Disrupt & Innovate
Leave No One Behind in Times of Change: Navigating Crisis, Sustaining Inclusion
Civil society is facing one of its most critical moments in recent history. Major cuts to Official Development Assistance (ODA), agreed simultaneously by some of the world’s biggest ODA donors, as well as an increasing resistance to put issues like the inclusion or marginalised groups into the focus of development efforts, caused problems for many organisations in our sector. These changes are not just another cycle of budget tightening; they seem to represent a bigger change in how international aid is organised, with profound consequences for development actors – particularly for smaller CSOs who largely depended on foreign aid. The US government’s recent decision to publicly renounce the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, shows just how profound these changes are, leading into concerns that this is the start of a “post-aid world” in which prior agreed global development priorities no longer count, being replaced by a “my country first” philosophy. Considering this, the Centre’s Leave No One Behind partnership (LNOB), coordinated by the International Civil Society Centre, started a series of partner interviews earlier this year, to better understand the implications of this crisis, what it means for marginalised communities, and how best to deal with these challenges collaboratively.
The underlining competing pressures
The conversations with country coalitions from Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria and Vietnam, alongside several international civil society organisations such as CBM Global, BRAC, Plan International, and Islamic Relief, revealed a distressing situation where there is a lot of uncertainty and far too few resources to manage it. Many partners said they had less money, fewer staff, and more pressure to compete for a smaller amount of money from donors. Several country partners said that although they do not depend on aid from the US or the UK, recent cuts have had a big effect on their planning and programming. Partners are worried about their organisations going bust, losing staff, and the increasing break down of long-term working relationships. Another worrying trend perceived is that issues like inclusion, diversity, and equality meet significantly less interest in politics and the media, at times even phasing open resentment. Some partners bemoaned that they see an increasing tendency from actors within and outside government to belittle the work of CSOs, or even openly discredit them. This makes it much harder for CSOs to do their work properly and safely and continue with their mission to support marginalised and underserviced populations.
Understanding right from wrong
Despite these challenges, there was a strong commitment to continue supporting marginalised communities, and a certain sense of urgency and clarity about what is the right thing to do: with declining support and solidarity for groups that are already under pressure, inclusion work is now more important than ever. Partners emphasised that it is very important for governments to listen to what citizens are saying, especially when people’s freedom to speak and be heard is limited. This approach, created and improved through the partnership’s work to promote and support voices being heard and counted, was often described as a lifeline for keeping the partnership relevant and impactful.
When persons with disabilities lead data collection, the solutions reflect their realities—and drive real change.
Vietnam Project Partner– Digital Voices: Ensuring Inclusive Digital Transformation for People with Disabilities in Viet Nam
Focus on direct support
In response to the current challenges facing our sector, the Centre’s Leave No One Behind partnership has shifted its priorities in 2025 to focus more directly on supporting our national partners. The Centre is now providing financial backing to coalitions in India, Nepal, Vietnam, and Palestine, through various projects enabling them to continue their vital work with citizen data and maintain their engagement with marginalised communities. These projects have a specific focus on the economic empowerment of marginalised communities, aiming to strengthen local advocacy, support inclusive policy dialogue, and ensure that the voices of those too often left out are made heard. We are continuing our efforts to mobilise additional resources and plan to extend support to more countries over the course of the year.
Building on this support, the partnership is placing a strong focus in 2025 on exploring how citizen data can help advance the economic inclusion of marginalised communities. The newly funded projects in India, Nepal, Vietnam, and Palestine, are already engaging with this theme, aiming to identify barriers to economic participation and co-develop solutions that are grounded in lived experiences, relevant to local contexts. By connecting this work to national development priorities and social protection strategies, we aim to create opportunities for more inclusive policy dialogue and practical change. Alongside this, the Centre is prioritising knowledge exchange and capacity building to help national coalitions strengthen their financial resilience, including peer learning on local fundraising, alternative operational models, and solidarity mechanisms inspired by other programmatic initiatives led by the Centre.
