When people hear \u201cbusiness model,\u201d the first thing that comes to mind is usually funding: grants, donors, or the next project proposal, rather than thinking about businesses, such as think tanks, NGOs, or other non-profit or publicly minded organisations. But for think tanks, the business model is more than this. It\u2019s the blueprint for how an organisation creates value, delivers it, and sustains itself over time.<\/span><\/p>\n The key is to see it as a whole. Changing one part, for example, how money comes in, inevitably affects the others: staffing, the kinds of outputs produced, and even how a think tank relates to its audiences. Money is a fundamental part of how a think tank works, but not the only or most relevant one.<\/span><\/p>\n To illustrate this, we draw on the experience of Fundar, Centro de An\u00e1lisis e Investigaci\u00f3n in Mexico, through an interview with Diego de la Mora, its Executive Director. Diego worked at Fundar for nearly a decade, left in 2017, and returned in 2023 to find an organisation that had undergone significant transformation. During our conversation, he reflected on what those changes mean for Fundar\u2019s identity, funding, governance, and its role in society.<\/span><\/p>\n The exchange begins by acknowledging that people working in nonprofit organisations, like Fundar, think of themselves as different to business, so their operational model is not built around those concepts. But as Diego thinks aloud, his answers gradually show why this discussion is so necessary for think tanks facing today\u2019s political and financial uncertainties.<\/span><\/p>\n When asked directly about Fundar\u2019s business model, Diego admitted:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, we don\u2019t have it that clear. I didn\u2019t even have it clear until you explained it now. I thought the interview was going to be about fundraising. And I don\u2019t think the staff has the difference between a funding model and a business model in mind either.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n That moment of honesty says a lot. Many organisations think \u201cbusiness model\u201d equals \u201cfunding model.\u201d However, as the discussion continued, the concept revealed itself to be broader, more layered, and more strategic.<\/span><\/p>\n When Diego returned to Fundar, he found a very different place from the one he had left in 2017. Although the office was the same, the team changed almost completely, and that generational shift brought other key decisions:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBefore, Fundar was more of a technical think tank, with lots of desk-based work. Now it\u2019s intentionally about working with communities, victims, and grassroots groups. We still do the analysis and evidence work, but now it\u2019s about putting it at the service of people directly.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another profound shift was embracing a feminist identity, catalysed by internal harassment cases and partnerships with feminist organisations:<\/p>\n \u201cWe developed a protocol, strengthened gender work, and decided to mainstream a feminist perspective across all our programs.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This redefined the organisation\u2019s core value: keep producing knowledge but connecting evidence with lived experience.<\/span><\/p>\n ODI Global shifted its mission in response to a financial crisis that exposed the risks of chasing growth for its own sake. Under new leadership, the organisation downsized its staff and budget, focusing on survival through greater impact rather than scale. The organisation let go of major funding streams misaligned with its purpose to tackle global challenges. It transitioned from a donor-driven, project-management model to an agenda-setting approach, prioritising independence and innovation. (See<\/span><\/i> Sara Pantuliano\u2019s keynote speech<\/span><\/i><\/a> at OTT\u2019s 2025 Annual Conference)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Fundar\u2019s primary audiences remain policymakers and decision-makers, but their approach has evolved along with Mexico\u2019s political landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, openly criticising the government was the way to gain access. With Morena governments, it works the other way around: criticism closes doors. So, we had to adapt, making our messages more constructive while staying critical.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Beyond government, Fundar engages with specialised experts, journalists, and broader movements such as families of the disappeared and Indigenous communities. Their communication channels have also diversified, shifting from X (Twitter) to experimenting with Instagram or a community in Telegram. However, Diego admits these platforms have not fully replaced the reach Twitter (X) once had.<\/span><\/p>\n Fundar continues to produce rigorous evidence and analysis, but it now pairs that work with advocacy and accompaniment of communities. This dual role, combining technical and social aspects, deepens its influence.<\/span><\/p>\n Funding sources shape the skills required internally. Diego explained:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSometimes a new project demands capacities we don\u2019t have. That means hiring or adapting. And sometimes we reject projects if they don\u2019t fit our mission.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When the core funding of Espacio P\u00fablico ended, the organisation decided to move into a project-based funding model. The organisation had to restructure its staff because senior Board members, who were also the senior researchers, were too busy with external commitments to engage directly. Additionally, project-based funding required more autonomy from the research team, which the junior staff lacked due to inexperience. As a result, only one junior researcher remained, while three mid-level, highly qualified researchers were brought in. This shift created a smaller but stronger and more autonomous team, though it also increased costs and financial pressure. (<\/span><\/i>See the interview<\/span><\/i><\/a> that Enrique Mendizabal did with Guillermo Gonz\u00e1lez, Espacio P\u00fablico’s former Executive Director)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n At Fundar, governance structures have been crucial. Business models also depend on governance. At Fundar, two bodies steer the organisation: the General Assembly, comprising up to 15 members, and a more agile Board of Directors.