THEMATIC AREAS AND OBJECTIVES
AKF works primarily in six areas with gender equality and inclusion mainstreamed throughout all programmes: Agriculture and Food Security; Economic Inclusion; Education; Early Childhood; Health and Nutrition; and Civil Society.
The Foundation is able to multiply its impact and reach due to sustained interventions over the long term—deepening connections with individuals and institutions through shared platforms and partnerships, embedding models and approaches to advance policy and practice, and integrating technology into every facet of programming.
AKF’s objectives for its programming include as follows:
• Ensure tangible food security, agricultural development and sustainable natural resource management
• Improve the economic well-being of women and men, particularly youth
• Equip girls, boys and young adults with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to help them interact effectively with the world and contribute to society
• Ensure boys and girls have a good start in life by influencing the context and environments in which they are growing
• Enable individuals and communities to optimise their health and well-being and reach their full potential
• Develop resilient, pluralistic and values-based civil societies that demonstrate great competency, legitimacy, accountability and sustainability
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
AKF has helped to pioneer the Multi-Input Area Development (MIAD) approach, which leverages the capabilities of multiple AKDN agencies and their expertise in order to deliver social, economic and cultural interventions together in targeted geographies to accelerate development over time.
Enabling people in rural areas to create opportunity and access basic services is particularly important for AKF. AKF programmes typically link elements such as rural savings and credit, natural resource management, productive infrastructure development, increased agricultural productivity and human skills development, with a central focus on community-based participation and decision-making. The ultimate objective is to enable community members to undertake well-informed activities for sustainable and equitable development.
Central to AKF’s efforts have been inclusive, community-based development approaches, where local organisations identify, prioritise and implement projects with AKF’s assistance. Once community organisations have started providing services, AKF expands the programme by establishing village organisations elsewhere. AKF then links them with local governments and local, regional, and global partners.
Most AKF activities are implemented by local organisations interested in testing new solutions, learning from experience and being agents of lasting change. However, if no established group exists, AKF occasionally supports the formation of new organisations to tackle issues of importance to the community and in line with AKF’s mission. AKF generally maintains long-term involvement in building social institutions, and thus is able to make commitments to communities as well as carry through changes in attitudes, behaviours and organisational abilities, which require a longer time horizon.
LEARNING AND EVALUATION
Gathering data on the scale, scope and impact of AKF's programming is an integral part of AKF's efforts to assess, understand its footprint and improve its approaches. Within each AKF project, data is collected to understand the extent to which targets have been met and how communities are experiencing improvements in their lives.
While adapting approaches to local contexts, AKF makes efforts to apply a standard set of global indicators in order to track change and trends over time. When it comes to data management and analysis, AKF is increasingly leveraging digital tools such as Salesforce. Evidence generated from results data is shared with AKF partners, communities and other key stakeholders such as governments and civil society. Insights drawn from the data help to inform decision-making not only internally for AKF's programming but also among policymakers and other local actors.
INFORMATION FOR PARTNERS
The Foundation is largely an implementing organisation rather than a grant-making foundation. It receives grant funding from numerous development agencies, private foundations and corporations; raises funds locally in annual events in North America and Western Europe; and receives funding from His Highness the Aga Khan. In addition, an endowment contributes towards its operating costs.
When AKF does make grants or pursue collaborations, they are generally targeted to grassroots organisations testing innovative approaches in the field to specific development problems within AKF’s focus. AKF units are field-based, so queries are best sent directly to country offices.
Source: www.akdn.org
