CSOs call for philanthropy funding for SDGs as donor funding dries up

Civil society organisations (CSOS) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ecosystem have called for local support from philanthropists to boost funding.

The stakeholders said the cultivation of local funding sources had become necessary in as donor funding for the SDGs was dwindling.

Madam Levlyn Asiedu, National Coordinator for Civil Society Organisations on SDGs, made the call in an interview with Ghana News Agency at the fourth edition of the Gift Summit on Philanthropy in Accra.

The programme sought to ignite change and activate radical local philanthropy towards the fulfilment of the SDGs.

Madam Asiedu said owing to Ghana’s lower middle-income status, donors were shifting funding for SDGs to lower-income countries.

She called for local philanthropy through the mobilisation of funds from benefactors in Ghana to address the financing gap for the SDGs.

“At the global front, we have countries that are least developed, and they are in a hierarchy. Once a country has graduated to a lower- or middle-income country, donor funding will definitely shift to the developing country.

Once the funding is shifted to these countries, it means the funds and quantum of aid Ghana receives in terms of funding the SDG will reduce,” she said.

This year’s summit provided the platform for philanthropic associations, support organisations, networks, funders, and stakeholders from Ghana and the diaspora to converge, connect, and co-create for a greater collective impact.

Ms Levlyn noted that the current global funding gap for SDGs stood at $43 billion, and thus CSOs should redirect the resource mobilisation efforts for SDGs to local philanthropic organisations in Ghana.

Mr. Prince Afotey, Membership and Ecosystem Assistant for WINGS, bemoaned the absence of a legal regime and policy to regulate and encourage philanthropy in Ghana.

He advised CSOs in the SDG ecosystem to adopt best governance practices and accountability in their management and disbursement of donor funding.

He emphasised that the absence of governance and accountability of donor funding could deny CSOs access to funds  from donors and hinder their effort to achieve the SDGs.

To promote accountability of donor funding, Mr Afotey encouraged CSOs to adopt impact assessment report, credible bank statements, and a non-inflated budget to be able to access funds from donors for subsequent projects.

He also called for a localised resource mobilisation effort through radical philanthropy to address the SDG financing gap.

Reverend Emmanuel Marfo, Acting Director, Centre for Strategic Philanthropy and Social Investment (CESPI), said faith-based organisations could help address the financing gap of the SDGs through philanthropy.

He said because Ghana was dominated by two major religious groups (Islam and Christianity), supporting the SDGs through philanthropy would not be a problem because giving was part of the ideals of the faith groups.

Source: GNA

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