A dialogue between Global South sector leaders and their allies in the Global North.
SPEAKERS
Moderator – Clare Woodcraft, Executive Director for the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy & Kamal Munir, Pro Vice-Chancellor & Academic Director at the University of Cambridge
• Moukhtar Kocache – Civil Society and Philanthropist Consultant and Advisor, RAWA: Creative Palestinian Communities Fund
• Chilande Kuloba-Warria – Founder and Managing Director, Warande Advisory Centre
• Kennedy Odede, President and CEO, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO)
• Selina Sumbung, CEO Save the Children Indonesia
The COVID-19 crisis has engendered simpler, faster and less complex application processes that have rapidly freed up flexible funding where previously it was likely earmarked and conditional. This is a welcome development and something that many in the sector have long advocated since it supports and builds institutional capacity, most notably in the Global South.
However, despite this pandemic-induced flexibility, the ‘holy grail’ of philanthropic finance – systematically unrestricted and flexible grants – still seems a long way off due to ongoing aversion to funding ‘overhead costs’. The idea that unconditional financing for core operations is somehow less effective or less important than direct programme funding is a pernicious myth.
A recent Laudes Foundation-commissioned Intrac report notes that “core grants are an increasingly important way of working for many donors” but that “a major source of resistance is the tendency of donors to impose their own vision.” They argue that the case for core grants is strong if donors want to drive real change and maximize impact. This session will explore why restricted giving persists despite growing evidence that it can reduce impact.