Strengths and Weaknesses of Different Funding Types for CSOs

Abstract

Donors and civil society organisations (CSOs) have a shared interest in having an effective way of funding CSO projects or programmes – as well as an efficient and transparent process for awarding grants. CSOs that are looking for development financing generally prefer less bureaucracy from donors, simpler rules, and a shorter wait between the date they apply for funding and when they actually obtain their contract and payment. Many CSOs also often emphasise the importance of fair, transparent procedures providing opportunities to a wide variety of CSOs via a suitable mix of funding modalities (Webb et al., 2020; CONCORDE, 2020; FCDO, 2022; Wieners, 2022; Verbrugge and Huyse, 2018).