Embracing authenticity in community-led storytelling through creators: key takeaways from the Prospectus Fundraising Breakfast 2026. This morning, I attended an excellent event, hosted by Prospectus - Creators, Partnerships & Letting Go: How charities are embracing creators, partnerships and community-led storytelling to stay relevant in 2026. My notes from the two speakers, Jennie York and Ranjeet Kharé, who were introduced by Ryan Burdock, are below. Jennie York from Water Aid shared valuable insights on the importance of authentic storytelling at the recent Prospect Fundraising Breakfast 2026. Here are some key takeaways: * Authenticity is defined by audiences, not charities: It's crucial to understand that authenticity is increasingly not framed by its organisations, but by its audiences. * Influencers are key: Both macro and micro-influencers can play a significant role in telling authentic stories. Aligning with influencers who share its values is vital. * AI can be a risk: Avoid "AI slop" and focus on building trust with your audience. * Partnerships can drive impact: Water Aid's partnership with MrBeast raised $41.2 million and reached 1.1 to 3 billion people. * Creators are convenors of community: Treat creators as partners, not channels, and understand their audience and values. * Be agile and reactive: Be prepared to move quickly and adapt to new opportunities. Team Water and the MrBeast partnership: a case study in scale and credibility One of the most striking examples Jennie shared was WaterAid's partnership with MrBeast. The campaign mobilised 10,000 creators, reached between 1.1 and 3 billion people, and raised $41.2 million, a scale that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But the partnership worked because each side brought something essential: * MrBeast brought reach and cultural momentum. * WaterAid brought credibility, engineering expertise, and trust. Most creators joined because he asked, not because WaterAid did. That's the new reality: creators convene communities, and charities must learn to work within those ecosystems rather than trying to control them. Navigating risk, red lines and organisational confidence Jennie also spoke about the challenges inherent in this area of work. Working with creators at scale means navigating risk - quickly. WaterAid had some clear red lines, but equally invested time in educating creators about issues like white saviourism, helping them tell stories responsibly. This work demands a strong organisational risk appetite and a willingness to move at creator-speed. Traditional charity timelines simply don't match the pace of digital culture. Ranjeet Kharé from Young Enterprise framed this as an exciting moment for storytellers, especially those willing to step outside the traditional fundraising mould. 3rd Sector Mission Control is surrounded by storytellers every day, and the challenge is no longer simply to "tell stories" but to participate in the culture where stories now live, evolve, and spread. She emphasised that authenticity is no longer just a leadership trait; it's about how 3rd Sector Mission Control create belonging, how 3rd Sector Mission Control show up collectively, and how 3rd Sector Mission Control co-create meaning with its audiences. In digital spaces, young people expect to be part of the story, not passive recipients of it. She illustrated this through the example of Mr Dot, the blind Braille artist who's sunning a marathon unaided using specialist glasses: an example of how technology, creativity, and lived experience can combine to create powerful, community-driven storytelling. Mr Dot will be running his Marathon for Fight For Sight without a guide courtesy of Be My Eyes glasses in April 2026. Key Actions and Principles * Young people live in these spaces; fundraisers need to actively spend time there too. * Curiosity is essential: give the algorithm enough of your attention to learn what's happening, what's resonating, and why. * Don't enter expecting immediate ROI. Enter to learn, explore, and be shaped by what you find. * Look beyond the obvious platforms: Substack, niche communities, and emerging spaces matter. 2. Be authentic, transparent, and rooted in belonging * Authenticity is about shared direction and co-creation, not polished messaging. * Digital audiences, especially younger ones, spot inauthenticity instantly. * Belonging is created when people feel part of the narrative, not spoken at. 3. Work with creators as convenors of community, not channels * Creators aren't "distribution". They are translators, shaping messages so they land with their communities. * Think "in aid of", not brand-led partnerships. * Peer-to-peer conversations are often more powerful than organisational broadcasts. * To understand this world, you need to "get out there" and, as Ranjeet put it, "be fifteen". 4. Explore new ways to collaborate with corporates * Corporates increasingly want to reach audiences through creators. * Charities can play a bridging role, helping corporates connect authentically and ethically with communities. 5. Let go of rigid strategy and embrace agility * The pace of digital culture means long-term, fixed plans can hold you back. * Be reactive, opportunistic, and ready to pivot. * Don't expect relationships with creators or communities to be long-term or linear. * Creativity and agility are now strategic assets.