Data is power and in Nepal’s most marginalised provinces, we are using citizen evidence to demand equity, accountability, and real change.
LNOB Nepal Project Partner– Making Voices heard and Count: Social Rights & Economic Empowerment of Youths in Nepal
Fostering exchange to find joint solutions
This commitment to resilience and innovation was further reflected in a virtual strategic exchange hosted by the International Civil Society Centre in May, which brought together members of the Centre’s Solidarity Action Network (SANE) and LNOB. The event examined the ways in which civil society organisations are coping with mounting political and financial pressures, including shifts in donor funding and shrinking civic space. Participants shared their experiences and insights during breakout discussions on funding cuts, localisation and restrictions to civic space. Key takeaways included the need for greater solidarity, a rethink of power dynamics and the advancement of locally led, participatory approaches to civil society work in an increasingly challenging global landscape. A follow-up event focusing on alternative finance mechanisms and partnership models is planned for September.
Making everyone heard and count
Looking ahead, the partnership will remain focused on supporting country partners directly, both technically and financially; concentrating on delivering practical tools, guidance, establishing contacts with potential donors directly at the national level, and provide transitional funding that can help ensure that the local partners are capable of continuing some of their inclusion work while going through a slump. The Centre will continue to convene donors and partners through virtual platforms to jointly explore alternative financing mechanisms. While the context has shifted dramatically, the mission of the partnership remains unchanged. If anything, the current crisis has reaffirmed the need for our work and the importance of standing together in solidarity. In the words of one partner, “Inclusion is not a luxury, it is a necessity.”
In these times of uncertainty, the Centre’s Leave No One Behind partnership continues to hold a space for community voices to work towards a future where everyone counts.
Find out more about LNOB and the benefits of joining as a partner in our new brochure
Leave No One Behind_Benefits of becoming a member
Find out more about the partnership in general in our new ‘About us’ brochure
Leave No One Behind – About us
Claudemir da Silva
Executive Assistant
International Civil Society Centre
Claudemir, Executive Assistant at the Centre since December 2023, holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Santa Catarina. He was awarded the DAAD Helmut Schmidt Scholarship in 2020, which led to a Master’s degree in Democratic Governance and Civil Society at the University of Osnabrück. His master’s thesis focused on water policy and the SDGs in Brazil. Before joining the Centre, Claudemir contributed to the education sector in Brazil and worked in international cooperation with the UN and GIZ.
Turning words into action: Why International NGOs should prioritise sustainability through localisation and self-governance
International non-governmental organisations (INGOs) are often headquartered in the Global North and operating from a position of superiority despite funds raised in the name of communities in need. These top-down models, however well-meaning, often side-lined local realities, leadership and joint stewardship of resources. Now, with aid receding, the limits of this approach are increasingly exposed. The INGOs that failed to develop national capacity are leaving communities unprepared and vulnerable.
Localisation in humanitarian action and social development has been a focal point of global discourse for over a decade, yet substantive progress remains limited. Initiatives like the Grand Bargain have sought to drive ‘power shifts’ within the humanitarian aid system, but “localisation” often remains a vague buzzword. The approach —whether it prioritises shifting power, enhancing accountability, or balancing incremental versus transformative change—remains a critical challenge.
Genuine self-governance demand empowering national actors to lead, requiring INGOs to relinquish control over resources and decision-making while encouraging trust and humility to support context-specific solutions. Despite the push by the most senior leaders of some of the largest INGOs through projects like Pledge for Change, scepticism about the financial and programmatic capacities of national actors often perpetuates power imbalances, undermining the spirit of the initiative.
Why localisation?
The lessons suggest that localisation strengthens local capacity, reduces dependency, and ensures more relevant, effective responses while redirecting resources to support national systems with intent of long-term sustainability. Localisation must evolve as an independent agenda, unshackled from being a means to bridging financing austerity. The agenda requires experimental spaces where national actors can innovate, fail, and learn without excessive oversight or a focus solely on cost efficiency.
