A New Philanthropic Model That Puts Trust in Local Changemakers
Created and managed by GEC, the Ally Funder Alliance (AFA) brings together a deliberately small group of like-minded funders to provide unrestricted funding and other assistance (what we like to call Allyship) to early-stage, promising, and locally-driven girl-centered organizations. Currently, during this pilot phase, the work is centered in Tanzania, east Africa.
Through collective action, the AFA leverages the contributions of its members, while providing catalytic support to local organizations. The AFA provides these Ally Organizations (AOs) the funding and other support they need to grow as they see best – with no strings attached.
In addition to unrestricted (and hopefully transformative) funding, GEC links arms in allyship by being a readily available advisor, network builder, and friend. Allyship activities are organic and evolving for each particular AO. We want to help AOs address their most pressing needs – or opportunities – in real-time. Therefore, we do not adhere to a prescribed program but take a responsive and flexible approach to best help meet their needs, being it pain points or windows of opportunity.
“You helped us tackle the challenges of prioritization, recognizing the importance of aligning efforts with available resources and community needs.” – Josephina D. Joachim, Founder and Treasurer of Solidarity for Her Education and Empowerment Organisation (SHEEO)
Supporting Early Stage, Under-Resourced Organizations Doing Transformational Work
In GEC’s experience working with the Immaculate Heart Sisters Africa (IHSA) to build and grow the Kitenga Girls Secondary School, we’ve become acutely aware of the number of small, community–based organizations that do transformational work, yet are too small, too remote, and too under–resourced to gain the attention and support of funders. As well, they are often cut off from opportunities that would help them ‘do good, better’, such as capacity training, learning how to budget and so forth. At the same time, there are more and more philanthropists seeking to support the local leader but often lack a pathway to do so. The AFA was launched to help address these gaps.
The AFA model seeks to identify, support, and partner with early-stage organizations doing girl-centered work, and to help them grow and thrive. There is no formal grant application system; the goal is to minimize bureaucracy and to maximize impact. We find these organizations when they reach out to us, by our staff scouring NGO lists, and through referrals.
“It was really hard to get people to trust us and invest in us, but when GEC’s Ally Funder Alliance showed up, it opened our doors to others” – William Johnson, Administrative and Finance Secretary, SHEEO Administrative and Finance Secretary, SHEEO
Testing the Model and Looking Towards the Future for Girls
Now in its pilot phase, the AFA is testing how best to implement this model. Currently using a three-year unrestricted funding framework coupled with allyship, the AFA will continuously assess the success of this approach in helping local changemakers gain access to resources and develop their capabilities. The goal is that they move from unseen to seen, from underserved to fully supported, from under-the-radar to leadership. We aim to help them accelerate their impact while firming up their foundations; because when it comes to the lives of millions of girls – there’s no time to lose.
Interested in becoming an AFA Member? Email us at hello@gec.ngo to learn more.