By James Amoh Junior
Accra, Dec. 15, GNA – Stakeholders at the 2025 Ghana Philanthropy Conference have called for a decisive shift away from overreliance on external aid.
They urged the country to reposition domestic resource mobilisation as a central pillar for accelerating inclusive and sustainable development.
The two-day conference, held from November 27 to 28, 2025, in Accra, brought together civil society organisations, government agencies, private sector actors, foundations, academia, faith-based institutions, youth groups and philanthropic networks.
They deliberated on how local resources could be harnessed more strategically to support Ghana’s development agenda.
The conference was convened by STAR-Ghana Foundation in collaboration with West Africa Civil Society Institute, Philanthropy Ghana, the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy and Social Investment – Pentecost University, Central Leadership Programme, Women in Philanthropy-Ghana, CorpsAfrica, the African Philanthropy Network and the Ghana Philanthropy Forum.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, participants affirmed that Ghana’s development trajectory could no longer depend predominantly on external financing.
They stressed that domestic resource mobilisation, rooted in indigenous philanthropy, private capital, voluntary civic action and effective collaboration between the state and citizens, was fundamental to sustaining national progress, advancing equity and reducing vulnerability to fluctuations in donor support.
The communiqué highlighted Ghana’s long-standing traditions of giving, noting that philanthropy in the country extended beyond formal foundations to include family and kinship
support systems, faith-based giving, community solidarity, corporate social responsibility initiatives, digital fundraising platforms, endowment funds and a growing social enterprise sector.
According to participants, these diverse forms of generosity represent significant but underutilised assets that could be better coordinated to support national development priorities.
Participants observed that unlocking the full potential of domestic philanthropy would require trusted institutions, coherent coordination mechanisms and enabling national policies that promote transparency, accountability and long-term investment in social development.
They emphasised that philanthropy should be positioned not merely as charity, but as a strategic partner in development that complements public resources and strengthens national resilience.
As part of their commitments, actors within the philanthropy ecosystem pledged to strengthen indigenous philanthropy by elevating local traditions of giving as the cultural foundation of contemporary philanthropic practice.
They committed to documenting local giving practices more systematically to improve evidence, visibility and legitimacy, while promoting community-led models that reinforced dignity, ownership and shared responsibility in development efforts.
The conference also underscored the need to expand domestic resource mobilisation through stronger organisational capacity in strategic fundraising, digital mobilisation, blended finance and impact investment.
Participants pledged to promote the establishment and growth of endowment funds to ensure long-term financial sustainability for civil society organisations and social initiatives, while deepening partnerships with the private sector to unlock more diverse and innovative funding streams.
On the policy front, the stakeholders called for improvements in the legal and regulatory environment governing philanthropy.
They advocated for the enactment and effective implementation of a Not-for-Profit Organisations Law and a national philanthropy policy, alongside other regulatory measures that incentivise giving.
The communiqué also stressed the importance of constructive collaboration between government and civil society organisations to build trust, enhance accountability and promote co-creation in development planning and implementation.
In addition, the conference placed strong emphasis on learning, innovation and professionalism within the sector.
Participants committed to investing in continuous skills development in areas such as fundraising, volunteer management, social enterprise strategies and financial sustainability.
They also pledged to establish platforms for peer learning, research and knowledge exchange, while nurturing young philanthropists, emerging leaders and digital innovators as drivers of the sector’s future growth.
The communiqué further highlighted transparency, trust and social justice as core principles that should guide philanthropic practice.
The stakeholders committed to upholding high standards of ethical conduct and accountability, embedding equity and inclusion in funding decisions, and promoting philanthropy as a tool for advancing human rights, social protection and environmental sustainability.
Addressing the government, the conference called for the development of a national policy and legal framework for domestic resource mobilisation that deliberately harnesses philanthropy, private-sector contributions and citizen-led giving.
It also urged the integration of philanthropy and volunteerism into national education and civic development programmes to nurture a culture of service from an early age.
The participants further appealed for supportive policies and incentives to stimulate charitable giving and social investment and proposed the institutionalisation of a National Philanthropy and Volunteerism Week to recognise, celebrate and scale civic engagement across the country.
The communiqué noted Ghana’s development future depended on its collective ability to mobilise local resources, empower communities and build a resilient, inclusive and self-sustaining nation, with participants renewing their commitment to advancing this shared vision.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie