Special report | Power to the people

No-strings philanthropy is giving charities more decision-making power

Organisations on the ground know best how money should be spent

An illustration of two fingers tipping a set of scales that’s holding coins.
Illustration: Sebastian König

Yukabeth Kidenda, chief executive of Teach for Kenya, a non-profit group that trains bright young graduates to teach in low-income schools, has seen her fair share of controlling philanthropists. One donor asked for a hard copy of the name, identity document and signature of each of the 750 teachers trained that year. To Ms Kidenda it is a reflection of a general suspicion among donors, who worry their funds will be misspent or stolen.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “Power to the people”

From the January 13th 2024 edition

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