Government Partnerships & Engagement

This book offers three case studies on how Atlantic advanced opportunity, dignity and equity for people around the world by engaging and partnering with government.

In an effort to inform the growing dialogue on school discipline, this report examines trends in suspensions in New York City over an 11-year period (2006-07 to 2016-17) for middle school and high school students. The report reveals that while suspensions on the whole fluctuated,…

In 2007, a life-saving law in Viet Nam mandated that people riding motorbikes wear helmets. The result was a significant decrease in serious head injuries and road traffic deaths. This report provides an update to the 2010 report on the results of the helmet law, and…

This study shows how philanthropy, civil society organizations and government can work together to effectively build capacity and enhance policy and service delivery. It also offers lessons for philanthropies and government drawn from the successes and failures of Atlantic’s and the Irish Government’s co-investments. Authors Richard…

This report summarizes a roundtable held in April 2017 in Ireland to discuss how government and philanthropy can work together effectively. The discussions drew on lessons Atlantic and the Irish government learned from working together for more than a decade, starting in 2003. Over the…

Over the course of its history, Atlantic frequently engaged with national and local governments around the world on efforts to improve public systems, services, policies and practices that affect the life outcomes of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Roles of Engagement summarizes and analyzes the different strategies and…

Recent years have seen both a greater willingness and more opportunities for philanthropy and government to engage with each other to achieve common goals. Reflections on Engagement presents lessons from Atlantic’s experiences engaging with governments in Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa,…

Atlantic’s work in the Republic of Ireland between 2003-2014 positively contributed to the development of government policy and practice, especially in the areas of service delivery for children and older adults, according to a study by the Institute of Public Administration. Researchers say Atlantic had…

In "Partnership With Government: An Exit Strategy for Philanthropies?" co-authors Colin Knox and Padraic Quirk share a case study of Atlantic's work in Northern Ireland, where it supported three thematic intervention areas: aging; children and young people; and reconciliation and human rights. Part of Atlantic's exit strategy has…

This Innovation Network report examines the impact and shares lessons from Atlantic’s $70.3 million effort between 2004 and 2014 to reform the U.S. immigration system. Among the topics covered: How the campaign unified multiple advocates behind an agenda focused on comprehensive federal reform. The trade-offs…

In funding advocacy, foundations sometimes confront questions such as What’s a promising strategic focus?, How to integrate grassroots and grasstops advocacy?, or How to empower advocates in planning and funding decisions? Over the course of a 10-year effort to comprehensively reform the U.S. immigration system, Atlantic faced similar choices. The decisions it…

Over the course of the 1990s and continuing through 2007, Ireland experienced a substantial increase in migration. The large influx of people from other countries seeking a better life placed pressures on the existing legislative framework that regulated the rights of migrants. It also put…

The Atlantic Philanthropies’ Children & Youth Programme in Ireland and Northern Ireland has been a catalyst for change in encouraging government investment in evidence-based prevention and early intervention programmes, according to this evaluation commissioned by Atlantic. In June 2009, The Atlantic Philanthropies published an evaluation…

[caption id="attachment_80157" align="alignright" width="405"] Helping foundations be more aggressive and adaptive in their support for advocacy and policy change. Learn more >[/caption] Foundations and advocates can no longer rely on the same old approaches to be effective when it comes to policy change. Progress is…

An assessment conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) of Northern Ireland’s public reform agenda credits the Atlantic Philanthropies with helping the government in its ongoing efforts to to transform and reform its public services to better meet the needs of its citizens.…

This case study describes how the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), a small organization with limited resources, successfully implemented an advocacy strategy that led the Irish government to take steps to improve conditions and reduce overcrowding in the country’s prisons. Before IPRT began its advocacy…

Atlantic’s efforts to improve public health and primary health care in Viet Nam are benefiting the country’s 80 million people, according to this new report.  The scope of work has resulted in replicable models of care in urban centres and rural provinces. While less than…

Anyone concerned about how the futures of millions of children are jeopardized because of discipline practices that unfairly exclude students from U.S. public schools will be heartened by this story about how transformative change can happen. It’s a story of how students and parents, civil…

This report finds that the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions was pivotal in stimulating the development of research performance in universities across the Republic of Ireland. Authors of the study note that the programme put in place research infrastructure, built basic research capability and drove a…

This study examines Atlantic’s investments in the Republic of Ireland to improve dementia care, boost research and encourage changes in policy, and how these efforts have impacted the lives of people with dementia and their families. The study focuses on investments—made between 2011 and 2015—to provide support…

Between  2009 and 2016, Atlantic invested $47 million in efforts aimed at ending unfair and excessively punitive discipline policies in U.S. schools that put many students—especially children of color— at risk of ending up on a pathway to prison. Atlantic focused its efforts on raising awareness of the problem of…

For more than a decade, the Atlantic Philanthropies, sometimes in conjunction with Government and other organisations, has invested over €127 million/£105 million in 30 partner agencies and community groups running 52 prevention and early intervention services and programmes across the island of Ireland. This document…

This case study describes a co-operation between The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Irish Government aimed at strengthening the capacity of Irish universities to undertake basic research of international quality.

This report, produced by the Social Science Research Council, covers the history and lessons from an eight-year effort that resulted in a national law mandating helmet use by motorcycle riders. Results showed decreases in serious head injuries and road traffic deaths. The research provides a…

When Atlantic began its human rights work in Ireland in 2004, it faced strong resistance at the governmental and judicial levels to the idea of setting down such rights in legislation. Still, the foundation saw signs that suggested that the right kinds of investments —…

This report analyzes 25 of Atlantic’s “big bet” grants—those over $10 million or more to a single organization or focused initiative—and highlights impact and lessons. The report also discusses what worked and some of the challenges the foundation, its grantees and partners faced. Atlantic President…