From boardrooms to rural program sites, funders are having important conversations about shifting more power and resources to local institutions.
There are varied ways to make such shifts. One clear and essential entry point is to free ourselves from the constraints of short-term funding. A long-term model offers a promising pathway to transferring power and fostering enduring resilience.
At a time when the world seems so uncertain, when funders and grantees require almost superhuman agility, it may seem counterintuitive to think long term. After all, funders don’t like to have our hands tied — it seems too risky. Yet by investing in locally driven NGOs run by visionary leaders who understand their communities and are committed to learning, taking the long view will yield dividends. Chief among these: Local organizations will be less subject to the whipping winds of philanthropic trends or undue stress about the next grant, and better able to plan and grow.
About the author
Cynthia Steele
Cynthia Steele is the president and CEO of EMpower — The Emerging Markets Foundation. She has more than three decades of experience in global health, development, and gender, and is a passionate advocate and funder of girls' and women's rights. She is a connector of smart people and innovative ideas.
