The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in partnership with Innovation for Change (I4C) Hub Afrique, will organize a Shared Learning Convening on Alternative Funding Models for Civil Society Organisations in Acccra.
The event which will begin from November 26 and ends on November 28, 2018, will provide a platform for twenty-five (25) civil society activists across the world to share their experiences on their non-traditional responses to resourcing their initiatives and organisations.
Participants from Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia would also be represented to present their perspectives and enrich the discussions.
A key outcome of the convening will be the creation of a guidebook on perspectives and best practices regarding alternative funding models.
The convening, according to a press release will also provide an opportunity for activists to share their approaches, challenges, milestones, gaps, and make recommendations.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) have become a vital force representing citizens’ interests and aspirations in Africa. The societal impact of the actions of these diverse, formal and informal groupings can no more be ignored.
Despite their growth and importance, the sector’s operations and activities heavily depend on external funding from the Global North. This funding generally emanates from development partners, foundations and philanthropists.
However, in recent years the development landscape has changed, and the priorities of donors are shifting to more domestic issues key to the wellbeing of their own communities. This has led to a continuous and substantial reduction of external donor funding. Many donors are now reconsidering their nature of involvement in certain regions of the world including Africa and are significantly reducing their resource contributions.
As a consequence, the existence and viability of CSOs in Africa is being threatened. These developments have renewed interest in discourse around resourcing and financial sustainability of CSOs on the continent. It has become imperative for CSOs to position themselves to respond to this reality through adaptation, experimentation and exploitation of alternative funding approaches and models.
Source: PROSPER AGBENYEGA/GHANAIAN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER