Chapter 19: Partners Outside Rotary¶

Why look beyond Rotary¶

Rotary is a huge network: 1.4 million Rotarians, 46,000 clubs, 530 districts, 34 zones. But for an ambitious CED project, Rotary alone is not enough. Cutting-edge methods, additional funding and the institutional roots a project needs to last are found outside Rotary.

This chapter maps the main CED partners outside Rotary, grouped into four families: UN agencies, development banks, microfinance networks and specialized NGOs, and faith-based organizations. For each one, the aim is to give the CED coordinator a first point of reference (mandate, type of projects, entry point) without claiming to be exhaustive.

United Nations agencies¶

International Labour Organization (ILO)¶

The oldest UN agency (founded in 1919). Headquartered in Geneva. Its mandate centers on decent work, international labor standards, social protection and social dialogue.

What it brings to CED:

A normative framework for vocational training and job placement projects
Its own programs (Start and Improve Your Business, Training for Rural Economic Empowerment)
Expertise on the informal economy and the transition to formality
The International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin (ITC-ILO): training for development actors
Reference publications (the World Employment and World Social Protection reports)

How to bring it in:

ILO country office in most capitals (for operational partnerships)
ITC-ILO Turin for training: itcilo.org
Main website: ilo.org

UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)¶

The UN agency dedicated to inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Its medium-term program, the MTPF, is set every four years.

What it brings to CED:

SME development, sector clusters
Industrial and agro-industrial value chains
Appropriate technology transfer
Entrepreneurship programs for young people and women
Quality certification and bringing businesses up to standard
Circular economy and energy efficiency in SMEs

How to bring it in:

Main website: unido.org
Regional offices (Abidjan, Pretoria, Bangkok, Vienna, Mexico City, etc.)
SME support programs listed by country on the website

UNCDF (United Nations Capital Development Fund)¶

A UN agency focused on the last mile of development: the hardest-to-reach communities in the least developed countries. It specializes in financial inclusion and local development.

What it brings to CED:

Funding for innovations in financial inclusion (fintech, mobile money, digital finance)
Integrated local development programs (Local Development Finance Initiative)
Support for local governments in financing development
Expertise on Graduation Programs (moving people out of extreme poverty)

How to bring it in:

Main website: uncdf.org
Present in some forty countries
Programs listed by country on the website

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)¶

A generalist UN network present in more than 170 countries. The largest and most diversified UN agency, often the first entry point.

What it brings to CED:

Integrated local development programs
Support for the private sector and entrepreneurship
Alignment with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
Resilience infrastructure, green jobs, blue economy

How to bring it in:

UNDP country office in every capital, generally accessible
Main website: undp.org
Identify the sector program officer for your theme

UN Women¶

The UN agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

What it brings to CED:

Women's entrepreneurship programs
Economic empowerment of rural women
Fighting economic violence
Advocacy for women's economic rights

How to bring it in:

Main website: unwomen.org
Country offices in some sixty countries
A relevant partner for any CED project with a strong gender component

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)¶

The UN agency for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food security.

What it brings to CED:

Agricultural value chains (value chains, inputs, production)
Food security and nutrition
Family farming
Agricultural cooperatives (FAO hosts the International Cooperative Alliance for certain initiatives)

How to bring it in:

Main website: fao.org
Country representation in most of the capitals concerned
The Hand in Hand Initiative for the most vulnerable countries

Other relevant UN agencies¶

Depending on the project, other agencies can be useful:

IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development): smallholder agricultural value chains
UNHCR: refugee populations (already mentioned in Chapter 18)
UNICEF: children and young people (links with youth training, education)
UNESCO: culture, education (cultural tourism, heritage)
WFP: food assistance (post-crisis links with the disaster guide)

Development banks¶

World Bank and IFC (International Finance Corporation)¶

The World Bank is an international development finance institution. The IFC is its private sector arm, focused on SMEs and commercial operations with impact.

What it brings to CED:

Financing for large infrastructure (not directly for Rotary, but useful context)
SME programs through the IFC
Sector studies and country diagnostics (Doing Business, the World Development Report publications)
Possible links for large-scale CED projects in countries where the World Bank has an active program

How to bring it in:

Websites: worldbank.org, ifc.org
Country office in most IDA/IBRD-eligible countries
Direct contact is rare for a standard Rotary project; more useful as a documentary source and for identifying national program frameworks

African Development Bank (AfDB)¶

The African regional financial institution. Headquartered in Abidjan, with offices in some forty African countries.

What it brings to CED:

SME programs (AfDB SME Program)
Entrepreneurship support funds (Africa SME Program)
Possible co-financing for large-scale projects
Sector studies on Africa

How to bring it in:

Website: afdb.org
Country office in the main African capitals

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB / IADB)¶

The regional financial institution for Latin America and the Caribbean.

