With the pandemic causing major upheaval, we’ve found ourselves revisiting the status quo of our lives, our organisations and our systems. This is also the case for global philanthropy which has met the crisis with resources as well as responsibility. While “traditional” philanthropies of American and European origin showed their ability to respond flexibly and collaboratively, what was the stance of `emerging’ philanthropies, in particular those of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa?