Beyond charity: How community philanthropy is reshaping development in Northern Ghana

Download the new research paper from Norsaac, Community Philanthropy as Empowerment: Reclaiming Agency through Indigenous Giving Practices in Northern Ghana.

In the Sagnarigu Municipality of Northern Ghana, something remarkable is happening. Women gather in small circles, contributing modest sums to “susu” savings groups that will later fund a neighbour’s business or a child’s school fees. Farmers set aside their own harvest work to prepare a widow’s field for planting. Families pool resources to support community priorities not because an NGO asked them to, but because this is who they are.

This is community philanthropy in action, and according to our recent research, it is thriving.

Far from the traditional charity model of external donors giving to passive recipients, community philanthropy in Northern Ghana is a powerful expression of identity, dignity and collective responsibility. Our study reveals that local giving practices are rooted in social norms, spiritual beliefs and shared aspirations for the well-being of current and future generations.

The three pillars of community giving

We found that communities in Sagnarigu mobilized resources through three interconnected mechanisms:

• Susu groups, primarily led by women, do far more than provide financial credit. These informal savings circles serve as platforms for mutual aid, emergency support and community investment. A woman saving for her petty trade today may contribute to her neighbour’s medical expenses tomorrow. The financial power wielded by women through these groups is significant, even if their voices remain limited in broader community decision-making.
• Communal labour remains a vital tradition, with neighbours coming together to farm, build or repair. However, this practice faces pressure from changing migration patterns and urbanization, as younger community members spend more time away from their home areas.
• Direct support, in the form of cash, food or in-kind contributions, flows through extended family networks and community relationships, which are activated in times of need without formal structures or external prompting.

Who shapes giving and who gets left behind

Traditional leaders and religious figures play important roles in shaping philanthropic norms, but our research found that real power lies in consensus and trust, not coercion. Communities maintain fierce autonomy over these mechanisms and often resist external attempts to control or co-opt them.

However, these systems aren’t perfect. The most vulnerable community members, persons with disabilities, widows without strong advocates, those on the margins, can sometimes fall through the cracks. This signals a clear need for more intentional inclusion.

The aid paradox

Our most striking finding concerns the relationship between community initiatives and externally funded projects. Communities value having control over decision-making and timing, even when this means slower mobilization. They know their contexts, their neighbours and what will actually work.

Externally imposed projects, by contrast, often move quickly but leave damage in their wake. Opacity in beneficiary selection breeds resentment. Abrupt programme endings when funding runs out create what our research terms “aid-induced cynicism.” Communities that have seen projects come and go learn to hold back and protect their own systems from disruption.

The lesson is clear: external actors must move differently.

A vision for genuine partnership

When we asked community members what a meaningful partnership looks like, their vision was remarkably consistent. They want external actors to provide flexible resources, training and connections without dictating terms. They want to build on indigenous philanthropic systems, not replace them. Significantly, they prefer loans over grants, recognizing that ownership and sustainability come from having skin in the game.

This challenges development organizations to move beyond rhetoric and to truly redistribute power. It means trusting communities as leaders of their own development, not simply as participants in projects designed elsewhere.

What this means for development practice

For those working in community development or philanthropy, these findings offer both validation and challenges. They validate that communities are not empty vessels waiting to be filled with external resources, but living ecosystems of mutual support with centuries of wisdom. They challenge us to examine our own practices: Are we strengthening or undermining what already exists? Are we listening deeply or imposing solutions? Are we partners or patrons?

The full report offers comprehensive insights and actionable recommendations for those interested in how community philanthropy functions as a political and cultural practice and what this means for reimagining development.

By: Mohammed Awal Alhassan, Anwar Sadat Hamza and Kawusada Abubakari – Norsaac