Innovated to solve systemic problems
To truly challenge established convention, change and progress become necessary ideals. That’s why innovation is at the heart of our approach to solving problems in the humanitarian sector.
Our journey began with the Start Fund; created to address a funding landscape too often criticised for being slow. Since then, we’ve introduced initiatives such as blockchain to enable more secure fund transfers, tiered due diligence to enable smaller organisations to receive funds directly, and DEPP Labs to support innovations led by communities affected by crisis.
There’s no longer any need to do things the way they’ve always been done. Our solutions improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian action.
WHAT WE KNOW
Start Network incubated 35 sustainable innovations in 18 months, including:
Martha Edu — an interactive visual education tool for children with hearing disabilities received an honourable mention in the Best World Changing Ideas Awards.
VIQUA — a mobile hybrid water treatment facility that can serve in disaster zones or be operated by franchises in remote communities, developed by Fidel Ramos who went onto be supported by Young Water Solutions in the 2019 Young Water Fellowship Programme.
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT START NETWORK
Supported national-level innovation
We see a real value in an organisation that can put together innovative programmes and develop approaches that can work at the national and subnational level. — Jeremy Wellard (ICVA, Thailand)
Reimagined donor due diligence
The way Start Network is trialling different tiered due diligence process to get local and national organisations on their books and able to receive big institutional donor funding is really exciting. — Institutional Donor (Start Network 2020 Stakeholder Survey)
Led by demands at the local level
Fundamental to both the DEPP Labs and the recent work developing the Hubs is a real commitment to make sure that the agenda is not led by the demands of actors in the ‘Global North’, but works with people at the local level to identify the problems as they see them and to come up with the solutions themselves. — Anna Skeels (Elrha, UK)
Fostered collective problem solving
There are a lot of challenges that we face in the humanitarian sector and having an organisation that focuses its time on trying to find solutions to some of those huge challenges and to work differently to have more collective thinking and decision making is really, really important and ground-breaking, even though it sounds very simple. — Hara Caracostas (Danish Refugee Council, Tunisia)
Created a landmark fund
The Start Fund was a landmark innovation in collective funds, providing funding for NGOs, led by NGOs, and setting a precedent for the sector. — Marian Casey-Maslen (CDAC Network, UK)
Changing mindsets
The DEPP labs offered a fantastic opportunity to develop tools and approaches to genuinely put those affected by crisis in the lead of developing solutions. Among other things, we learned what needs to change about how we as an organisation are structured, including changing our own mindsets from delivering a service to enabling others. — Eva Kaplan (International Rescue Committee, Middle East)
