World YMCA Secretary General Carlos Sanvee attended the 43rd annual conference on YMCA philanthropy in Denver, Colorado, USA on 5 April 2024.
The event was run by the North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO), which—in partnership with YMCA of the USA and YMCA Canada—inspires and strengthens the YMCA Movement’s philanthropic culture. This year’s conference was attended by delegates from nine countries beyond the USA and Canada.
“The YMCA Movement shares a vision: Vision 2030. So the all-important core of our fundraising is already in place. And with such a vision, we can’t work in isolation any more. Our realities are interconnected, and so are our communities. We must intentionally leverage each other’s opportunities and competencies”, Carlos said.
Looking at how to fund the implementation of that vision worldwide, he noted trends in both public and private funding sources.
“I see a shrinking space not just for Overseas Development Aid (ODA) but also for civil society, which is the main channel through which that ODA is delivered. And so much public funding is dependent not on those who ultimately need and receive it but on third parties the agendas of the donors.”
He noted three trends in global fundraising from private sources:
- The growth in trust-based philanthropy. He quoted the CEO of Just Capital: “In a world where trust is in short supply, you in the YMCA have a remarkable opportunity to leverage one of your most valuable assets – your trusted brand. People believe in you….”)
- The growth of ‘impact’ investing. Outlining YMCA’s first steps into this arena, he said that it is valued at over USD 1.2 trillion a year (8 times larger than annual Official Development Assistance and 15 times more than annual private philanthropic spending on Development)
- The continuing ‘decolonisation’ of philanthropy seeks to redistribute power to communities and individuals who have been historically marginalised and oppressed by donor funds.
He ended his talk by asking: “How can you—NAYDO of North America—be part of the global resource development ecosystem to enhance better access to different types of ‘agenda-driven’ funds worldwide, both private and public? Our goal is global, our access is global, our trust is global, our impact is global—and our fundraising needs to combine for global impact.”
The NAYDO conference is designed for all fundraisers in the global Movement, offering opportunities for learning, networking, inspiration and collaboration that can contribute to the success of their fundraising efforts in communities around the world.
