Targeted Growth Support 

Some funders are supporting civil society organizations and social movements with direct grant funding specifically for the development of administration or support functions such as:

• Strengthening human resources, finance or another support function

• Strengthening of fundraising or other income generating activities

• Strengthening of management information or communications IT systems

• Strengthening the safeguarding function

These are some of the areas that organizations have reported as being the most under-resourced and for which more funding is needed. Expanding and developing this funding practice could be transformational in building sustainability and independence for civil society organizations.

This practice is best for: funders who have general “capacity building funds” who want to use that money to break the nonprofit starvation cycle and cannot yet give multi-year flexible funding.