Foundations, public institutions, socially oriented companies and sustainable investment funds are making increasingly important contributions to the international fight against poverty, hunger and the consequences of climate change through their philanthropic engagements. In order to ensure that the goals are achieved and that the living conditions of the people in the affected regions are improved sustainably, findings from impact evaluations have been increasingly integrated into the strategic management of programs and projects. With an accompanying impact evaluation, it is possible to make development cooperation more effective and efficient.

• How can the impact of projects and programs be evaluated in an evidence-based manner, and what measurement techniques and methods are available to optimize the potential of philanthropic investments?
• How can the findings of impact evaluations be incorporated into the strategic planning and operational implementation phases of projects and programs, instead of merely measuring their results?
• How can philanthropic collaborations be strategically designed to increase impact and trigger more sustainable development?

To find answers to these questions, the Center for Evaluation and Development (C4ED) and the Center for Philanthropy (CfP) at the University of St. Gallen are organizing this one-day conference. In various panels in the morning, we offer a forum for dialogue between researchers and leaders from foundations, non-profit organizations, socially oriented companies, and sustainable investment funds to discuss the perspectives of evidence-based research for philanthropic engagement. The exchange is intended to enrich collaboration and provide impetus to reflect on actual impacts of projects and programs. In particular, methods of impact evaluation as well as practical examples and scientific developments will be presented. Moreover, the exchange will also focus on ways to realize impact orientation in a holistic approach to the implementation and financing of projects and programs. With contributions from KfW Entwicklungsbank and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Confederation (SECO), the exchange between the private and public sectors and across borders will also be intensified. In the afternoon, all participants will be invited to jointly design a hypothetical philanthropic pilot project in two workshops, one each on Ethiopia and Pakistan. The goal will be to empower 3,000 villages in a socio-economically sustainable way in 5 years. Informed by existing evidence from impact evaluation, we will combine individual measures to utilize synergies. Additionally, we will sketch a project with an associated impact evaluation. With verifiable statements about what works, when, how and under which conditions, we will bundle engagement in a more targeted way in the future to innovatively exploit scaling potential and jointly address the most urgent problems such as poverty, hunger and adaptation to climate change. We look forward to an open and inspiring exchange that will further deepen the dialogue between academia and practice in the philanthropy sector.