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Three Cheers for GAVI

The news that $4.3 billion of new money was pledged on June 13th to vaccinate children in the developing world against several deadly diseases is worth celebrating. The money was promised at the first ever pledging conference for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), which exceeded its target of $3.7 billion. That means […]

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Dr Evil and the Koch Fiends

It is known in the lobbying trade as ‘astroturfing’ – super-rich donors bankrolling supposedly grass-root movements that are, in fact, just an artificial creation designed to lever political influence out of their cash. In recent weeks it is libertarian billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch (rhymes with poke) who have been in the the firing line […]

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Hair shirt anyone?

Martin Brookes of New Philanthropy Capital has written a provocative editorial in the latest issue of their Giving Insights newsletter, taking to task a recent book by two leading British commentators Polly Toynbee and David Walker, Unjust Rewards. Brookes says that they mock Arpad Busson, founder of hedge-fund charity Absolute Return for Kids (a bit like the Robin […]