Sawiris Foundation Presents a Vision for Philanthropy in Financing Development and Scaling Effective Solutions

Sawiris Foundation marked its first participation in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) Week in New York, joining three high-level sessions that brought together leaders from philanthropic and development organizations, the private sector, research institutions, and international organizations. Drawing on 25 years of development experience in Egypt, the Foundation brought a locally grounded perspective to global discussions while exploring how international knowledge, experiences, and partnerships can further strengthen its programs and partnerships in Egypt.

While each session addressed a different area, they were connected by one central question: How can philanthropy move beyond funding individual projects to play a more strategic role in testing solutions, generating evidence, taking early-stage risks, mobilizing funding and partners, and connecting global knowledge with local institutions and realities?

Laila Hosny, Executive Director of Sawiris Foundation, said: ““Our first participation in the United Nations General Assembly Week comes at a time when development financing is under increasing pressure, as needs continue to grow while a number of traditional funding sources are declining. We joined these discussions drawing on the experience of an Egyptian foundation that has worked alongside communities, institutions, and partners across Egypt for 25 years. We believe the true value of philanthropy lies in its ability to create space for innovation, take risks at an early stage, and build the evidence needed to inform better decisions on financing and scaling. We also believe that the most sustainable solutions are those developed with local communities and institutions, giving them a meaningful role in setting priorities and making decisions.”

Sawiris Foundation began its participation with “From Partnership to Platform,” a session organized in partnership with the Arab Foundations Forum. The discussion explored how local philanthropic organizations can move beyond their traditional role as implementers or funders of individual projects and instead become key players in building collaborative platforms that bring together funding, expertise, and knowledge to scale effective solutions. During the session, Sawiris Foundation presented three opportunities for international collaboration: contributing to a national pooled fund managed without administrative fees; supporting the expansion of the Bab Amal program to reach 100,000 families by 2030; and expanding the network of international partners and expertise supporting this approach. The discussion also highlighted the importance of giving trusted local institutions a stronger role in setting priorities and directing resources, rather than limiting their involvement to implementation. It emphasized that localization in development goes beyond delivering activities within local communities; it also means strengthening local voice, decision-making, financing, and leadership.

Then, Sawiris Foundation participated in “Strengthening the Catalytic Role of Philanthropy in Education Finance,” held in collaboration with OECD netFWD at Education House. The session addressed the widening education financing gap and explored how philanthropic capital can move beyond traditional grant-making toward more catalytic approaches, including risk-taking, blended finance, and outcomes-based financing, to help mobilize additional resources for education. Drawing on its experience in Egypt, Sawiris Foundation shared an approach that links financing decisions to a clear understanding of the problem, the quality of available evidence, results measurement, and continuous learning before moving to scale. The Foundation also shared its experience in building partnerships across philanthropic organizations, government entities, the private sector, and development institutions. The discussion underscored that increasing financial resources alone is not enough; funding must be accompanied by the ability to learn, adapt, and turn approaches that demonstrate results into scalable solutions.

Sawiris Foundation concluded its participation with “The Role of Philanthropy in Shaping the Future of AI in Global Growth Markets,” held in collaboration with the MIT Kuo Sharper Center and DLA Piper. The conversation moved beyond the adoption of AI tools to a broader discussion around agency and local ownership in the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on its experience as a foundation operating in a growth market, Sawiris Foundation stressed that local institutions should not simply adopt ready-made technology solutions. They should also have a meaningful voice in shaping how technology is developed and used to address their own needs and priorities. The Foundation also highlighted the importance of strengthening local capabilities in talent, data, digital infrastructure, and technology entrepreneurship, while drawing on global expertise in ways that reinforce local ownership rather than increase dependence on external models and platforms.

The three sessions reflected a two-way exchange of knowledge and experience. Sawiris Foundation brought to New York 25 years of experience from its work in Egypt, along with accumulated expertise in program design, partnership building, and the use of evidence and learning to inform decision-making. At the same time, the Foundation’s participation provided an opportunity to engage with international experiences, tools, and partnerships that can be adapted and applied within the Egyptian context. This exchange reflects the Foundation’s belief that development knowledge should not flow in only one direction from the Global North to the Global South; local experience from Egypt and the wider region can also contribute to shaping global development discussions and practices.

The participation also highlighted that local development organizations can play a role that goes beyond program implementation. They can actively contribute to setting priorities, testing solutions, generating evidence, and mobilizing partners and resources around approaches that have proven effective. Building on this approach, Sawiris Foundation aims to use the knowledge and insights gained through international platforms to strengthen its work and partnerships in Egypt, while bringing its local experience and development models into the global conversation on the future of philanthropy and development finance.

This first UNGA participation comes as Sawiris Foundation marks its 25th anniversary. Over the past 25 years, the Foundation has worked in Egypt to address multidimensional poverty and expand opportunities for underserved individuals and communities through interventions in education, economic and social empowerment, and quality of life, alongside its support for the cultural and artistic landscape. Its work is grounded in evidence, continuous learning, and partnerships, enabling the Foundation to bring its accumulated local experience to international platforms while drawing on global knowledge and partnerships to further advance Egypt’s development priorities.