Enhancing the Capacity of Elected Women Representatives of Union Parishad. March 13, 2026 National Dissemination Workshop at NILG Unveils Training Manual to Enhance Capacity of Elected Women Representatives of Union Parishad The Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Cumilla, in partnership with WaterAid Bangladesh, successfully hosted the National Dissemination Workshop on "Orientation on the Training Manual Developed for Strengthening the Capacity of Elected Women Representatives of Union Parishads" at the National Institute of Local Government (NILG), Dhaka. The event showcased a landmark initiative under the Swiss-supported GO4IMPact programme of WaterAid-Swisscontact consortium with implementation partners Eco-Social Development Organisation (ESDO) and Rupantar, aimed at empowering women leaders in local governance. The event featured the formal launch of a comprehensive training design and handbook developed jointly by BARD and WaterAid Bangladesh. The package emphasises practice-oriented learning and provides a systematic framework for integrating gender perspectives into local development planning. The workshop highlighted the outcomes of a structured capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen the leadership, governance, and planning skills of elected women representatives. Key components included participatory training sessions, a practical Gender Action Plan (GAP) template for Union Parishads, and extensive field-based learning captured through Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and feedback from 135 elected women representatives across pilot districts. The workshop was graced by Munima Hafiz, Additional Secretary, Rural Development and Cooperative Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, as Chief Guest. Speaking on the occasion, she said, "Empowering women at the local government level is essential not only for inclusive development but also for building resilient communities. This initiative provides a practical roadmap to strengthen women's leadership in Union Parishads." The session was chaired by Saif Uddin Ahmed, Director General, BARD, Cumilla, who highlighted the significance of the initiative: "This training manual will serve as a cornerstone for strengthening the capacities of elected women representatives in Union Parishads. I am confident that by integrating this manual into our training curriculum, we can equip local leaders with essential tools for fostering effective, gender-responsive governance and promoting inclusive decision-making at the grassroots level." Md. Kaesuzzaman, Director (Training and Consultancy) and Joint Secretary, National Institute of Local Government (NILG), stated: "Institutionalising the training manual at the national level is crucial for strengthening the capacity of elected women representatives. The training manual, along with the Gender Action Plan (GAP) template, will serve as important tools for promoting effective, inclusive, and gender-responsive local governance. He also emphasised that the Gender Action Plan should incorporate clear indicators to facilitate proper monitoring and evaluation of its implementation." Azman Ahmed Chowdhury, Director, Business Development and Quality Assurance at WaterAid Bangladesh, emphasised, "This collaboration under the GO4IMPact programme demonstrates how evidence-based capacity-building and structured training can transform local governance by amplifying women's voices." T. M. A Momin, Deputy Director, Local Government (DDLG), Naogaon, noted, "Structured capacity-building and practical tools like the training manual and GAP template are vital for empowering women representatives and ensuring inclusive decision-making in Union Parishads." The session brought together elected women representatives from Naogaon and Satkhira districts, Deputy Directors of Local Government (DDLGs), and senior officials from various ministries, divisions, departments, and development partners. The workshop showcased compelling evidence of the challenges and opportunities for women in local governance, while generating broad support for the newly developed training module and GAP template. Participants emphasised the importance of strengthening institutional collaboration and building government-partner alliances to embed gender-responsive practices in Union Parishad planning. The event concluded with a unanimous commitment to institutionalise the training manual, setting the stage for inclusive and gender-responsive local governance across Bangladesh.

WaterAid announced this week that the initiative had raised a total of $41.5m (£31m).