PhD defence I.M.H. (Irene) Davids

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation: 

Grant-making foundations increasingly support the Dutch nonprofit sector. Understanding these foundations’ effectiveness in addressing complex societal issues is complicated by several factors. Firstly, the internal dynamics of these foundations must be taken into account, as well as the social and political context of their operations. Secondly, there is a great variety of foundations with widely differing visions, agendas, and strategies. Specifically, the complex relationship between foundation governance, grant-making practices, and the needs of recipient organizations—particularly grassroots associations—has not been fully explored.
This dissertation focuses on factors leading to shifts in philanthropic relationships, examined from both donors’ and recipients’ perspectives. It describes the consequences for grassroots associations, especially those with an ethnic base, when a foundation’s aspirations do not align with its actual giving behavior. Through a case study of an organization created specifically for giving, the findings indicate that (often inadvertent) exclusion from funding is caused by both the giving strategies and practices of grant-makers and the demand strategies of grant-seekers. 
The dissertation argues that the widening gap between private foundations and grassroots associations cannot be explained solely by ethnicity. Rather, it results from the tension between the increasingly "hard" business and impact orientation of grant-makers and the "soft" communitarian values of grassroots grant-seekers. This tension reflects a divide between professionals and laypeople that could be eased by fostering better mutual understanding of each other’s roles and positions, contributing to more equitable and productive collaboration.