By embracing brave, context-driven approaches, anchored in local jurisdictions and de-emphasising perceived risks, international and national actors jointly can co-create a transformative framework that prioritises local leadership and build genuine partnerships. In this regard, the experience of SOS Children’s Villages which is the world’s largest NGO focused on supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it, offers a path to localisation, self-governance and sustainability.
Founded 76 years ago in post-war Austria, it now operates in 137 countries and territories. The impact of its work worldwide is well documented. Recognising the heavy financial dependence on European donors, SOS Children’s Villages began a significant shift in 2012, launching Sustainable Path Initiative (SPI). This involved localising governance with more responsibilities, building domestic fundraising infrastructure, and gradually reducing dependency on international transfer of funds.
Without casting divergent views on theory and practice, the SPI was not cosmetic. It required structural reform, direct investment, patience, and committed leadership from European members, especially the largest funders, the 18 Promoting and Supporting Associations.
Today, all national management positions worldwide are held by citizens of the nation in which SOS Children’s Villages operate. Expatriates are no longer appointed and deployed to national leadership roles. National governance structures now exist in 110 countries to provide oversights and accountability. While national governance practices have a varied degree of effectiveness, those self-governing members enjoy full rights, including voting rights at the General Assembly of the global federation.
Transitioning to self-governance and localisation
The transition to self-governance has been uneven, and daunting particularly in Africa, where institutional weaknesses, legal constraints, and entrenched aid dependency persist. Of the 137 associations, 24 have yet to localise their governance systems. The federation and its Secretariat are committed to advancing the financial self-sufficiency and self-governance of all its members. At least 12 national associations are currently developing local governance frameworks to be finalised within the coming two years.
Over the last decade, over 33 national associations have reached financial self-sufficiency, including a recent one that now raises its own funds through local donors, partnerships, and collaborations with local government. These associations remain part of the global federation, bound by a shared vision, brand and commitment to promote, protect and defend the rights of children and young people. They operate with autonomy but commit to collective accountability to the federation’s norms and standards.
Development ideals like inclusion, equity and empowerment must be matched by concrete reforms. Ambitions alone are not enough; sustainability must be treated as a moral and strategic imperative. To remain relevant, INGOs must therefore undergo a profound transformation. This is not about organisational survival. It is about doing development differently, and better. At the core of this systemic reform are three imperatives:
- Shift power: Genuinely transferring ownership of programs, decision-making, and leadership to national actors is essential. This includes relinquishing control, reforming governance structures, and embracing accountability to those closest to the challenges.
- Build financial self-sufficiency: This needs investing in helping local partners cultivate domestic resource mobilisation; through philanthropy, corporate partnerships, social enterprises, and government collaboration. National fundraising ecosystems, though nascent in many contexts.
- Foster local resilience: Self-sufficiency is not the absence of support; it is the presence of capacity. INGOs should serve as facilitators of knowledge exchange, skill-building, and systems strengthening. This requires time, patience, partnership, and humility.
It is essential that this shift is planned, paced, and participatory. Replacing financial subsidies overnight is neither feasible nor just. But failing to begin the transition is a negligence of responsibility. Localisation and financial sustainability are not just valuable; they are strategic necessities.
Why SPI?
The SPI case of SOS Children’s Villages demonstrates what’s possible when INGOs invest in local leadership and trust national capacity. It recognises Global South actors as co-architects of sustainability, not mere implementers of agreed projects. Most members, though some struggle, increase income and reserves for financial stability. Localisation shifts mindsets, redefines relationships, builds local confidence, and enhances resource use with local stewardship. It nurtures trust with communities, governments, donors, and partners who value empowerment.
By strategically cultivating national capacity for self-governance and prioritising community interests, humanitarian and development actors can move from aid to agency, charity to empowerment, and dependency to dignity, strengthening a global solidarity based not on transaction, but on trust.
This article is being published on behalf of SOS Children’s Villages International. The Centre would like to thank Dr. Dereje Wordofa for his valuable insights and contribution.
