What’s better than bureaucracy?
Not all change starts with formal organisation. Sometimes it starts with a new generation taking the digital reins. In October 2020, Nigeria’s youth began an …
CommunityPhilanthropy
Who is funding the arts in the Global South?
There is something about this term “self-published” that downplays the local funding provided by communities in supporting the literary arts.
From Nepal to Nebraska: Rediscovering the power within communities
In today’s context, where international aid is shrinking and trust in global institutions like the UN and development agencies are declining, the need to reimagine development has become more important than ever.
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.
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.
Giving for Change: Insights from WACSI on Community Philanthropy and Civic Space in Ghana
Ghana, a Giving for Change country with a population of over 32 million, is the second most populous country in West Africa. Like many other …
#ShiftThePower without make-up
The 2024 Cazumbada* was a journey into brutal honesty. There was no staging. There was no show for donors or colleagues. There was no story-telling. …
A short film: The rise of local philanthropy
Shortly after the pandemic, film maker Josie Fomé travelled to Uganda to shoot a documentary on the organisation, No-White-Saviours. While there, a different, more complex …
How I lost my respect doing community-led work
I came into the development sector as a very passionate person. That passion drove my career from the “entry-level” to various senior roles. I rose to eventually manage one of the international organisations (INGO) as its Country Director. In this role, I was responsible for all country operations. The role came with many privileges and a lot of status. It gave me access to high-level meetings not only in Tanzania where I am based, but also at the international level. From this, I got a lot of respect, status, and access to a luxurious life.
Filantropia que transforma
Mesmo para os padrões de nosso mundo cada vez mais polarizado, a eleição presidencial de 2022 no Brasil foi particularmente tóxica. A campanha foi marcada por desinformação, assédio e violência.