For the past 18 months, we have been exploring this critical question in partnership with Coumba Toure and TRUST AFRICA. As many practitioners in the field know, relying on external funding—primarily from philanthropic foundations based in the Global North—makes NGOs vulnerable to shifting donor priorities and the uncertainties of global aid structures. However, sustainable and self-reliant solutions to this challenge do exist, offering a path toward greater financial independence and long-term resilience.
Our Solution: MindStory
To address this challenge, we are developing MindStory, a company in which Invisible Giants, a Senegal-based NGO, will hold equity. If our product succeeds, Invisible Giants will share in that success and have funds to operate independently, reducing its need to apply for grants or rely on philanthropic resources. By leveraging technology to create meaningful connections, MindStory not only serves its users but also fuels a sustainable funding model for Invisible Giants.
The Cost of Dependency
The current donor-dependent model is fraught with limitations. As highlighted in a thought-provoking piece by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) often operate in what is described as a “starvation cycle,” where funding scarcity undermines their ability to plan and act long-term. This dependency not only limits autonomy but also restricts the agility of these organizations to respond to emerging issues in their communities.
According to WACSI, wealth creation offers a pathway out of this cycle. By generating their own income, CSOs can secure financial autonomy, enhance their ability to innovate, and build stronger partnerships based on mutual respect and shared objectives. These benefits are not just economic but also deeply political, as financial independence empowers organizations to challenge inequities and advocate for systemic change on their own terms.
Our Approach
We are developing MindStory (formerly Biografika), an intuitive app designed to help users make sense of their personal memories and organize them effectively. MindStory will make capturing “memory fragments” engaging and fun, with tools that encourage daily use through prompts and educational experiences about memory. The app will organize memories chronologically or as a narrative biography. Users can add photos and receive personalized insights on memory.
MindStory supports wellness by helping users process life journeys, preserve family history, draft memoirs, and enhance their “narrative identity,” fostering deeper self-understanding and legacy-building.
Invisible Giants, a Senegal-based NGO founded by our partner Coumba Toure, will, over time, be a majority equity shareholder and receive a commensurate percentage of distributed profits if/when the company distributes dividends. This means that, if the company is successful, Invisible Giants will be more independent in its mission of supporting Black women in Africa and the African Diaspora by making them more visible, celebrating their work as role models, and providing small grants for life-changing community projects.
Check out this article for a more detailed description of Invisible Giants’ vision.
Learning from Successful Models
Our work has been inspired by organizations like Mozilla/Firefox and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, which provide examples of how mission-driven entities can generate sustainable income while staying true to their purpose. These organizations demonstrate that NGOs can own businesses and receive revenues from those ownership shares, thus securing financial independence without compromising their core values. This model, while not new, seems underexplored in social justice circles. It’s time to change that.
A Call for Collaboration
We believe this conversation needs to expand. There are undoubtedly others who are grappling with the same questions and experimenting with similar models. We’d love to connect with those exploring innovative ways to achieve NGO sustainability and independence. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient ecosystem for social justice work.
The journey toward financial independence for NGOs is as much about innovation as it is about collaboration. By sharing our experiences and learning from one another, we can redefine what sustainability looks like in the sector. Join us in shaping a future where NGOs thrive independently, leading with vision and determination. Connect with us to share ideas and build sustainable solutions together.