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Assembly is the body that legally represents Fundar and guides strategic decisions. The Board, with whom I am in constant communication, meets more frequently to provide agility and support. They provide accountability, open doors to the media, and strengthen our internal processes.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Strong governance has proven decisive in other cases as well. After the Open Society Foundations exited the region, CAPS Unlock seized the opportunity to redefine itself, shifting from being the local foundation in Almaty of a bigger foundation like OSF to a think tank with a regional focus. See Mendizabal\u2019s <\/span>Twenty to watch and learn from in the world of think tanks and evidence-informed policy.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n One of Fundar\u2019s greatest assets has been long-term core support:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor more than a decade, core funding has allowed us to finance whole programs, not just projects. Without them, we would have lost key areas of work. They let us be strategic rather than donor-driven.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Alongside money, non-financial support has been just as valuable: moral encouragement in difficult times, psychosocial resources, and introductions to new partners.<\/span><\/p>\n For Fundar, impact is not a report or a media hit; it is institutional and policy change:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe see impact when public policy, budgets, or programs are modified to benefit people from a rights and gender perspective. We measure it empirically, by observing institutional change.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When asked about the future, Diego was candid:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPolitically, the scenario is tough, with authoritarian governments rising, even progressive ones closing dialogue. The think tanks that survive will either work closely with people or know how to translate complex information for broader audiences.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This dialogue with Diego shows why business models need discussion, not just definitions. At first, \u201cbusiness model\u201d seemed like a synonym for fundraising. However, as the conversation unfolded, it became clear that mission, governance, funding, staff, communications, and impact are all intricately entangled.<\/span><\/p>\n In today\u2019s uncertain political and financial climate, think tanks cannot afford to see these elements in isolation. Business models are not static financial templates; they are living strategies that must adapt, just as Fundar has, to remain relevant, resilient, and impactful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rethinking the business model is not a luxury; it is a necessity. It shapes what a think tank investigates, how it operates, how it communicates, and how it sustains itself in coherence with all the other elements. Improving funding alone cannot fix a broken model, but a strong, adaptive model turns resources into lasting influence.<\/span><\/p>\n The real question is not simply \u201cWhere will the money come from?\u201d but \u201cHow will we keep creating value for the right audiences, in a way that lasts?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Think tanks that thrive will be those that blend diverse funding sources without compromising mission or independence, embrace digital and AI-assisted strategies to reach broader audiences, work in collaborative ecosystems with universities, NGOs, and private actors, and adopt mission-driven entrepreneurial thinking. The sector is likely to become more dynamic, with a mix of large, established organisations and smaller, agile ones experimenting with new models.<\/span><\/p>\n Source: questions summarised from a <\/i>Business Model Canvas<\/i> presented by Enrique Mendizabal in Cameroon during the 2025 Central Africa Think Tank Forum. ChatGPT adapted an <\/i>original<\/i> framework developed by Alexander Osterwalder<\/i><\/a> for think tanks.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Business models are more than about money When people hear \u201cbusiness model,\u201d the first thing that comes to mind is usually funding: grants, donors, or the next project proposal, rather than thinking about businesses, such as think tanks, NGOs, or other non-profit or publicly minded organisations. But for think tanks, the business model is more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[210,200,203,189],"class_list":["post-2852308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-business-model","tag-funding","tag-management","tag-organisational-development","article-types-case-study","people-estefania-teran-valdez","series-think-tank-business-models","theme-communications","theme-funding-and-support-think-tanks","theme-governance-and-management","theme-understanding-think-tanks"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2852308"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2852333,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2852308\/revisions\/2852333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2852308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onthinktanks.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2852308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Starting from confusion: \u201cI thought you meant fundraising\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n
Mission and value proposition: From technical desk research to a community-based and feminist organisation<\/b><\/h3>\n
Audiences and stakeholders: Rethinking communication and influence<\/b><\/h3>\n
Outputs and services: More than research<\/b><\/h3>\n
Capabilities and talent: Linking staff to strategy<\/b><\/h3>\n
Governance and leadership: Anchoring change<\/b><\/h3>\n
Income streams and sources: Flexibility as survival<\/b><\/h3>\n
Impact pathways: Measuring transformation, not just outputs<\/b><\/h3>\n
Looking ahead: complexity and opportunity<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nA business model connects various aspects of the organisation<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nDo you want to read more about think tanks’ business models?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nDo you want to know more about Fundar?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
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