How Folktale Embodies the Future of Global Development
by David Lloyd-Lewis, Co-founder & Chief Product Officer
Turning Principles into Practice
In their recent article in New Solutions, Unlock Aid lays out a bold agenda for transforming U.S. foreign aid - from bureaucratic systems to community-led, results-driven models. Their five core principles point to a better path forward:
Prioritize local agency and co-investment
Fund those closest to the challenges
Invest in innovation and scalable solutions
Design for sustainability and transition
Move from process to real, measurable impact
At Folktale, these aren’t abstract goals. They’re built into how we work.
1. Local Agency Starts with Listening
Change doesn’t begin with solutions - it begins with stories.
Folktale is built to put the mic (literally) in the hands of community members. Anyone with a mobile phone can use our platform to share their experiences, ideas, and impact in their own words, in their own language. No film crews. No translation layers. No gatekeeping.
We don’t collect stories about people. We create space for people to tell their own stories.
2. Innovation That Includes, Not Replaces
Too often, innovation in development means complexity. We’ve taken a different path.
Folktale simplifies the act of storytelling through intuitive mobile tools, guided templates, and support for multiple languages - even in low-connectivity environments. Our AI-driven features - like automatic translation and tagging - don’t replace human voices - they amplify them.
The result is a storytelling system designed to be used anywhere, by anyone.
3. From Stories to Insights
We believe stories are data. And data should drive decisions.
With built-in analytics and insight dashboards, Folktale helps organizations move beyond surface-level reporting. Instead of just tracking outputs, partners can understand why something works, how communities experience it, and where to adapt next.
This is results-based learning in real time - not after the fact.
Too many partnerships in aid are extractive. Communities give information. Organizations give reports.
Folktale enables something better: reciprocal trust.
We help local groups, NGOs, and global agencies collaborate on storytelling projects that surface real needs and real solutions. That shared understanding lays the groundwork for programs that are locally owned, culturally relevant, and genuinely sustainable.
5. Reimagining Accountability
What if accountability looked like transparency, not paperwork?
Folktale reduces the burden of traditional reporting by making it easy for community members themselves to contribute directly. This removes layers of bureaucracy and brings funders closer to the realities on the ground.
When communities lead the storytelling, they also help lead the strategy.
A New Model - Already in Motion
Unlock Aid has described a bold future: local, innovative, and accountable.
Folktale is already building it.
We equip communities to share their stories and shape their futures.
We enable organizations to listen deeply and act meaningfully.
We help shift development from extractive reporting to community-driven impact.
If you believe in a future where communities don’t just receive aid but drive change, we’d love to talk.