What it brings to CED:

MIF (Multilateral Investment Fund), dedicated to small businesses
Financial inclusion programs
Co-financing for large-scale projects
Regional studies

How to bring it in:

Website: iadb.org
Country office in the main Latin American capitals

Asian Development Bank (ADB)¶

The regional financial institution for Asia and the Pacific.

What it brings to CED:

SME and microfinance programs
Financial inclusion, fintech
Co-financing for infrastructure and rural development projects
Sector studies on Asia

How to bring it in:

Website: adb.org
Country office in the main Asian capitals

Other regional banks¶

BOAD (Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement, the West African Development Bank): for WAEMU (UEMOA)
BDEAC (Banque de Développement des États de l'Afrique Centrale, the Development Bank of Central African States): for CEMAC
CAF (Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina)
Islamic Development Bank: for OIC member countries

Microfinance networks and CED NGOs¶

Oikocredit: a strategic Rotary partner¶

An international cooperative microfinance institution founded in 1975, based in the Netherlands. Operations in more than sixty countries. A TRF Packaged Grant partner, with privileged status for Rotary clubs running microfinance projects.

What it brings to CED:

A ready-made TRF Packaged Grant framework that speeds up microfinance projects
Due diligence on partner MFIs already carried out
Compliance with the CPP (Client Protection Principles) / Universal Standards for SPM already in place
Operational presence in many countries

How to bring it in:

Through RAGCED (partnerships@ragced.org), which manages the Packaged Grant relationship
Website: oikocredit.coop

FINCA International¶

An international microfinance network present in some twenty countries. Its historic Village Banking methodology, with subsidiaries in its main countries of operation.

What it brings to CED:

A qualified partner MFI in the countries where FINCA operates
Microcredit, savings, inclusive insurance
Staff training, institutional strengthening

How to bring it in:

Website: finca.org
Country subsidiaries listed by country

Grameen Foundation¶

A foundation that grew out of Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank model. Methodological and technological support for partner MFIs.

What it brings to CED:

Microfinance methodologies (group lending, the PPI or Poverty Probability Index)
Training and technology for MFIs
Expertise in digital financial inclusion

How to bring it in:

Website: grameenfoundation.org

Accion¶

Formerly Accion International, a historic microfinance player in Latin America, now global.

What it brings to CED:

Microfinance, digital financial inclusion
Investment in impact fintechs
Training and publications

How to bring it in:

Website: accion.org

Opportunity International¶

An international microfinance network with Christian roots, operating in some thirty countries.

What it brings to CED:

Microfinance, microinsurance, financial education
An integrated approach (credit + training + optional spiritual support)
Especially present in remote rural areas

How to bring it in:

Website: opportunity.org

TechnoServe¶

An international NGO specializing in value chain development and entrepreneurship, operating in some thirty countries. A frequent partner of agricultural CED projects.

What it brings to CED:

Development of agricultural and handicraft value chains
Business accelerators, incubation
Large-scale entrepreneurship training

How to bring it in:

Website: technoserve.org

Root Capital¶

An impact investment institution for ambitious agricultural cooperatives in Africa and Latin America. Loans from USD 100,000 to several million to well-structured cooperatives.

What it brings to CED:

Financing for agricultural cooperatives that are already structured and have serious volumes
Links with Rotary projects that help cooperatives scale up

How to bring it in:

Website: rootcapital.org

Heifer International¶

A livestock and rural development NGO present in some thirty countries. Known for its Passing on the Gift methodology (recipients of a first animal pass offspring on to the community).

What it brings to CED:

Dairy, poultry and small livestock value chains
Livestock farmers' cooperatives
Links with Rotary projects in rural areas

How to bring it in:

Website: heifer.org

Mercy Corps¶

An international humanitarian and development NGO present in some forty countries.

What it brings to CED:

Post-crisis recovery programs
Financial inclusion, market access
Particularly suited to fragile contexts

How to bring it in:

Website: mercycorps.org

International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)¶

The global federation of cooperative organizations. Guardian of the seven cooperative principles (Chapter 13).

What it brings to CED:

Methodologies for creating and strengthening cooperatives
A network of national cooperative organizations
Training and documentary resources

How to bring it in:

Website: ica.coop
National members listed by country

Faith-based organizations¶

Faith-based organizations are often underestimated in partner mapping. Yet they are among the oldest, the most firmly rooted locally and the most effective at reaching the most vulnerable people.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)¶

An American Catholic agency present in about a hundred countries. Its SILC methodology (Savings and Internal Lending Communities) has proven itself in rural areas of Africa and Asia.

What it brings to CED:

The SILC methodology: savings and internal lending groups
A dense network of local Catholic partners
Expertise in agricultural value chains in areas of extreme poverty

How to bring it in:

Website: crs.org
National offices

Caritas Internationalis¶

An international confederation of Catholic charitable organizations. Present almost everywhere.

