Lois Chingandu
Institutional Resilience Expert & Strategic Visionary
"I am Lois"
Lois brings decades of experience in NGO leadership and organizational transformation. Having navigated the complexities of donor dependency and strategic uncertainty firsthand, she understands the unique challenges facing civil society in Africa and beyond.
Her journey through organizational transformation—from confronting funding shocks to redesigning sustainable models—has equipped her with practical insights that go beyond theory. Lois has walked the path she now guides others through.
"Threshold Academy was founded to provide the kind of practical architecture for resilience, independence, and endurance that the African NGO sector urgently requires."
The Turning Point
Lois Chingandu, author, and Founder of Threshold is a seasoned well renowned award winning NGO expert with over 25 years in NGO Leadership positions nationally, regionally and globally. During those years of working in African civil society, Lois Chingandu had seen the extraordinary power of NGOs to change lives.
But over time, she began to notice a troubling pattern. Many of the same organisations that had once been engines of innovation and community leadership were now spending increasing amounts of time chasing the next grant cycle. Strategic decisions were often shaped by donor calls rather than community priorities. Leaders were constantly managing short-term projects instead of building long-term institutions.
"The problem was the system."
The traditional NGO model — built around external donor funding — was becoming increasingly fragile in a rapidly changing global environment.
The real question, Lois realised, "was not simply how NGOs could secure more funding, but how they could redesign themselves to survive and thrive in a different future."
That realisation became the turning point and the birth of Threshold Academy for NGOs in Africa.
Professional Roles & Leadership
Over 25 years of experience leading global initiatives and local transformations.
Threshold Academy
Visionary behind the institutional resilience platform, strengthening NGOs against funding volatility and leadership fragility.
Frontline AIDS
Served in key leadership roles including Interim Executive Director and Director of External Relations for a global partnership working in 60+ countries.
SAfAIDS
Led SAfAIDS into a 'Center of Excellence' with a global reputation for high-quality programming, advocacy, and institutional stability.
Multiple International Boards
Served on prestigious boards including ICASA, UN High-Level Task Force for Women and Girls, and the Robert Carr Fund.
Helping NGOs cross the threshold from Survival to sustainability
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