Building a non-profit organisation to support local leadership in crisis contexts
Funding partner: Science&Startups and the Berlin Startup Stipendium (funded by European Social Fund and the State of Berlin)
Support type: Individual scholarships for four full-time team members, workspace, structured coaching, mentor access, expert network
Timeline: 08/2024 - 07/2025
Location: Berlin, Germany
Context
The Berlin Startup Stipendium (BSS) has been a turning point in MatchLocal’s journey from a shared idea among practitioners to a fully operational non-profit with a clear mission to make funding more direct, flexible and fair for local organisations in crisis contexts.
The BSS gave us something every young organisation needs but rarely has: time, stability and the space to build things properly. It enabled us to grow our team, establish our base in Berlin and start translating the vision of localisation into practice. With the mentoring, coaching and expert support provided through the programme, we sharpened our focus, built strong foundations and gained credibility within both the humanitarian and start-up communities.
What BSS made possible
Thanks to the Berlin Startup Stipendium, MatchLocal was able to
Bring together a full-time team of four committed professionals working across localisation, partnerships and organisational development
Set up a workspace in Berlin that gave us a real home for collaboration, creativity and strategy
Learn from experienced mentors and coaches whose advice helped us grow as leaders and refine our organisational vision
Join a vibrant start-up ecosystem connecting us with experts, social entrepreneurs and changemakers across Berlin
Build internal systems and workflows from financial management to safeguarding and data protection that now form the backbone of our daily operations
This foundation made it possible for MatchLocal to start implementing international projects within just a few months of the programme’s start.
In our first operational year, we worked with local civil society partners in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Uganda.
In Burkina Faso and Ghana, we designed and delivered a two-phase programme with self-assessments, peer-led workshops and mentoring on fundraising, organisational structure and financial management.
In Uganda, we supported refugee-led organisations to strengthen their strategic and operational capacities through targeted workshops, coaching and field-based learning, supporting them articulate their long-term vision and strengthen collaboration with local authorities.
We also continued to accompany our partners in Burkina Faso and Ghana through a smaller follow-up project and finalised a proposal for a digital project management and AI readiness initiative, set to launch in late 2025.
Strengthening local leadership
During the BSS year, MatchLocal developed and field-tested its organisational development toolkit and modular workshops, designed to help small and mid-sized local organisations grow stronger and more confident in their work. These tools were co-created with our partners and are continiously refined through direct feedback. We also co-designed a project with our Cameroonian partner HADY on digital skills and responsible AI use in the daily work of humanitarian organisations in Southwest and Northwest Cameroon, aiming to close the digital divide that still limits many local NGOs.
Building tools that work
Through the BSS, MatchLocal built partnerships with 16 organisations, co-devekped three new project proposals with Global South partners, joined the H2H Network and represented our work at four international conferences. These connections helped us position MatchLocal as a credible and trusted partner that links local leadership with global systems change.
Partnerships and presence
Beyond the projects, the BSS allowed us to mature as an organisation. We developed policies, clarified responsibilities, created a monitoring system for impact and learned how to build structure without losing agility. The mentoring and peer learning within the BSS network were essential in helping us stay focused on our long-term mission while navigating the practical challenges of running a start-up non-profit.
Growing as an organisation
Impact at a Glance
The Berlin Startup Stipendium was not only funding, it has been a year of growth, reflection and experimentation, a year that transformed MatchLocal from an idea into an operational organisation with a mission. Building on this foundation, we will continue to strengthen local organisations, expand our digital and AI readiness initiatives and grow partnerships that move resources and decision-making power closer to where change truly happens: on the ground.
Looking ahead
This project is supported by Science & Startups and the Berlin Startup Stipendium, funded by the European Social Fund and the State of Berlin.
