I wrote a piece a few weeks ago, in my role as a non-profit Business Development Specialist, guiding organisations on alternative steps to US aid funding. This piece, however, is written byToni-Ann Robinson, a black woman born in post-colonial Jamaica, who was raised and moulded by all the socio-economic and political challenges that she is fighting to overcome. The message I would like to impart in this piece, to all NGOs around the world but particularly those with headquarters in Europe and North America, is that this is not about you. Quick disclaimer – the perspective in this piece alternates frequently. This is because I am both a direct recipient of the aid sector as well as a disburser of said aid.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk aare individuals with biased views, who seem unwilling to support the disadvantaged globally unless there is some personal gain involved. They cannot (or refuse to) understand or appreciate why there is even an international development aid sector to begin with and do not care about the implications of their decision to suddenly and drastically alter the sector. But amidst the fallout from this ‘shift’ in American ‘foreign policy’ and NGOs are scrambling to find alternative sources of funding, I would like to reiterate again that this is not about you. There are millions of persons all over the world who will suffer and die as a result, and that is a logical step in this dual Musk and Trump presidency, as they believe that those that can not pull up their own bootstraps, must suffer the consequences. This is a stereotype that myself and others in the ‘Global South’ have had to contend with for at least 5 centuries.
I have always posed this question – what were the reasons that got you in the development sector to begin with? This question should guide every facet of our activities and the level of support that we, as development practitioners, deliver. I know my why – growing up in communities where my family and my neighbours struggled with poverty, systemic oppression and lack of education for no other reason than being born black in a colonial society. I saw my cousin working in the same field and realised there was a way to channel my hopes and aspirations into a career. No matter your why, the persons who continue to face these challenges should be at the forefront of your agenda and under no circumstances should you abandon them to comply with the directives of two megalomaniac bullies. The stories of our lives have always been how to circumvent (usually) government enacted laws that compound our struggles and challenges. Now it’s the development sector’s turn – are you with us in the struggle or not? Are you ready to share power and decision making so we can work towards a common goal?
The long and short of it is that under no circumstances will working in this development world, with significantly reduced funding, be easy. If we are to be accountable to the people and the communities we have partnered with, this will be a long hard road. A battle of good vs evil, if you will. The communities and people we work for can be a model on how best to do this, working with what little we have, making it stretch and still be as impactful as possible. This means using funds to move beyond the often ‘superficial’ nature of the support we provide, tackling real societal issues. This also means bold and brave discussions with current donors on the importance for flexibility. Using other pieces written by my colleagues, Chris and Betigül, there are several options out there for how NGOs can fund their operations. I would urge you to take the necessary steps to become adept at most, if not all of these new methods of financing. Casting a wide net will be the best option for NGOs moving forward, preventing organisational collapse when one or two donors decide they are no longer interested in funding social impact work. As in all battles, there will be triumphs and losses; the latter may involve organisation downsizing, reduced work opportunities and a myriad of other challenges. This will be unfortunate but we should never allow our ‘why’ to be compromised.
I love Kendrick Lamar and have watched his recent Superbowl Halftime performance six times since February. The messaging in the performance, the resilience, the celebration of Black American culture and the defiance to do in front of an audience and President that wants to silence and disenfranchise while simultaneously erasing their history is aspirational. I think there is a message there for all us in social impact work – be loud and proud but most importantly – fight back. Fighting back involves signalling to the White House and other institutional donors that even when the sector’s funding shrinks, sustainable impact will be achieved by any means necessary. Fighting back includes not scrapping your principles and repealing DEIA initiatives and wording to make sure funding is secured. Fighting back is accepting that there may be life-changing consequences to prioritising certain groups but understanding that being on the right side of history is vastly more important. Fighting back is having the courage, even when you’re fearful of what’s to come.
I view this period as an opportunity. It’s a time for us to re-evaluate what’s working or not working in our sector. It’s a chance for us to concentrate on the greatest needs across our partner communities and use the limited resources we have to address these. It’s time for us to put our money and efforts where our mouths have always been, appreciating and positively altering the partnerships we have to work towards a mutual goal. If aid is ‘ending’, it should end on our terms. It should end only when each person, community and country has been given the autonomy and opportunity to change their lives for the better. The most positive aspects of our world today come directly from those brave and hopeful individuals who wanted to create a better tomorrow. As cliché as it sounds, we have to become the heroes we need. Should this piece resonate with your interest and struggle, please feel free to get in touch with me at toniann@mzninternational. Sharing is caring. Don’t forget to head over to the share bottom below.
