Officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the European Commission say they are planning to propose policy changes that would lift obstacles for working with local philanthropies abroad, which they say could be critical to delivering aid more quickly and effectively to target communities globally.
In recent years, donor countries have been pressured by civil society groups to take a more localized approach to humanitarian assistance and to work with a greater diversity of actors in-country.
The European Union is “investing heavily” in aid localization and sees the expansion of the donor base — including local philanthropy — as imperative for relief actions and social welfare activities, according to Martin Seychell, deputy director-general of international partnerships at the European Commission.