieving deeper impact.

Shaping Philanthropy is a must-listen for anyone interested in learning more about philanthropy in the Arab region and / or those looking to shape their own giving strategies. 

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Yousuf Caires is the executive director of Expo City Dubai Foundation, a new nonprofit organisation established by Expo City Dubai Authority to take forward the legacy of the Expo Live programme.

In this episode of Shaping Philanthropy, Yousuf talks about why Dubai is so committed to supporting social entrepreneurs and how the new foundation is giving UAE university graduates the chance to launch new ventures through its Changemakers Academy.

“We are trying to create a new wave of grassroots entrepreneurs and create a bridge for graduating students who feel like it’s the right time to start their own business,” he says. 

“If you've ever been an entrepreneur, even if you failed many times, that experience is forever and it will benefit you whether you continue on that path or change paths because it is a great learning process, so I really think more people should give it a try.” 

Expo Live supported 5.8 million people and Yousuf says the plan is to double that in the next four years, with a renewed focus on MENA, where he says opportunity sits alongside crisis.

“The mission of Expo City Dubai Foundation is to focus on the right ideas, in the right hands, doing the right thing, creating a positive impact in our society or in the environment, whether it's in the UAE or abroad,” he explains.

On creating a “triple bottom line”, he says: “I would love that all future businesses are social enterprises.. .with an equal commitment to driving financial returns for investors, but also driving a positive impact in society.”

During this wide-ranging conversation with Anissa Punjani, Yousuf also talks about his own entrepreneurial journey with Palmade, a social enterprise he runs with his wife, using discarded palm leaves to make biodegradable cutlery.

“The idea came from wondering how can we replace single use plastic and deal with that global problem using a local solution, using a raw material that's right here,” he says.

Yousuf is also the founder of the Milele Zanzibar Foundation, the largest NGO in Zanzibar, whose mission is to better channel diaspora and Gulf funding to accelerate progress in health, livelihoods, and education.

He shares the origin story of the foundation and describes how its programmes are supporting economic growth but within the wider context of social development and women’s empowerment.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Sunil Lalvani is a social entrepreneur and impact advocate who transitioned from running a global electronics business to tackling one of the world’s most urgent challenges, sustainable access to safe water. 

As the founder and CEO of Project Maji (Swahili for water), he now spends his time managing a network of solar-powered water kiosks to ensure long-term, cost-effective solutions for communities across Africa.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, Project Maji provides more than 300 million litres of clean water to some 400,000 people across rural Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda every year by combining frontline community work with technology and data platforms.

In this wide-ranging interview for the Shaping Philanthropy podcast, Sunil shares how it all began, how he’s brought his family along with him, and what he’s learned about running an NGO operating in Africa.

Sunil reflects candidly about how his approach to money has changed since launching Project Maji and how he’s become more mindful about consumption and waste.

“I run Project Maji like a business, that’s in my DNA, but our North Star is not making a profit, it is about how much impact we can have,” he says.

The conversation with host Anissa Punjani is jam-packed with useful advice for anyone thinking about starting their own nonprofit or expanding a family business CSR initiative.

Dubai-based Sunil also makes a clear appeal to donors to trust the NGOs they fund, and to stop overthinking overheads and running costs.

“We need to reframe how we think about donations,” he says, frustrated that investors have no qualms trusting people to make a profit on their behalf, but when money is being given away, they want to scrutinize how each dollar is spent.

Making the case for supporting water projects, Sunil adds: “Every single day, a thousand kids die due to preventable waterborne diseases…That's how serious this is… So, solving water is a sensible prudent investment, it needn’t be looked at as charity.” 

Read more about Sunil's work on Circle here and watch a short documentary about Project Maji here. 

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

"Money alone is not the solution to the challenges we have today. The solution is to get us to change how we how we act.” 

That is one of messages shared by Maria Ahlström-Bondestam, a fifth-gen Finnish philanthropist, during her interview on Shaping Philanthropy.

Speaking down the line from Helsinki, Maria shares her family’s journey into philanthropy, explains the focus on women and girls, how she measures impact, and why she takes collaboration so seriously.

A co-founder of the Eva Ahlström Foundation, and the Ahlström Collective Impact inititive, Maria makes the case for influential families to speak up to right wrongs and calls on fellow philanthropists to use their networks and power to speak up for forgotten people.

“We all are role models,” she says. “Either good ones or bad ones and that is somethig we have to remember as members of society. People can be inspired by us, but they can also be put off by us.”

Maria, who trained as a pediatric nurse and went on to work for UNICEF, recalls how her family’s first investment of € 200,000 into a water and sanitation project in a village in India, went on to be scaled by the government to impact 10 million children.

She also talks legacy, values, and finding a cause. “Think about what really matters to you,” she says. “What are your passionate about? What would you like to change?  And then have a go… Don’t overthink it.”

During the interview, our host, Anissa Punjani, also asks Maria about her inclusion in a recently-released study into next-gen wealth and impact.

Maria was was of more than 60 people from across 30 countries who was interviewed for LGT Philanthropy Advisory’s Wealth for Impact report, which explores themes of privilege, responsibility, and personal values, and how wealth is created, invested, spent, given, and transferred.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Nina Hoas and Silvia Bastante de Unverhau from LGT Philanthropy Advisory join Anissa Punjani to discuss their new research paper Wealth for impact: global perspectives from the next generations of wealth holders.

This deep-dive study is based on interviews with more than 60 individuals from 30 different countries, aged between 18 to 77. It examines how wealth holders perceive privilege, responsibility, and personal values, and explores how this wealth is created, invested, spent, given, and transferred.

The report comes as the world stands on the brink on an unprecedented transfer of wealth, with all eyes on the next generation, whose actions are set to re-shape financial landscapes as well as wider society. 

During their interview, Hoas and Bastante de Unverhau talk about where the idea for the study came from and highlight some of the key findings, including a strong focus on values, how next-gens are seeking out more blended approaches to giving and impact, and a surprising openness when discussing what is often a taboo topic.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

Guy Cave, president of the Legatum Foundation, joins the podcast to tell us about Legatum's new humanitarian initiative.

The Resilio Fund, which is due to be officially launched in 2025, aims to mobilise US$100m in its first five years to support grassroots organisations based in a range of crisis zones including Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Lebanon.

The idea, explained Guy in this interview with Anissa Punjani, is to funnel cash directly to people in humanitarian need, rather than rely on money to trickle down through institutions. 

“We’re supporting a very local approach that’s looking at getting behind what communities are already doing to help themselves,” he said. “These microgrants are totally what we would call ‘trust based’ - they can spend however they think is right.”

Resilio, like Legatum’s other funds, was tested first as a pilot. Beginning in 2021, it has been active across half a dozen countries, including Myanmar, where village communities displaced by aerial bombardments were able to receive cash for food within 24 hours, and in Sudan, where youth volunteers have mobilised to help communities affected by violent conflict.

“At a practical level, it’s fast and efficient, because with cash people can buy things locally,” Guy said. “It also means they have a real sense of ownership, and it gives them dignity.” And he added that post-grant evaluations had also shown how many recipients had used first grants to fund survival but then moved towards strengthening their resilience to be better prepared for future disasters.

During the interview, recorded at Legatum’s HQ in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Guy also talked about how another of the Foundation’s pilot programmes, a justice initiative targeting people stuck in pre-trial detention, was helping to reduce overcrowding in Ugandan prisons.

Other topics explored in the interview include the importance of measuring impact (not just "input") and how good partnerships are key to effective collaboration.

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Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.