A Recipe for Growth: Kitui County’s Culinary Leap Forward
February 7, 2025
KCDF Newsletter, January 2025
February 25, 2025
10th February 2025, KCDF is hosting a co-creation workshop for 12 community organisations who are implementing the ‘Strengthening the Community Foundation Movement as a basis for the Sustainable Development in Kenya’ programme, which seeks to deepen, expand and strengthen the ecosystem of philanthropy support organizations in Kenya.
The programme, supported by the Mott Foundation, aims to help organisations transition into community foundations, which is critical to their effectiveness in promoting sustainable development. It is designed to expand Kenya’s philanthropy ecosystem by strengthening the infrastructure of community foundations. This effort comes in response to the increasing withdrawal of donor funding.
A community foundation is a local grant-making body focused on improving life within a specific area by mobilising and managing local resources.
At the workshop, Caesar Ngule, KCDF’s Programmes Director, spoke about the importance of CSOs sharing their growth stories, urging them to reflect on each phase of their journey. “Evaluate every step you take so that you can see the challenges, the innovative solutions, and the progress you’ve made,” he said. Using a simple analogy of a farmer, he explained how he carefully tracks every planting, nurturing, and harvesting stage. “Your community foundation should be like that. Understand your community, document your journey, and make sure your reporting tells a clear and compelling story of your impact.”
In addition, strong emphasis was placed on the need for local resource mobilisation to reduce the overreliance on external donor funding. Participants were encouraged to explore creative ways of raising funds within their communities. The importance of joining an endowment fund was also highlighted, as were strategies for growing these funds to ensure financial sustainability and the long-term viability of their organisations.
This workshop marked the third phase of the project. Kennedy Odera, Programmes Coordinator for Capacity and Systems Strengthening, led a reflective session where participants examined previous phases, identified weaknesses, and discussed building on their strengths. Each organisation refined its internal processes and explored ways to overcome challenges.
Gabriel Kihara, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Team Lead, guided the participants in critically evaluating their work to ensure transparency, strategic positioning, and measurable impact.
In conclusion, the workshop allowed the CSOs to reflect on their progress and equipped them with practical tools to strengthen their foundations. By focusing on local resource mobilisation, building endowment funds, and strengthening their financial sustainability, these organisations are better positioned to ensure long-term, sustainable community development.
#kcdfsustainableimpact #flourishingandresilientcommunities #communityfoundations
