How can corporate philanthropy resist media pressure?

In order to celebrate its ten-year anniversary, Cartier Philanthropy organised a conference entitled “How can corporate philanthropy resist media pressure?” moderated by Cristina D’Agostino, Founder and Editor-in-chief of Luxury Tribune, to address how impact philanthropy is being challenged by the ever-increasing number of crises around the world. Since its foundation, Cartier Philanthropy has focused on acting in some of the most fragile places on Earth, empowering communities through a strategic vision around collective impact. In ten years, the foundation has been able to fund programmes worth 100 million Swiss francs. Based in Geneva, Cartier Philanthropy works alongside 80 partners who challenge inequalities on a daily basis, in over 50 countries. On stage in Geneva, Pascale de La Frégonnière, Strategic Advisor to the Board and Founder of Cartier Philanthropy, Emma France, Global Development and Strategic engagement director of the NGO mothers2mothers, and Mara De Monte, Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy University of Geneva, discussed their views and experiences on the topics of media pressure, urgency and impact. 

The current global context seems to be a permanent battlefield, where dealing with emergencies has become a challenge. Many regions of the world, already in difficulty for decades, are suffering from a succession of different crises: health, economy, migration, political instability and climate change. How can one prioritise commitments with regards to these overlapping crises? “It is a difficult question. We have decided to fund development institutions that improve people's lives in a way that prevents them from becoming victims of these emergencies, explained Pascale de La Frégonnière. We work with organisations that try to fix broken systems and make sure social services become available. We need to have a good understanding of what is happening on the ground when a crisis hits, and who is there to deliver the intervention and assistance needed. The media brings a lot of attention to some issues which are of great importance, but there are also silent emergencies; crises that don’t make the headlines, and we also want to be there for those.”

The conversation continued with the question of how to choose the right partner on the ground. Regarding this matter, Pascale de La Frégonnière added: “Selecting the right partner is crucial. We look for organisations that are impact driven, animated by the same objectives, and have a proven solution and strategy to get there. When dealing with emergencies, flexibility is also crucial, as needs change from one week to another.” One of the NGOs Cartier Philanthropy has been working with for a long time is mothers2mothers, which is dedicated to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV by providing education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV, among other issues. Emma France, Global Development and Strategic Engagement Director of the NGO, gave some insights on its philanthropic model and approach: “In our model, women who become mentor mothers are from the communities they serve. It is critical that there is a feeling of being understood, as that is what affects the behavioural change we need to see. The trust that is born by speaking to a woman who looks and feels like you and understands the same challenges, is what enables women to speak without fear, understand crucial concepts such as consent, and take life-changing decisions for themselves.”

Further, Emma France shared her goals and wishes for the future: “We want to achieve health for all. We want the 615 million people on the African continent, only half of whom have access to the health care services they need, to have access to healthcare.” However, certain services even more basic than healthcare are drastically lacking in some countries on the continent. “The fragility of communities has become even more shocking since Covid: women are less safe, hungrier, and the whole ecosystem is more fragile. Domestic violence is a huge problem. Before even talking about HIV, the question for many is primarily, whether they are safe at home”.

In order to better understand the collaboration between the public and private sector in the field of philanthropy, Mara De Monte, Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy University of Geneva, shared her view on the topic. “We are seeing more and more collaborations coming together. I see a bigger push to try and get concrete and effective action within the sustainability goals of partnerships. How many are really effective is still the question.” She went on to say: “There is definitely a recognition that today’s challenges do require collaboration and shared responsibility. Expertise and knowledge are everywhere, and bringing different types of actors together, from NGOs and founders to governments, is crucial to tackle today’s challenges”.

It is common to say that whoever has the money, has the power. Regarding this statement, all the panellists seemed to share the same view. “Let’s just admit that who has the money has the power”, stated Emma France. “Of course, there are some donors with whom it is difficult, as they tell you what to do and how to spend the money, but they are not on the ground and therefore do not understand what is needed. However, our collaboration with Cartier shows we can build a long-term sustainable partnership with unrestricted money. It is about creating trust, having honest conversations, and saying when something is wrong.” Pascale de Frégonnière added: “Two years ago, 30% of the money we gave to NGOs was unrestricted. Now we are at 60%, because trust takes time and we know this is the best we can do to really help. We may have the power, but without our partners, we are nobody. We can only create impact together.”

The discussion opened up to essential questions around the limits of media pressure, as well as the positive impacts it can have. Indeed, as a company, there is a fine line between communicating about certain issues and actions, and being accused of using those situations to benefit one’s image. “Media pressure is critical to bring light to what is going on in the world and get people to act” commented Pascale de La Frégonnière. “When a crisis hits, we take some time to understand the situation and needs instead of responding to the emergency when a lot of money is coming in. We come in two or three months later when the needs are still there but it’s not in the headlines anymore.” Further on the topic of positive media impact, Emma France stated: “Today, not only traditional media are of great impact. More and more, social media is bringing attention to crises in a crucial way. Take for example the war in Ukraine or the situation in Afghanistan, it was game changing in terms of the stories we heard on the ground.”

The conference then continued with the public opening of the exhibition by photographer Newsha Tavakolian "Unlocking Healthcare for All".