Why philanthropic foundations need to spend money (and quickly)

Why Philanthropic Foundations Need To Spend Money (& Quickly) | GZERO World

In today's world, where global development needs are high and seismic geopolitical events have turned back the clock on so much progress, UN Foundation President Elizabeth Cousens says its the perfect time for philanthropy to step up.

Indeed, there's a lot more that can be done, Cousens tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

And philanthropy, she explains, doesn't have to be about greenwashing or PR but rather a way of making things better in many places that have been through more than their fair share in recent years.

Cousens believes there's been a "real reckoning" among people and corporations who are "increasingly recognizing their contribution to the state of the world that is not particularly healthy." And there's the opportunity for them to do real good.

Watch the GZERO World episode: Inequality isn't inevitable - if global communities cooperate

More from GZERO Media

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Head of the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring Yury Chikhanchin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 8, 2025.
Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS

At first glance, Russia has coped well under the weight of Ukraine-related Western sanctions, but clouds are starting to circle on Moscow.

Riot police officers fire tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrators during anti-government protests dubbed “Saba Saba People’s March,” in the Rift Valley town of Nakuru, Kenya, on July 7, 2025.
REUTERS/Suleiman Mbatiah

Kenya’s president orders police to shoot at protesters, European nuclear powers expand umbrella, and US President Donald Trump goes after Brazil.