After seven years of “incubation” within The Hunger Project and an explosion in our growth during COVID, MCLD regional leaders and external experts came together in October 2022 to co-create a new, global organizational structure able to mobilize greater financial resources.
We have a strong intention to not recreate the rather neo-colonial “hub and spoke” model. We stopped using the word “chapters.” Instead, we created a “network of networks” model where members in each country would set their own priorities in a National Association structured and registered consistent with the laws and standards in each country, yet aligned around global mission and set of values.
Given the very busy schedules of individuals participating in the Movement, we recommended we raise the bar on defining membership in each National Association to reflect organization buy-in in addition to individual enthusiasm. To learn more about the membership standards in your country, find your country under the Countries main menu item.
In instances where global decisions are required, these would be made democratically by a global council that includes a gender-balanced pair of representatives from each country.
The design meeting, and the subsequent global listening sessions, indicated that National Associations requested that there continue to be a set of global shared services to support efficiency and compliance. These would be provided by employees of various national association seconded to this role, and accountable to the global council.
The year 2023 was established as the transition year, with the goal of having the new structure independent and operational by January 1, 2024.
The Hunger Project has committed to meet the existing core expenses through 2026, and to participate in the MCLD associations in the countries where it operates — as a founding member and key funder.