Empowering Grassroots CSOs to Promote Good Governance and Development
Local and grassroots civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ethiopia often bring fresh ideas and deep community knowledge but struggle to access funding due to limited capacity and experience in proposal writing and fund management. To bridge this gap, the project provides targeted support through a sub-granting (Third Party Financing) scheme—an effective way to reach and empower small and emerging CSOs. The initiative aims to support 75 local organisations with grants and technical assistance; 36 have already signed grant contracts.
Objectives
Ethiopia’s funding landscape for CSOs is highly competitive and often inaccessible to smaller organisations. While open calls are in theory available to all, in practice, better-resourced CSOs tend to dominate. For example, all 27 grants under the Civil Society Fund III went to established organisations, leaving emerging actors excluded from critical governance and development processes.
This project addresses that imbalance by providing low-value grants to small and grassroots CSOs, enhancing their operational and financial capacities, and strengthening their networks. It also promotes collaboration among CSOs to foster a more inclusive and enabling environment—ensuring local actors can contribute meaningfully to Ethiopia’s democratization and development.
More specifically, the project seeks to:
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Increase the technical and financial capacities of local and grassroots CSOs, as well as their associations and networks to engage in national, regional and local development and policy processes.
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Strengthen partnership and positioning of local and grassroots CSOs to enhance the enabling environment for an inclusive civil society sector in Ethiopia.
Project Activities
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Training and coaching on financial and grant management, leadership and team management, right based actions, social cohesion, gender etc.
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Financial support for CSOs to implement different actions and coaching and continuous guidance to support effective management of the grants
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CSOs awareness creation on the importance of partnership and supporting the set up/strengthening of CSO platforms at regional levels
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Establishing a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum at a federal level to facilitate CSO engagement in structured policy dialogue
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Create a digital system for monitoring, data collection and exchange of CSO projects activities and results
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Creation/strengthening of communities of practice for increased thematical and organisational exchange and learning
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Organise experience-sharing visits and regular exchange between local CSOs in Ethiopia
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Awareness creation on the role of CS to the public and government offices through media platforms, major community events, public holidays, sports, village meetings, panel discussions, round table discussions etc.
Expected Results
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Strengthened financial and management capacities of local and grassroots CSOs
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Strengthened technical capacities of these CSOs in areas such as rights-based approach
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Financial and technical support enabled local and grassroots CSOs to implement various actions
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Built and strengthened platforms and partnerships amongst grassroots CSOs and associations
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Strengthened exchange and learning between grassroots CSOs, associations and networks
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CSOs well well-positioned and accepted by the government and the general public as agents of development and stability in the country
https://www.welthungerhilfe.org/our-work/countries/ethiopia
