July 8th, 2026
Out of a pool of potential partners, how do funders know which local groups are best positioned to create truly long-term, transformational impact?
Unlike the many frameworks and recommendations that already exist to guide funders on how to fund in order to best support local groups, this framework is intended to help funders select who to fund based on their intention and ability to strengthen social cohesion, community ownership, and trust.
PRIMARY AUDIENCE: Philanthropists and funders–including intermediaries, facilitators, and accompaniment organizations who redistribute funding to local actors–or anyone interested in linking short- and mid-term outcomes to long-term change.
OBJECTIVE: This simple framework is meant to provide guidance to funders who are interested in supporting local partners to create positive, transformational change in their communities, linking crisis response to long-term development and sustainable peacebuilding.
Rather than evaluating local groups solely on their ability to deliver short-term project outputs, this framework encourages funders to assess groups’ contributions to the collective outcomes (Community Ownership, Social Cohesion, and Trust) that serve as critical pathways through which communities strengthen their ability to withstand shocks, recover from crises, reduce dependency on external assistance, and build the foundations for healthy communities and sustainable peace.
Download the framework or the full report (includes methodology, existing tools and frameworks, and reference list) below.