Neelam Makhijani, ceo Resource Alliance, credit Barbara Doux
The Resource Alliance turns 30 this year. Celina Ribeiro talks to chief executive Neelam Makhijani about what the future holds for the international fundraising capacity-building charity.
Neelam Makhijani is a woman on a mission. A revised mission, as it were.
The Resource Alliance, most-famously the force behind the annual International Fundraising Congress in Holland, has a revised mission and chief executive Makhijani is pleased with it.
“I think the previous statement was ‘build capacity in fundraising’, but I think it’s not just about building; it’s about knowledge, skills and becoming a hub,” she says.
The mission is now clearer and a bigger part of everything that Resource Alliance does in trying to support global fundraising, says Makhijani.
Now, the Resource Alliance mission pledges it will “aim to be the global network for fundraising, resource mobilisation and philanthropy. We build skills, knowledge and promote excellence within civil society.”
Makhijani expects this to be the axis upon which everything in the Resource Alliance turns. “Everything that we have on our plate, whether it’s the IFC or the international workshops or awards, is focused on mission. We are much more mission-led,” she says.
But agreeing upon this revised definition at the international Resource Alliance board meeting was no particularly smooth process. “It was a very good discussion,” says Makjihani. “We had a day-and-a-half of discussion about what RA looks like.”
“We’ve got a very unique board. The mix of skills we have are amazing. I’ve got the best board in terms of what they, individually and collectively, bring to the table.”
This means, they were not going to simply rollover to support any change to the mission, which has stayed the same for several years. “It wasn’t that I would say ‘let’s do this; and they would say ‘ok, go on’. We had a really, really intelligent discussion. The old vision and mission weren’t clear enough.”
Philanthropy research
Part of this refresh will see Resource Alliance focus more on philanthropy. The organisation has recently won a contract to conduct a piece of work mapping and defining global philanthropy for the Bellagio Initiative, supported by the Rockerfeller Foundation.
“It’s a very different kind of project,” she says. “What is philanthropy? How do you define philanthropy today?
“I think what will come of this will be tonnes of white papers. It will be useful for all sector – corporates or NGOs.”
The Bellagio initiative will culminate in an event State-side later in the year, with all the major players in global philanthropy, at which the Resource Alliance will present its research.