Patrick Watt’s insights into Christian Aid’s 75 years of locally-led development, in particular the strategic points on implementing localisation, and the decision to draw back from direct implementation.

Understanding Humanitarian Narratives: Insights from Zainab Moallin and Hande AkpınarIn a recent podcast, Zainab Moallin, Research Officer at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and Hande Akpınar explored the complex world of humanitarian narratives. Their discussion, "Patterns and Divergences in the Narrative Landscape," examined how stories and frames influence beliefs, attitudes, and decisions in humanitarian contexts.Defining Humanitarian NarrativesMoallin emphasized that narratives...

The pace of advances in AI is faster than anything we've ever seen in human history. Nathan explains how this can create a lot of overwhelm for leaders, leading to a disparate kind of view, with leaders saying, “I don't know what the future looks like if I use AI but I know what it looks like if I don't.” The sentiment is that we know we have to do something with AI, we just don't know what.If it sounds familiar to you, tune into the episode. Chris Meyer zu Natrup, Managing Director at MzN, a...

Darina frames equitable partnerships as the key to locally-led development. However, achieving such partnerships requires us to rethink the conventional project management model as we know it.

In this episode, Zoë Elliot from Women for Women International highlights the urgency to accelerate gender equality efforts. She discusses reaching marginalised women in conflict zones, the importance of crisis response funds, and the need to increase funding to women-led organisations.

In this episode, Antonie Treuren, Program Leader and Business Developer for Woord en Daad, walks us through the steps needed to address the root causes of poverty instead of treating symptoms, as well as why mainstreaming climate change adaptation across all programs is essential.On this year’s World Day of Social Justice, we speak about: Letting the voice of the local people be heard, our local partners know better. We discuss the steps needed to empower those living in poverty to take ...

A conversation with Samantha Ross, International Programme Director UK, of Link EducationTo mark this year's International Day of Education, we discuss Link's initiatives, the current landscape of funding, the locally-led development agenda, and the implications of climate change and technology on education.

In this episode, we sit down with Christina Bennet, CEO of Start Network, to explore the crucial question: how do we truly accelerate the global shift towards locally-led development, and not just commit to it?

In this conversation, Hande Akpinar, a Senior Consultant at MzN International, discusses the dynamics of localization and trust-based giving with Wendo, the Founder and Executive Director of Dandelion Africa. While the podcast provides the full experience, here's a sneak peek at what you can expect:Founding Dandelion Africa: A Path Filled with Unique Challenges and SuccessesWendo reflects on the inception of Dandelion Africa, highlighting the numerous challenges she faced as a founder, a woma...

When we think of development, we often conjure images of aid budgets and financial assistance to lower-income nations. While aid is undoubtedly a vital part of the development landscape, it's just the tip of the iceberg. In this episode, Ian Mitchell, Co-Director, Europe and Senior Policy Fellow at Center for Global Development (CDI) sits down with Christian Meyer zu Natrup, Managing Director of MzN. Together, they unravel the recently published CDI's Commitment to Development Index, revealin...

Scaling Private Sector Involvement within UN Humanitarian and Development Systems- with Kareem Elbayar programme director of CBIIn this week's episode, we sit down with Kareem Elbayer, the Programme Director of the Connecting Business Initiative (CBI). We look into how the relationship between private sector entities and the UN humanitarian and development systems is evolving, exploring ways to facilitate businesses of all sizes in participating effectively in aid and development initiatives....

Mastering NGO Board Leadership - with Bill RyanWelcome to the latest episode of Chasing Impact, MzN's international podcast hosted by Managing Director Christian Meyer zu Natrup . Today, we're honored to have Bill Ryan, an acclaimed author and expert in NGO board governance, as our special guest. With over a decade of experience, Bill has dedicated himself to understanding the intricacies of board leadership.During our conversation, Bill shares valuable insights on the role of boards in the n...

In this episode, Chris is joined by blockchain fundraising expert Anne Connolly to discuss everything about crypto and how it applies to the non-profit sector. Listen as they explore the opportunities cryptocurrencies offer NGOs to optimize operations and engage new donors, while also discussing many of the myths and scepticism surrounding crypto donations.When asked what would you list as the "ideal prerequisites" that would make Crypto-fundraising & operations for an NGO/ charity partic...

In this episode of Chasing Impact, MzN interviews Sam Worthington, CEO of InterAction, the largest U.S.-based alliance of INGOs focused on people around the world (we recommend watching this video with closed captions and you can find the transcript below). Sam shares his experiences and insights looking back at two decades of leading InterAction, elaborating on the following topics:why local and INGOs need to work together to deliver the greatest impact possiblewhen the emphasis should be on...

Looking to foster a healthy organizational culture and achieve greater impact as an NGO leader? Look no further than this episode of Chasing Impact with Denver Frederick.Denver Frederick, trusted advisor and executive coach to Nonprofit CEOs, shares his wealth of knowledge on how to foster a healthy organizational culture, emphasizing the importance of the CEO's involvement and measuring progress. He also discusses the unique challenges nonprofit organizations face, such as limited budgets an...

In this captivating episode, we dive deep into the world of nonprofit management and strategy with David La Piana, an expert in the field. Join us as we explore the challenges and pitfalls of successful mergers and acquisitions, and discover the secrets to avoiding common mistakes. With David's wealth of knowledge and experience, you'll gain valuable insights into the best practices for nonprofit M&A, and come away feeling inspired and empowered to take your organization to the next ...

"I think the only thing that will give us greater certainty (for the future) is we've got to start where we are, and for me, that is in the core. We cannot do any development or humanitarian work if the core is not protected. And what is the core? It is our organization."In this episode of Chasing Impact, MzN Senior Consultant Carolin Gomulia interviews Reana Rossouw, the owner of Next Generation Consultants, a leading South African Management Consulting firm with a wealth of experience in th...

"Duncan, you define yourself as a white, western 'rapidly ageing male' - that is something I can relate to! You then go on to say that our own perspective is limited to what we experience and who we are. How do we guard against that - and should the two of us, two white, western 'rapidly ageing males' really discuss how change happens and how to change the world?" In this episode of Chasing Impact, Chris interviews Dr Duncan Green, Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB, Professor in Prac...

In this episode of Chasing Impact, Chris interviews Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive of Bond, the UK network for (now over 400) organisations working in international development. He challenges her with the following questions to which she provides some compelling responses: How likely it is to achieve the SDGs in less than 8 years left - is it even possible? Bond provides a space for MPs, NGOs and other actors in the development sector to gather new ideas and respond to challenges...