Strategies for foundations: When, why and how to use venture philanthropy

There is a spectrum of engagement models for foundations and that even the same foundation may employ various strategies to fit their individual needs and goals. To most foundations, VP serves as a complement to existing practices and only in one case as an aalternative. This publication investigates the practices foundations have been using and how those relate to venture philanthropy. We identified six strategies of foundations engaging in venture philanthropy and explain them through case studies of the following foundations based in four European countries: 1. King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) in Belgium 2. Fondazione CRT (FCRT) in Italy 3. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (EFF) in the UK 4. d.o.b Foundation (d.o.b) in the Netherlands Our cases illustrate the diversity of the foundation sector and the wealth of creativity, passion and ambition that characterize the world of philanthropy today. We find that there is a spectrum of engagement models for foundations and that even the same foundation may employ various strategies to fit their individual needs and goals. To most foundations, VP serves as a complement to existing practices and only in one case in this paper as an alternative. The publication shows how VP is becoming an integral part of the foundation toolbox.