Shifting power, processes, and funding to local actors.
Our ecosystem of change
Together, these three elements create an ecosystem where communities can lead, local organizations can support them, and institutions can create the conditions for locally led change to thrive.
See how it works
Self Help Groups
Groups of 10–25 people who meet regularly to save, build livelihoods, solve shared challenges, and strengthen their communities. Self Help Groups provide a proven foundation for collective action and locally led change.
Local Intermediaries
Local intermediaries are locally led organizations that bridge donors and communities. They play a key role in accelerating change by providing local actors with the technical expertise, services, and resources they need to succeed.
Policy Ecosystem
We partner with bilateral donors, governments, and private sector actors to strengthen the systems that enable locally led change.
Download the fact sheet
Local intermediaries could deliver programming that is 32% more cost efficient than international intermediaries, by stripping out inflated international overhead and salary costs.
Meet Katooko ??
Katooko Shadia, a leader in Uganda's Mukisa Achievers Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Self-Help Group, turned training in financial literacy and shampoo production into a reliable livelihood. She now mentors families of children with disabilities, helped launch a shared catering business, and is building savings to support her children's education and healthcare.
Together, the women-led group is strengthening household resilience through collective savings and local enterprise.
What guides us
Trust
Delivering with integrity, grounded in mutual respect.
Innovation & Rigor
Achieving excellence through adaptation and innovation.
Learning
Growing through shared knowledge and continuous learning.
United, Empathetic & Kind
Working together with humility and compassion.
Freedom to speak, all voices welcome
Creating a space where every voice is valued.
A distributed team of researchers, practitioners and advocates working alongside you.
Support locally led solutions that empower communities to shape their own futures.
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