I know firsthand the transformative power of networks for local nonprofits. My wife, Daphine Namara, and I are both nonprofit leaders from Uganda, driven by a shared passion to make a difference in our communities. Yet our journeys couldn’t be more different.

Daphine, a medical doctor and health care entrepreneur, runs a community clinic for low-income and elderly patients without insurance in rural Uganda. Despite collaborations with influential institutions, her enterprise struggles to secure the resources needed to expand. These collaborations, while valuable, are often temporary and don’t provide sustained support for long-term growth.

My experience diverges from hers in many ways. Through networks developed and supported by organizations such as Acumen, the Aspen Institute, and Teach for All, I’ve accessed not just funding but also training, mentorship, and lifelong relationships that have accelerated my reach and impact in the nonprofit world. The difference? Not talent or dedication but an introduction to networks that share ideas, facilitate learning, and open doors to opportunity.

My journey began in rural southwestern Uganda, where, by age 10, I had lost most of my family to AIDS and other preventable diseases. At 11, I was on the verge of dropping out of school to join one of many rebel groups in Uganda. My prospects were grim.

But through an unlikely series of events and supportive networks, including my church, I secured a high school scholarship and eventually sponsorship by an American family for a college education in the United States. Today, the organization I co-founded, Teach for Uganda, has helped nearly 75,000 students attain literacy, numeracy, and digital skills and developed more than 500 young leaders in some of Uganda’s most underserved communities. Several now lead their own educational programs or work on major global projects.

None of that would have been possible without the help of networks for local nonprofits — individuals and organizations working together to solve a problem by sharing knowledge, skills, and resources.

Read the full article about networks for local nonprofits by Kassaga James Arinaitwe at Chronicle of Philanthropy.