Civil Society Fund

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 15:31

Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs-financed support modality for partnerships between Danish civil society organizations and local partners in developing countries. Open to non-CISU members. Supports Small Projects (up to DKK 150,000), Large Projects (up to DKK 700,000), Small Programmes (up to DKK 4 million), Medium Programmes (up to DKK 15 million), and Large Programmes (up to DKK 27 million). Deadlines in January, March, and September 2026. Multiple modalities including co-financing support, application process support, and capacity analyses. Suitable for circular economy value chain initiatives in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Source: https://cisu.dk/en/funding/civil-society-fund/

Funding Details

Funder

CISU (Civil Society in Development) / Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Funding Goal

Support partnerships between Danish civil society organisations and local partners in developing countries to increase citizen participation in governance and development processes. Aims to give voice to marginalised groups, hold governments accountable, and address pressing social issues including poverty, inequality, discrimination, and lack of access to services.

Funding Amount

Varies by modality: Small Project up to DKK 150,000 (~EUR 20,000); Large Project up to DKK 700,000 (~EUR 94,000); Small Programme up to DKK 4 million (~EUR 537,000); Medium Programme up to DKK 15 million (~EUR 2M); Large Programme up to DKK 27 million (~EUR 3.6M); Support for Co-funding up to DKK 1 million; Application Process Support up to DKK 50,000; Capacity Analysis up to DKK 100,000. (up to 27.000.000 €)

Deadline

Multiple deadlines per year. 2026 deadlines: Small Project/Large Project: Jan 28, Aug 26; Small Programme: Mar 4, Sep 9; Medium/Large Programme: 2027. Check https://cisu.dk/en/funding/civil-society-fund/ for current deadlines. (Rolling)

How to Apply

Apply through CISU's 'Vores CISU' portal (https://vores.cisu.dk/). Review guidelines and formats at the Civil Society Fund materials page. Contact CISU for pre-application guidance.

Target Region

Developing countries (global) — partnerships must be with local partners in developing countries. Danish organisation based in Denmark.

Contact

CISU website: https://cisu.dk/en/. Login at https://vores.cisu.dk/

Last Checked

2026-03-15 11:15

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a Danish civil society organisation (private, registered in Denmark)
• Chairperson or majority board members must be Danish citizens or permanent residents
• Minimum 25 paying contributors (up to DKK 500K) or 50 contributors (above DKK 500K)
• At least one local partner in a developing country required — this is mandatory for all modalities
• Intervention must not be eligible for other MFA-financed funds (Danish Refugee Aid, Church Development, etc.)

Required Documents

• Approved statutes and audited accounts required
• Application submitted through CISU's online Vores CISU portal

Constraints

• Commercial foundations, consulting firms, and organisations with MFA strategic partnership agreements are not eligible

Summary

The Civil Society Fund (CSF) is a Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs programme administered by CISU (Civil Society in Development) that supports partnerships between Danish civil society organisations and local partners in developing countries. The fund aims to strengthen citizen participation, democratic governance, and pluralistic civil society across the developing world. The thematic scope is broad: any development cooperation activities that increase citizen participation in governance, give voice to marginalised groups (including women, youth, people with disabilities), address poverty and inequality, or strengthen civil society are eligible. There is no sectoral restriction — topics can include environment, health, education, rights, livelihoods, and more. Eligible activities include implementing interventions in developing countries in partnership with local civil society organisations. Modalities range from small projects to large multi-year programmes and co-funding support. Partnerships with developing country organisations are mandatory for all interventions. The geographic scope is global developing countries. Danish organisations partner with local partners in the target countries. The Danish applicant must be based in Denmark with Danish leadership. Eligible applicants are Danish grassroots/civil society organisations that: are privately registered in Denmark; have Danish leadership; have approved statutes; have at least 25-50 paying contributors; are subject to external audit. Commercial foundations, consulting firms, educational institutions, and organisations with existing MFA strategic partnerships are excluded. Multiple funding modalities are available: Small Project (to DKK 150K), Large Project (to DKK 700K), Small Programme (to DKK 4M), Medium Programme (to DKK 15M), Large Programme (to DKK 27M), plus support for co-funding and capacity analysis. Deadlines occur multiple times per year.

Historical Context

The Civil Society Fund (CSF) is administered by CISU on behalf of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is an ongoing fund with multiple annual deadlines and modalities. CISU is an umbrella organisation for Danish civil society organisations working in international development.

Sources

• https://cisu.dk/en/funding/civil-society-fund/

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