(highlight:: Funding Systems Change Requires More Flexible, Longer-Term, and Less Restrictive Funders
Transcript:
Speaker 1
So to fund systems change requires philanthropists or foundations to fundamentally be willing to give up control up to a certain point, right? Everything we know from speaking to multiple social entrepreneurs in the world is that not everybody's working on a systems change approach. What do we mean by a systems change approach? It's roughly three things, and we have a full definition in our handbook. But essentially, it's shifting a part of the system, be it the institutions, the relationships, the functions, the incentives of norms, so that the system functions at a better equilibrium That benefits a large number of people. So it's this step change that we're looking for. It's also a matter of scale. So we are particularly interested in systems change that can benefit millions. In theory, you could have systems change that does not reach a significant scale, but that's a very theoretical construct. For us, it is really about reaching millions of people. And the third element is that it has to be meaningful and sustained improvements over time. And for us, the best use of philanthropy at that level is supporting solutions that are either going to be adopted by government in the country or in the state in which we're supporting The work, or where there is a viable commercial solution so that the funding from philanthropy can be given to help to really change the system and make things sustainable in the longer Term. That's what we mean by system change. And in order to fund systems change, funders, number one, need to trust the program partners, as we call the organizations and the leaders that we give grants to, and really agree on What the ultimate outcomes are, but understand that even with the best strategies, all we know from social entrepreneurs that have done this in the past is that their ability to pivot And to change along the way is incredibly important. So it's a different type of funding in the sense that it has to be more flexible, more long-term, and also a lot less restrictive, and really is much more of a partnership with the organizations That are really implementing the work and that have the the lived experience and the understanding of the context in which they're operating to be able to change their own systems.)
- Time 0:09:52
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(highlight:: The Importance of "Strategic Coherence" in Your Systems Change Pitch
Transcript:
Speaker 1
So one of the things we also speak about in our handbook is the ability of program partners or social change leaders to develop their own strategic coherence, right? In many cases, social change leaders, social entrepreneurs are essentially running after disparate bits and pieces of funding from different funders, and they spend a lot of their Time fundraising so they can support their work for the next year, and they don't have the space to say, well, let's take a step back, and you know, how would we actually change the system And make it sustainable in the long term, right? And, you know, it's easier said than done, but we believe that that social change leaders actually need to invest some time and effort in developing this bigger vision of what they can Achieve in a systems change approach, and then, you know, convincing the funders that what they should do is actually support this overall strategic plan that is coherent in and of Itself, and that is based on the best experience of the social entrepreneurs of affecting change in their own context, rather than giving bits and pieces of funding that sometimes Do not add up for some significant changes.)
- Time 0:13:58
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(highlight:: Funding Systems Change Requires More Flexible, Longer-Term, and Less Restrictive Funders
Transcript:
Speaker 1
So to fund systems change requires philanthropists or foundations to fundamentally be willing to give up control up to a certain point, right? Everything we know from speaking to multiple social entrepreneurs in the world is that not everybody's working on a systems change approach. What do we mean by a systems change approach? It's roughly three things, and we have a full definition in our handbook. But essentially, it's shifting a part of the system, be it the institutions, the relationships, the functions, the incentives of norms, so that the system functions at a better equilibrium That benefits a large number of people. So it's this step change that we're looking for. It's also a matter of scale. So we are particularly interested in systems change that can benefit millions. In theory, you could have systems change that does not reach a significant scale, but that's a very theoretical construct. For us, it is really about reaching millions of people. And the third element is that it has to be meaningful and sustained improvements over time. And for us, the best use of philanthropy at that level is supporting solutions that are either going to be adopted by government in the country or in the state in which we're supporting The work, or where there is a viable commercial solution so that the funding from philanthropy can be given to help to really change the system and make things sustainable in the longer Term. That's what we mean by system change. And in order to fund systems change, funders, number one, need to trust the program partners, as we call the organizations and the leaders that we give grants to, and really agree on What the ultimate outcomes are, but understand that even with the best strategies, all we know from social entrepreneurs that have done this in the past is that their ability to pivot And to change along the way is incredibly important. So it's a different type of funding in the sense that it has to be more flexible, more long-term, and also a lot less restrictive, and really is much more of a partnership with the organizations That are really implementing the work and that have the the lived experience and the understanding of the context in which they're operating to be able to change their own systems.)
- Time 0:09:52
-

(highlight:: The Importance of "Strategic Coherence" in Your Systems Change Pitch
Transcript:
Speaker 1
So one of the things we also speak about in our handbook is the ability of program partners or social change leaders to develop their own strategic coherence, right? In many cases, social change leaders, social entrepreneurs are essentially running after disparate bits and pieces of funding from different funders, and they spend a lot of their Time fundraising so they can support their work for the next year, and they don't have the space to say, well, let's take a step back, and you know, how would we actually change the system And make it sustainable in the long term, right? And, you know, it's easier said than done, but we believe that that social change leaders actually need to invest some time and effort in developing this bigger vision of what they can Achieve in a systems change approach, and then, you know, convincing the funders that what they should do is actually support this overall strategic plan that is coherent in and of Itself, and that is based on the best experience of the social entrepreneurs of affecting change in their own context, rather than giving bits and pieces of funding that sometimes Do not add up for some significant changes.)
- Time 0:13:58
-