Funding Context Brief: East Africa Civil Society 2025

This brief provides civil society organisations operating in East Africa with a summary of the major funding programmes active in 2025, including priorities, call timelines, and eligibility guidance for programmes most relevant to the region. It is produced by CSRC as part of its knowledge support function and updated periodically as new information becomes available. Organisations are encouraged to verify current information directly with funders before applying.

Overview of the 2025 Funding Environment

2025 is a transitional year for civil society funding in East Africa. Several major multi-year funding cycles are concluding, and new frameworks are coming online — creating both gaps and opportunities for organisations actively tracking the landscape. The broad direction of travel set by major donors in 2024 has continued: an emphasis on localisation, multi-year and flexible funding, climate-related programming, and governance and accountability work.

At the same time, the global aid environment has become more uncertain, with some donor countries facing domestic budget pressures that have led to reductions or restructuring of official development assistance. Organisations that have historically relied on a small number of large bilateral grants will need to diversify their funding mix more deliberately than in previous years.

European Union Programmes

The European Union remains one of the largest funders of civil society in East Africa, operating through a range of instruments under the Global Gateway strategy and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe).

Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities Thematic Programme (CSO-LA)

The CSO-LA programme is a major instrument specifically designed to support civil society organisations. In East Africa, priority thematic areas for 2025 include democratic governance, human rights, gender equality, and climate resilience. Calls for proposals are typically issued through EU Delegations in each country and announced on the EU's INTPA portal.

• Typical grant range: €200,000 – €2,000,000
• Eligibility: Registered CSOs in eligible countries; partnerships between organisations in multiple countries are encouraged and sometimes required
• Key deadlines: Calls vary by country delegation; check the EU Delegation to Ethiopia's website for Ethiopia-specific calls

Irish Aid (Development Cooperation and Africa Division)

Irish Aid is a significant funder of civil society in East Africa, with a particular focus on Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique. Its 2025 priorities reflect the Irish Government's International Development Policy framework:

• Leaving no one behind — programming that reaches the most marginalised populations
• Gender equality and women's empowerment
• Climate action and environmental sustainability
• Humanitarian-development-peace nexus programming

Irish Aid funds through several mechanisms including direct grants to civil society, support through Irish NGOs and their partners, and through multilateral channels. Organisations in Ethiopia seeking Irish Aid funding typically do so in partnership with an Irish-based NGO partner. Irish Aid maintains a civil society advisory group that provides input on priorities and grant-making approaches.

USAID

USAID remains a major funder in Ethiopia and the broader East Africa region, though its programming is subject to political and policy directions from Washington. In 2025, USAID funding in the region is concentrated in areas including food security and resilience, health systems strengthening, democracy and governance, and conflict mitigation.

Civil society organisations access USAID funding primarily through competitive cooperative agreements and contracts, often as sub-recipients to larger implementing partners. For smaller organisations, building relationships with established USAID prime recipients is often the most practical pathway to funding.

• Grants and cooperative agreements are posted on SAM.gov (System for Award Management)
• Sub-grant opportunities are typically announced through implementing partners directly
• USAID's APS (Annual Programme Statement) process provides an open opportunity for unsolicited concept notes from organisations with strong ideas

Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency)

Sweden has committed to maintaining its development assistance budget and continues to be an active funder in East Africa. Sida's 2025 East Africa portfolio priorities include:

• Civil society strengthening and enabling environment for CSOs
• Gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Democracy, human rights, and the rule of law
• Environment and climate

Sida funds primarily through Swedish civil society organisations and their southern partners, and through strategic partnerships with multilateral organisations. Ethiopian CSOs seeking Sida funding typically do so through a Swedish organisation partner. Sida also maintains a small grants mechanism for locally-based organisations in some priority countries.

UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

The UK government has restructured its development assistance through FCDO, and 2025 programming in East Africa reflects the UK's International Development Strategy. Priority areas include girls' education, climate and energy, global health security, and economic development. FCDO funds through a mix of bilateral programmes, multilateral channels, and civil society partnerships. Opportunities for Ethiopian CSOs are most often accessed as local partners within larger FCDO-funded programmes managed by international NGOs or consultancy firms.

Bilateral and Nordic Donors

Beyond the major donors above, several other bilateral donors are active in East Africa with programmes relevant to civil society:

• Norway (Norad): Strong focus on human rights, anti-corruption, and climate. Funds through Norwegian civil society and some direct grants to local organisations.
• Germany (GIZ and BMZ): Significant presence in Ethiopia across multiple sectors including health, agriculture, and governance. Civil society engagement typically through GIZ implementing programmes.
• Netherlands (RVO): Active in food security, water, and private sector development. Increasingly open to local organisation partnerships.
• Canada (GAC): Gender equality is a cross-cutting requirement for all Canadian development funding. Active in the East Africa region across multiple sectors.

Multilateral Programmes

Several UN agencies and multilateral bodies operate grant mechanisms relevant to civil society in East Africa:

• UNDP: Small grants through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme; civil society engagement across governance and climate programmes
• UN Women: Grants to women's organisations through the Fund for Gender Equality and other mechanisms
• UNICEF: Limited direct grants to CSOs; civil society engagement primarily through programme partnerships
• World Bank: Civil society engagement through project implementation; the World Bank's Civil Society Fund provides some direct support to organisations engaging in World Bank processes

Local and Regional Philanthropic Funding

Local philanthropy remains underdeveloped as a funding source for East African civil society, but is growing. Key emerging sources include:

• Local corporate CSR programmes, particularly from larger companies in Addis Ababa and Nairobi
• Diaspora giving platforms and networks
• Pan-African foundations such as the African Philanthropy Forum network members
• Social enterprise and blended finance models that generate earned income alongside grant funding

Tracking Opportunities

Staying current with funding opportunities requires systematic effort. CSRC recommends:

• Registering for alerts on key donor portals (EU INTPA, SAM.gov, Sida's website)
• Joining civil society networks and listservs that share funding announcements
• Subscribing to CSRC's Knowledge Hub updates for East Africa-specific opportunity summaries
• Building relationships with donor programme staff so you hear about upcoming calls before they are formally announced
• Attending donor information days and civil society forums where funding priorities are discussed

CSRC will publish updated funding opportunity summaries through the Knowledge Hub as major calls are announced. Contact our programmes team if you would like support in identifying relevant opportunities for your organisation's specific work.