Funding systems change necessitates funders to relinquish control up to a certain degree and support approaches that aim to shift parts of the system, benefit millions, and bring sustained improvements over time. This support should focus on solutions that can be adopted by governments or have commercial viability for long-term sustainability. Funders must trust program partners, agree on outcomes, and be prepared for strategic pivots. The funding approach for systems change needs to be flexible, long-term, collaborative, and less restrictive, emphasizing a partnership with organizations implementing the work and possessing contextual understanding for affecting system change.
Silvia Bastante de Unverhau is a leading expert in philanthropy, with over 20 years of experience working across the international development, non-profit, business, and government sectors. She is currently the Chief Philanthropy Officer at Co-Impact, a collaboration between donors that pledged 500 million dollars for systems changing initiatives.
In the interview, Silvia talks about the principles of funding systems change work, how it differs from traditional funding practices, and how foundations can adopt this new mindset. She also has tips for social entrepreneurs who are looking for funding for systems change work from a donor's perspective.
Key questions: How is funding systems change different? How should foundations support systems change?