Grassroots Community Partnerships
A Social, Spiritual & Organizational Foundation
Community-led Organizations (CLOs) are at the core of our work because they form the foundation for social, environmental and spiritual prosperity in their own communities. Our CLO partners — which we also call our grassroots partners — originate from and function within existing social networks, and are typically led by one or two respected individuals. CLOs work to meet locally identified needs, and as such, are perfectly positioned to make sustainable social change.
Because CLO leaders are deeply connected to their communities, they are able to identify and mobilize them in a way that outsiders would easily overlook. MAMA HOPE’s CLO partners are doing transformational, frontline work in each of their pockets of the world — from ensuring that people have enough food to eat and water to drink, to transforming unsustainable farming methods, to educating adults and children, to ensuring access to quality health care.
How MAMA HOPE Partners With CLOs
MAMA HOPE acts as a third-party consulting organization to CLOs. Sometimes communities contact us directly, seeking our support in their growth; sometimes we are connected through our existing on-the-ground network. Our partnership is organized around completion of projects, and includes a signed statement of work where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. This negotiation and codified approach is an important piece of self-determination and respect that protects both parties. Once we have aligned on a partnership agreement and project objectives, through our Community-led Partnerhships program, MAMA HOPE supports communities with adaptive programmatic support in area like strategic planning, financial and operational planning, communications and marketing, fundraising and monitoring and evaluation. MAMA HOPE also provides flexible funding to kick start our CLO’s initiatives.
