ERNOP Online Series 2025-2026

Philanthropies’ Capabilities in Addressing Global Problems: Mapping the SDG Landscape 

April 14, 2026, 10-11 (CET)

Speaker: Dominik Meier (Center for Philanthropy Studies, University of Basel) 

Discussant: tba

About this seminar:

Nearly a decade after their adoption, the UN Sustainable Development Goals have become widely recognized, yet progress toward achieving them by 2030 remains significantly off track. Nonprofit organizations and philanthropic foundations represent critical actors in bridging this implementation gap, given their unique positioning to mobilize resources, advocate for change, and serve vulnerable populations.

This ERNOP Science and Society webinar will explore how the SDGs can serve as an organizing framework for understanding philanthropic activities and nonprofit missions, and demonstrate the various ways these organizations can contribute to achieving the goals. The session will present findings from analysis of organizational mission statements, revealing how the sector’s stated priorities align with global development goals and identifying both areas of concentrated engagement and potential gaps in the philanthropic response to the SDG agenda. 

Registration will open soon.

About Dominik Meier
Dominik Meier is Assistant Professor of Global Philanthropy 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.