Last week, as part of AGAPE24, we had the honour of hosting representatives from European research centres and the philanthropy sector who came together here in Vienna to discuss their future research agenda. The event brought together creative minds who developed fresh ideas for the further development of philanthropy.

Day 1: Creativity and innovation in philanthropy

The first day began under the leadership of Tobias Jung, who created a creative atmosphere to inspire the future activities of ERNOP (European Research Network on Philanthropy). Topics such as inclusivity, networking, efficiency and visibility were at the centre of the discussions. Together, the participants developed new approaches to achieve these goals - all in just one morning session.

The afternoon was filled with exciting insights. René Bekkers discussed the importance of research ethics, while Karl Wilding, Arthur Gautier and Georg von Schnurbein shared their visions for innovation in philanthropy education. Lucía Gómez Teijeiro's presentation on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was particularly impressive, showing how technology can revolutionise philanthropy research and practice. Lisa Hehenberger brought new perspectives to the discussion with her experience as an ‘inside-out’ researcher.

The evening provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions over a vintage dinner. In his speech, host Michael Meyer recalled the words of Theo Schuyt and his declaration on the independence of European philanthropy research - a reminder of the need for independent, European approaches in this field.

Day 2: Research and practice in dialogue

The second day focussed on the connection between research and practice. Delphine Moralis interviewed Rien van Gendt on his book Philanthropy Back to the Drawing Board, opening up the space for discussions on future collaboration. In various pitch sessions, moderated by Galia Feit, experts such as Olga Tarasov, Vladimír Hyánek and Lev Fejes, Ph.D., presented innovative approaches on topics such as:

• Promoting long-term, relationship-based philanthropy with simultaneous accountability.

• The courage to learn from mistakes and use them as opportunities for improvement.

• Developing exchange programmes between researchers and philanthropy professionals.

• Strengthening governance in philanthropic organisations by exploring relationships between boards and staff.

• The power of data: How AI can be used to address the lack of data in Europe.

Giuseppe Ugazio, an expert in artificial intelligence, closed the event with an inspiring talk on the opportunities and challenges of AI for philanthropy. The participants left AGAPE 2024 full of new ideas, invigorated and motivated to implement them.

Looking forward to the ERNOP conference 2025

The discussions and insights from AGAPE 2024 will be continued at the next major event. The ERNOP conference will take place from 24 to 26 September 2025 in Heidelberg. This will be a great opportunity to gain deeper insights into these exciting topics and to network with experts from all over Europe. More information can be found here.

Many thanks to ERNOP and Philea for the great cooperation!