The findings for Ghana show that our philanthropy and charity sector is relatively healthy, supported by a strong cultural tradition of communal solidarity, religious giving, volunteerism and assistance to vulnerable people.

Despite its contribution, the sector faces serious sustainability challenges. Many non-profit organisations depend heavily on short-term, restricted funding from international donors, leaving limited resources for staffing, institutional development and core operations. From the study, it was evident that without external support, some organisations could become dormant within a year. Competition for funding is intensifying while demand for charitable services continues to rise because of unemployment, poverty, inequality, and other national and global challenges. Organisations are, therefore, prioritising recipients according to the severity of need. Measuring and demonstrating long-term impact also remains difficult because many non-profits lack adequate data systems, technical expertise and resources for monitoring and evaluation. Foreign donors consequently remain a major source of financing for Ghanaian civil society in the short term.

Furthermore, in Ghana, non-profit income is principally derived from local philanthropists, family donors, individual contributions, founders' personal earnings, project income, and, to a more limited extent, corporate support. Funders can strengthen the sector by providing more flexible and long-term financing, supporting organisational systems and impact measurement, facilitating networking and peer learning, and investing in leadership coaching and development. Such support would enable organisations to diversify their income, improve accountability and build the resilience required to sustain their social impact.