Capacity Building
Networking to Find Potential Donors for Fundraising
Summary of Today’s Training Many grassroots leaders feel their local relationships are not enough to fund their program, so they need outside donors. The best way to meet outside donors is networking, which means meeting new people through the people you already know. Networking is like building a spider web: you start with close connections,…
Read MoreYour Relationships are the Key to Successful Fundraising
Summary of this Fundraising Training Most grassroots fundraising begins with relationships, not strangers. Large nonprofits often fundraise for years from an existing donor list. If you do not have a list like that, start with the people you already know. Make a simple list of friends, family, and professional connections. Reconnect when needed, share your…
Read MoreHow to Build Confidence in Fundraising
Summary of This Fundraising Training Many community leaders feel intimidated by fundraising or discouraged by past attempts. Confidence comes before skill. It is the foundation of becoming a successful fundraiser. Learn fundraising by observing other organizations. Understand the difference between soft asks and hard asks, and how respectful follow-up works in different cultural contexts. Practice…
Read MoreComing Soon: Trauma, Resilience, and Community-Led Change
As Cultivate celebrates 10 years of equipping local leaders for community-led social change, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on what comes next. Over the past decade, conversations about localization have gained significant momentum across the nonprofit and international development sectors. More organizations are recognizing what Cultivate has believed from the beginning:…
Read MorePreparing Local Leaders to Succeed in a Global North-Centric Development Sector (Localization Series, Part 5)
For localization to truly take root, community-led organizations in the Global South must be prepared to operate within the standards, norms, and expectations of the Global North – until they have enough power to change the system. This is a critical but often overlooked aspect of the localization movement. Many funding sources, partnership opportunities, and…
Read MoreLocalization and the Hidden Barriers of Global North Norms (Localization Series, Part 4)
As the movement for localization continues to grow within the international development sector, the emphasis on empowering local actors and transferring decision-making power to the Global South has sparked necessary change. However, there remains a fundamental issue that is rarely addressed: the entire development sector is built upon the values, expectations, and practices of the…
Read MoreLocalization and Dependency (Localization Series, Part 2)
One of the key benefits of localization in international development is its ability to break cycles of dependency that can trap communities in a perpetual state of need. Too often, aid programs follow a model of “relief provision” rather than fostering local growth and sustainability. This approach, while sometimes helpful in the short term, can…
Read MoreWhy Community-Led Development and Localization Are Long Overdue (Localization Series, Part 1)
For too long, the international development sector has been built on a model where people in positions of power, often located far from the communities they aim to help, have decided what happens to everyone else. Even when intentions are good, this approach has relied on top-down solutions that prioritize the perspectives of donors and…
Read MoreBridging the Digital Divide with AI: Empowering Marginalized Communities
In today’s rapidly advancing world, access to knowledge is often regarded as the key to power. For centuries, marginalized communities have faced obstacles in obtaining that knowledge due to systemic injustices, lack of infrastructure, and educational barriers, leading to a global digital divide. This divide widens the gap between those who have access to information…
Read MoreBottom Up Empowerment: Our Theory of Change
At Cultivate, we believe in thriving communities that are empowered to fight poverty and injustice on their own terms. Our vision is to create an environment where communities in the Global South have the knowledge, skills, and resources to lead transformative change. By building local capacity and fostering equitable partnerships, we work to ensure that…
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