The Global Summitfor Local Action

Financial Sustainability

The humanitarian ecosystem today is increasingly overstretched, with humanitarian needs growing faster than available resources, while the funding environment is becoming more constrained, less predictable and more fragmented. In this context, the impartiality, neutrality and independence of National Societies are more important than ever, which makes financial sustainability central to National Societies’ strategic and operational autonomy and underpins locally led action. Resource mobilisation, one of the key pillars of the National Society financial sustainability framework, focuses on securing the financial resources needed to deliver a National Society’s mission. National Societies are therefore taking a more deliberate and proactive approach, also with the support of targeted investment, to diversifying domestic resource mobilisation beyond programme funding, across key levers such as domestic fundraising, domestic “paid” services and asset management, at both headquarters and branch levels.

Leadership and Governance

Strong leadership, governance and integrity create the foundation for trust, accountability and organisational effectiveness. They enable National Societies to navigate complexity while maintaining credibility with communities, authorities and partners. Join us in advancing ethical leadership, good governance and a culture of accountability that enables National Societies to remain trusted, principled and effective humanitarian actors. By investing in strong leadership, sound governance practices and adherence to the Fundamental Principles, we can build resilient institutions that are better equipped to address today’s challenges and serve communities with credibility and purpose. Be part of the shift from reaction to prevention. Together, we can strengthen integrity through proactive risk management, ethical decision-making and measures that prevent challenges before they arise. At the same time, reinforcing National Societies’ legal and statutory foundations and strengthening their auxiliary role with public authorities helps ensure they can operate effectively, influence humanitarian action and deliver on their mandate with independence, legitimacy and impact. Join the conversation and hear examples of how to be stronger, more accountable and future-ready National Societies.

Volunteering and Youth Development

What does it really mean to be a “volunteer and membership-based organisation”, and what does it take to put volunteering at the heart of a National Society? As humanitarian needs and the ways people envision to engage continue to evolve, this session invites National Societies to return to our fundamentals and share what they have done differently, where they have invested to make volunteering central to their organisation, and how these efforts have helped strengthen their local presence, engage more people, and build stronger, more sustainable National Societies capable of delivering relevant local action. From strengthening local branches to stay close to communities; investing in volunteer management systems and capacities to attract, develop, and retain diverse volunteers and responding to their motivations; creating conditions where volunteers are protected and can operate safely, and feel supported and valued; rethinking how services are designed to make volunteering a meaningful and positive experience; empowering young people to drive the change they envision and participate meaningfully in decision-making; to nurturing a culture of volunteerism by empowering communities to take action and inspiring people to volunteer from an early age through Junior Red Cross and educational initiatives.

Management Systems

What management systems does a National Society need to maximise its humanitarian impact and stay sustainable in the long term?

Strong management systems are not just internal administration. They make quality, accountability and effective operations possible, so National Societies can deliver services at scale and adapt to change. Examples include financial, integrity and risk management, human resources, digital transformation and supply chain, with data, evidence and learning running across all of them. Investment should fit each National Society's context, maturity and priorities, guided by assessments such as PER and OCA, and by an overall NSD plan. The aim is not new tools for their own sake, but integrated, fit-for-purpose capabilities. At the Summit, National Societies will share how strengthening their systems has changed their ways of working, decision-making, accountability and culture. They will also share the challenges, trade-offs and lessons in making that change last.