Civil society organisations (CSOs) from developing countries and donor countries are development actors in their own right. They play a crucial role in reducing poverty, upholding democratic development and the fulfilment of human rights. They stand out amongst development co-operation partners for their capacity to reach out to, empower, represent, and defend people living in vulnerable situations, and to trigger social innovation. They are therefore essential partners of public and private actors in their pursuit of the 2030 Agenda.

Today, however, efforts by various governments around the world to restrict the civic and political space in which civil society operates have grown at an alarming rate: new laws, policies, and practices limit the possibilities for people to come together to improve everyday lives. In that context, it is even more pressing for donors to offer effective support and partnerships with CSOs, and leverage their knowledge, capabilities and influence.

Key facts

• DAC members’ aid for CSOs was close to USD 21 billion of ODA in 2019.
• The average funding for CSOs was 15% of bilateral ODA.
• The top 7 DAC CSO donors in 2019 are: USA; EU; UK; Germany; Sweden; Norway, The Netherlands.
• The share of bilateral aid for CSOs varies across DAC members, from Spain’s 56% to Greece’s 0%. There is a group of 10 donors under 10% and 15 above 20%.
• Funding through CSOs is much more common than funding to CSOs, representing 85% of ODA to CSO. The majority of DAC members continue to work with civil society organisations as implementing partners or contractors.
• ODA for donor country-based CSOs (USD 13.5 billion) is much higher than ODA for developing country-based CSOs (USD 1.4 billion).

Download compilation of all data: Aid for Civil Society Organisations  | also available in French