News
How do you perceive Small Foundation’s work?
For the fifth year in a row, Small Foundation invited partners, peer funders and other stakeholders to share candid feedback on our work and their experience of engaging with Small Foundation. This year, 66 stakeholders responded to our anonymous survey, offering a wide range of perspectives that affirm our work and give us direction on where we need to stretch further.
More than ever before, stakeholders who are not direct partners of Small Foundation shared insights, and this gave us extremely helpful feedback outside of our partner relationships. We were encouraged by the consistent positive feedback and found suggestions to be clear and actionable.
Image: Net Promoter score
How Small Foundation engages in the ecosystem
A recurring theme across the responses was appreciation for our collaborative approach. Many described constructive engagements, openness to dialogue, and a willingness to listen.
Stakeholders emphasised the value of connecting with each other through activities such as our partner gathering, and expressed interest in more opportunities to convene.
Image: Relationship of respondent entities with Small Foundation
How our work is influencing stakeholders
Respondents highlighted ecosystem-focused conversations spurred by Small Foundation that have shaped their own thinking, from adopting systems approaches to re-examining how they work with small businesses. Examples included:
- Embedding ecosystem-level and systems thinking more deliberately in their strategies
- Recognising philanthropy’s catalytic role in addressing structural barriers to MSME resilience
- Being willing to finance primary agricultural production for the first time
- Strengthening collaboration by using network approaches and designing convenings
- Increasing cross-sector connections and embedding new tools (e.g. foresight, participatory reflection) in their own convenings
- Adjusting organisational strategies, financing structures, or programme design based on shared learning
Image: Where respondent entities have impact
Suggestions for improvement
Stakeholders also identified areas where we can improve. Feedback pointed to the need for greater clarity and predictability in our investment process, especially around timelines. Some encouraged us to make clearer choices about when to play a direct operational role and when to support others. Others urged us to use our credibility to bring more funders along, amplifying local leadership and new narratives within the sector.
How we will take this feedback forward
Based on stakeholder input, we will focus on:
- Prioritising engagement with partners and others in the system, exploring ways to deepen connections between peers in our network and connecting like-minded organisations
- Leaning into sharing our learning, while continuing to listen to others
- Continuing to clarify expectations around our investment process, including clearer timelines and alignment on due-diligence needs
- Creating more structured opportunities for joint learning, collaboration, and community-building across partners and ecosystem actors.
- Leveraging our position to support peers and other funders to engage in our work, amplifying local leadership, and advancing system-oriented narratives.
These steps aim to respond directly to stakeholder insights and help us refine how we contribute to systemic change across the MSME ecosystem.
We are grateful for the honesty and specificity of this year’s feedback. It challenges us to deepen our partnerships and strengthen our practices, in line with our core values to work collaboratively and learn every day.
