Promo: Launching our Autumn Series with Paul Ronalds and Rachel Mason Nunn

Welcome to Good Will Hunters’ Autumn Series.

The time has come for NGOs to radically transform.

Major global shifts are underway. Civic space is shrinking and the fundamental tenets of democracy – open, transparent and accountable governance – are under threat. There is growing political antagonism towards advocacy and activism, and increasing restraints face NGOs that seek to hold governments to account. For NGOs, traditional sources of funding are drying up while demand for their services and stakeholder expectations are growing, driving up costs.

Covid-19 has given renewed urgency to the localisation agenda – its no longer a choice, but an operational necessity. New technologies are creating incredible opportunities to increase impact and improve efficiency but also throwing up a raft of new challenges. Our people remain the single most important element of our success but the war for the best talent is heating up. And the workplace of the 21st century is going to look completely different to that of the 20th century.

More people are displaced than ever before. Gender, racial and income inequalities are not just a “developing country” problem but are global challenges facing even the wealthiest countries. Poverty is more urban, and concentrated in some of the fastest growing economies on Earth. And the climate crisis requires us to think radically differently about development.

So what does all this mean? It means NGOs need to transform – and fast – in order to be relevant, sustainable and impactful. And its never been more important to have a thriving civil society. Covid-19 has taken health systems to the brink, disrupted education, destroyed livelihoods and increased instability. We need robust, creative NGOs ready and able to face these challenges.

I’m your host, Paul Ronalds, Group CEO of Save the Children Australia. Along with my co-host Rachel Mason Nunn, we’ll be talking to leading global thinkers on the challenges facing NGOs and what it will take to create the NGO of the future. Join us this Autumn, along with our series partner Alinea-Whitelum, as we confront the existential challenges facing NGOs, and get inspired by the opportunities to transform our organisations to have greater impact than ever before.

Stay tuned to Good Will Media social media pages for launch dates.