All images courtesy of SOS Children’s Villages International. Pictured in the blog banner: Illustrative map showing the 138 countries and territories where SOS Children’s Villages operates (last updated 2022).
Dr. Dereje Wordofa
President
SOS Children’s Villages International
Dr. Dereje Wordofa is the President of SOS Children’s Villages International. Previously he served as assistant secretary-general and deputy executive director of the United Nations Population Fund; as head of regional policy at Oxfam; and as deputy program director of Save the Children UK.
Navigating CEO Success and Collaboration in Challenging Times: Vision Works 2025
It was summit time, again.
At the end of May, our community of CEOs came together for their annual retreat ‘Vision Works’, to find inspiration, room for peer exchange, and opportunities for collaboration. Hosted by the ‘Initiatives of Change’ – about 20 Civil Society leaders spent three intense days together at Caux, Switzerland, to better understand the current challenges for the sector and to strategise for appropriate responses to counter the attacks on Civil Society values, operations, and institutions.
We were inspired by new perspectives from leaders of allies to the Centre, such as Article 19, CIVICUS, Helvetas and our affiliates at WACSI and the Cyberpeace Institute. Further to our core shareholders and allies, external expertise was also provided by Philea, the ‘Observatory on Information and Democracy’, the ‘Shadowserver Foundation’, CTIN and ‘Globethics’.
A special session focused on the success patterns for CEOs in the Sector was supported by the expertise of Conner Advisory, which brought good reflection on how one can be an impactful Civil Society leader in critical times. This topic is further explored in a preliminary joint report recently published by the Centre and Conner Advisory on success patterns and challenges for CEOs in the sector. You can download the report here.
The Vision Works retreat was a much-needed opportunity to move out of the daily operational pressures and find room for necessary strategising to develop and co-create ideas for sectoral resilience and impact. For many, it was the first opportunity to find the headspace for longer-term thinking and open–up to innovative ideas, challenges, and opportunities that can help Civil Society thrive.
It’s a wonderful community [the Centre’s shareholder organisations], where CEOs can come together for mutual support and ideas sharing, to understand what’s going on in one another’s organisations. It [Vision Works] is a really unique forum for that.
There’s so much happening in the world, that it [the Centre] is probably more valuable now, than it’s ever been…
Caroline Harper, CEO of Sightsavers and outgoing Board Chair
The Centre took the opportunity to thank its outgoing Chair for the past four years, Caroline Harper, of Sightsavers International for her outstanding leadership, and welcome in its new Chair, Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International. Amitabh inspired us by pushing for more collective action and developing a movement mindset, in light of the necessary solidaric action for the sector.
The International Civil Society Centre – I must say – has been an exciting idea. It is a dream that I think several generations of civil society leaders often have – of coming together and recognising that civil society is not about competing – it’s about collaborating. …This is that space we have created together – but now we need to harness it.
Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International and Board Chair
The Centre is uniquely owned and supported by 18 International Civil Society Organisations who have committed to collaboration across the sector. Since 2008, Vision Works has provided a unique space for CEOs from this shareholder community, to step out of their pressurised positions and come together to collectively discuss sectoral issues, define goals, and co-create strategies for the future of their organisations and civil society as a whole.
Wolfgang Jamann
Executive Director
International Civil Society Centre
Dr. Wolfgang Jamann is Executive Director of the International Civil Society Centre. Until January 2018 he was Secretary General and CEO of CARE International (Geneva). Before that he led NGO Deutsche Welthungerhilfe and the Alliance 2015, a partnership of 7 European aid organisations. From 2004-2009 he was CEO & Board member of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg and President of the CARE Foundation. Previously, he worked for World Vision International as a regional representative in East Africa (Kenya) & Head of Humanitarian Assistance at WV Germany. After his Ph.D. dissertation in 1990 he started his career in development work at the German Foundation for International Development, later for the UNDP in Zambia. As a researcher and academic, he has published books and articles on East & Southeast Asia contributing to international studies on complex humanitarian emergencies and conflict management.
