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In March 2025, the Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) organized the Measuring What Matters peer-learning convening, bringing together a global network of partners, including KCDF, to explore innovative learning, measurement, and evaluation approaches. Hosted in Tangier, Morocco, the event provided a unique platform for participants to share experiences and insights on how community-centred models and participatory methods reshape how success is measured in philanthropy and development. Gabriel Kihara, Team Lead, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, represented KCDF at the convening.
The gathering, built on the first meeting held in Bali, Indonesia, in July 2024, provided a platform to reflect on the evolving landscape of international aid and community-led development. A highlight of the discussions was the shift in the donor landscape, with bilateral and multilateral funders, alongside international philanthropic foundations, playing a dominant role in funding. However, the conversation also revolved around the critical need for alternative funding sources to ensure long-term sustainability.
From the discussions held, the following are the key takeaways:
- Diversified Funding Sources: The convening underscored the importance of exploring new avenues such as individual giving, service provisions for a fee, and endowment reserves to support unrestricted funding.
- Local Philanthropy: A push for enhancing local philanthropy was accentuated as a key strategy to empower communities and promote more sustainable, self-sufficient development initiatives.
A core aspect of the convening was sharing baseline findings from participating organisations on measuring impact and integrating the Measuring What Matters principles. This clarified the various challenges faced in tracking progress and how different organisations address them.
Key Findings on Measurement Practices:
- Impactful Approaches: 88% of the participants highlighted the value of participatory and inclusive processes, and 71% stated that storytelling is their forte. They further explained that the ability to adapt and learn from communities is essential to measuring success.
- Challenges in Evaluation: Despite the positive experiences, challenges remain in areas such as balancing rigour with power dynamics, addressing resource constraints, and avoiding donor-driven prioritisation. Participants highlighted that evaluation practices often fail to capture the community’s perspective fully. 88% shared that various elements are missing in evaluations, and 76% pointed to donor preferences and pressure issues.
Preferred Methods of Evaluation: Participants strongly supported qualitative research methods, feedback loops, participatory monitoring, and the integration of gender and intersectional lenses to ensure evaluations truly reflect the voices of the communities they aim to serve.
The Way Forward: Shifting Power to Communities
One of the convening’s most powerful outcomes was the commitment to shifting power to communities in the development process. By focusing on the Measuring What Matters principles, partners affirmed their commitment to community-led evaluation methods that emphasize the quality of relationships, societal change, and long-term impact.
The convening also set the stage for a future path focused on:
- Continued Learning: Ongoing sharing of new ideas and innovations within the field of measurement and evaluation.
- Advocacy for Change: Engaging in advocacy efforts to reshape how development and philanthropy sectors measure impact, ensuring community voices and priorities are at the forefront.
- Establishing Shared Principles: Working together to establish shared measurement principles that better reflect the realities of the communities we serve.
The Measuring What Matters convening in Morocco provided a rich opportunity for KCDF and its global partners to understand better how community-centred measurement and evaluation can be transformative. The insights gathered will help drive more meaningful, participatory approaches, ensuring our projects and funding strategies track progress and empower communities to shape their future. As we continue to evolve in our measurement practices, the focus will remain on integrating these principles to enhance sustainability, learning, and impact.
The journey continues, with each convening providing us with the tools, strategies, and collaborative spirit needed to make meaningful change—one that places communities at the heart of development.
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