Giving Compass' Take:
- The Charities Aid Foundation explains the importance of trust-based philanthropy and flexible funding to support global reproductive justice.
- How can you apply the principles of trust-based philanthropy and flexible funding to your philanthropic efforts as a donor?
- Learn more about improving nonprofit leadership and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits in your area.
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Every year in sub-Saharan Africa, up to four million teenage girls drop out of school due to unintended pregnancy. With access to contraception and abortion care, these young people could have the choice to avoid pregnancy and finish their education. Reproductive choice supports women to pursue their careers and achieve financial independence too. And as women’s equal participation in the economy has the potential to boost global GDP by $28 trillion, that benefits everyone. One CAF client, a family foundation, was drawn to providing flexible funding to MSI Reproductive Choice to increase the significant impact its programs are having on the lives of the world’s poorest and most marginalized women and girls.
Providing Flexible Funding for Global Reproductive Justice
Demonstrating their commitment to trust-based philanthropy, the client provided MSI with flexible funding, giving the charity the autonomy to invest in outreach teams globally.
While MSI is a UK charity, the charity provides sexual and reproductive healthcare in 36 countries, supporting 200 million women and girls to decide their own futures through access to reproductive healthcare including contraception and abortion.
CAF’s expertise in cross-border giving and thorough verification processes ensured the client had a safe, simple way to donate and the reassurance that their money was reaching MSI’s frontline teams, despite their often-remote locations. Due to the flexible nature of the funding, the complexities of the international elements of the project were also more pertinent, since grants were made before knowing where the money would ultimately be distributed.
The client committed a total of $15 million of flexible funding over three years, enabling MSI to deliver more than 2.6 million reproductive healthcare services across 10 countries in Africa and Asia. MSI estimates that these services led to over £177.6 million in direct healthcare savings, in countries with limited resources.
The flexible funding also allowed MSI to advocate for the removal of laws and policies that restrict women’s access to healthcare – in 2023, MSI contributed to 13 high-impact changes in policy, law, regulation, or financing. This includes Tanzania, where they advocated for access to long-acting contraceptive methods and Zambia, where they campaigned for reproductive healthcare that’s inclusive of people with disabilities.
Read the full article about trust-based philanthropy at Charities Aid Foundation.