Theory of Change

Our interactive Theory of Change illustrates how our interventions contribute to short- and long-term changes. It guides our actions, shapes our decisions on partnerships, informs how we monitor and evaluate existing relationships, and provides a framework for impact assessment.

Discover our Theory of Change

Effective Philanthropy

We work closely with our partners to help them practice effective philanthropy. When a partner organisation is strong, diverse and focused on learning, it is able to deliver a greater impact.

Organisational and Network Effectiveness

Through core support grant-making for general operations, we can strengthen our partner organisations’ abilities to fulfil their missions and deliver effective results. We also create opportunities for partners to collaborate in networks to foster industry-wide transformation, and support initiatives to create better enabling environments for change through multi-stakeholder and field-building grants.

In addition to initiative-related or core support grants, partners can apply for support through two funds:

  • Emergency Fund:

While funding brave initiatives, we also seek to defend the security of our partners who work in sensitive civic and political environments. To that end, our Emergency Fund supports partners in cases of threats to their safety.

  • Learning Fund:

The Learning Fund allows current partners to visit each other, exchange knowledge and learn from their peers. To apply, current partners must fill out the application form and send it to their programme managers.

 

Gender, Equity and Inclusion

We recognise that many of the business challenges in tackling climate impacts and ending inequality are rooted in deeply entrenched systems of discrimination and exclusion. To transform business into a force for good, we must work to dismantle systems of oppression.

That is why we work with our partners from design through to evaluation to ensure that Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) is integrated into everything we do together. Importantly, we look to strengthen GESI not just in our initiatives with partners and their organisations but also in our own teams as well. Read our statement on Equity and Inclusion.

Organisational Learning and Evaluation

By learning from what works and what doesn’t work, we can enhance our partners’ and our own effectiveness to make transformational change.

We do this by building a culture of critical reflection and evaluation within Laudes Foundation, and by sharing results and lessons internally and externally. We ask partner organisations regularly to provide feedback on initiatives and on our performance as partners, and we give them opportunities to strengthen their capacity to learn and improve.

It takes constant attention and effort to build a culture of exchange and learning within our organisation, with our partners and across philanthropy more widely. That’s why learning is central to our practice of effective philanthropy.

Working Together

Together with our partners, we have created 10 principles of how we can work together to transform an industry - principles we all honour. 

  1. We FOCUS on the impact we want to have on the people, environment and communities where we work.

  2. We COLLABORATE for greater impact. We partner with other organisations in pursuit of common goals. We promote connections between organisations and networks.

  3. We COMMUNICATE by listening actively, being realistic and honest.

  4. We align and CO-CREATE our partnerships by playing to each other’s strengths, fielding experience and knowledge.

  5. We are mutually ACCOUNTABLE for the commitments within the partnership.

  1. We LEARN from start to finish. We build formal and informal feedback and evaluation processes. We collect and share lessons with each other and externally.

  2. We are FLEXIBLE to adapt plans and evolve partnerships. We acknowledge internal and external changes, lessons learned and unforeseen risks.

  3. We are BOLD and we take RISKS. We dare to challenge the norms and mindsets that make industries extractive, exploitative and unjust.

  4. We make SOCIAL INCLUSION central to our work. We address diversity, equity and inclusion in our initiatives.

  5. We cultivate trust and robust relationships in all partnerships to address POWER DYNAMICS.