Caroline Fiennes
@carolinefiennes.bsky.social
Director of Giving Evidence: helping donors make decisions based on sound evidence. (www.giving-evidence.com)
"Charmingly disruptive" - Nobel laureate Richard Thaler.
U.Cambridge visiting fellow. Former FT columnist.
Irrationally exuberant.
Church nerd.
"Charmingly disruptive" - Nobel laureate Richard Thaler.
U.Cambridge visiting fellow. Former FT columnist.
Irrationally exuberant.
Church nerd.
Pinned
Hello! I'm Caroline & I run Giving Evidence which supports donors & funders to be more effective by basing their giving on sound evidence: of where & why a need is, who's doing what about it, what works, & the intended beneficiaries' views.
Effective philanthropy.
And I'm doing a Masters right now😧
Effective philanthropy.
And I'm doing a Masters right now😧
The other 18 countries should just not turn up.
And one of them should arrange to host the MTG instead, including all the members.
And one of them should arrange to host the MTG instead, including all the members.
The US president says the African nation will not be invited to the Miami meeting following the latest diplomatic spat on.ft.com/49CJIHU
November 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
The other 18 countries should just not turn up.
And one of them should arrange to host the MTG instead, including all the members.
And one of them should arrange to host the MTG instead, including all the members.
Was in HM Treasury today.
Every sighting like this is a joyous source of progress:
Every sighting like this is a joyous source of progress:
November 27, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Was in HM Treasury today.
Every sighting like this is a joyous source of progress:
Every sighting like this is a joyous source of progress:
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
New analysis by the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk library estimates that Brexit is costing the Treasury up to £90bn a year in lost tax revenue, and the average Briton has seen a hit to GDP per head between £2,700 and £3,700. /4
November 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
New analysis by the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk library estimates that Brexit is costing the Treasury up to £90bn a year in lost tax revenue, and the average Briton has seen a hit to GDP per head between £2,700 and £3,700. /4
What about if the assignment deadline is right after Christmas? - when we should all be thinking about God etc, right?
Real situation!
Real situation!
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
What about if the assignment deadline is right after Christmas? - when we should all be thinking about God etc, right?
Real situation!
Real situation!
Sierra Leone has the Banana Islands, and DR Congo has a town called Banana*.
Just thought that you'd like to know that!
*which I discovered in convo with a friend who was then living in DRC & another who had just been to.... Split. Yes really 🤣
Just thought that you'd like to know that!
*which I discovered in convo with a friend who was then living in DRC & another who had just been to.... Split. Yes really 🤣
November 26, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Sierra Leone has the Banana Islands, and DR Congo has a town called Banana*.
Just thought that you'd like to know that!
*which I discovered in convo with a friend who was then living in DRC & another who had just been to.... Split. Yes really 🤣
Just thought that you'd like to know that!
*which I discovered in convo with a friend who was then living in DRC & another who had just been to.... Split. Yes really 🤣
Coup in Guinea-Bissau.
This isn't the presidential election where candidates needed a deposit of $100,000: that was next door in Guinea:
This isn't the presidential election where candidates needed a deposit of $100,000: that was next door in Guinea:
🔴Military officers declared they have taken "total control" of Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, just three days after the country held presidential and legislative elections in which both major candidates claimed victory.
Click here for more 👉 https://go.france24.com/z8w
Click here for more 👉 https://go.france24.com/z8w
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Coup in Guinea-Bissau.
This isn't the presidential election where candidates needed a deposit of $100,000: that was next door in Guinea:
This isn't the presidential election where candidates needed a deposit of $100,000: that was next door in Guinea:
Kudos to GlobalGiving which has now... moved / raised $1 billion 🥳🥳
Bravo to everybody involved, esp Mari Kuraishi & Dennis Whittle who founded it:
www.globalgiving.org/learn/global...
#philanthropy
Bravo to everybody involved, esp Mari Kuraishi & Dennis Whittle who founded it:
www.globalgiving.org/learn/global...
