Beyond Giving: structuring philanthropy to turn intentions into measurable impact with ADA

Measuring impact, building sustainable partnerships, and supporting the economic development of local communities: for more than thirty years, ADA has been developing a unique approach to impact finance in emerging markets.

At a time when philanthropic families and family offices are seeking to give greater meaning to their commitments while prioritizing transparency, impact, and sustainability, Laura Foschi, ADA’s executive director, shares her vision of philanthropy grounded in trust, innovation, and knowledge transfer. Hubfinance had the pleasure of speaking with her.

ADA has been supporting high-impact projects in emerging markets for over thirty years. Why have you chosen now to make this expertise available to families and family offices seeking to give greater meaning and structure to their philanthropic commitment?

We are seeing a very clear shift in philanthropy today. Historically driven by public donors, the demands for results and impact measurement are now fully shared by philanthropic families, entrepreneurs, and family offices.

They no longer wish simply to fund a project: they want to understand what their commitment actually achieves, track its effects over time, and identify the populations that truly benefit from it.

This quest for meaning and transparency aligns perfectly with what we have been building at ADA for over thirty years.

Our mission is to strengthen the self-reliance of vulnerable populations by supporting local economic actors who drive development in their communities. In fact, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises account for nearly 90% of businesses in emerging economies and generate approximately 80% of jobs. With this in mind, we work with local financial institutions, producer cooperatives, and SMEs to design solutions aimed at improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations: savings, inclusive insurance, agricultural credit, and tailored financing for small entrepreneurs. These solutions are always paired with capacity building and the development of sustainable practices.

The very name ADA— Appui au Développement Autonome (Support for Autonomous Development)—reflects this philosophy: autonomy is at the heart of our approach. We do not establish ADA structures on the ground. Instead, we support local organizations by

strengthen their capabilities and expand their range of products and services so that they can become fully self-reliant.

Some of them have now become leading financial institutions in their countries. This is probably one of the finest examples of what we mean by autonomous development.

Many philanthropic actors talk about trust, but few actually put it into practice. In concrete terms, how is this trust built at ADA, and what mechanisms make it tangible for your partners?

Trust cannot be imposed. It is built over time, through rigorous governance, a culture of transparency, and a consistent commitment to accountability.

After more than thirty years in existence, ADA is a truly mature organization, the result of collaboration with some of the most demanding international donors. Since its inception, it has operated in an environment where procedural quality, compliance, audits, and reporting are part of daily life, without ever being perceived as a constraint.

This culture of rigor is central to its identity. Reporting is thus viewed as a tool for progress: every evaluation, every audit, and every indicator helps improve practices and strengthen the impact of the initiatives undertaken.

This commitment stems from the very nature of its work in inclusive finance, where issues of economic sustainability, risk management, and governance permeate the entire organization. The teams have always supported financial institutions and engage daily with banking stakeholders, making this internal rigor second nature.

This approach has also enabled the organization to anticipate certain regulatory changes—particularly regarding know-your-partner requirements and anti-money laundering measures—long before these practices became the norm.

Finally, this trust is rooted in a strong conviction: a partnership can only exist on the basis of mutual accountability, grounded in transparency, professionalism, and continuous improvement—principles that the organization first applies to itself.

ADA benefits from strong governance and institutional roots, with long-standing support from the Luxembourg government. How does this unique position strengthen the credibility of your model and the trust of families who are preparing to partner with you?

For thirty years, we have enjoyed the support of the Luxembourg government, and I hope this will continue for the next thirty years. Our relationship with the government is a true partnership—one I consider unique in the world—based on shared strategies, goals, and methodologies.

This does not mean that we simply carry out a strategy defined by the government. We define our own strategy, priorities, and methods of intervention, while remaining attentive to government priorities and involving various institutional stakeholders in the learning and design phases. This trust, which has been renewed over the past three decades, has enabled us to build a solid, rigorous organization capable of sustaining its work over the long term.

For a philanthropic family, this stability is a true mark of credibility. It provides a proven governance framework, rigorous oversight mechanisms, and a demonstrated capacity for execution. More than just financial support, we offer a way to build partnerships based on co-creation: sharing a vision, jointly defining impact objectives, and mobilizing the necessary resources to achieve them.

This is the approach we are already developing with our international public sector partners, and one we now wish to make available to families and foundations seeking to commit to sustainable transformation. For us, trust is built through transparency, rigor, and the ability to turn every commitment into tangible impact.

Given your extensive experience in impact finance, how does ADA use innovative financial tools to transform philanthropic giving into a powerful lever for impact on the ground?

As a Luxembourg-based organization, ADA leverages the momentum of this sustainable finance hub to deploy its impact finance solutions. Our role is that of a recognized practitioner on the ground, capable of bridging the gap between the requirements of impact finance and the realities of emerging economies. What sets us apart, above all, is our approach: partnership. Whether working with public donors or private philanthropists, we always build commitments based on a shared vision, jointly defining programs and impact objectives.

For families, this means long-term support, rooted in trust and collaborative development, with a clear goal: to turn intentions into tangible impact. It is also a unique opportunity to bring generations together around shared values and common goals.

Another essential pillar of our approach is continuous learning. In our new strategic plan, every program now includes a component dedicated to this learning. In this context, impact measurement is not an end in itself:

it is first and foremost a tool for understanding and decision-making, with communication coming only afterward.

This culture of knowledge and impact management is deeply rooted in our DNA and enables us to contribute—beyond our individual projects—to strengthening the entire sector based on data gathered in the field. It also offers families a unique framework for developing their own expertise in impact finance through collaboration with our teams.

That, at its core, is the value of a partnership with ADA: moving forward together, learning together, and building, over the long term, an impact that is shared and passed on.