International Social Justice Funder Releases New Evaluation and Learning Report

International Social Justice Funder Releases New Evaluation and Learning Report

(San Francisco, CA) – Celebrating more than 25 years of global grantmaking, San Francisco-based International Development Exchange (IDEX) is pleased to announce its new Evaluation and Learning Report, documenting the effectiveness and impact of its unique grantmaking model that puts resources directly in the hands of local leaders and organizations in the world’s most under-resourced communities.

IDEX is a nonprofit grantmaking organization that provides long-term flexible funding for initiatives in marginalized communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America to empower women, build local economies and care for the environment. The core purpose of the Evaluation and Learning report is to examine the effectiveness of IDEX’s partnership-based grantmaking model from the perspective of its grant partners. The report can be viewed or downloaded here: http://bit.ly/IDEXreport.

“We commissioned this report because we wanted to hear directly from our partners whether our approach works and what we could do better,” said Rajasvini Bhansali, IDEX’s Executive Director. “We are pleased to hear from our grant partners that we walk our talk. We also wanted to share any critical lessons learned with the international grantmaking community. With these findings and recommendations, we look forward to building on IDEX’s legacy of a transformative, human rights grantmaking model that stops short of nothing but fundamental social change.”

Key findings from the report indicate that, since receiving a grant from IDEX, a majority of its partners:

• Have met all, or more than half, of their goals to address local needs
• Have been able to develop local, community-based solutions either totally or to a great extent
• Can measure a significant and substantive positive change in community members’ leadership and behavior
• Have developed stronger links with social change movements internationally
• Have greatly increased their geographic scope and the number of people interested in participating in their programs

In the report, partners emphasized IDEX’s lack of ego and agenda, support of locally driven solutions and long-term, dependable support as elements that differentiate IDEX from other grant providers. The evaluation also identifies ways IDEX can improve, including growing its base of donors and endowment to increase the amount of grants it provides. In addition, partners recommend that IDEX make a focused effort in helping partners develop deeper relationships with other funders.

IDEX’s partnership-based grantmaking approach relies on the wisdom and strength of local people who are fighting for a better quality of life in their communities. IDEX augments its long-term, annual grants of $5,000 to $20,000 with its work to scale grant partners’ successes by: building their capacity and leadership; linking them to broader social change movements; brokering additional resources; and amplifying their voices and victories. Grant partners receive support for a minimum of three years, with some receiving funding for 10 or more years, providing a consistent revenue source to be used at their discretion.

“IDEX is a a grant maker that gives support in the fullest sense of the word,” said Rose Williams, Director of IDEX grant partner Biowatch in South Africa. “The financial support is important and is provided in such a way that the partner organization can use it in the most critical areas, but our partnership always has been more than financial. They help us scale up our work, link us to other partners with common struggles and with potential donors, and facilitate our participation at an international level. They are true partners with us on behalf of the struggles and achievements of the communities with which we work.”

About International Development Exchange (IDEX):

IDEX identifies, evaluates, and grows the best ideas from local leaders and organizations to alleviate poverty and injustice around the world. IDEX connects a passionate and engaged network of supporters to the visionary leaders and organizations creating lasting solutions to their communities’ most pressing challenges. Since its founding, IDEX has supported more than 500 grassroots, community-led projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Annually, IDEX’s partners serve approximately 1.2 million people in impoverished communities, including marginalized women, small farmers, indigenous communities, low-income urban residents, sexual and ethnic minorities, and youth. For more information, idex.org.



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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.