A key component of STAR-Ghana phase 2 is our transition from a donor-funded programme into an Independent National Entity with a diversified and sustainable funding stream – a Ghanaian owned, strategic and fundable organisation. On our journey towards this new autonomous institution we have undertaken a series of consultations with civil society and other stakeholders to gather views on the nature and design of the entity, and to ensure buy-in and broad national ownership.

In 2017, we began the process by consulting directly with 700 people nationwide – through regional meetings open to public participation – and an additional 1500 people indirectly through social media surveys and other submissions. The consultations focused on five key areas, related to the establishment and sustainability of the new entity.

• Relevance and demand for the entity
• Nature, orientation, structure and functions of the entity
• Relationships with national-level actors
• Relationships with development partners and international development organisations
• Financing and resourcing options

STAR-Ghana has been analysing the perspectives, positions and submissions from our stakeholder consultations, using the emerging insights, propositions and consensus to engage in more targeted deliberations with nationally recognised civil society leaders and thinktanks. We have also held internal deliberations about the nature and governance of the entity and gained further insights through discussions with stakeholders at other key events such as the STAR-Ghana Annual Review and Strategic Learning Event. A strong consensus has emerged among all stakeholders, endorsing the establishment of an Independent National Entity that would coordinate civil society voice and action on good governance, transparency, accountability and social inclusion across a range of thematic areas and sectors.

The new entity will continue the ambitious journey of the STAR-Ghana programme, building on the important gains, lessons and track record of our work so far. A wide majority of civil society stakeholders recognise that STAR-Ghana has become much more than just a grant-maker. It has developed, and is now operating as, a hybrid model that combines strategic grant-making with roles as a convener, catalyst, coordinator and facilitator of learning of civil society in the promotion of active citizenship and transformational change in Ghana. If you have been part of the consultations so far, the STAR-Ghana team would like to say a big and heartfelt thank you for your interest, insight and support up to this point, and we encourage you to stay with us on this important journey.

Our Decision

After an intensive period of planning and public consultations, in 2018 STAR-Ghana will establish itself as an independent, Ghanaian-owned and led Public Trust that will be a national centre for active citizenship, civil society and philanthropy. We will be a wholly Ghanaian entity by 2020. Stakeholders have welcomed STAR-Ghana’s mission-driven commitment to grow the resource-base for CSOs and to strengthen social change philanthropy in Ghana.

 Our 3Cs and L approach

STAR-Ghana is well-positioned to provide fresh leadership to respond effectively to civil society’s challenges and opportunities through its 3C&L approach.

There is strong agreement about this approach and the grant-making functions of the new entity. Stakeholders see these functions as filling critical gaps in the civil society space. By performing these roles and being proactive in addressing other emerging issues, the entity will add value to the work of most CSOs.

The Independent National Entity will:

• Combine strategic grant-making with working with/coordinating other CSOs
• Maintain strategic 3C&L approach
• Build capacity of CSOs and build social movement
• Provide thought leadership on sustainability & social justice
• Be a voice of civil society
• Add value without competing with CSOs
• Be non-partisan

With Ghana’s growing economy, expanding middle class and prospects of new revenue streams, the context is ripe for such a trust which can add value, authenticity and legitimacy to efforts aimed at strengthening citizen action. It will also challenge dominant patterns and perceptions of control of the development agenda, addressing the key needs of the civil society sector in a post donor-aid environment.

STAR-Ghana has a distinctive reputation, track record and relationship capital and as a Public Trust we would be uniquely positioned to act as a broker of dialogue, collective action, partnerships and learning among CSOs and across sectoral divides. We would help address a critical gap in leadership for sustainability, nurturing a more resilient civil society sector and mobilising long-term resources for civil society activism.

We will build a sustainable national institution and funding stream for active citizenship work in Ghana, with a distinctive ‘added value’ that sets us apart from other programmes, organisations and actors. We will meet the need for an independent institutional platform to provide high quality local leadership, capacity and support beyond the life of current donor funding.

Structure of New Entity

Ownership: Trustees hold the entity for and on behalf of civil society and CSOs to initiate the genesis

Legal form: We propose the entity to be a Trust registered as a Company Ltd by Guarantee

Governance arrangements

• Advisory board
• Trustees
• Secretariat
• Constituencies/Partners
• Periodic meetings

What were the other options

Before coming to its decision around becoming a Public Trust, STAR-Ghana assessed several other forms of organisational set-up proposed during the stakeholder consultations:

• An umbrella membership organisation of CSOs with regional and district offices, and whose members pay dues or subscription fees
• A federation of CSOs organised thematically and made up of existing coalitions and networks of CSOs
• A ‘National Commission of CSOs’ that provides regulatory, capacity building, and quality assurance services, in addition to enabling CSOs to have improved accesses to funds, policy review forums, etc

Identifying and electing Trustees

As a Public Trust, it is envisaged that the new Independent National Entity will, legally speaking, be owned by a Board of Trustees, numbering between seven and nine members in total.

This board will be made up of Ghanaians who are known to have credibility, public standing, qualifications and track record to command the respect and acceptance of civil society, government and other key stakeholders. The Trustees will be eminent individuals who can be trusted to honour, protect and advance the entity’s vision and mission. They would be people with a reputation for integrity and financial probity, capable of acting as trusted custodians of the entity’s resources and programmes. They would be chosen for their ability to oversee and support a cost-effective and compact secretariat and management team.

We want to involve STAR-Ghana’s stakeholders in the identification, selection and approval of the founding Trustees, by asking you to help identify criteria for the selection of potential Trustees. These criteria may include credibility with various categories of stakeholders in the field of governance, accountability, transparency, gender and social inclusion. Trustees may come from a range of the following fields or backgrounds: academia, research organisations and thinktanks; development communications and the media; gender equality and social inclusion; legal experience on issues concerning civil society organisations, non-profits, human rights, employment and commercial law; financial management, accounting, fund management and donor reporting relevant to non-profits; philanthropy, fundraising, financing and investment strategies; CBOs/CSOs who function predominantly at the community and district levels; faith-based organisations; professional bodies; private sector, business and social entrepreneurship. But it is critical to note that Trustees will not be official representatives of any identifiable groups of stakeholders.

STAR-Ghana may seek to include some suitably qualified members of its Steering Committee as candidates for the Trustees.

If you have suggestions for the criteria for the selection of Trustees of the new entity please contact us at No 12, Obenesu Crescent, East Cantonments, Accra, Ghana, by phone on +233 (302) 774488 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Next steps and key dates

June-October 2018

• Robust testing and fine-tuning, with a view to agreeing on ownership, operational mechanisms and financing strategy
• Identification of Trustees and Board
• Legal registration of INE as a Public Trust

October 2018:

• Launch of new entity as Public Trust

From 2019-2020:

• Operational, but in a period of incubation with support and advice from current STAR-Ghana consortium and donors