#philanthropy
www.globalgiving.org
November 26, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Kudos to GlobalGiving which has now... moved / raised $1 billion 🥳🥳
Bravo to everybody involved, esp Mari Kuraishi & Dennis Whittle who founded it:
www.globalgiving.org/learn/global...
#philanthropy
Bravo to everybody involved, esp Mari Kuraishi & Dennis Whittle who founded it:
www.globalgiving.org/learn/global...
#philanthropy
It's a month today until Christmas.
Just to scare you all!
Chop chop.
Just to scare you all!
Chop chop.
November 25, 2025 at 5:44 PM
It's a month today until Christmas.
Just to scare you all!
Chop chop.
Just to scare you all!
Chop chop.
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
The latest blog post on the Foundation Practice Rating website - looking at what we mean by a Trustee recruitment policy, with an example of what good can look like from John Ellerman Foundation.
Caroline Fiennes (@carolinefiennes.bsky.social)
The Foundation Practice Rating's criteria include whether a foundation has a trustee recruitment policy. This little article clarifies what we mean by that, and why 1-2 sentences in an annual report don't suffice.
bsky.app
November 25, 2025 at 11:45 AM
The latest blog post on the Foundation Practice Rating website - looking at what we mean by a Trustee recruitment policy, with an example of what good can look like from John Ellerman Foundation.
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
HIRING: We have a great opportunity for someone passionate about solving the housing crisis to join our team and help develop the policies we need to secure affordable, safe homes for everyone!
Find out more and apply by midnight, 30 November: neweconomics.org/about/work-w...
Find out more and apply by midnight, 30 November: neweconomics.org/about/work-w...
November 25, 2025 at 12:33 PM
HIRING: We have a great opportunity for someone passionate about solving the housing crisis to join our team and help develop the policies we need to secure affordable, safe homes for everyone!
Find out more and apply by midnight, 30 November: neweconomics.org/about/work-w...
Find out more and apply by midnight, 30 November: neweconomics.org/about/work-w...
How charities sometimes make it difficult to give them money: I am speaking about this next week at a free event in London, hosted by Zeffy: Weds evening.
Do come! - apparently >170 people are already signed up(!) - quite the pre-Christmas party!
luma.com/1xl0mjl0
Do come! - apparently >170 people are already signed up(!) - quite the pre-Christmas party!
luma.com/1xl0mjl0
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
How charities sometimes make it difficult to give them money: I am speaking about this next week at a free event in London, hosted by Zeffy: Weds evening.
Do come! - apparently >170 people are already signed up(!) - quite the pre-Christmas party!
luma.com/1xl0mjl0
Do come! - apparently >170 people are already signed up(!) - quite the pre-Christmas party!
luma.com/1xl0mjl0
Unhelpfully generous interpretation here by The Economist of the Larry Summers affair (see what I did there...)
He was trying to seduce a woman whom he was meant to be mentoring. Classic abuse of power. Exactly what MeToo was about. In contravention of clear rules in most universities & schools.
He was trying to seduce a woman whom he was meant to be mentoring. Classic abuse of power. Exactly what MeToo was about. In contravention of clear rules in most universities & schools.
November 25, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Unhelpfully generous interpretation here by The Economist of the Larry Summers affair (see what I did there...)
He was trying to seduce a woman whom he was meant to be mentoring. Classic abuse of power. Exactly what MeToo was about. In contravention of clear rules in most universities & schools.
He was trying to seduce a woman whom he was meant to be mentoring. Classic abuse of power. Exactly what MeToo was about. In contravention of clear rules in most universities & schools.
Hooray for conferences which are veggie by default.
Nobody *needs* to eat meat, and some people don't so meat-catering just creates avoidable waste:
Nobody *needs* to eat meat, and some people don't so meat-catering just creates avoidable waste:
November 24, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Hooray for conferences which are veggie by default.
Nobody *needs* to eat meat, and some people don't so meat-catering just creates avoidable waste:
Nobody *needs* to eat meat, and some people don't so meat-catering just creates avoidable waste:
This Sunday is Advent Sunday, the start of the C'mas season.
Reminder to choirs to please keep your concerts & services Rutter-free 👍and advertise them as such so that we know that we can attend safely, without risk of encountering any! 🙂
Thanks.
