Building Community in Uncertain Times: How WomenStrong’s Learning Lab Creates Connection When It Matters Most

The world of international aid and development experienced seismic shifts in January, leaving organizations and advocates grappling with uncertainty and change. For those committed to advancing gender equity and supporting grassroots organizations worldwide, these moments test our resilience and highlight the critical importance of community.

At WomenStrong International, we’ve witnessed time and time again that, when faced with unprecedented challenges, our 25 grantee partners don’t retreat; they lean into each other. Through our Learning Lab community space, we’ve seen firsthand how trust, shared learning, and genuine connection become lifelines during turbulent times. The question isn’t whether community matters in moments like these, but how we intentionally create and nurture it.

The Power of Unrestricted Support and True Partnership

WomenStrong’s approach rests on three foundational pillars that reflect our commitment to genuine collaboration:

Unrestricted funding enables partners to choose how to best support their communities, plus an additional $10,000 annual “partner support fund” for flexible use, whether for attending conferences, hiring consultants, prioritizing self-care, or investing in organizational strength.

Tailored organizational strengthening support is delivered one-on-one or in groups, always based on what partners identify as their priority needs. This isn’t about imposing external agendas; it’s about responding to real challenges and opportunities.

The Learning Lab is built on a foundation of trust, and serves as the heart of our community-building efforts, creating consistency in an unpredictable world through regular gatherings of familiar faces, building relationships that extend far beyond any single program cycle. 

Creating Space for Connection and Learning

WomenStrong’s Learning Lab operates through four interconnected groups:

• Emerging Feminist Leaders Group supports designated staff in developing leadership skills
• Feminist Leaders Group connects Executive Directors for peer learning
• Knowledge and Learning Group focuses on monitoring and evaluation discussions
• Community Conversation Group provides open cross-regional networking monthly

Each group meets monthly with calls at two different times to accommodate diverse time zones. Interpretation is provided in English, Spanish, and French, in line with our Language Justice Policy.

“I think one of the greatest elements we received was being in the [WomenStrong] Learning Labs. We managed to create an environment within our own organizations where staff could engage through sharing different experiences they face in communities.” -WomenStrong partner

Partners Supporting Partners

Perhaps nowhere is the strength of our community more evident than in how partners show up for each other during challenging times. Understandably, fundraising remains a consistently requested topic for support given the current funding landscape. Rather than leaving partners to navigate these challenges alone, we’ve watched them step up and support one another in inspiring ways.

During a recent Community Conversation call, partners shared challenges and offered expertise to those who needed it. Sahar, working in Afghanistan, provided crowdfunding guidance to GENET (Malawi) as they explore diversified income sources following foreign aid cuts. Roots of Health (Philippines), with their established funding base, mentored ClimaLab, a new Climate Justice partner in Colombia, on developing fundraising approaches.

“WSI’s Learning Lab activities have been a safe space where we can share our work while learning from other partners and their community-led interventions,” shared another partner.

May’s fundraising focus brought together expertise across our network. Three Executive Directors from Afghanistan, Uganda, and the Philippines shared time and expertise on diversifying funding strategies, while the Emerging Leaders group explored AI’s potential and ethical considerations in fundraising.

Looking Forward: Self-Care and Sustainable Impact

Building on May’s fundraising focus, June shifts attention to self-care and team wellbeing, recognizing the interconnection between organizational sustainability, personal resilience, and mission impact. This evolution reflects our partners’ wisdom: you cannot pour from an empty cup.

The Foundation of Everything We Do

What drives our approach? We listen to our partners. Consistently, we hear that partners want spaces where they can connect authentically, share experiences without judgment, and learn from each other’s innovations and challenges. The Learning Lab didn’t emerge from strategic planning retreats; it grew from hearing what partners needed most.

In an era where international development faces unprecedented scrutiny and transformation, community-led solutions and genuine partnership aren’t just buzzwords; they’re essential strategies for creating lasting change. Our partners demonstrate daily that when given unrestricted support, trusted learning spaces, and opportunities for peer connection, grassroots organizations not only survive uncertainty but also innovate, collaborate, and thrive.

Root for Change

The challenges facing international development necessitate new approaches rooted in trust, community, and authentic partnership. Through the Learning Lab and our broader support model, WomenStrong has witnessed the transformative power of creating spaces where women-led organizations can connect, learn from, and support each other.

As we navigate uncertain times, we remain committed to listening to our partners, adapting our support to meet evolving needs, and fostering a community that sustains organizations through difficult moments while positioning them to lead lasting change. The strongest foundation for advancing gender equity worldwide isn’t any single program; it’s the web of relationships, trust, and shared learning that enables grassroots leaders to support each other and amplify their collective impact.