Abstract
This article is based on the premise that local communities’ engagement in development processes is a key factor to increase the chances of long lasting success. In this context, we present community philanthropy as a viable strategy for international development organizations to engage civil society in the advancement and sustainability of development goals. To this end, we (a.) draw on the available international development and community philanthropy literature to establish background information and examine what makes collaboration feasible, (b.) present three cases of collaboration between community philanthropy and international development organizations, and (c.) conclude with lessons learned and recommendations. Real-life examples demonstrate that there is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach, but rather a set of good practices that can be established.
Highlights
The idea of development is relatively new, dating back to the 1940s, and has traditionally been connected to governments as donors, as well as to international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which implement development projects1
In 1995, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided funding for the Democracy Network Project (DemNet) in Poland – a three-year project run by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), and aimed at developing “a new generation of sustainable public advocacy NGOs active in democracy, environment, social services, and enterprise development, and capable of participating in local governance” (Academy for Educational Development, 1998, p. 01).Even though the project’s implementation was hampered by bureaucratic practices (Carothers and Ottaway, 2000, pp. 202-203),it was successful in strengthening local capacity
Concluding remarks This article set out to demonstrate that collaboration with CPOs is a viable strategy for international development organizations to engage civil society in the advancement and sustainability of development goals
Summary
The idea of development is relatively new, dating back to the 1940s, and has traditionally been connected to governments as donors, as well as to international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which implement development projects. By strengthening and engaging communities, international organizations and aid agencies can optimize their programs and address development issues through an inclusive and sustainable process. The environment created by such attitudes and practices is hardly conducive to a relationship based on trust, where local communities have ownership of development processes Despite those issues, beneficiaries still think international aid contributes to local development. ICOM provides donors with information that feeds into a broader view of the issues faced in the city, improving their decision-making process when choosing causes to support These examples show that the value of community philanthropy goes beyond providing financial resources, it includes being community leaders, assessing community needs and assets, and sharing information. The fact that CPOs are embedded in local communities and have a long-term view of the community development process puts them in a good position to partner with international aid agencies. The examples show what we can learn from past experiences to develop a consistent strategy for partnerships between community philanthropy and international development organizations
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