Two reports from Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea) offer details on the practice of philanthropy across Europe, including engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the growing but limited interest in funding projects that address climate change.

Philea describes Environmental Funding by European Foundations: Volume 6 (48 pages, PDF) as “the most comprehensive report to date on environmental philanthropy in Europe.” It includes a detailed analysis of grants totaling €1.6 billion ($1.07 billion) from 126 of Europe’s largest environmental funders and found that 63.2 percent of the 6,734 grants reviewed were directed to projects outside of Europe. Funding for projects to curb over-consumption were nominal as was support for initiatives to develop sustainable economies, which received just €11.4 million ($12.2 million). Overall, environmental funding totals 5 percent of European philanthropy.

“The amount of funding provided by philanthropic foundations also pales into insignificance, when compared to the sums needed to tackle biodiversity loss and to decarbonize our economies,” the report noted. “For comparison, the most recent annual profits of just five fossil fuel companies…were £161 billion [$199 billion].”

Philea’s second recent report, Arts and Culture at the Core of Philanthropy: Volume 2 (48 pages, PDF), found that despite turbulent economic conditions, 90 percent of the 64 foundations surveyed were not planning to reduce their spending for arts and culture projects in the following year. Among the 55 foundations reporting detailed expenditures, a total of €447 million ($479.4 million) was directed to arts and culture projects—roughly 20 percent of the aggregate €2 billion ($2.14 billion) in funding reported by the foundations sharing data. In addition, the report found that 51 percent of surveyed foundations had changed or launched programs to address DEI and 49 percent had taken specific actions to support a green transition in their operations.

While acknowledging the limited reach of current efforts, the report highlights emerging practices that center DEI and sustainability. “We have set up an accountability committee [that] has taken a practical approach to ensure that we walk the talk,” wrote the leader of a Dutch foundation quoted in the report. “Our foundation has developed an internal diversity policy, [a] sustainability policy [and] mainstreamed climate action across the whole organization: operations, finance, programs, advocacy, communication.”

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