DONOR FINDERS AND RELEVANT RESOURCES
This webpage aims to highlight several websites that can support members in identifying funding opportunities and strengthen their fundraising systems. It also highlights some donors per theme focusing on donors that publish call for proposals to provide grants.
Introduction
This webpage aims to highlight several websites that can support members in identifying funding opportunities and strengthen their fundraising systems. It also highlights some donors per theme focusing on donors that publish call for proposals to provide grants.
The aim of this webpage is not to be exhaustive but to provide a limited number of links to webpages that provide more exhaustive information on funding opportunities and resources relevant to fundraising for members.
This webpage is meant to be used as a tool complementing Forus’ Toolkit on Exploring New Funding Approaches for Civil Society. This toolkit is an action-oriented guide for anyone interested in the funding of civil society networks. Whether you are influencing the future strategic direction of your organisation or tasked with raising funds directly, it will help you plan your next steps. The toolkit explores what other networks are doing well, what they are struggling with, and what they are learning. It will guide you through the process of assessing how you can apply that learning in your own organisation.
This toolkit is an action-oriented guide for anyone interested in the funding of civil society networks. Whether you are influencing the future strategic direction of your organisation or tasked with raising funds directly, it will help you plan your next steps. The toolkit explores what other networks are doing well, what they are struggling with, and what they are learning. It will guide you through the process of assessing how you can apply that learning in your own organisation.
It is important to remember that prospecting with international donors is one approach of fundraising. Developing strong partnerships, being visible in working groups, events and online can also prove effective in a platform’s fundraising work.
This webpage is updated annually.
Not all funders are appropriate and/or relevant to all organisations and before applying for funding, organisations should develop the systems to effectively respond to eligibility criteria and manage grants.
It is useful to visit the webpages below and to check whether the relevant organisations have newsletters to subscribe to which can provide a simple way to stay up to date with organisational activities and calls for proposals. Newsletters can be easily scanned using keywords before selecting which calls for proposals to look further into. Beware not to subscribe to too many newsletters and to prioritise them considering your platform’s capacity.
If you have issues navigating some of these platforms, and if you are aware of opportunities or resources that should be included on this webpage, please let Paul-Gilbert know. Similarly, if your platform decides to reach out to any donor mentioned below or other, please let Paul-Gilbert know as it can be useful to potentially coordinate outreach.
Donor Finders
The Advancing Human Rights initiative is a research project to document the landscape of foundation funding for human rights and track changes in its scale and priorities. It uses grants data to map the human rights issues addressed, funding strategies used, and populations and regions served. Available in English.
This directory contains links to corporations, foundations, governments, impact investors, intermediaries, and x-laterals in Segal Family Foundation database who are funding in Sub-Saharan Africa. You can use this list to identify donors funding in your geographic area or sector.
CIVICUS created two unique directories of donors that will simplify your search for support and resources: the Donor Finder (that offers resources mostly for general activities and projects that do not require immediate action) and the Rapid Response Donor Finder (that lists rapid response mechanisms providing timely support for activists, civil society organisations and small, informal civil society groups’ response to attacks, sudden emergencies, crises or advocacy opportunities and to avoid and mitigate threats). Available in English, French and Spanish.
This partial and open list, based on Fito Network’s knowledge and connections, focuses on funders who support networks. Available in English.
While FundsforNGOs also offers a service for a fee, this website provides an overview of grants and funding opportunities available per theme. Available in English.
Terra Viva Grants Directory particularly focuses on climate and offers profiles of about 800 grant makers and programmes, organised by subject areas. Available in English.
DonorDatabase aims to give changemakers across the world the information and tools to create the change they need. On their platform, you can search thousands of grant giving organisations in over 100 countries. Available in English.
How to Build a Fundraising Strategy
Bloomerang – How To Develop A Successful Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy
Your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy encompasses more than just earning donations from supporters. It involves your efforts to recruit new supporters, engage with existing ones, and grow your organisation’s influence, all with the goal of funding your mission more efficiently. That is why developing a strategic fundraising plan is necessary. Whether you are looking to take an improved approach to your existing strategy or design a new plan from scratch, this guide will steer you through the process of building a fundraising strategy. Available in English.
DonorboxBlox - Comment créer un plan stratégique de fundraising pour les associations
In this blog, we explain why a strategic fundraising plan is vital for your organisation. We will also guide you, step by step, through creating your own strategic fundraising plan. Available in French.
Donorly - Fundraising Strategy for Beginners
How to Create Your Own: A complete fundraising strategy will lay out a roadmap for you to follow at every stage of the fundraising process, helping you avoid stress, stay organized, and ultimately raise more money for your mission! To help you develop a thorough strategy, this guide will cover everything you need to know. Available in English.
