"How do you introduce other organizations to 'your' donors?" we were asked during the "Meeting for Change" that we organized so that Ukrainian NGOs could meet representatives of international NGOs that implement humanitarian and social projects in cooperation with local organizations.
The question surprised us, because we are sure that there are enough partners for everyone. It is important for us that the cooperation is equal, because it directly affects the effectiveness of the aid.
Currently, Ukrainian local organizations often act as implementing partners, and their opinions, experience and local resources are not taken into account when planning humanitarian response programs, which leads to inefficiency.
"Some things that are designed in Brussels, New York or Geneva by people who have never been to Ukraine do not work at all. Our voice should be decisive in project planning. We know what people on the ground need. The needs in Uzhhorod, Dnipro, and Kherson are very different," said Yulia Sporysh, founder and director of the NGO Girls, during the discussion panel.
In order to help solve this problem, the National Network for the Development of Local Philanthropy together with Caritas Ukraine organized the Meeting for Change. We believe that communication between donors and local CSOs in one place can help with this:
Solving the problem of localization, when international NGOs and donors do not know which local organizations to trust and direct their funds to non-local NGOs
Contribute to improving the situation with equal partnerships
Help international donors and NGOs to see the real priorities of local organizations and their desired areas of activity in order to plan their future programs based on this.
"Ukrainian organizations are divided into two categories: some openly give feedback to their donors and international partners. They are not afraid of it. And this is exactly what equal partnership is all about. And the second category is organizations that are afraid of it. They think that we are a priori wrong, we cannot do this. And this is wrong, because it affects the quality of projects. Feedback is always a space for development, and this is the only way we can really make any changes," said Viktoria Zablotska, a fundraiser at the National Network for the Development of Local Philanthropy, sharing her opinion on equal partnership.
For their part, representatives of donor organizations and international NGOs support openness to dialogue. They call for not being afraid of reporting and adding uniqueness to their projects.
"I would like organizations to stop looking at donors as if they were real people. Here are women like me. We are real people, so we understand perfectly well what is happening here. When we require reporting, it is so that we can prove to our donor that your project is OK, that your project is needed, that it works, and that it is very important. We understand that this bureaucracy is tiring. It makes us tired too. But we also see a positive movement. Donors are already more inclined to support smaller local organizations than they were before the war." - Viktoriia Klymchuk-Dlugach, program manager of the Ukrainian Rapid Response Fund at IREX.
During the Meeting for Change, participants not only discussed the levels of partnership and the advantages and disadvantages of networking. Ukrainian local organizations had the opportunity to meet representatives of donor and international NGOs, discuss common areas of activity and agree on further cooperation.
At the end of the event, perhaps out of modesty, none of the attendees wanted to share their future plans for the newly formed acquaintances. We will keep in touch with the participants, as we understand that partnerships take time to form. And without fear of the evil eye, we share our achievement - our acquaintance with Urban Space 500. They have a space where they can hold events, and we have plans to hold meetings.
Including the new Meetings for Change. Follow the news of the National Network for the Development of Local Philanthropy so you don't miss the next one.