Funders International Network for Development – What Next for Advocacy: How Feminist, Community & Indigenous Funds Are Shaping Bottom-Up Philanthropy
The sixth webinar of the “Evolving Practices of International Cooperation” peer-learning journey will take place on 14 May exploring “What Next for Advocacy: How Feminist, Community & Indigenous Funds Are Shaping Bottom-Up Philanthropy” organised by the Funders International Network for Development (FIND).
In May 2024, the Funders International Network for Development endorsed the Donor Statement on Supporting Locally-Led Development. This pledge involved a collective commitment to shift and share power, allocate funding of the highest quality as directly as possible and advocate for locally-sustained change. Now, in 2025, with the funding landscape evolving fast, the urgency to publicly advocate for locally-led development has only grown.
This deep dive will explore what we can learn from two powerful, bottom-up movements reshaping the philanthropic field in climate finance and feminist grantmaking. Despite playing an outsized role in conservation, less than 1% of global climate funding reaches Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). To counter this trend, groups like the Indigenous Peoples of Asia Solidarity Fund (IPAS) are reshaping climate funding from the ground up. Launched in 2023 and operating across 13 Asian countries, IPAS provides direct access to funding for Indigenous Peoples’ organisations based on their self-determined needs and priorities concerning land rights and biodiversity conservation, among others.
Joining the conversation is also Mama Cash, a pioneer in feminist grantmaking. For decades, Mama Cash has mobilised resources to ensure that feminist collective action led by women, girls, trans, and intersex people is resourced globally. Mama Cash not only funds these movements but advocates for systemic change within philanthropy, pushing funders to centre the priorities, expertise and leadership of feminist groups themselves: offering powerful lessons on how to sustain advocacy, as well as shift and share power.
This webinar is part of the “Evolving Practices of International Cooperation” peer-learning journey dedicated to reimagining traditional philanthropic models and exploring new forms of international cooperation tailored for the 21st century.
Contact
