Philanthropy and Innovative Financing for Refugee Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways

In partnership with the Irish Refuge Council (IRC), the Share Network organised a Quality Sponsorship Network (QSN) roundtable on philanthropy and innovative financing for refugee sponsorship and complementary pathways, which took place in Dublin on the 27th and 28th of  October 2022.

The roundtable gathered key actors from the philanthropic sector (private or corporate foundations), innovative financing institutions, civil society and regional and local bodies, to explore how philanthropy and innovative funding solutions can help to secure and scale up Community Sponsorship initiatives across Europe and ensure that these can respond to new needs and contexts.

The roundtable was organised with an interactive format, providing ample space for networking and an open exchange under ‘Chatham House Rules’. In accordance with this arrangement, this report does not attribute outputs to particular attendees but rather aims to give an overall synopsis of the discussions and outputs.

The Share QSN 1 ½ day roundtable on philanthropy and innovative financing aimed to take stock of current examples and goals of philanthropy engagement, identify needs, and explore areas for future engagement. In addition, it provided the opportunity to explore the new area of innovative financing to support access to education and employment for refugees.

Some key recommendations:

• Governments and funders need to acknowledge and support sponsors and their efforts for the programmes to be sustainable

• Community mobilisation and solidarity is what drives the programmes and needs to be encouraged and supported

• If there is a reluctance of government to do so, private philanthropy should step in and support these programmes and demonstrate the good practices and impact of sponsorship on communities and its potential for positive narrative change.