As part of the push towards unleashing the enormous possibilities within philanthropy for development in Ghana, the SDG Philanthropy Platform in partnership with Social Enterprise Ghana organized the maiden policy dialogue on creating a conducive environment for philanthropy and social entrepreneurs in Ghana, at UNDP Ghana Country office on October 6. The event was also supported by Reach for Change and the British Council.
The meeting brought together local partners of the Platform such as representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Investment Promotion Center, Deloitte, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Department of Social Welfare, Fidelity Bank, UMB Foundation, Reach for Change, British Council, Reach for Change Ghana, African Women Development Fund, STAR Ghana, Ministry of Finance, among others.
This dialogue was opportune given the current government’s commitment to create an enabling legislative and economic environment for philanthropy to thrive in Ghana. This is a major impulse to an issue which has remained prominent in major stakeholder discussions, and could play a crucial role in catalyzing philanthropic support towards the SDGs and national development plans. Having a philanthropy strategy could help shape these efforts.
Nana Yaw Yankah from the Ministry of Finance in Ghana highlighted that “there is an ongoing collaboration between UNDP and the Ministry of Finance to ensure that structures are put in place to motivate individuals and businesses to get involve in philanthropy.”
Discussions highlighted issues with registration and incorporation of foundations, philanthropy support organizations and social enterprises; taxation and incentives for philanthropy; internal governance and transparency: role of government institutions; emerging forms of financing mechanisms—crowdfunding, blended finance, impact investors etcetera—and how it fit into existing legal and regulatory architecture. The general consensus was that existing statutory regulations lagged behind current trends. Therefore, relevant government agencies, corporate and civil society organizations should keep pace without losing what is specific to the local context.
Pearl Darko, Coordinator for the SDG Philanthropy Platform, remarked that, “The idea is to make this more than just a talk shop and see some action take place soon. We create an enabling environment so philanthropy can thrive.”
Abigail Burgesson from the Pan-African foundation Africa Women’s Development Fund emphasized that “Things are coming together and taking shape, and we have to get it going, I am ready for the next phase.”
On the other hand, Martin Atta-Fynn from Deloitte highlighted that his organization joined the dialogue “in order to make sure that private sector can have an impact in the implementation of the SDGs.”
The organizations are expected to meet again to review the next phase of this process, which includes co-designing an advocacy plan with stakeholders to catalyze a better enabling environment for philanthropy in Ghana.