Doers, Not Saints

Our manifesto: apolitical, solutions-first, and community-driven

Our Operating Principles

These aren't aspirations—they're commitments that guide every decision and partnership.

We don't run in circles. We run in the field.

Speed matters when communities face drought, wildlife conflict, or infrastructure failure. We cut through bureaucracy while maintaining safeguards.

We don't pick fights. We pick solvable problems.

Our case-by-case approach focuses on interventions where we can make measurable, practical impact—not systemic battles we can't win.

We don't replace government, conservancies, or existing NGOs.

We unblock urgent action and co-fund community-led solutions. We're facilitators and accelerators, not replacements.

Communities are decision-makers, not beneficiaries.

Local knowledge leads. We provide resources, capacity-building, and connections—but communities design and own the solutions.

Lean where it's vanity; invest where it's necessary.

Minimal bureaucracy, visible controls. We publish procurement rules, safeguarding policies, audits, and governance structures.

What We Do

Act fast when conservancies need urgent support
Co-fund community-led solutions with transparent budgets
Build capacity through training and knowledge transfer
Connect communities to markets, investors, and partners
Publish what we learn, including failures
Credit partners and communities loudly and consistently

What We Refuse To Do

Claim moral superiority or play saviour
Make promises we can't keep or fund
Impose solutions without community leadership
Operate without safeguards or oversight
Hide our decision-making criteria or financials
Take political positions or align with parties

Standing Inside Namibia's CBNRM Vision

Namibia's National Policy on Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) has proven that when communities have rights to use, benefit, and manage natural resources, incentives for sustainable use are created. CBNRM is meant to provide additional economic opportunities—not replace existing livelihoods.

The policy explicitly states that "costs and barriers to sustainable management should be reduced," including reducing administrative requirements and bureaucracy, while ensuring safeguards are in place. That's not an activist slogan—it's policy language we can quote to show that speed and safeguards are not enemies.

We don't just describe CBNRM—we stand inside Namibia's own intent for it and show how The Grow Namibia Foundation accelerates it through practical, community-led action.

Trust-Based Philanthropy

We embrace the principles of trust-based philanthropy: power-sharing, equity, humility, transparency, curiosity, and collaboration. Funder-grantee power dynamics can slow down progress and perpetuate inefficiency—we choose a different path.

This means streamlined processes, ongoing partnerships grounded in mutual respect, and a commitment to learning together. We're not here to impose conditions—we're here to enable action.