By Oli Sparkes
Comm Intern, MzN International
Change is often uncomfortable, even scary. Yet to embrace change is the most valuable lesson I have learned during my six months at MzN International. Here, I have witnessed how colleagues have not avoided change, but have instead treated it as an opportunity to do good, better. I have experienced three major changes during my time at MzN, all providing an excellent illustration of this.
The first major change was sparked by President Trump’s executive order to freeze USAID for 90 days. This created unprecedented uncertainty for NGOs, with many facing unsustainable funding gaps. I witnessed this whilst writing funding newsletters for a client, noticing that with every newsletter I produced, it became increasingly difficult to find new grants. Yet despite headlines predicting ‘The End of the Age of NGOs?’[1] I witnessed the opposite, a remarkable surge of resilience and innovation. With foreign aid marginalised, NGOs pivoted towards new avenues to fund their impactful work including blended finance, a term previously unfamiliar to me. The sector’s adaptability and resilience inspired the rebrand of MzN’s podcast, a project in which I have been heavily involved. With the first episode releasing in a couple of weeks, Impactcast explores the innovators who have embraced change and are delivering a positive impact in bold new ways. Speaking to our inspiring guests reinforced my belief that change can bring exciting new opportunities, and even better outcomes.
Reflecting the sector’s pivot to blended finance, the second major change took place five weeks into my internship, when MzN acquired KOIS Advisory, – a leader in impact finance – to create a new firm: Human Planet. No sooner had I learned all my colleagues’ names, I suddenly had to learn a whole bunch more; and not just names but also a whole new set of terms, methods and approaches. It has been fascinating to see the scope of our work evolving before my eyes, presenting me with an unforeseen glimpse into more unconventional methods of delivering impact and giving me the opportunity to work on projects outside traditional nonprofit work.
The final and most profound change was, as it is in so many sectors, AI. During the second half of my internship, I began working on MzN’s boldest venture yet: AI for NGOs. Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm over the past three years, but it has been noticeably absent from the nonprofit sector. With AI for NGOs, MzN embraced this change, realising the unprecedented benefits AI can bring. Resources that were previously only available to the biggest NGOs can now be accessed by organisations of any size, democratising access to resources and knowledge in a way that had previously been impossible. To be working on such a cutting edge programme was wholly unexpected and, for me, yet another example of how change can bring new and exciting opportunities.
I leave MzN International with immense gratitude to the whole team for taking me under their wing, teaching me new skills, and guiding me throughout my journey. I want to particularly thank Chris for providing me with such an enriching and diverse experience, and Betigul, Nicole, and Jon for going above and beyond to make me feel a valued member of the team.
Trump’s executive order, the adoption of blended finance and artificial intelligence has created a nonprofit sector that already seems more resilient and efficient than even six months ago. I am inspired by this and I end this internship not fearful of change but confident in embracing it to do good, better.
