Muslim Philanthropy Initiative also co-hosted convening of Muslim philanthropists in conjunction with Vatican summit
Leaders from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy participated in the inaugural Faith & Philanthropy Summit at the Vatican Oct. 14-15, 2022, including speaking at the summit and assisting with planning aspects of the global gathering.
The summit brought together 145 leading philanthropists from five different faiths who pledged to join forces across faith lines to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Jeff Bezos and Laura Turner Seydel were among the participating philanthropists.
The summit was organized by the Galileo Foundation in partnership with the Global Compact on Education, the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists, the Jewish Funders Network, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and UBS AG. According to the foundation, His Holiness Pope Francis hopes the convening will inspire new philanthropic partnerships, across traditional faith lines, to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges in the areas of education, global health, and sustainability in the service of the entire human family.
During the summit, the Galileo Foundation awarded its first “Prophets of Philanthropy” Award jointly to Bezos and Chef Jose Andres, who founded the World Central Kitchen. Turner Seydel also accepted an award on behalf of her father, Ted Turner. The summit was addressed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope’s Secretary of State, and by Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
“The Faith and Philanthropy Summit is a momentous opportunity to reflect on how people of faith can collaborate to address some of the world’s most pressing needs and begin to take action to address them. This visionary gathering highlights the crucial, collaborative role of faith and philanthropy in improving our world, especially for the most vulnerable among us,” said Amir Pasic, the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the school.
David P. King, the Karen Lake Buttrey Director of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the school, and Shariq Siddiqui, director of the school’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, provided planning assistance for parts of the Faith & Philanthropy Summit and participated in it.
King also spoke at the summit, providing research and insights about the relationship between faith and philanthropy, how faith often inspires giving, and the important roles faith-inspired nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play in meeting needs. The Lake Institute advances understanding of the intersection of faith and giving and facilitates collaboration within and across faith traditions.
“Our research consistently finds that religious faith is a significant influence in many people’s charitable activity, including their giving to both religious and secular organizations,” King said. “The Faith & Philanthropy Summit encouraged donors to reflect deeply on their own faith traditions and find ways to meet the world’s most pressing challenges through interfaith collaborations. It is giving faith-inspired philanthropists the opportunity to work across faiths to help meet vital needs such as education, global health, poverty and climate sustainability, for the greater good.”
In conjunction with the Faith & Philanthropy Summit, the Galileo Foundation, the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Muslim Philanthropy Initiative (MPI) also co-hosted a Muslim Philanthropists Mini-Summit in Rome Oct. 15-16. Philanthropists, nonprofit and NGO professionals, and foundation program officers from around the world met to explore how philanthropy can help address major global issues.
Participants in the mini-summit envisioned what the world could look like 25 years from now, considered current obstacles to improvement, and discussed how philanthropy can help overcome those obstacles to shape a better future for all. They also discussed how Islam, theology and religious practice can play a critical role in philanthropy. The rich conversations will result in a white paper to be published by the MPI. The initiative focuses on understanding and helping further enhance contemporary and traditional aspects of Muslim philanthropy in all its facets.
“As we continue to seek solutions to a world that faces increasing challenges, it is heartening to have the important role faith plays in philanthropy and social good,” Siddiqui said. “This meeting was an important conversation to help understand how our philanthropy can be grounded and amplified by faith as we engage with local communities and partner with them to do good. I was delighted to see so many people of faith willing to find common ground to problems that should concern all people.”
About Lake Institute on Faith & Giving
Lake Institute on Faith & Giving exists to serve the public good by exploring the multiple connections between philanthropy and faith within the major religious traditions. Its mission is to foster greater understanding of the ways in which faith inspires and informs giving. Lake Institute is a program of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Follow us on Twitter or “Like” us on Facebook.
About the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative
The Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI focuses on understanding and helping further enhance contemporary and traditional aspects of Muslim philanthropy in all its facets. A project of the Dean’s Office and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, it convenes scholars and philanthropy professionals to explore issues and research in the field, hosts symposiums and seminars, and provides education and training. By seeking to further research in this under-studied area, helping to develop thought leadership and inform conversations, and training philanthropic and nonprofit leaders within Muslim philanthropy, the initiative helps build capacity in the Muslim philanthropy sector while adding to the body of knowledge about the rich tradition and practice of philanthropy in Islam.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.