“Promoting self-sufficiency in communities and organizations by mobilizing support and local resources for sustainable change.” This was the mission agreed at the annual “Directors Meet” which brought together 50 representatives of 17 countries, members of the “Change the Game Academy” Alliance. Between 29 February and 7 March, the Wilde Ganzen Foundation brought together members in the city of Dhulikhel in Nepal, near the majestic Himalayan mountain range. The 2024 meeting represented a significant landmark for the alliance, by bringing brought together a range of organizations from different countries, in search of shared action to create positive changes in their regions by strengthening communities and local organizations.
The members of the “Change the Game Academy” Alliance are: the Wilde Ganzen Foundation (Holland), the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF/Kenya), the Smile Foundation (India), the Institute for Monitoring and Evaluation (TIME /Siri Lanka), the Burkinabe Association of Fundraising (Burkina Faso), the Uganda National NGO Forum (Uganda), Corporación PODION (Colombia), CASA Gambia (Community Action Support Association/Gambia), Satunama Foundation (Indonesia), the West Africa Civil Society Institute (Ghana), the Development Expertise Center (Ethiopia), the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI/Cameroon), the Advocacy and Policy Institute (Cambodia), Rhiza Babuyile (South Africa), CESE (Brazil), the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS/Tanzania) and CID –Nepal Center for Integrated Development (the meeting host).
Multi-annual Strategic Plan: 2024 – 2029
The Multi-annual Strategic Plan for 2024-2029 was drafted and approved during the meeting. The alliance works for a future in which all communities and supported organizations are able to mobilize and pool their resources to sustainably drive the change they want to see.
Global Leadership Council – GLC
The Global Leadership Council is composed of 4 organizations with a 5-year rotating mandate, and plays a crucial role in providing strategic guidance to the Change the Game Alliance. In addition to approving agreed goals, it is responsible for steering and monitoring the alliance’s direction and overseeing membership matters. Serving as the highest decision-making body, the GLC comprises four committees: Content Development, Community of Practice (CoP), Resource Mobilization, and Marketing and Branding. CESE has been a member of the council since 2023 and took over the vice-presidency in 2024.
Master Trainers Meet
The “Masters Trainers Meet” trainers meeting took place prior to the directors meeting. About 10 representatives of alliance members arrived on 29 February to assess the role of Master Trainers in their countries and in the alliance, and to look at course content and planning for the coming years. It was a moment to share each country’s experiences and draft a plan for the next 5 years.
Participating for Brazil were CESE’s Executive Director Sonia Mota, Communications Coordinator, Patricia Gordano and Consultant, Vivane Hermida (trainer of trainers in Brazil), as well as Louise Pitta from global marketing, who works with all members to create content and communications material that takes account of each country’s culture, in line with the alliance’s mission.
Tewa Organization, local fundraising and mobilizing support in defence of women’s rights
At every annual meeting, the host organization chooses a project that is a reference in the field of fundraising and mobilizing support. This year it was the Tewa Organization, which has worked for equality, equity, justice and peace in Nepal for 25 years, focused on supporting women’s rights. The aim of the visit was to present a success story and experiences in mobilizing support and fundraising. Tewa works with women’s groups in Nepal through philanthropy, support to projects, emergency aid, training in mobilizing political support and fundraising, promoting fundraising events and running activities in their offices for young people and children.
One of the many fundraising events Tewa organizes is the 88 Days Campaign, which has taken place since 2005 under the slogan “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”. The campaign was launched on 10 December 2005 to coincide with International Human Rights Day and came to an end on 8 March 2006, to coincide with International Women’s Day – it thus lasted 88 days. For 18 years, the campaign has been an annual event celebrated by women’s rights organizations and activists.
CESE and the CHANGE THE GAME ACADEMY
Since 2007, CESE has received support from the Wilde Ganzen Foundation for support to projects. For nine years, we have been part of the Change the Game Academy partnership, which promotes training in fundraising and mobilizing political support.
Since 2007, 27 fundraising and mobilizing political support courses have taken place (both in-person and online), run by 406 organizations, with 695 participants; 365 projects have also been supported.