How funders can support local solutions

Catherine Cheney is a Senior Reporter for Devex. She covers the West Coast of the U.S., focusing on the role of technology and innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. And she frequently represents Devex as a speaker and moderator. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, worked as a web producer for POLITICO and reporter for World Politics Review, and helped to launch NationSwell. Catherine has reported from all over the world, and freelanced for outlets including the Atlantic and the Washington Post. She is also the West Coast ambassador for the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that trains and connects journalists to cover responses to problems.

Rakesh Rajani brings three decades of experience in human rights, education, governance and philanthropy in his role as Vice President, Programs at Co-Impact. Until recently he served as the Director of Civic Engagement and Government at the Ford Foundation, responsible for U.S. and global programs on democratic participation, taxes and budgets, and protecting civic space. Previously he founded and served as the Head of Twaweza, an East African organization that promotes citizen agency and open government, and led the establishment of Uwezo, Africa’s largest program to assess basic literacy and numeracy. Prior to that he served as the founding executive director of HakiElimu, Tanzania’s leading citizen engagement education advocacy organization. Rakesh holds a master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Literature from Brandeis University.

Tim Hanstad leads the Chandler Foundation as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining the Chandler Foundation, Tim co-founded Landesa, the world’s leading land rights organization, and led its growth from a two-person team to a Top-10 Global NGO with more than 20 offices around the world. He launched Landesa’s programs in China, the former Soviet Union, and India, where he lived for five years. Tim is a Skoll Social Entrepreneur Awardee and Schwab Foundation Outstanding Social Entrepreneur. He has authored numerous books and articles on economic and social development. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and beyond. He holds two law degrees from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree from Seattle Pacific University.

Neera Nundy is the Co-Founder of Dasra, an India based strategic philanthropy foundation that uses a field building approach to create systems change in India. Over the past 20 years, Dasra has actively shaped the development sector by building stronger institutions such as Magic Bus, Educate Girls and SNEHA. Neera leads Dasra’s field-building initiatives in the areas of Adolescents & Urban Sanitation. In 2016, she launched the Dasra Adolescents Collaborative, a $50 million fund to foster multi-stakeholder collaboration to impact 5 million adolescent lives. She facilitates key partnerships including one with Harvard Business Publishing to launch the Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program, a first-of-its-kind executive education program for social sector leaders in India. She supports knowledge creation and has overseen 70 social sector research reports, driving USD 44 million in funding for hundreds of nonprofits. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, is an Indian Leadership Initiative Fellow with Aspen Institute, and is a Global Board Member of The Hunger Project. She is a recipient of the Canadian Governor General's Medallion for her dedication to addressing India’s critical development challenges, and has also been awarded the Forbes Philanthropy Award in the Crossover Leaders Category.