Accelerating the Social Sector Broadly and Directly

Do you find yourself short on resources such as funding capital, access to data, or the partners you need? Imagine if ten years ago we had invested heavily in increasing global giving, data access, collaboration platforms, volunteerism, and the next generation of leaders. Today, we’d be much better equipped! You would likely have the resources needed to effectively address the causes you care about—whether it’s political issues, climate change, inequity, poverty, or other challenges.

You might agree but think that increasing these regenerative resources isn’t your type of work. With rare exceptions, it’s not the type of work any of us do. As a result, many of us experience resource shortages. We lack the funding capital to reach the next level of progress, struggle with data access, are challenged with finding the right partners, and find ourselves otherwise short on resources.

What About the Immediate Challenges We Face?

We’ve entered perhaps the most challenging times the social sector has seen. Many of us feel an urgent call to double down on our specific focus within the polycrisis. However, if that’s all we do—if we lose sight of the bigger picture—in ten years, the resource shortages will worsen, and the social sector will have missed crucial opportunities for progress.

What are the Advantages of Investing in Broad Social Sector Accelerators?

First, you can share both the responsibilities and benefits of building a solid foundation for our collective welfare and future. Second, supporting social sector growth can yield much higher returns than you might expect. Even small grants can drive significant results, while the impact of large social sector grants can be enormous. For example, several funders invested approximately $3.6 million in building the infrastructure for the GiveIndia platform. As a result, GiveIndia raised $120 million in one year and now maintains donations at  $60 million annually. This giving watershed has helped thousands of nonprofits—from those fighting severe poverty to those addressing urgent climate change and everything in between. (Statistical verification available on the link to our hub below.)

Are These Just Best-Case Examples?

No. There are many examples where grants of all sizes have driven significant results. Propel Philanthropy’s Direct Benefits Page demonstrates highly successful outcomes, while our Indirect Benefits Page provides additional insights. Our Stories of Impact Page showcases examples primarily involving small to modest grants. You’ll find more examples from funders on Propel Philanthropy’s hub  in Alliance Magazine.

Conclusion

While we can’t turn back time, we can improve conditions now and for the future. We can create a much bigger pie from which many can benefit. If many contribute even a little, collectively we can achieve a lot. In the short-term, we can realize gratifying results under the right conditions. In the long-term we can secure a better future for all.