Guy Cave
12/11/24 • 21 min
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.
Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda 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.
Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Previous Episode
Nick Grono
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 International Crisis Group, latterly as deputy president and chief operating officer, and served as a board member or chair of several leading non-profit and advocacy organisations, including Girls Not Brides and Global Witness.
In this podcast, Nick shares what he has learned – sometimes the hard way – about how to lead teams and organisations. “The things that get you into leadership positions aren't necessarily the things that make you a great leader,” he says, highlighting challenges around managing budgets and responding to Covid-19.
Nick also talks about the importance of purpose, getting funding from MacKenzie Scott, and impact and how to measure it. "It can be really challenging to measure impact, but our work really benefits by having a better understanding of what we're achieving,” he says.
Other topics explored include the promise – and pitfalls – of collaboration and board relationships, challenges of leading nonprofits, and how he came to write the book and what he hopes it will achieve.
For more about Nick's book, How to lead nonprofits, click here.
Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Next Episode
How next-gens are using their wealth for impact
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.
Circle is a partnership between Philanthropy Age and the Pearl Initiative. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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