GIVING FOR CHANGE PROJECT (GfC)

The Giving for Change programme sets out a bold vision for transforming how “development is done” by focusing specifically on the recognition and importance of domestic resources in increasing local ownership, unlocking agency, and strengthening communities’ ability to claim entitlements from different actors, especially government.

The Giving for Change Project is implemented through an Alliance and covers eight countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. The project is over a 5year period and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. STAR-Ghana Foundation is the Anchor Institution for Ghana, with WACSI as a Strategic Partner.  

The project has a dual focus to promote;

1. Civic and civil society space and strengthen communities’ ability to claim rights and entitlements from different actors, particularly government.
2. Domestic resources, through philanthropy, including local giving for transformational social change.

Domains

The project has three components, also called domains.

Domain 1: Under this domain, we aim to support local communities and civic groups to promote inclusive and community-owned development through local philanthropy. The strategy involves forming local Communities of Practice (CoPs) to bring together a diverse range of Civil Society Actors (CSAs). The CoPs can be formed in a specific geographic area or around a specific issue or identity.

Domain 2: Here, we aim to influence national state and societal actors, including government, emerging philanthropists, and individual donors to support the development of community philanthropy by creating favorable conditions to promote the power of local philanthropic giving as a form and driver of social and systems change.

Domain 3: under this domain, we will build on learning at the international level, and grow a global movement of actors committed to supporting community philanthropy as a strategy for people-led development. This will seek to influence and partner with international development actors to appreciate, support, and promote the development of community philanthropy as a central pillar of broader efforts to shift power and resources closer to the ground.

CSSF Northern Ghana Project

The Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) in Northern Ghana project is a two-month pilot being implemented in the five Northern regions of Ghana with the objective of contributing to addressing the underlying causes of conflict, insecurity and underdevelopment in Northern Ghana. The purpose is to develop a Roadmap for coordinated advocacy on peace, security and stability in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West regions. To ensure local ownership for sustainability, the project is being implemented in partnership with the Northern Development Authority (NDA) and the Northern Development Forum (NDF).

Using its signature 3Cs (convening, catalysing, and coordinating) programming approach, the project will convene series of regional stakeholder dialogues to offer space for stakeholder reflections on the drivers of conflicts in Northern Ghana; and to catalyse and coordinate efforts at addressing the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity in Northern Ghana as part of a broad Roadmap. The Roadmap, an output of the regional and national dialogues is to lay a foundation for more holistic and inclusive actions on the identified drivers of conflict and offer recommendations for coordinated and complementary actions by state and non-state actors.

The CSSF Northern Ghana project is being implemented with a grant from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).