ERNOP Online Series 2025-2026
Philanthropies’ Capabilities in Addressing Global Problems: Mapping the SDG Landscape
April 21, 2026, 10-11 (CET)
Speaker: Dominik Meier (Center for Philanthropy Studies, University of Basel)
About this seminar:
This ERNOP Science and Society webinar will explore the role of civil society organizations and philanthropic foundations in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over a decade after their adoption, progress toward the 2030 targets remains significantly off track, raising urgent questions about how nonprofit actors can most effectively support their achievement.
In the second part, Dominik will present findings from a recent study that uses a large language model to analyze nearly 50,000 US nonprofit mission statements through the lens of the SDGs. The resulting typology reveals how different types of nonprofits align with sustainability goals, how missions span multiple SDGs simultaneously, and where the sector appears to be underengaged. Participants will gain insights into how the SDGs can serve as a strategic tool for articulating organizational missions, identifying partners across sectors, and spotting areas where philanthropic engagement could make a greater difference.
The interactive Q&A session – moderated by Burkhard Wilke from The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) – will give participants the opportunity to discuss how these findings can be applied in their own work.
Register for the webinar here.
About Dominik Meier
Dominik Meier is an Assistant Professor of Global Philanthropy at the University of Basel and Visiting Researcher at the Gradel Institute of Charity at the University of Oxford. He explores individual and institutional philanthropy through the use of big data, machine learning, and natural language processing. His current work focuses on prosocial behaviors such as giving and volunteering, and how philanthropy can support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About the Center for Philanthropy Studies, University of Basel
The Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS) at the University of Basel is an interdisciplinary research and executive education institute focused on the non-profit sector and the many dimensions of philanthropy. Founded in 2008 through an initiative by SwissFoundations, CEPS aims to strengthen the scientific understanding of philanthropy, support knowledge transfer, and offer executive education to foster professional practice in the field.
About Burkhard Wilke
Burkhard Wilke (61) has a degree in economics and has been working at the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) in Berlin since 1993, serving as its Executive and Scientific Drector since 2000. Burkhard Wilke heads the editorial teams of the journal “Soziale Arbeit” (Social Work), published by DZI through Nomos Verlag, and the annually updated DZI Donation Almanac.
The German Central Institute for Social Issues/DZI
DZI, founded in 1893, is the independent monitoring body for charities in Germany, awarding the DZI seal-of-approval. Its mission is to provide substantial information on the reliability of donating soliciting NPO in Germany and to develop respective criteria, as well as to publish statistics. DZI also provides literature documentation in the field of social work, with its literature database DZI SoLit, its library and the monthly, peer-reviewed journal Soziale Arbeit.