Paving the way for private partnerships: a lever for NGOs seeking to mobilise resources 

An opportunity confirmed by the international context

In February 2025, the Trump administration announced a temporary freeze followed by a drastic reduction in USAID foreign aid programmes, cutting more than 90% of contracts, or approximately $60 billion. This decision had global repercussions, undermining thousands of humanitarian initiatives, particularly in Africa. It reinforced the urgency for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to diversify their sources of funding. 

In this context, the development of private partnerships has become an essential strategic alternative, particularly for organisations working in sensitive areas such as women's rights. For the Ivorian League, this represented an opportunity to strengthen its organizational resilience and broaden its impact on the communities with which it collaborates.

A concrete response: developing a structuring tool

To meet this challenge, I proposed creating a partnership proposal template for companies committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This template includes concrete activities associated with budgets and highlights the expected positive impacts for beneficiary communities and partner companies. 

The search for companies to approach was based on an in-depth analysis of their CSR policies, specifically targeting those with strong commitments to gender equality, social inclusion or women's empowerment. 

This tool is not limited to a simple funding proposal. It is a structuring framework that enables the Ligue to formalise its approaches and better align its actions with the expectations of private partners. This directly contributes to improving the quality of services offered to women, ensuring better planning and a lasting impact.

Professional experience put to use in volunteering  

This initiative drew on my previous professional experience in Canada, where I worked in communications and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for a large insurance company. This experience gave me an understanding of what companies look for in their social partnerships: clarity, alignment of values, and tangible results.  

This background enabled me to formulate a realistic, convincing offer tailored to the Ivorian context, translating the Ligue's actions into language that companies understand. My goal was not only to provide support in order to obtain direct funding, but rather to strengthen La Ligue's organisational capacities so that it could initiate and maintain lasting relationships with the private sector.

Tangible and reproducible results 

The presentation developed has become a modular tool that the team can adapt to other companies. It is part of the resource mobilisation plan co-developed with the organisation, strengthening its capacity to initiate strategic partnerships.

These efforts have already borne fruit: two proposals for collaboration have been well received, one of which has led to a first concrete agreement. For an organisation that had never formalized this type of approach before, this is an important step in its organizational development.

These initiatives enable La Ligue to strengthen the quality and sustainability of its programmes and to better promote its actions in support of women's rights within communities.

A lasting lever for the future 

For me, this experience fully illustrates what a targeted and collaborative cooperation mission can achieve: bringing to the fore an ambition that had long been put aside and transforming it into a lever for lasting action. 

Indeed, at the very end of my term of office, the president said to me sincerely: ‘I've always wanted to develop partnerships with private companies, but I never had the time. Thanks to you, we finally have a clear basis for moving forward.’ These words confirmed that the initiative we had built together met a real need. 

This momentum has been set in motion, and I am convinced that it will bear fruit in the coming months. By strengthening the Ligue's organizational capacity, we have helped to improve the quality and sustainability of the services offered to women, while laying the foundations for long-term impact.