Forus – Exploring New Funding Approaches for Civil Society
This toolkit is for civil society networks and organisations interested in improving their practices around funding, financial sustainability and in influencing the donors supporting them. The recommendations are also relevant for funders, partners and other key stakeholders seeking to better support civil society. The toolkit will assist organisations and networks to influence the donors supporting them and will support the whole sector in striving for excellent approaches to engaging,
partnering and funding civil society. Available in English, French and Spanish.
This guide is designed for activists, organisers, and community leaders across the Global South. Whether you're new to fundraising or looking to deepen your strategy, the guide aims to demystify the process, challenge extractive funding norms, and help feel more confident, informed, and ready to take action. Available in English.
Global Giving – The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Fundraising Strategy
Do you want to create a sustainable fundraising strategy to ensure your organization has the most successful—and least stressful—year yet? These five tips from nonprofit leaders will help you craft your plan. Available in English.
NSWP – Smart Guide to Sustainable Funding
The Smart Sex Guide to Sustainable Funding contains practical information on funding strategies for sex worker organisations. It discusses developing a funding strategy, applying for grants, financial management and community-based fundraising. Available in English, French and Spanish.
This webpages highlights how funders and civil society can respond collectively to shrinking aid. It offers analysis, recommendations, and advocacy resources to strengthen solidarity and resilience.
Proposal Writing Toolkits and Support
As many of these tools are in English, do not hesitate to use online translators to translate them in your language.
Human Rights Donors
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation work for to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Ford Foundation supports organisations that address the underlying drivers of inequality and align with their programmatic work around the world. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
FLD is an international human rights organisation working to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders and organisations around the world at risk for their peaceful and legitimate human rights work. This organisation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in multiple languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Oak Foundation’s programme support others to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Civic Space and Political Participation Donors
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation funds grants in the United States and, on a limited geographic basis, internationally. They work to foster engaged, empowered and equitable communities throughout the world. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Ford Foundation supports organisations that address the underlying drivers of inequality and align with their programmatic work around the world. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) makes grants to support the projects of nongovernmental groups who are working to advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions in more than 100 countries. Available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
OSF looks for grantees who have a vision and whose efforts will lead to lasting social change. The vast majority of OSF’s grants are awarded to organisations that they approach directly, but they do list some open opportunities when available. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Climate Change and Environmental Rights Donors
Oak Foundation’s programme support others to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Ford Foundation supports organisations that address the underlying drivers of inequality and align with their programmatic work around the world. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Emergency Donors
The Rapid Response Donor Finder. The resource lists rapid response mechanisms providing timely support for activists, civil society organisations and small, informal civil society groups’ response to attacks, sudden emergencies, crises, or advocacy opportunities and to avoid and mitigate threats. Available in English, French and Spanish.
The Incident Emergency Fund rapid response mechanism for human rights defenders, journalists, activists, and organisations facing digital threats and attacks. Available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
FLD is an international human rights organisation working to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders and organisations around the world at risk for their peaceful and legitimate human rights work. This organisation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in multiple languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Gender Justice and LGBTQI+ Rights Donors
Ford Foundation supports organisations that address the underlying drivers of inequality and align with their programmatic work around the world. This Foundation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.
Many other donors exist in the field of women’s rights and LGBTQI+ rights such as Global Fund for Women or the African Women’s Development Fund. However, they often require recipients to be led by women in their governance and in their staff and are therefore not included in this list.
Bilateral and Multilateral Donors
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) group finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer and more sustainable world. Climate, biodiversity, peace, education, urban planning, health, governance… Their teams are involved in more than 4,200 projects in the Overseas Territories and 150 countries. In this way, AFD contributes to the commitment of France and the French people to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Available in English, French and Spanish.
DFID proposes a funding finder tool to help potential applicants to view, sort and filter UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding opportunities, across all UK government departments. Available in English.
Calls for proposals are funding opportunities issued by the European Union institutions, agencies, and bodies. These are direct financial contributions, known as grants, that are awarded to third-party beneficiaries (e.g., research organisations, public entities, non-governmental organisations, and private companies) to engage in activities that serve EU policies. Besides looking at the website mentioned, platforms are encouraged to develop relationships with EU Delegations and Embassies from European Union countries that can sometimes provide financial support to civil society organisations. Available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Global Affairs Canada has multiple funding processes for international assistance. They are open to applicants that meet eligibility criteria. This organisation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English and French.
Sida works with a wide range of partners from different sectors of society. Sida works on assignment from the Swedish government. If your organisation wants to apply for funding from Sida, your work must contribute to the objectives of one of the strategies adopted by the Swedish government. Available in English.
Most USAID’s funds are awarded through a competitive process. To solicit support for its programs, USAID typically uses a Request for Proposals (RFP) for contracts and a Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for cooperative agreements and grants. This organisation has a newsletter you can subscribe to. Available in English.