Funding civil society freedom – models, stories and strategies for making flexible funding work

This research project began at the end of 2024, at the cusp of a new era of unprecedented cuts to foreign aid, or Official Development Assistance (ODA). The swift and severe nature of the cuts, from the United States, the United Kingdom and many more Global North bilateral donors, reaffirmed that unilateral, top-down funding sources cannot serve the cause of decolonizing international cooperation, or of building a new, equitable system.

This research on flexible funding models does not start from a “neutral” standpoint. The authors believe that flexible funding is both vital and preferable to existing mainstream, rigid forms of funding. And it is a crucial part of shifting both power and resources from North to South.

The research focuses primarily on how organizations implement flexibility in practice. Luckily, examples of funding that operate far more freely and flexibly exist, and indeed are plentiful. This report has therefore sought to:

• Identify, understand and categorize different models of flexible funding to provide inspiration for other organizations wishing to either adopt, support or promote these models – without directly comparing or evaluating models.
• Address the challenges faced by funders who are hesitant to adopt flexible models by highlighting best practices and lessons learned.

Authors: Alex Martins and Rachel Sittoni

Published by: Peace Direct (with ADD International, CIVICUS, the GFCF, GlobalGiving and the Share Trust)

Published: May 2026

Download: Funding civil society freedom – models, stories and strategies for making flexible funding work