Abstract
Funder practices significantly shape the ability of recipients—primarily implementing organizations in the Global South—to achieve sustainable outcomes at scale. This report examines recipients’ perspectives on how funders’ actions and requirements affect their capacity to scale development interventions effectively and sustainably. Drawing on key informant interviews, written stories, and a focus group, this report provides insight into recurring challenges and identifies actionable opportunities to improve funder-recipient dynamics.
The report finds that, according to recipients, funders vary widely in their understanding and support for scaling. Recipients often lack the longer-term, flexible, and adaptive funding necessary to scale. Proposal processes are cumbersome and often misaligned with scaling goals, emphasizing compliance and immediate outputs over the adaptive learning and flexible approaches necessary for sustainable impact. Reporting frameworks are largely focused on short-term metrics rather than iterative progress, limiting their utility in scaling efforts. However, monitoring and evaluation provide opportunities for adaptive program management, if flexibility is allowed. Relationships with funders emerge as a central factor, with trust-based, collaborative engagements enabling more effective scaling. Foundations, while providing greater flexibility and relational support, typically offer smaller grants that limit their overall impact.
For recipients, funders’ roles extend beyond financial support. Leveraging networks to foster partnerships, enabling local governments, and co-creating adaptable solutions are critical to achieving transformative scaling. The report concludes with recommendations for funders to adopt flexible, long-term funding strategies; realign monitoring and evaluation frameworks to support scaling processes; and strengthen relational trust and collaboration with recipients. These shifts are essential to better support recipients in achieving sustainable impact at scale.
