Results from 24 Years of Operational Funding by Peter Brach
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Introduction
Under the right circumstances, the impact achievable by providing substantial, multi-year operational support to a promising SIIO can be enormous. The story below provides an excellent example:
The Charles Steward Mott Foundation provided annual operational support for the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS) for nearly 24 years. Today, WINGS is a global network reaching an estimated 100,000 professionals across government, philanthropy, nonprofits, and civil societies.WINGS is arguably the largest global network of networks with members from some of the largest foundations and many other high-achieving organizations, including the Council on Foundations, Philea, Candid, GivingTuesday, TechSoup, the European Union, USAID, 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 not prepared to work with government agencies working 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 staff trying simultaneously to find time to prepare for an important deal 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 received another major EU grant for 5 million Euros. In 2020, WINGS had a staff of 6; today, the organization is a team of 20.
A highlight of WINGS’ achievements was the birth of the WeAct initiative — a pledge by over 600 foundations to address climate change. WINGS now operates as a regranting organization uniquely positioned to assess potential grant recipients’ effectiveness. WINGS is now positioned 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 possibly pay off for decades. However, it’s valid for funders to wonder, “What if it hadn’t?” 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 even higher. Furthermore, under the right circumstances, even modest grants can achieve tremendous results, as shared in the stories presented in this section of our website.
The Mott Foundation deserves a lot of credit for its 24 years of consistent support to WINGS, playing a crucial role in its transformation. Nevertheless, the journey wasn’t solitary: a myriad of other contributors supported WINGS, both financially and otherwise. As the adage goes, “It takes a village.” WINGS stands testament to this, being a global village of ChangeMakers different aspects of the polycrisis we must collectively address.