The balancing act of being “More than just a Grantmaker”
At NTT, we have always wanted to set ourselves apart from the western INGO model of grantmaking.
Colouring outside the colouring book: Seeing all the colours in enablement. Part 2
A funder recently told me how they do not work on ”identity politics.” I was confused by this because we both acknowledged that civil society …
To be effective or neutral?
This article is not an emotional claim, but a justified attempt to stop the systemic harm that occurs under the guise of ‘aid.’
Numbers or meanings? How the logic of measuring results in donor relations is changing
How does measurement for local donors differ from measurement for institutional (international) donors? In other words, what do international donors value in your data, and what do local donors value?
Resource on the decline: How will NGOs deliver on their mission priorities?
We witnessed similar abandonment not long ago. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the West went into an overdrive of selfishness and decided to starve the Global South of vaccines. They forget one thing: when we are not safe, they are not safe. Well, the pandemic is over, and we are here. The development aid cut is no different from the vaccine apartheid we witnessed during the pandemic days.
Pull together and pool together
In these challenging times, we need these home-grown, home-owned initiatives focused on fostering both financial support and solidarity. In my opinion, and guided by the wisdom of our ancestors, both are essential.
Light in times of darkness: Community philanthropy offers a way forward
The reliance – even dependency – of large sections of southern civil society on international donor funding has long been an uncomfortable truth in our sector. A truth that has been easy to bat away, a can kicked down the road, tomorrow’s business. All of it perilously resting on the assumption of the current funding paradigm.
Colouring outside the colouring book: Seeking out the alternative systems for movement organizing. Part 1
No one ever claims to hold power within philanthropy. I have met countless people who are well paid, who hold positions of power and/or are backed by endowments. Many of these always refer to another unknown power. From directors to project officers, trustees to backdoor funders; all of them referred to some other power over and above them. This is how systems work. They lie in nuance and ambiguity whilst explicit through tools and controls. Invisible, but always void of any of the accountability it demands of others. When it dies, it tends to implode in and of itself, rather than be dismantled externally.
Rethinking the logframe: A reflection on power, purpose, and measurement
It’s striking how enduring the logframe has been. Perhaps because many organisations were smaller and more centralised then, adoption was easier. Or perhaps once embedded in donor systems, it was too difficult to dislodge. It often feels like an attempt to nail spaghetti to a wall — to force complex, relational, adaptive work into a linear accountability framework.
Philanthropy didn’t understand what it was trying to fix
Here’s what I’ve observed: the things we try to reform are rarely the ones that matter most. Reform tends to fixate on what can be measured, managed, and credited—where reformers still believe control is within reach—while quietly avoiding what they don’t understand, where control is harder to find. And nothing, I’d argue, is more misunderstood—or more resistant to control—than the gift.