Gov't urged to embrace civil society to improve service delivery

As governments across the world lose strength under the weight of overlapping crises, civil society is stepping into spaces once reserved for the state.

At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2025, this pressing global reality took centre stage during the session titled “Civil Society Filling the Gap,” convened in New York City on Wednesday.

Moderated by Dr. Kennedy Odede, founder and CEO of Kenya’s Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a high-level panel brought together voices from vastly different worlds but united to deliver where governments cannot.

Panelists included Linda Lindborg, President and CEO of David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Dierdre Williams, Director of Grants at the Open Society Foundations, and Brandon Scott, the Mayor of Baltimore City, each offering insights into the role of nonprofits, foundations, and local governments in bridging society’s most painful gaps.

“The world is becoming more imbalance. We are facing many challenges, but how did we find ourselves in the situation we are now?” Dr. Odede posed in his opening remarks.

The SHOFCO founder said the civil society is increasingly being called upon not just to respond to crises, but to fill chronic gaps in healthcare, education, clean water, social protection, and governance.

“In many parts of the world, especially in the slums where I come from, civil society has become the safety net. It is in the forefront to fight for the rights of the people,” he stated.

However, for Dr. Odede, despite the challenges surrounding the civil society, he sees light at the end of the tunnel.

“We should not give up. We must realise that power belongs to the people; we must go back to the community. We have to keep on organising, speaking up, and not give up,” he said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, the youngest mayor in the city's history, spoke passionately about how his administration is leaning on civil society to transform urban governance.

“You cannot fix broken systems from the top down. You need people who are from the community. The people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.

“While growing up as a black kid in Baltimore, I used to be seen as a problem to be solved, not someone to be invested in.

“Our job as leaders is to make sure that we are aligned with the people. They have the power,” he said.

Lindborg brought a funder’s perspective to the conversation, highlighting how philanthropy must change its model to truly support grassroots power.

“Too often, civil society is expected to do more with less, in the shadows of shrinking state responsibility. Philanthropy must shift from project-based, top-down models to long-term, trust-based investments in community-led systems,” Lindborg said.

She referenced the Packard Foundation’s commitment to locally-led development, noting that community-led organizations often outperform larger institutions in adaptability, trust, and sustainability.

Representing the Open Society Foundations, Dierdre Williams urged the stakeholders not to reduce civil society to mere service delivery agents.

“Yes, we deliver services. But we also speak truth to power. If we are forced to choose between being efficient contractors and courageous critics, we all lose,” William said.

Dr Odede, whose organisation SHOFCO supports over 4.1 million people in Kenya’s informal settlements and rural communities annually, emphasised that community-based organisations are not merely service providers; they are actors reshaping how governance is done.

“When you come from the slums, you’re told you don’t matter. But we have built schools, clean water systems, health centers, and even a community-run aerial data system to map public services. Who says people from the margins can’t lead?” he asked.

Yet he warned that expecting NGOs to do more with less was unsustainable:

“If we expect civil society to carry the load, we better fund them like we fund agencies. You can’t run a city with volunteers and goodwill alone.”