Hurricane Dorian in 2019 was a pivotal moment for The Bahamas and the entire Caribbean, exposing the fragility and limited capacity of the local philanthropic ecosystem to respond to disasters of this magnitude. NGOs played a significant part in recovery and relief efforts, but what was less clear was the scope of the sector in terms of capacity, replication of services, funding, and distribution of resources; there is a need for a clear understanding of the region’s diverse and often overlooked philanthropic landscape.

Despite their critical role in development, Caribbean domestic philanthropy and cross-border giving remain largely invisible in global data sets and underrepresented in strategic funding discussions. This reflects a lack of disaggregated, region-specific data on philanthropic actors, flows, and focus areas, and surveys that apply high funding thresholds, definitions and methodologies that inadvertently exclude small and mid-sized funders, diaspora contributions, and community-based giving mechanisms.

To address this longstanding gap, a project led by Anthea McLaughlin and Dwayne Gutzmer at Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance (CariPhil) facilitates a collaboration between the Net Forward Group at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and CariPhil on the development of a Caribbean Philanthropy Survey, aimed at gathering data on who is giving, to what causes, and how foundations track outcomes. The survey will reflect the Caribbean philanthropic landscape, incorporating corporate foundations, diaspora donors, and multi-purpose civil society organizations disbursing their own resources. CariPhil  will adapt the OECD’s methodology by aligning regional data collection with international standards, and incorporate collaboration for greater visibility and strategic coordination. From December 2025 through November 2026, CariPhil will establish a Project Management Unit, convene a consultative expert group, and pre-test and finalize the survey for regional rollout. To date, CariPhil has already catalogued over 1,000 philanthropic institutions on its initial funder database, many never included in global reports.