ERNOP Online Series 2025-2026
Philanthropies’ Capabilities in Addressing Global Problems: Mapping the SDG Landscape
June 9, 2026, 10-11 (CET)
Speaker: Floriant Covelli (The French Institute for Civil Society Organisations)
Discussant: tba
About this seminar:
This ERNOP Science and Society webinar explores power dynamics between civil society organisations (CSOs) and philanthropic actors. Drawing on insights from a working group convened by the French Institute for Civil Society Organisations to explore future challenges and knowledge needs of CSOs, Floriant Covelli will examine power dynamics and asymmetries between civil society organisations and grantmakers in the context of private giving.
The session addresses key questions: What kinds of power imbalances emerge, and how can they be better understood and managed? Does private funding enhance CSOs’ autonomy or create new forms of dependence and accountability? How can this relationship be understood within the triptych of CSOs, grantmakers, and public authorities? What do evaluation mechanisms reveal about the relational dynamics between CSOs and grantmakers? How are these dynamics reflected in the socio-economic models of CSOs? What role does trust play in the relationship between private giving and CSOs, and in their shared contribution to democracy? Can more localized forms of engagement help reduce the asymmetry within this relationship?
Designed to bridge research and practice, the webinar invites an open conversation with room for questions and exchange, especially for practitioners navigating these dynamics in their daily work.
Registration will open soon.
About Floriant Covelli
Floriant Covelli is Managing Director of the French Institute for Civil Society Organisations (IFMA) since its founding in 2019. With over 20 years at a major French foundation, he shaped territorial philanthropy strategies and public-interest initiatives. He now fosters research and participatory approaches that strengthen ties between philanthropy, civic actors, and academia in the pursuit of producing knowledge that responds to the needs of the civil society sector in France and beyond.
About the French Institute for Civil Society Organisations
Founded in 2019, the French Institute for Civil Society Organisations (Institut français du Monde associatif) fosters knowledge of the civil society sector and supports its development by strengthening its engagement with scholarly research. Its work is structured around three core activities: understanding the sector and its needs, addressing those needs by developing research programmes, and sharing knowledge through open-access resources. With both national and European ambitions, the Institute aims to enhance the visibility, recognition, and resilience of civil society in France and beyond.