“You see, where we come from, we know that a finger cannot push a stone, so we come together as a clenched fist.”

These words from Wana Udobang, a writer, poet, performer, and storyteller, captured the spirit of the Stories for Change Festival. This was a celebration. A global online gathering of just under 300 community leaders, activists, filmmakers, and human rights defenders who came together to celebrate the transformative power of community philanthropy, to watch and engage with short documentaries and trailers produced by partners of the Giving for Change programme over the last six months, and to hear practical learnings from community philanthropy leaders.

At a moment when global aid is shrinking, geopolitical tensions are rising, and crises overlap in every corner of the world, the Festival reminded us that communities have always found ways to support each other, and that when external funding fails, communities do not stop. They adapt. They innovate. They build.

Giving Did Not Begin with Institutions
The films and discussions repeatedly reflected that community philanthropy has always existed. In different contexts, it is known by various names. Ubuntu Ulamu in Uganda, Al-Ouneh in Palestine, Tequio and Mano Vuelta in Mexico, and Pagkakaloob in the Philippines. As shown in the film Leading Voices, the language changes, but the meaning of philanthropy remains rooted in love for humanity. It showcases solidarity, shared responsibility, and care.

As Grace Maingi, Executive Director of the Kenya Community Development Foundation, reminded us, community philanthropy is not about teaching people how to give. It is about recognizing and valuing what communities already practice, especially now, when international funding is shrinking, and external systems are proving fragile.

Communities Have the Strength to Step Forward
Several of the spotlighted documentaries showed real-time examples of what happens when communities take the lead in meeting their own needs. Community schools were built in Uganda and Mozambique; a health facility was established in Ghana; a girl from an underprivileged family in Kenya was supported to continue her education. These were not donor-driven projects. They were collective decisions and actions of communities mobilizing their own resources to meet their needs.

“Community funds move faster because trust already exists”- Michael Vincent Mercado, Program Coordinator at the Center for Disaster Preparedness in the Philippines, reflected on his experience with disaster response. But speed, for him, was not the real lesson; dignity was. In addition to the response being faster, community philanthropy allows people to respond to a crisis without losing agency or humanity.

Beyond Charity: Community Philanthropy as Power for Change
Philanthropy is often equated with charity rather than as a pathway to advocating for human rights. However, Jonathas Azevedo, Executive Director at Rede Comuá in Brazil, argues that community philanthropy is plural, diverse, and rooted in social movements, with funds born from the struggles themselves, not donor agendas. Further, he suggests that community philanthropy weaves connections and builds autonomy, serving as a strategy for the sustainability of civil society.

His argument aligned with the two films from Brazil, where young local artists raised their voices in global spaces like the Global South House during COP30, and community funds backed by the Black Women’s March advocating for political, identity, and participatory rights. These examples showcase that community philanthropy is not just about meeting needs. It also leads to communities mobilizing for social change.

Shifting Accountability to Communities
A section of the film, Our Rights, Our Resources, showcases the Twerwaneho Listener’s Club in Uganda, which started as a radio program to voice concerns about injustices and later became an evidence-based advocacy platform for communities. Such platforms that are politically inclined for community justice are also owned by the community.

For any grassroots movement, it is important to create political clarity and protect the autonomy of the communities. Kedolwa Waziri, Grassroots Community Organizer at the Trans and Queer Fund Kenya, reminded us that “accountability to the communities is the primary responsibility”. They shared that they have framed funding as reparations, not charity, shifting narratives away from dependency.

Community Philanthropy is Not Perfect
The animated film Giving for a Resilient Community, from Palestine, showcased the power of community during uncertain times. In contexts of prolonged crisis, the film showed that giving is not charity. It is survival. It is how people assert belonging, dignity, and continuity during the darkest times.

While the Festival celebrated community power, it did not romanticize it. For Grace Maingi, community philanthropy is not a silver bullet, but it restores voice and agency to those most affected. At the same time, Amidu Ibrahim Tanko, Executive Director at the STAR Ghana Foundation, brought a necessary challenge: community philanthropy cannot replace the State. It must never be used to excuse government failure. Communities can build alternatives, he emphasized, but they must also continue to demand accountability. Building and resisting must happen together.

Call for Action: The Time for Community Philanthropy is Now!
The Festival reminded us that communities already possess knowledge, resilience, and capacity, even though these may look different over time, across contexts, and in response to community needs. As traditional development structures grow increasingly fragile, the future of sustainable development lies in relationships, in locally held wisdom, and in the humanity communities continue to nurture.

“The Time for Community Philanthropy is Now!” Kamala Chandrakirana, Chief Board of Trustees at Indonesia for Humanity, urged us to move beyond repairing broken systems and instead build new ones grounded in trust and rootedness. In a time of institutional breakdown and rising violence, she called for bold, collective imagination informed by history, culture, and science, capturing a message shared across films, conversations, and stories: lasting change begins when communities are trusted to lead.

-Soni is a Development Consultant based in Denmark, working with social enterprises and non-profits across South Asia, Africa, and Europe. She is also the #ShiftThePowerFellow(2023/24).