about us
We have worked in, supported, and admired NGOs working for social change for decades, and have done so in almost every possible kind of role: as NGO leaders, managers, staff, and board members; as advisors; as consultants; as donors: as researchers and teachers. At the same time, as much as we celebrate these organizations, we saw serious challenges emerging for a long time. The traditional funding model wasn't working.
So we brought together a handful of people—NGO leaders, foundation staff, consultants, and researchers—who were willing to ask difficult questions and think differently. We focused on creating a space that felt less like a workshop and more like a salon—generative, honest, and forward-thinking. We followed the Chatham House Rule so people could speak freely, leaving their organizational hats at the door.
What emerged was ARCS: the Alternative Resourcing for Change and Solidarity Roundtable. A place where we could share what works around the world and support each other through the messy parts of building something new. It’s not an effort to reform what went wrong or prescribe an off-the-shelf solution. Instead, we connect the gap from reflection to charting a new course through uncertainty.
We're figuring this out as we go, learning from each other, and changing how we think about sustainability, autonomy, and solidarity in this sector. If you're an NGO leader tired of the hamster wheel, a foundation staffer who knows your grantees deserve better, or a researcher or consultant with ideas about how to do this differently—this space is for you.
the Roundtable Team
-
Louis Bickford // Co-Convenor
Louis brings nearly three decades of experience in NGO funding and sustainability. At the Ford Foundation, he managed a $50M portfolio on institutional strengthening for human rights organizations, shaping the acclaimed BUILD program. Today, he also teaches NGO management at Columbia University and has launched multiple social enterprises focused on alternative revenue models.
Read Louis’ article on the new architecture for the international human rights movement.
Email: louis@arcsoundtable.org
-
Nicolette Naylor // Co-Convenor
Nicolette is a global leader in justice and philanthropy with over twenty years of experience. She previously directed the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa office and led its International Program on Gender, Racial & Ethnic Justice. Prior to joining philanthropy, she spent many years working within the NGO and INGO space as a human rights lawyer. She is also the founder and CEO of Ubuntu Global Philanthropy & Gender Justice working to transform the way philanthropy is practiced to be more rooted in indigenous systems of giving.
Read Nicolette’s interview on reimagining sustainability for human rights struggles.
Email: nicolette@arcsroundtable.org
-
Merrill Sovner // Network Manager
Merrill has fostered civil society resilience and peer learning over twenty years in philanthropy and academia. She supported human rights and social justice organizations in the President’s Office of the Open Society Foundations, supported organizational learning at The Atlantic Philanthropies, and connected researchers and practitioners at CUNY. Her academic research focuses on how NGOs facing financial and political pressure sought out new forms of resources and legitimacy.
Read Merrill’s research on what civil society organizations need to pivot and innovate to be sustainable.
Email: merrill@arcsroundtable.org
Advisory Committee
Our Advisory Committee ensures ARCS stays grounded in diverse global perspectives. Members bring expertise in philanthropy, activism, and nonprofit leadership from across the world.
Gaston Chillier (Argentina)
Archana Deshpande (Canada)
Sophia Hernandez (Mexico)
Danna Ingleton (Canada)
Charles Kojo VanDyck (Ghana)
Sahana Mehta (USA)
Susan Shah (USA)
Foundation grants: early support to launch the ARCS Roundtable has been provided by the Open Society Foundations and Wellspring Advisors.
Membership fees: paid by both institutions and individuals to participate in curated peer learning sessions and access to knowledge from past sessions and other resources exclusive to the ARCS Roundtable.
Research services: we draw on our accumulated knowledge to support clients with field mapping, literature reviews, and listening and feedback sessions.
Convenings: we will organize in person events in line with our mission that provide income from registration or facilitation fees.
Consulting: in some instances, ARCS can either undertake or facilitate consulting on these and related topics.
Have an idea for a convening or research on civil society resourcing? Collaborate with us
how the ARCS Roundtable is resourced
We practice what we preach, making us not just convenors but also peers in implementing alternative forms of resourcing. We operate with various revenue streams: