This is a recap from Global Washington’s Goalmakers Annual Conference 2023. Read another recap from the event: Funders: Center Community Voices in Development to Make an Impact. 

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At Goalmakers Annual Conference 2023, Fatema Sumar Executive Director, Center for International Development Harvard University moderated the Plenary Panel on The Changing Role of Funders. Speakers included Obed Kabanda, Senior Director of Global Partnerships, Global Innovations & Accountability Lead at the Global Fund for Women; Aisha Jumaan, President of the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation; and Mirte Postema, Senior Program Officer at the Seattle International Foundation. 

This panel discussed the trends that leaders in global development aid are seeing and what funding mechanisms are changing in this landscape to improve global aid.  

Here are key insights and takeaways from the discussion.

Taking A Community-centered Approach to Development Aid

Building upon community knowledge and centering those voices can help advance development aid work and transform the way funders approach this work. Jumaan shared, “... our work was always in coordination with the communities where we serve. It was important for us to understand the local needs. This involved listening to local voices and incorporating their perspectives into our initiative. This provided us with more relevant and effective projects because those came from the community.”  

Advocating for local communities through their own voices can help drive powerful advocacy work and build connections with local leadership to leverage their knowledge.

Panelists also discussed how trust-based philanthropy practices can help develop the lens through which funders can spark community-based action and intention. Postema points out that these principles can allow improved listening to local voices and help instill trust in communities: “People are more effective when they have a much more open relationship and feel more supported”.

‘Flipping the Script’ on Traditional Funding and Philanthropy to Reimagine Power

Funders are starting to ‘flip the script’, meaning they are reimagining what power-building and power-sharing look like in development work. This reimagination will help to build systemic change and advance development and humanitarian aid. Kabanda discussed the philosophy that urges funders to invest in movements, rather than just organizations. This huge shift is guided by grassroots organizations and listening to their words. “When grassroots organizations work together, partners share lessons, expertise and co-create programs that suit everyone’s needs”, says Kabanda. 

Power can also come from local mobilization efforts to engage public support through grassroots advocacy efforts. Jumaan shares, “I think [funders] need to recognize that in our work, we need to have a holistic approach. As much as they want to support emergency relief, they also need to fund advocacy work, because that really is what's going to help in a crisis and advance a value for long-term commitment”. 

Lastly, Sumar added, “When we think about the localization agenda, it's not enough to just transform or transfer power or to give more voice. In fact, what we're looking for is to really flip the entire script and think completely differently about our approach, our starting point, our intermediary points of our power in the ecosystem, and then what those end results can look like”.