In an op-ed published by PR Week, Atalanta CEO Elizabeth Ames examines how the UK has gone from being celebrated as a "development superpower" to cutting aid spending to its lowest levels since 1999. Most concerning is that these cuts are now coming from across the political spectrum – with Britain's Labour Party, which had pledged to restore the UK's aid budget to 0.7 per cent of GNI - also making reductions.
"The short answer is complacency," Elizabeth writes in PR Week. Her analysis identifies several key challenges:
- Many organisations in the sector wrongly assume that doing good work automatically generates positive public perceptions
- Communication efforts remain siloed, with most organisations only engaging their existing stakeholders
- Negative narratives about waste, fraud, and dependency have gained traction in both donor and recipient countries
- With resources already stretched thin, NGOs cannot take on the additional burden of changing public perceptions
Elizabeth makes a compelling case for private foundations to take the lead in addressing this PR crisis. The article calls for a bold, coordinated campaign that effectively communicates the tangible, life-changing impact of development funding to both donor and recipient countries.
This opinion piece expands on findings from Atalanta's latest White Paper on how private philanthropy should respond to uncertainty in global development funding. Download the full White Paper here to explore our in-depth analysis and strategic recommendations for addressing these challenges.