Reminder to choirs to please keep your concerts & services Rutter-free 👍and advertise them as such so that we know that we can attend safely, without risk of encountering any! 🙂
Thanks.
November 24, 2025 at 3:14 PM
This Sunday is Advent Sunday, the start of the C'mas season.
Reminder to choirs to please keep your concerts & services Rutter-free 👍and advertise them as such so that we know that we can attend safely, without risk of encountering any! 🙂
Thanks.
Reminder to choirs to please keep your concerts & services Rutter-free 👍and advertise them as such so that we know that we can attend safely, without risk of encountering any! 🙂
Thanks.
The Fdn Practice Rating's criteria include whether a fdn has a trustee recruitment policy. This little article is to clarify what we mean by that, and why 1-2 sentence statements in many Annual Reports don't suffice:
foundationpracticerating.org.uk/what-we-mean...
foundationpracticerating.org.uk/what-we-mean...
What we mean by ‘a Trustee recruitment policy’ - Foundation Practice Rating
Explaining the Foundation Practice Rating criterion about publishing a board member recruitment policy.
foundationpracticerating.org.uk
November 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The Fdn Practice Rating's criteria include whether a fdn has a trustee recruitment policy. This little article is to clarify what we mean by that, and why 1-2 sentence statements in many Annual Reports don't suffice:
foundationpracticerating.org.uk/what-we-mean...
foundationpracticerating.org.uk/what-we-mean...
Buying a gift hamper?
Amazing selection available from Marie Curie Cancer Care (of all people!)
shop.mariecurie.org.uk/collections/hampers
Amazing selection available from Marie Curie Cancer Care (of all people!)
shop.mariecurie.org.uk/collections/hampers
Hampers
We've sourced a selection of the UK’s finest food and drink gift hampers fit for a wide variety of occasions, like Christmas, birthdays or simply to say thank you. All hampers come with named day deli...
shop.mariecurie.org.uk
November 22, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Buying a gift hamper?
Amazing selection available from Marie Curie Cancer Care (of all people!)
shop.mariecurie.org.uk/collections/hampers
Amazing selection available from Marie Curie Cancer Care (of all people!)
shop.mariecurie.org.uk/collections/hampers
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
Planning to start your Christmas shopping this weekend?
I've got you covered with over 100 links to charities, museums and small businesses selling interesting things which will bring joy not landfill.
#GoodGifts
I've got you covered with over 100 links to charities, museums and small businesses selling interesting things which will bring joy not landfill.
#GoodGifts
Good Gifts 2025
Use your Secret Santa or present giving to support charities, museums and small businesses.
madlinblog.wordpress.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Planning to start your Christmas shopping this weekend?
I've got you covered with over 100 links to charities, museums and small businesses selling interesting things which will bring joy not landfill.
#GoodGifts
I've got you covered with over 100 links to charities, museums and small businesses selling interesting things which will bring joy not landfill.
#GoodGifts
Just heard my first Christmas carol this year!! 🥺
At least it was a pretty good one...
At least it was a pretty good one...
November 22, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Just heard my first Christmas carol this year!! 🥺
At least it was a pretty good one...
At least it was a pretty good one...
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
Newmarket MP Matt Hancock gave a £37bn Covid testing contract to Jockey Club director Dido Harding, who subcontracted it to Grand National sponsor Randox, employer of Tory MP Owen Paterson, whose late wife chaired Aintree racecourse. That's how the Tories handled the pandemic.
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Newmarket MP Matt Hancock gave a £37bn Covid testing contract to Jockey Club director Dido Harding, who subcontracted it to Grand National sponsor Randox, employer of Tory MP Owen Paterson, whose late wife chaired Aintree racecourse. That's how the Tories handled the pandemic.
Wow. Iran may have to move its capital because of water running out. Some areas of Tehran sink by 30cm per year(! - article also says 30cm/ day 🤔):
www.iranintl.com/en/202511209...
www.iranintl.com/en/202511209...
