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 ...

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 n...

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 ...

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 ...

"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 Ah...

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 t...

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 nee...

Nick Grono, the CEO of The Freedom Fund, the world’s first private donor fund dedicated to tackling slavery around the world, joins Anissa Punjani for this episode of Shaping Philanthropy to talk about his new book on nonprofit leadership.Nick has had a long and rich career spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors. A corporate lawyer by training with a spell at an investment bank, Goldman Sachs, he has been chief of staff to the Australian attorney general, spent ten years at Inter...

Send us a Text Message.Fadi Ghandour is a leading Arab entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist. The founder of logistics company Aramex and start-up accelerator and investment platform Wamda, Fadi is also the brains behind Ruwwad, a pioneering nonprofit community development organisation engaging the private sector to work with disenfranchised communities in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine. In this wide-ranging interview, he outlines why he favours "entrepreneurial engagement" ...

Send us a Text Message.A philanthropist, an entrepreneur, and a humanitarian diplomat, Lynn Zovighian wears many hats - and all of them passionately. In this wide-ranging interview for Circle, Lynn joins us down the line from Beirut (where the internet connection is not totally stable) to tell us about her personal philanthropic journey and what drives her to work with crisis-affected communities in Lebanon, Iraq, and the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Armenia.Speaking to our host, Anissa Pu...