Tapping Philanthropy for Development: Lessons Learned from a Public-Private Partnership in Rural Uganda

In telling the story of an innovative program based at Iowa State University (ISU), Lorna Michael Butler, Della McMillan, and their colleagues offer practical, stepbystep advice critical for any organization seeking to fund and manage multifaceted, publicprivate partnerships for development.

The story begins when the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU received large gifts from alumni and friends with a strong interest in Africa. Using that transformative funding, the university established the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) and entered into collaborative, longterm  relationships with a university and an NGO in Uganda. Tapping Philanthropy for Development draws on the partners' experiences to provide a unique roadmap for effectively navigating the challenges involved in obtaining nontraditional funding―and in using it well.

CONTENTS: 

• Foreword―Gerald A. and Karen A. Kolschowsky.
• Introduction: Tapping Philanthropy for Development―the Editors.
• Identifying Opportunities―O.R. Bundy III.
• Courting Prospective Partners―L.M. Butler and R. Mazur.
• Getting Started―D. Masinde, L.M. Butler, and R. Mazur.
• Building Trust Through Accounting and Accountability―M.E. Westgate.
• Starting Where the People Are―D. Masinde and D.E. McMillan.
• Leaving the Door Open to Emerging Needs and Opportunities―D. Masinde, D.E. McMillan, M. Rothschild, and G. Nonnecke.
• Leaving the Door Open to New Beneficiaries―G. Nonnecke, D.E. McMillan, D. Kugonza, and D. Masinde.
• Tracking Progress and Planning for the Future―H. Sseguya and D.E. McMillan.
• Capitalizing on Impacts and CSRL’s Multiplier Effects―D.G. Acker, H. Kizito Musoke, and H. Sseguya.
• Epilogue: The Partnership Today and Looking Toward the Future―L.M. Butler and D.G. Acker.

Lorna Michael Butler is professor emeritus of sociology and anthropology and also agricultural and life sciences global fellow at Iowa State University. 

Della E. McMillan, associate research scientist (adjunct) in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida, consults extensively on issues of development in Africa.