Hugh Davidson

1. A heated argument about unrestricted funding Early one morning some years ago, my wife Sandra and I were marooned in the lounge of our hotel in Kolkata, because a visit to one of our …

 ‘As soon as donor money stops, the project ends.’ This remark, by Rakesh Rajani, Vice President of Programs at Co-Impact, sets out the prevailing orthodoxy in international aid. In light of this, why do funders …

INGOs prefer unrestricted funds, often for good reasons. For funders this can feel like: ‘Just give us the money and go away .’ Yet many funders like me want to be part of the process …

Having spent 15 years funding in international development, Hugh Davidson is perplexed by why so few successful pilot programs are brought to scale. Part of the answer appears that they are developed from offices in …