Paper details

Abstract

This paper explores how the co-design of the Ending Childhood Sexual Violence Community of Practice (ECSVCoP), facilitated by Ignite Philanthropy: Inspiring the End to Violence against Girls and Boys (www.ignitephilanthropy.org), marks a deliberate shift from traditional top-down philanthropy to a participatory, grassroots-led approach. By centring youth leaders, lived experience advocates, and grassroots organisations, ECSVCoP redistributes power through shared ownership, mutual accountability, and collective agency in defining the community’s vision, values, and practices. It is also a space that is fully co-created by the community it serves, from imagining wellbeing for everyone involved to practical implications of engagement and communication on a shared online platform.

A standout feature of ECSVCoP is the co-created fund, HIVE (Harnessing Interconnection for Violence Eradication), designed to foster connectivity and collaboration among partners committed to ending childhood sexual violence. HIVE exemplifies the community’s dedication to collective impact by supporting flexible, partner-led initiatives that strengthen solidarity and shared learning.

But there have also been challenges along the way. Ignite Philanthropy acknowledges the inherent power imbalance between funders and grantee partners, aware that partners may sometimes engage with the CoP to “appease” funders due to conventional philanthropic dynamics. Addressing this requires continuous self-reflection and intentional strategies to shift power within the funder-partner relationship, while safeguarding authentic community leadership free from donor influence.

Thus, by prioritising facilitation over direction, philanthropic actors can transform their role and nurture communities of practice that challenge entrenched power structures and enable more equitable, effective humanitarian action.