‘’We have to get out of the dynamic of having things done on our behalf. We need to pull together, ask what we can do collectively, what we should protect and what forms of government and leadership would move us from survival to collective wealth’’.
Mercy is an international development professional, passionate about social inclusion and the contribution of philanthropy towards this. She has over 10years experience in portfolio leadership, programme design and leadership, particularly in livelihoods and economic empowerment, social protection and development effectiveness having served in the not-for-profit international development space, private sector and consulting. Mercy has expertise in CSO/Nonprofit institutional strengthening, social impact strategy design and philanthropy advocacy. Her educational background includes International Relations and Development, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Africa Philanthropy Leadership.
When one thinks about philanthropy, the word charity often comes to mind. What’s the formal definition of philanthropy and what forms does it take?
Philanthropy is the generous act of giving for the good of other people. It can take the form of money, skills and/or expertise to help others improve their quality of life without expecting anything in return- a way of sharing success. Philanthropy can be individual giving or organizational and more direct compared to ODA (Official Development Assistance) for example which is government to government. I would add that there’s always a motivation behind philanthropic giving- sometimes it can be for tax relief, to have a certain type of impact, perhaps making up for a wrong done, or simply for the feel-good factor. Motivations can also include self-interest or self-actualization – legacy-building etc.
Philanthropy is taking on additional significance lately with the dwindling of funding from major donors. As a professional in this area, what are the considerations going through your mind regarding this situation?
There’s a lot going through my mind. An obvious one is the loss of jobs, livelihoods, the shock to the sector- such as some pregnant women losing access to pre- and post-natal care, critical programmes discontinuing. There’s also the impact on the economy. For example, here in Kenya certain areas were full of apartments rented by expatriates, some schools were 70% children of expatriates- all money that will no longer come into the economy. That said, this is also a wakeup call to a system of development that has been overdependent on external funding, such that we stopped being innovative and didn’t think enough about sustainable resourcing of our development. So, we have a catch 22 situation, where we are facing a crisis but we also could see this as an opportunity to pivot and start doing things differently; spend time to ask the right questions towards solutions that address how we can fund development through a more sustainable resourcing system. I am also reflecting on the need for us to not be just recipients of funding but be aware of the value we have and can share.
Africa is one of the hardest hit from the emerging funding crisis, but some would argue that Africa’s spirit of community is fertile ground for stronger philanthropy which should help address the current quandary? what are your thoughts?
Our sense of community is indeed an asset in terms of embodying philanthropy more fully. When such philanthropic funding is well organized, the money collected properly, used effectively within a strong system that has accountability and tracking, we would be able to do a lot with it. However, we need to discard the narrative of colonization and the historical wounds that come with an eagerness to take help that has left us dependent. We have to get out of the dynamic of having things done on our behalf. We need to pull together, ask what we can do collectively, what we should protect and what forms of government and leadership would move us from survival to collective wealth.
The World Giving Index 2023 shows Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria as some of the most generous in the word (ranked 3rd, 4th and 9th respectively globally) and yet these countries are going through tough times themselves. What is driving this level of philanthropy in Africa?
I would say the culture of giving and supporting community. A collective approach can do big things. Nigeria has a huge population; Liberia is still trying to find its feet after civil war and usually when it’s a matter of survival the choice is to go it alone of join forces; these countries I believe choose the latter. In the case of Kenya, recently young people came together to collectively impact policy. Tech is making a difference too. There’s a direct correlation between how much tech has been embraced and success from crowdfunding platforms including social media as these can be leveraged for people to pitch together to address funding challenges.
You once mentioned that donors ‘’buy into one’s vision not just one’s cause’’. What might an attractive vision to a donor look like?
I’d like to quote a certain funding expert who says one should be fundable and findable- meaning having a compelling vision and your work being known as well. An attractive vision would be one that is bigger than an individual or one entity, has a legacy it wants to achieve. For example, no organization can say it is going to solve a food security challenge in Africa. So, the vision must be clear on which piece of that problem and contribution to the whole it will make. For example, in education, would it be teaching training, student learning, integration of tech/STEM?
With what is seemingly a shifting world order, what would you say are key leadership competencies that would ensure that you, your leadership and your team rise to the occasion and do your best work going forward?
First is how to contain the crisis and what to do beyond that. A couple of things are important. Self-care- not as in a vacation but small regular intentional acts- my having at least 7 hours sleep, increasing water intake, making time to pray, all of which help me see things clearly, to be calm and stable. Demonstrating empathy with my team, so that they feel supported and remain productive is equally important. Other competencies are being decisive, taking time to consolidate ideas, giving yourself opportunity to respond effectively, clear, transparent and appropriate frequency communication. Last but not least is ongoing resilience, the ability to absorb immediate pressing pressures so that the system doesn’t collapse.
Some leaders believe that even the most wicked crisis has a silver lining. How do you typically identify opportunities in dire situations and more generally?
By being people-centred. Whenever I’ve had opportunity to put a team together, I look at technical competencies as well as the wider system they’ll be working in and what’s required. I think about- beyond the job, how do they handle conflict and crisis, do they have the ability to break down a problem analytically? I look for positivity as well as ability to exercise caution appropriately and signs of interpersonal leadership. In times of crisis, you need to decide who to bring into the room, be able to ask the right questions and not be quick to assume. I take the advice of going through 5 layers of questions to get to the bottom of an issue. This approach brings about different perspectives and alternatives to explore towards the ideal way forward or the silver lining. To repeat if I may, as Africa, there’s power in our rallying together, our realizing we have value and not self-colonise. Philanthropy has a role but the silver lining in the funding crisis we face now is the opportunity to decide not to go back to the overdependence that landed us here.
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