Our approach
STAR-Ghana Foundation works to increase the effectiveness of citizens and civil society to achieve an equitable, inclusive society. STAR-Ghana’s role in the civil society space is encapsulated in five core functions:
Convening inclusive dialogue and collaboration;
The foundation convenes by bringing together diverse stakeholders, including CSOs, government bodies, private sector actors, and citizens, to discuss and address key issues. By creating safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue, STAR-Ghana fosters collaboration and shared understanding, promoting consensus on ways to improve accountability. This convening role is essential in bridging gaps between citizens and policymakers, ensuring that the voices of underrepresented communities are heard.
Catalysing active citizenship, local philanthropy and collective action;
As a catalyst, the Foundation drives innovative approaches to active citizenship and civil society engagement. It does this by supporting and inspiring new models of citizen participation, providing resources to test innovations and stimulating citizen-led actions in response to emerging issues such as climate change, economic governance, and social justice. Its catalytic function includes piloting initiatives with the aim of scaling up successful models to inuence broader change across Ghana.
Coordinating and supporting strategic partnerships;
STAR-Ghana coordinates the collective actions of various civil society actors, ensuring that efforts are harmonized and impactful. This role enhances the foundation’s ability to strategically align initiatives, pool resources, and create unied responses to tackling challenges. By acting as a coordinator, the Foundation fosters stronger partnerships, improves resource. efficiency, and amplifies the impact of civil society efforts. It also facilitates discussions on the need for coordination that involves others (besides the Foundation) taking the lead coordination role.
Facilitating continuous Learning to fuel wider scale change:
The Foundation is dedicated to continuous learning and knowledge sharing within civil society. By gathering data, evaluating programme outcomes, and facilitating exchanges of best practices, STAR-Ghana strengthens the capabilities of civil society actors to address complex issues more effectively. The commitment to learning includes internal reection and external dissemination through the Foundation’s thought leadership role of contributing ideas, concepts, and innovations for reimagining local approaches to development practice. This allows the organization to serve as a knowledge hub for civil society, supporting evidence-based policy inuencing and adaptive strategies.
Resource mobilizer:
By mobilizing resources through a variety of approaches, STAR-Ghana provides grants to CSOs and non state actors to drive locally led and community-driven initiatives that amplify citizen voices and effect. change on critical social and governance issues. As part of its core purpose of promoting Local Philanthropy, the Foundation will continue to develop and test models of resource mobilization, which not only draw resources that are directly managed by the Foundation but also strengthens the capacity of local organizations to mobilize resources for their own initiatives.
We work with civil society to connect their interests with others and help to ensure all voices matter by decision makers, at local and national. Our work with government aims to develop a state that is responsive and accountable to its citizens by promoting constructive dialogue at district, regional and national levels.
Work with us
Work with us to find local solutions that move Ghana beyond aid, promoting active citizenship for change. We invite you to advance Ghana’s development by partnering with the STAR Ghana Foundation. We want to develop new and existing partnerships with organisations who share our vision for the future of Ghana. Find out more about how you can partner with the STAR Ghana Foundation.