Iran president says capital move now a necessity as water crisis deepens
Iran’s capital must be moved because the country “no longer has a choice,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday in remarks carried by state media, warning that severe ecological strain has mad...
www.iranintl.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Wow. Iran may have to move its capital because of water running out. Some areas of Tehran sink by 30cm per year(! - article also says 30cm/ day 🤔):
www.iranintl.com/en/202511209...
www.iranintl.com/en/202511209...
Reposted by Caroline Fiennes
Boris Johnson’s lack of leadership over the seriousness of Covid led to the first lockdown being introduced too late, which contributed to the loss of 23,000 lives, the official inquiry into his handling of the pandemic has concluded
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Boris Johnson's lack of leadership blamed for 23,000 Covid deaths
A scathing report by inquiry chair Baroness Hallett also criticises the Department of Health, led by the current Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald and the then minister Matt Hancock
inews.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Boris Johnson’s lack of leadership over the seriousness of Covid led to the first lockdown being introduced too late, which contributed to the loss of 23,000 lives, the official inquiry into his handling of the pandemic has concluded
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
@petroc.bsky.social
Hello. I passed you in the street today, in the back end of Westminster, kind of between Smith Sq & the House of Lords, but it was too cold to stop & chat!
I hope that you had a good day 😊
Hello. I passed you in the street today, in the back end of Westminster, kind of between Smith Sq & the House of Lords, but it was too cold to stop & chat!
I hope that you had a good day 😊
November 20, 2025 at 7:21 PM
@petroc.bsky.social
Hello. I passed you in the street today, in the back end of Westminster, kind of between Smith Sq & the House of Lords, but it was too cold to stop & chat!
I hope that you had a good day 😊
Hello. I passed you in the street today, in the back end of Westminster, kind of between Smith Sq & the House of Lords, but it was too cold to stop & chat!
I hope that you had a good day 😊
Lesser known fact: crimes punishable by death in the UK until 1998 included (possibly) polluting the royal blood line, ie, sleeping with the queen or wife of her male heir. When it became thought that Diana had had an affair while married, someone raised the notion of death sentence for that guy(!)
Lesser known fact. The death penalty was still on the books in the U.K. until 1998, for treason though it hadn’t been used since 1946 for William Joyce who broadcast pro-Nazi radio programmes in WW2.
Insanity
November 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Lesser known fact: crimes punishable by death in the UK until 1998 included (possibly) polluting the royal blood line, ie, sleeping with the queen or wife of her male heir. When it became thought that Diana had had an affair while married, someone raised the notion of death sentence for that guy(!)
Maybe don't try to seduce someone you're meant to be mentoring.
Maybe don't maintain close correspondence with an *already convicted sex offender*.
Maybe don't ignore power imbalances.
Maybe don't be an a***.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Maybe don't maintain close correspondence with an *already convicted sex offender*.
Maybe don't ignore power imbalances.
Maybe don't be an a***.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
www.masslive.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Maybe don't try to seduce someone you're meant to be mentoring.
Maybe don't maintain close correspondence with an *already convicted sex offender*.
Maybe don't ignore power imbalances.
Maybe don't be an a***.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Maybe don't maintain close correspondence with an *already convicted sex offender*.
Maybe don't ignore power imbalances.
Maybe don't be an a***.
www.masslive.com/news/2025/11...
Yes! Few academics communicate in normal language ("natural language", you might say) so, without simultaneous translation, many are unintelligible to people outside their discipline (and also inside it?).
This may be partly intentional: hard to know.
This may be partly intentional: hard to know.
🌍 Have you experienced language barriers at academic conferences, or not at all?
📝 Take our short survey and help make conferences more inclusive and multilingual:
forms.gle/u8ESktcJP8Y6...
#DEI #JEDI #EDI #Academia #AcademicChatter
📝 Take our short survey and help make conferences more inclusive and multilingual:
forms.gle/u8ESktcJP8Y6...
#DEI #JEDI #EDI #Academia #AcademicChatter
November 19, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Yes! Few academics communicate in normal language ("natural language", you might say) so, without simultaneous translation, many are unintelligible to people outside their discipline (and also inside it?).
This may be partly intentional: hard to know.
This may be partly intentional: hard to know.