Many Years of Operational Support Pays Big Dividends
Introduction
Under the right circumstances, the impact achievable by providing substantial, multi-year operational support to a promising Social Impact Infrastructure Organisation (SIIO) can be enormous. The story below provides an excellent example.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation provided annual operational support for WINGS for nearly 24 years. Today, WINGS is a global network of philanthropy support and development organizations with over 200 members across 58 countries, reaching an estimated 100,000 professionals across government, philanthropy, nonprofits, and civil societies.
WINGS is arguably the largest global network of networks with members such as Council on Foundations, Philea, Candid, GivingTuesday, TechSoup, and AVPN. It’s particularly vital in the Global South and remote regions, offering a connected network. After 24 years of support and hard work, WINGS is now prepared to work with government agencies on development at the local and national levels.
Paving the Way with Research
WINGS has become a primary repository for scholarly and actionable research, covering advocacy, creating enabling ecosystems, building infrastructure, establishing community foundations, and more. WINGS’ research informs its vast network of changemakers, boosting the efficacy of advocacy and philanthropy support organizations worldwide. It actively contributes to UN Assemblies and the European Task Force, offering strategies to enhance cross-border giving.
A Moment of Uncertainty and Triumph
In the Spring of 2020, WINGS had an enormous responsibility, being at the center of the action and working with many organizations during the brutal first wave of the COVID-19 crisis. They were a small team trying simultaneously to find time to prepare for an important project with the European Union (EU). Because of the regular steady funding from Mott and others, and because of last-mile funding to increase the organization’s human resources, they had the bandwidth to work with the EU. As a result, the organization received the largest grant in its history: 1 million Euros. This victory led to additional funding from other sources, and in 2022, WINGS became the first philanthropy organization to sign a Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) with the EU. This 5 million Euro partnership will run for four years, prioritizing 32 countries. In 2020, WINGS had a staff of 6; today, the organization has a team of 20.
A highlight of WINGS’ achievements was the birth of the #PhilanthropyForClimate movement — a pledge by over 600 foundations to address climate change. The movement calls on all foundations, regardless of their mission, status, or geographic location, to start including climate considerations in their operations, endowments, programs, and more.
WINGS now operates as a regranting organization uniquely positioned to assess potential grant recipients’ effectiveness. It is also now better prepared to build advisory relationships with local and national governments that provide billions of dollars of development aid but could do much more with these enormous outputs if sufficient support systems were in place. For example, WINGS and others convened with USAID and others who committed to providing $20 billion in localized funding.
Discussion
Undeniably, the Mott Foundation’s steadfast funding yielded enormous results that could pay off for decades. However, it’s valid for funders to wonder, “What if WINGS didn’t succeed?” Game-changing progress necessitates the courage of risk-taking philanthropists. While this might be intimidating, funders might gain inspiration by reflecting on a venture philanthropist’s mindset: In venture capitalism, one triumphant investment can significantly outweigh multiple failures, and in philanthropy, the success rate is arguably higher. Furthermore, under the right circumstances, even modest grants can achieve tremendous results, as shared in the stories in this section of our website.
The Mott Foundation deserves much credit for its 24 years of consistent support to WINGS, playing a crucial role in its transformation. Nevertheless, the journey wasn’t solitary: many other contributors supported WINGS financially and otherwise. As the adage goes, “It takes a village.” WINGS stands as a testament to this, being a global village of changemakers that are all taking steps to address the different aspects of the polycrisis we must collectively address.