Hybrid funding for a stroke support organization research project

27 Mar 2023 Stroke support

Stroke Action Nigeria, a stroke support organization is finding an innovative way to access research funding.

In the 2021 SSO Global Mapping we found that sustainability of human and financial resources is a major challenge and key barrier to increasing stroke support organization (SSO) impact.

The majority of SSOs included in the mapping do not receive government funding and while the numbers of volunteers can be a strength, the lack of paid staff in many SSOs limits their potential for large-scale impact. Inadequate national strategies and policies for stroke prevention, treatment and recovery is a major challenge that SSOs face in their work to support people affected by stroke across the stroke care pathway. A lack of data on stroke incidence and prevalence, low awareness of stroke symptoms and emergency response, inadequate recognition of rehabilitation, and the limited number of support services are further challenges for SSOs in their work to raise awareness of stroke, support treatment and rehabilitation, and assist recovery. SSOs included in the mapping proposed their top three solutions to address these challenges: increased partnership between SSOs and government, clinicians and academics; improved skills in fundraising; and improved skills in advocacy and campaigning.

This year, a leading SSO in Nigeria, Stroke Action, has taken on board some of these solutions through existing and newly established partnerships, an innovative approach to its fundraising and research to inform policy. Rita Melifonwu, founder and chief executive of Stroke Action returned to Nigeria as an Ashoka Fellow for Health after years of practicing as a stroke nurse in the UK. As an Ashoka Fellow, Ms Melifonwu was connected to Philips Foundation and in turn Collavidence. In partnership with these organizations, Stroke Action Nigeria has developed the study proposal ‘Determining the effectiveness of the Nigerian Life after Stroke Centre Program’. Evidence of effectiveness of the LASC program could provide a model of care that could be replicated in other low resource settings, influence local and national policy to improve community-based stroke care, and have the potential to address a gaping hole in post-stroke care in low resources settings.

Given the challenges faced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social enterprises such as Stroke Action Nigeria, particularly in low resource settings, raising hybrid finance in partnerships with research funders and philanthropic organizations can be an important way to support the sustainability of SSOs going forward, in terms of finance and understanding program effectivesness.

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