Fueling Grassroots Power: Building Capacity, Resilience, and Collaboration from the Ground Up

​Grassroots organizations are driving some of the most innovative, community-rooted solutions to today’s biggest challenges—from education and health equity to climate justice and civic engagement. Yet they remain underfunded, under-recognized, and under-supported. How can funders, platforms, and practitioners come together to amplify, connect, and sustain grassroots leadership for long-term impact?

This session will explore how collaboration among grassroots groups can ignite capacity building, foster collective action, and shift systems. We’ll look at models like the East Africa Community of Practice, digital engagement tools for youth-led activism, and grassroots-led environmental governance efforts like Aliansi Bumi Kita. Participants will also examine how decolonized, long-term, trust-based funding can support not just crisis response, but organizational resilience, digital capacity, and storytelling for impact.

Key Questions:

• ​How can collaboration between grassroots organizations drive capacity building and collective impact?

• ​What are the most effective ways for funders to support grassroots resilience and leadership, beyond short-term project funding?

• ​How can technology and digital storytelling help grassroots groups scale their visibility, especially among younger changemakers?

• ​What does ethical, equitable, and decolonized grantmaking look like in practice—and how can it transform grassroots ecosystems?

• ​How can grassroots feminist media, community alliances, and youth-led initiatives influence development and social change narratives?

​This session invites grassroots leaders, funders, and movement-builders to co-create ideas and frameworks that prioritize local knowledge, build long-term resilience, and shift power toward those closest to the work.

​Session Co-Leaders:

• ​Lydia Charles Moyo is Founder and Executive Director of Her Initiative, promoting financial resilience for girls through innovation and advocacy.

• ​Pramudya Lazuardi is Scaling & Partnership Supervisor at Planet Indonesia, expanding community-led conservation models.

• ​Priya Thuvassery is CEO of Chambal Media, leading feminist storytelling and media that centers women’s voices in India.

• ​Shannon Paz is CEO of Antara International, supporting maternal and child health delivery systems in rural India.

• ​Vinay Nair is CEO and Co-Founder of Lightful, building digital resilience and trust with thousands of social impact organizations.