Friday, August 19, 2005

onPhilanthropy - The Globalization of Philanthropy: Immigrants in the Forefront

onPhilanthropy - The Globalization of Philanthropy: Immigrants in the Forefront: "he Globalization of Philanthropy: Immigrants in the Forefront
By: Susan Raymond, Ph.D., 08/18/05

In just the last four years, recognition of the significance of transnational philanthropy has burgeoned. The term is used somewhat differently in different quarters, however. Narrowly, it refers to transfers of charitable contributions from immigrants to charitable organizations in their home countries, a flow that is also called “diaspora philanthropy.” More comprehensively, it refers to the combination of such purposeful philanthropy together with immigrant worker remittances to their families or home communities in their country of origin.

The subject has recently gained the attention of no less than the World Bank, which now puts the remittance and philanthropic transfer total globally at $90 billion, nearly twice the total flow of Official Development Assistance from developed nations to developing nations. Remittance flows themselves have increased by 25% in the last four years, and trebled since 1990. The U.S. is the single largest point of origin of transnational philanthropy."

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