In the early days of the Global Philanthropy Forum, a strong belief guided Jane Wales, its president and chief executive, as she developed the conferences and workshops offered by the US-based organisation. “It’s like doing exercise,” she says. “You are much more likely to stay with something if you have a community of colleagues with which to pursue that work.”

It is a phenomenon that is a powerful driving force behind the popularity of the educational programmes, conferences and workshops now available to philanthropists. For while participants get a chance to learn best practices and management techniques from experienced philanthropists, an equally appealing reason for taking the courses is being able to tap into a network of like-minded peers.