Transformation

HelpAge’s mission will become more significant in the coming decades as the world’s population becomes increasingly older.  

How we, as an international NGO, add value and collaborate with others is going to be critically important if we are to meet the needs created by accelerated population ageing across the world.  

Our vision is to increase our impact for older people, maintaining our role as an international change maker that advances the rights and wellbeing of older people around the world.  

We will achieve this by innovating, adopting new collaborations, policies and practices. And this will be done by transforming the way we work.  

How is HelpAge transforming?  

An important element of our 2030 Strategy is our commitment to locally-led development, as part of the decolonisation of aid. We want to evolve how we add value, working in partnership while transferring power to national and local organisations who engage directly with their communities.  

We are making three strategic shifts in the way we work: 

  1. We will add value by working with others as a Supporter, Convenor, and Thought leader, as laid out in our 2030 Strategy.  
  2. We will adopt partner-led programming at national and local level, working with and through partners and members of the HelpAge global network.  
  3. We will transition our country programmes and offices to locally-led independent entities. 

What does this mean for HelpAge’s work?  

We are committed to increasing our impact, working in partnership to create a broader movement for change for the rights and wellbeing of older people.  

In practical terms, we will do this by:  

  • Working exclusively through partners and members of the HelpAge global network, ceasing direct implementation of programmes.  
  • Developing more regular interactions with like-minded organisations working on partner-led programming. 
  • Investing our partners with more power and control over how they allocate and spend resources, including sharing indirect cost recoveries received from institutional grants.
  • Ensuring we seek regular feedback from our partners on how to make the partnership approach work for them.  
  • Providing training tailored to partners’ requests, as well as facilitating peer-to-peer connections that will help strengthen the wider movement working for the wellbeing of older people.  
  • ‘Localising’ HelpAge’s 11 country programmes and offices, supporting them to become independent self-regulated organisations, operating as social enterprises, ageing centres, national NGOs or platforms and coalitions that promote the rights of older people.