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The Funder Report Card

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  • Published

    4 February 2025
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Background – why a funder report card? 

Since 2020, efforts to reform the aid and development sector have been growing in number and strength, despite having existed in spaces of resistance in the Global South/ Global Majority world for many, many decades. This is finally beginning to lead to a shift in the sector, where conversations about racism, power, and neo-colonialism can be had in mainstream spaces. 

But one of the biggest barriers remains: who is holding actors with the most power and money accountable for their efforts to shift that power? 

The funder report card is designed to encourage reflection in organisations that identify as Global North funders, particularly bilateral (governmental) and philanthropic organisations, as well as NGOs who also act as funders. Activists campaigning for a more equitable and decolonised global development sector know first-hand that values and behaviours, as well as structural changes, are just as important as institutional policies or practices – the funder report card seeks to shed light on each of these areas.

In December 2022, a wide range of OECD DAC bilateral donors and private foundations signed a Donor Statement on Supporting Locally Led Development, which included a commitment to “shift and share power to ensure local actors have ownership over and can meaningfully and equitably engage in development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding programs.” We see the report card as a tool to support signatories in assessing how well they are implementing this commitment, and part of wider efforts to ensure greater accountability for change. 

The journey so far

The development of the report card is based on several waves of consultations. The first took place in 2023 with Southern civil society networks, leading to the development of a draft framework for the tool. This tool was discussed during a focus group held in 2024 with people and organisations working on related measurement initiatives.

How to get involved 

 In 2025, we plan to hold another open round of consultations, followed by a piloting process with a range of funders. We are also building on the experience and wisdom of similar tools that already exist or are being developed. 

We’ve got some big plans this year – and we’d love for any allies in our sector, both in the Global South and North, to join our journey. Here’s what you can do:

Guiding framework and key dimensions

There are many definitions of power. We have adopted the distinction between negative or dominating power (also known as ‘Power over’) and positive or transformative power. The tool seeks to assess how and where funders may be wielding visible, hidden or invisible power, and where opportunities exist to promote transformative power, which seeks to change the inequities of the status quo. 

Based on a wide range of consultations, the following dimensions emerged as priority areas for Southern actors: 

  1. Framing and choice of issues: Who decides which problems will be addressed in a given area or community? Is there mutual agreement on the structural causes of the problems? 
  2. Programme design: How are the overarching strategy and goals for the programme determined? 
  3. Programme delivery and operations: Who has the power to decide once the programme has started, and is there flexibility to adapt? 
  4. Financial flows: What is the quantity and quality of funding flowing to Southern organisations and affected communities? 
  5. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning: Who decides on how progress is measured and who is held accountable for decisions? 

Cross-cutting element: 

  1. Gender and racial justice: Does the relationship promote and prioritise gender and racial justice? 
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