What it brings to CED:

Local national Caritas organizations as operational partners
Parish roots, strong community legitimacy
Job placement and integrated development programs

How to bring it in:

Website: caritas.org
The national Caritas of the target country

World Vision International and VisionFund¶

World Vision is an international Christian NGO, one of the largest in the world. VisionFund is its microfinance arm, an independent subsidiary.

What it brings to CED:

Microfinance through VisionFund (present in some thirty countries)
Integrated community development programs
An approach that links economic development and child well-being

How to bring it in:

Websites: wvi.org and visionfund.org

Aga Khan Foundation¶

Part of the Aga Khan Development Network, with a particularly strong presence in Central Asia and in regions of Africa with Muslim populations.

What it brings to CED:

Integrated rural development programs
Microfinance through First MicroFinanceBank
Infrastructure, education and health working together

How to bring it in:

Website: akdn.org
Presence by country

Other significant faith-based organizations¶

Muslim Aid, Islamic Relief: international Muslim NGOs with CED programs
Secours Islamique France (Islamic Relief France): CED work in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa
Action Chrétienne des Églises Unies (a Christian action body of united churches): Protestant development networks
Foundations linked to religious orders (Jesuits, Franciscans, etc.): depending on the region

Private foundations and philanthropic actors¶

Several private foundations can co-finance or support CED projects.

Foundation	Focus	Website
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation	Health, agriculture, financial inclusion	`gatesfoundation.org`
Mastercard Foundation	African youth, education, financial inclusion	`mastercardfdn.org`
Ford Foundation	Social justice, movements	`fordfoundation.org`
Rockefeller Foundation	Resilience, health, climate	`rockefellerfoundation.org`
Kellogg Foundation	Children, rural communities in the USA and the Americas	`wkkf.org`

Bringing these foundations into a Rotary project rarely happens directly (they deal with established organizations, not with individual clubs), but it can happen indirectly through a technical partner (NGO, UN agency) that already has a relationship with the foundation.

How to structure a partnership outside Rotary¶

Three main configurations for a connected CED project.

Configuration 1: Delegated technical partnership¶

The NGO or UN agency is the main technical partner. It implements a major component of the project. The Rotary club funds it (through the Global Grant), oversees implementation and coordinates, but does not carry out the work itself. This structure suits a complex technical component (microfinance, advanced vocational training, value chain development).

Configuration 2: Co-financing without joint operations¶

The partner provides co-financing (additional grant, loan, guarantee) for the Rotary project, but operations stay in the hands of the host club and the local partner. This structure works well for adding funding without adding operational weight.

Configuration 3: Multi-stakeholder consortium¶

An ambitious project led jointly by 3 to 5 actors (Rotary + NGO + public authority + UN agency + private partner), with a dedicated steering structure. Reserved for large projects (over USD 300,000 in total) with proven operational maturity.

The expanded MOU for a partnership outside Rotary¶

The MOU from Chapter 8 (a simple one-page template) needs to be fleshed out for a major technical partnership. A typical expanded structure:

Parties: full identification of the signatories, legal status, authorized representatives
Background and purpose: project, geography, target population, duration
Roles and responsibilities: detailed RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) by activity
Financial commitments: who contributes what, on what schedule
Operational commitments: human and material resources, expertise
Governance: steering committee, frequency, decisions
Indicators and evaluation: alignment with the M&E plan, evaluation responsibilities
Communication and visibility: acknowledgment of partners, logos, image rights
Intellectual property: on deliverables and methodologies developed
Confidentiality: data, beneficiary information
Dispute resolution: mediation, arbitration
Termination: exit clauses, transfer of assets
Duration and renewal
Signatures

An expanded MOU deserves a review by a business lawyer, often available free of charge within the club for this kind of use.

The pitfalls of partnerships outside Rotary¶

Pitfall	Mechanism	Mitigation
Overwhelming power imbalance	A large UN agency or international NGO can absorb the Rotary project and turn it into an appendage	Strictly clarified roles, Rotary visibility preserved
Alignment with the partner's priorities, not the project's	The partner steers the project toward its own KPIs	Primacy of the CNA and the beneficiary community, stated in the MOU
Incompatible pace	Large organizations move slowly; Rotary projects have precise TRF timelines	Clear time clauses, possible penalties for delays
Change of contact person at the partner	The program officer changes and the successor does not know the project	Shared documentation, formal handover, backup contact
Administrative overload	Each large partner brings its own processes and reporting	Consolidated reporting, delegated to the best-placed actor
Loss of project ownership	With so many partners, the Rotary club no longer knows what it is leading	Regular return to the CNA and the original theory of change

Checklist for a partnership outside Rotary¶

The power of a wider network¶

A Rotary CED project that brings in its partners outside Rotary the right way gains capabilities that no single actor has: the proven methodology of a technical NGO, co-financing from a UN agency, the political roots of a local government, the scaling capacity of a private foundation. The club then becomes the conductor of a multi-partner setup, a demanding but powerful role.

Orchestrating all this in the field is exactly what the next chapter covers: how to coordinate all the actors day to day without getting lost in the complexity.