Nonprofit Nation Episode Summary: How to Build Trust with One Acre Fund

Podcast Information:

• Title: Nonprofit Nation with Julia Campbell
• Host: Julia Campbell
• Episode: How to Build Trust with One Acre Fund
• Release Date: March 14, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Nonprofit Nation, Julia Campbell presents a special segment from the System Catalysts podcast, featuring an insightful conversation between English Sall and key figures from One Acre Fund—Matthew Forte and Doreen Nadejivandi. The focus is on establishing and nurturing trust within diverse stakeholder groups to drive systemic change in supporting smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Understanding the Mission of One Acre Fund

Matthew Forte elaborates on the foundational problem One Acre Fund aims to solve: the chronic hunger and low agricultural yields among smallholder farmers in Africa. Inspired by witnessing firsthand the dire conditions during the hunger season in Western Kenya, One Acre Fund seeks to provide essential resources like seeds, training, and financial support to enhance food security and improve the livelihoods of millions.

• Notable Quote:
  • "There are 50 million small scale farmers in Africa who are chronically hungry... simple trainings, techniques, and capital can dramatically improve the quality of life and food security of entire communities." — Matthew Forte [04:23]

Building Collaborative Relationships with Stakeholders

One Acre Fund emphasizes the importance of collaborating with various stakeholders, including governments, communities, and other organizations. Matthew Forte discusses the evolution from being an independent actor to engaging collaboratively to scale their impact effectively.

• Key Strategies:

  • Mapping out the political economy to understand different actors and their motivations.
  • Aligning all stakeholders behind a shared vision or "North Star."
  • Leveraging the strengths and expertise of each actor within the system.

• Notable Quote:

  • "It’s our responsibility to really limit, mitigate, ideally eliminate the possible reasons why a farm family can’t thrive in a program." — Matthew Forte [24:04]

Overcoming Challenges in Government Collaboration

Doreen Nadejivandi shares her experiences in building trust with government partners, highlighting the significant power dynamics and the necessity of humanizing these relationships. She recounts a pivotal moment when shifting from formal meetings to more personal interactions led to stronger, more effective partnerships.

• Example:

  • Transitioning from meeting at government offices to having breakfast meetings allowed for personal connections, which significantly improved collaborative efforts.

• Notable Quote:

  • "There are people sitting on the other side of those interactions. There are many elements of the way that we build relationship and trust in any other relationship in our lives that still apply in those engagements." — Doreen Nadejivandi [10:42]

Empowering Farmers as Customers

One Acre Fund adopts a customer-centric approach, treating farmers as customers rather than passive beneficiaries. This methodology ensures that services provided add tangible value, reflected in metrics like repayment and retention rates.

• Key Points:

  • Designing loan programs that empower farmers to make choices and manage risks.
  • Implementing crop and health insurance to mitigate factors outside farmers' control.
  • Creating career pathways within rural communities to foster local leadership and accountability.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Switching the power dynamic when those you're trying to serve are really using the power of the wallet to vote for whether the services are adding value." — Matthew Forte [20:29]

Trust-Based Philanthropy and Funding Systems Change

The conversation delves into the nuances of trust-based philanthropy, where funders commit to long-term, flexible support essential for systemic change. Matthew Forte emphasizes the need for funders to embrace complex, interconnected theories of change and to adopt holistic measurement approaches that go beyond traditional metrics.

• Advice for Funders:

  • Provide longer-term grants to accommodate the extended timelines of systems change.
  • Support a diverse portfolio of initiatives to capture varied progress across different system aspects.
  • Embrace holistic measurement frameworks that include community voices and behavioral changes.

• Notable Quote:

  • "If you want quick results... then you just want to invest in direct service programs. But for those who are brave enough to jump into root cause solutions... have patience with the length that, you know, the outcomes may take." — Matthew Forte [26:33]

• Advice for Systems Catalysts:

  • Map out the political economy to understand all actors and their motivations.
  • Align stakeholders around a shared vision and clearly define each actor’s role.
  • Acknowledge and navigate the complexity of interconnected theories of change from the outset.

Building a Trustworthy Organizational Culture

Both Matthew and Doreen highlight the significance of organizational culture in building trust. By embedding themselves within the communities they serve and fostering a culture that values local knowledge and continuous professional development, One Acre Fund ensures that their team remains connected and accountable to the farmers' needs.

• Key Points:

  • Establishing headquarters in rural areas to stay close to the communities.
  • Hiring staff from the communities they serve to enhance relatability and commitment.
  • Investing in professional development to ensure alignment with organizational values and goals.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Treating farmers as customers and not as passive beneficiaries... is part of our responsibility to empower communities." — Matthew Forte [20:29]

Conclusion

The episode underscores the critical role of trust in driving systemic change within the nonprofit sector. Through authentic relationships, a deep understanding of stakeholder motivations, and a commitment to empowering those they serve, One Acre Fund exemplifies how nonprofits can build enduring trust and achieve substantial, lasting impact.

Key Takeaways:

• Trust is foundational to effective collaboration and systemic change.
• Building relationships requires time, patience, and genuine human connections.
• Empowering beneficiaries as customers fosters accountability and sustainable success.
• Funders must adopt a long-term, flexible approach to support complex systems change initiatives.

Final Thoughts

Julia Campbell’s presentation of the System Catalysts episode offers valuable insights for nonprofit leaders, funders, and anyone interested in driving meaningful change. By listening to the experiences of One Acre Fund, listeners can learn practical strategies for building trust and fostering collaboration across diverse sectors to create a thriving movement for good.