Taking Philanthropy Global

Charity begins at home, they say. It can end there, too, due to multiplying obstacles to gifting across borders. The King Baudouin Foundation aims to break down those barriers to philanthropy; in September, with its partner Give2Asia, KBF launched Myriad, the alliance for borderless giving.

Education is a popular focus for cross-border giving

Our world is ever more interconnected. This century alone, foreign tourist travel and expat populations have doubled, world trade has trebled, and global currency movements have quadrupled. It’s no wonder that growing numbers of individuals, corporations and other organisations take a planetary view when they consider whom to help – and whose help to enlist – in philanthropic actions. 

Yet, from the single donor keen to support a project in another country, where they may have family ties or vacation memories, to the multinational business wishing to engage employees around the world to better align the geography of their social engagements with their operations, they find obstacles in their path: national tax regimes rarely encourage giving abroad; new laws to combat terrorist financiers and money-launderers pose legal risks, adding to due diligence concerns when screening potential grantees far from home; and many governments have grown wary of their citizens accepting favours from overseas. 

Enter Myriad. The King Baudouin Foundation has been solving cross-border philanthropy conundrums within Europe for 20 years, through its founding engagement with Transnational Giving Europe, a network of similar institutions in 19 countries. In autumn 2021, KBF greatly expanded the reach of this concept by partnering with Give2Asia, based in California and with a network of affiliates and offices across the Asia-Pacific region, to create Myriad. 

By allying KBF’s expertise and networks in Europe, Africa, and North America with Give2Asia’s profile, Myriad brings nearly 100 countries on four continents into a virtual, single philanthropic space. And there are plans to expand further.

KBF Europe
Headquartered in Brussels, the King Baudouin Foundation is a European foundation that is active in Belgium, Europe and internationally. Over the years, we have developed an extensive network across the world that has enabled us to become a leading actor in cross-border philanthropy. This network, which is constantly developing, is an essential tool for philanthropists wishing to act for the common good, in their own country and/or abroad.

Our world is ever more interconnected. This century alone, foreign tourist travel and expat populations have doubled, world trade has trebled, and global currency movements have quadrupled. It’s no wonder that growing numbers of individuals, corporations and other organisations take a planetary view when they consider whom to help – and whose help to enlist – in philanthropic actions. 

Yet, from the single donor keen to support a project in another country, where they may have family ties or vacation memories, to the multinational business wishing to engage employees around the world to better align the geography of their social engagements with their operations, they find obstacles in their path: national tax regimes rarely encourage giving abroad; new laws to combat terrorist financiers and money-launderers pose legal risks, adding to due diligence concerns when screening potential grantees far from home; and many governments have grown wary of their citizens accepting favours from overseas. 

Enter Myriad. The King Baudouin Foundation has been solving cross-border philanthropy conundrums within Europe for 20 years, through its founding engagement with Transnational Giving Europe, a network of similar institutions in 19 countries. In autumn 2021, KBF greatly expanded the reach of this concept by partnering with Give2Asia, based in California and with a network of affiliates and offices across the Asia-Pacific region, to create Myriad. 

By allying KBF’s expertise and networks in Europe, Africa, and North America with Give2Asia’s profile, Myriad brings nearly 100 countries on four continents into a virtual, single philanthropic space. And there are plans to expand further.