2011 Annual Report: Letter from the Board Chair
Raising the Bar in the Face of Challenges
Over the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of watching InterAction truly raise the bar for ourselves and for our members. While the external environment for international nonprofit organizations remains a very challenging one, I have seen our community come together and show resilience, determination and a shared sense of purpose, working effectively as a unified voice for change. While the obstacles have been many – from a persistently tough fundraising climate to discouraging public misperceptions about the role and value of development and humanitarian assistance – what has shone through is the steadfast commitment to helping the world’s poorest and most vulnerable take charge of their lives and thrive.
InterAction faced our share of challenges in 2011, as did all of our members, but I’m pleased to report that, thanks to the hard work and dedication of InterAction’s team and all of our extended family who participate in the working groups and other key initiatives, we saw many notable successes in 2011. Chief among them was InterAction’s CEO’s participation in the Busan High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness as the sole civil society representative on the U.S. delegation, where Sam successfully introduced the concept that civil society is a key factor in development success and put forth a compelling vision of “whole-of-society” ownership. The year also saw the evolution of the 1,000 Days initiative, hosted by InterAction, which mobilized diverse members from our community in an effort to ensure greater U.S. and global leadership on addressing maternal and child malnutrition. To enhance our community’s partnership with private donors, InterAction launched two exciting initiatives in 2011 – an Indirect
Cost Task Force to tackle the common problem of adequate overhead recovery, and a Business Council to foster a collaborative – and safe – dialogue to improve the effectiveness of corporate/NGO partnerships. Both projects demonstrate the collective strength of InterAction, leveraging the involvement of our members to create synergies and address important but sensitive issues.
InterAction worked conscientiously with our member organizations to develop consensus around themes of mutual importance, such as foreign assistance, accountability and transparency. Our staff has worked tirelessly to raise the voice and profile of the NGO community with the U.S. government, the United Nations and beyond. InterAction has become a trusted resource for influential leaders seeking to hear the views and opinions of the humanitarian and development community and to explore partnerships to help the world’s poor. We have moved from having a seat at the table to helping to set the agenda.
As we move forward in 2012 and beyond, I am proud of what InterAction accomplished in 2011 and excited about the future. Our community is strong and vibrant, and together we will continue our efforts to eliminate extreme poverty, uphold human rights, safeguard a sustainable planet and ensure human dignity for poor and vulnerable populations worldwide.
Kathy Spahn
Board Chair, InterAction
President and CEO, Helen Keller International
