Alliance for Financial Inclusion
The Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), initially funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and now an independent, primarily member-funded institution, is a network of central bankers and financial regulators from developing economies. In its brief existence to date, it has already attracted member institutions from 90+ developing nations and become a respected voice in the global financial inclusion community. AFI pioneered a unique model of Southern-led knowledge exchange among policymakers.
Following AFI’s initial period of rapid growth and network development, GivingWorks supported AFI’s strategic planning for its next phase. GivingWorks’ report framed the most critical strategic issues and opportunities facing AFI, articulated AFI’s fundamental model and approach, assessed its development, and identified its key achievements. This analysis provided a foundation for central bankers and Gates Foundation representatives to hold a strategic brainstorming session on AFI’s future, facilitated by GivingWorks. From this session, GivingWorks drafted a high-level strategic direction for AFI for the next four years, which was subsequently adopted.
AFI later engaged GivingWorks to provide strategic counsel on several critical decisions that AFI faced as it evolved. GivingWorks supported the design of AFI's membership policies and fees structure through its transition to a financially independent institution. GivingWorks also developed strategies to revitalize AFI's working groups and capacity building program, two of AFI's most important member offerings.
Inclusive Business Action Network
The Inclusive Business Action Network (IBAN) was created to help companies with commercially-viable inclusive business models – models that integrate poor populations within the customer base and/or value chain – to scale up operations. After trialing several modes of engagement with a range of inclusive business stakeholders in its first two years, IBAN engaged GivingWorks to help it step back and strategically focus on activities with clearer value added and impact.
GivingWorks conducted an in-depth ecosystem analysis to define the needs of various stakeholders, assess the landscape of existing support providers, and identify potential opportunities for IBAN engagement. Building on this analysis and a subsequent set of consultations with IB companies and experts, GivingWorks helped to develop a new strategy with two key pillars: a peer learning and exchange network targeting established IB companies in developing and emerging markets; and an enhanced online IB knowledge and learning platform serving the wider community of IB stakeholders. GivingWorks helped to define the particular offerings within each of these pillars and to map out a two-year implementation roadmap to launch and deliver the new strategy.
InterAction
With more than 190 members, InterAction is the largest coalition of US-based nongovernmental development and humanitarian relief organizations. With much of their membership facing difficulties in mobilizing resources to fund the organizational infrastructure required to deliver on their missions following the global economic crisis, GivingWorks worked with InterAction to frame the debate over project versus overhead funding. GivingWorks took care to fairly represent the legitimate concerns and perspectives of both nonprofits and foundation donors. GivingWorks led a workshop to further explore overhead tensions and discuss a path forward at InterAction’s annual CEO retreat and, later, with a group of CFOs at the InsideNGO annual meetings.