Development Report

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐤

"For many organisations, strategy becomes a conversation that happens every three to five years.

A consultant is brought in. Staff and board members attend workshops. Stakeholders are interviewed. A new strategic plan is produced, presented to the board — and then, quite often, everyone returns to business as usual.

The problem is not necessarily the plan.

The problem is when we treat strategy as a document rather than a way of leading.

Strategy is about choices: what matters most, where to focus scarce resources, what to stop doing, how to respond to change and what kind of impact we want to create."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/the-strategy-questions-every-executive-director-should-ask/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭

"For many non-profit boards, board meetings follow a familiar routine, whether they are held quarterly or twice a year.

The Executive Director provides organisational updates, the finance committee presents the latest financial position, board members approve previous minutes, review compliance and risk matters, and discuss governance issues. If time allows, they may briefly turn their attention to strategy before the meeting comes to a close.

Everyone leaves feeling productive.

Yet one important question often remains unanswered."

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/non-profit-boards-must-govern-the-future-not-just-the-budget/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐒𝐎𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥

Charles Kojo VanDyck in his earlier article, “The Five Income Streams African Non-Profits Must Have by 2036”, argued that African civil society organisations cannot continue to build their futures around a single dominant source of income.

"For many organisations, that dominant source has been international grants.

Grants will remain important. But they cannot be the only engine keeping an organisation alive.

Funding priorities change. Governments reduce aid budgets. Foundations change their strategies. Economic crises affect philanthropy. And when a major donor leaves, organisations that have built their entire operating model around that donor can suddenly find themselves in survival mode.

This is why financial sustainability is not simply about raising more money.

It is about building greater financial agency.

And one of the most exciting opportunities ahead is the combination of digital finance and innovative capital.

Africa does not have to wait for the future of finance. In many ways, that future is already here."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-csos-can-leverage-digital-finance-and-innovative-capital/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

"Ghanaian Christianity is becoming more environmentally conscious.

Church leaders increasingly speak about illegal mining, polluted water, sanitation, deforestation and the moral responsibility of human beings toward creation.

This is an important theological development.

Environmental degradation can no longer credibly be treated as an issue external to Christian mission. It affects water, food, health, livelihoods, human dignity and the inheritance available to future generations.

If Christian discipleship concerns loving God and neighbour, the destruction of the ecological systems upon which our neighbours depend cannot remain morally peripheral.

But increased environmental concern creates a more demanding question."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/measuring-creation-care-ghanaian-churches-must-move-from-environmental-concern-to-institutional-practice/

Measuring Creation Care: Ghanaian Churches Must Move from Environmental Concern to Institutional Practice - Development Report Environmental degradation is now a discipleship issue. For Ghanaian churches, the next step is measuring creation-care ministry by real ...

𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲

"For three days in Accra, from 1–3 September 2026, we gathered around an idea that is deceptively simple but deeply consequential: Africa must be at the centre of shaping its own development.

As members of the organising team, we entered the convening knowing that the theme, Africa at the Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power, would require more than another conference filled with speeches, panels and recommendations. We wanted to create a space where people could pause, question the systems in which we work, listen differently, imagine alternatives and, importantly, begin to think about what collective action might look like beyond the convening.

Yet, as the three days unfolded, the proposition became more complicated. Being ‘at the centre’ is not simply about having a seat at the table. It is about who designs the table, who sets the agenda, who controls the resources, whose knowledge counts, who defines success and who ultimately has the power to decide."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/reimagining-development-redistributing-power-and-reclaiming-agency/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 ‘𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝’ 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐨-𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬

Ghana's Presidential Special Envoy for Reparations, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, told 200+ leaders from 30 countries at the 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆: 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆, 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 in Accra that Africa must move beyond seeking inclusion in global systems to designing its own future. He argued that reparations must be reframed as a comprehensive framework for structural justice — linking slavery and colonial legacies to today's debt and development architecture.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/africa-must-move-from-being-included-to-designing-its-own-future-spio-garbrah-says/

Charles Kojo VanDyck

Africa Must Move from ‘Being Included’ to Designing Its Own Future, Spio-Garbrah Says - Development Report Africa at the Centre: Ghana's envoy says continent must shift from seeking inclusion to exercising power over its development model.

𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

"Democracy thrives on the principles of participation, accountability and alternance of power. In West Africa, however, these principles have been inconsistently applied. While some countries showcase progress, others remain trapped in cycles of authoritarianism and leadership stagnation. Central to this discourse is the role of young people, who constitute the majority of the region’s population.

The rise of youthful leaders in recent years both in democratic and military contexts underscores a pressing question: How can West Africa harness the energy, innovation and vision of its youth to ensure democratic renewal and sustainable development?

This paper explores the dynamics of democracy and power alternance in West Africa, highlighting emerging young leaders, historical precedents of military takeovers by youthful officers and the need to establish institutional and democratic avenues for young people to lead. It also examines global examples of youth influence, such as Kenya and Nepal, to propose practical pathways for West African states."

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://developmentreport.online/democracy-and-power-alternance-in-west-africa-the-role-of-youth-in-leadership/

Farouk Alhassan

Democracy and Power Alternance in West Africa – The Role of Youth in Leadership - Development Report West Africa's youth are the majority but locked out of power. How can the region harness their energy for democratic renewal and ...

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 𝐀 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

"During a recent visit to the Central African Republic, Senegal and Guinea, I found myself reflecting on a question that has troubled scholars, policymakers and development practitioners for decades: How can a continent so rich in resources remain home to some of the world’s most persistent development challenges?

Africa supplies the world with critical minerals, agricultural commodities, energy resources, strategic markets and labour. Yet across the continent, millions continue to live without reliable electricity, efficient public transportation, quality healthcare, strong educational systems, or meaningful economic security. Despite being one of the most resource-rich regions in the world, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to approximately 464 million people living in extreme poverty, representing nearly half of the region’s population and about 70% of the world’s extreme poor.

For decades, discussions about Africa’s development challenges have largely focused on corruption, governance failures, conflict, or poor leadership. While these factors matter, they tell only part of the story. A deeper question deserves greater attention: 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕?"

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/who-benefits-from-africas-underdevelopment-a-critical-reflection-on-power-decolonisation-and-locally-led-development/

Alhassan Farouk

Who Benefits from Africa’s Underdevelopment? A Critical Reflection on Power, Decolonisation and Locally Led Development - Development Report Rich in resources, yet 464M in extreme poverty. It's time to ask: Who benefits from Africa's continued underdevelopment?

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚

"One of the most encouraging developments in global environmental policy is the growing recognition that restoring degraded land is indispensable to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, food security and human development.

The scale of the challenge is enormous.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) says land degradation already affects up to 40 per cent of the planet, with consequences for billions of people and economic costs that may reach hundreds of billions of dollars annually. At COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, restoration is consequently being discussed not simply as conservation, but as an economic, livelihood and human-security imperative.

Yet an uncomfortable question sits underneath almost every restoration programme ..."

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/who-owns-restoration-land-tenure-is-the-missing-variable-in-ghanas-climate-resilience-agenda/

Matey Okorley

Who Owns Restoration? Land Tenure Is the Missing Variable in Ghana’s Climate Resilience Agenda - Development Report Up to 40% of global land is degraded. Why land restoration is now central to climate, food security and livelihoods at COP17.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐒𝐎𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞

Africa’s civil society sector is entering a different financial era.

For decades, many African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have depended heavily on grants from international foundations, bilateral donors and development agencies. These grants have supported important work. They have funded education, health, human rights, governance, climate action, women’s rights and community development.

But the model is under pressure.

Funding is becoming more competitive. Grants are increasingly restricted. Core institutional costs are often difficult to finance. And many organisations are being asked to deliver more while having less control over the resources available to them.

This is why African non-profits need to think differently about income.

In my earlier article, “The Five Income Streams African Non-Profits Must Have by 2036“, I argued that African CSOs need to move from a grant-dependent model towards a more diversified financial architecture.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆: https://developmentreport.online/how-african-csos-can-turn-climate-finance-and-natural-capital-into-sustainable-income/

Charles Kojo VanDyck