One of the main issues of CSOs is financial sustainability and regular access to finance. However, it’s worth to underline that the sustainability of CSOs does not only depend on accessing financial resources. Since its establishment, a CSO forms a whole of resources with members, volunteers, target audience, other stakeholders, local and international networks, organizational structure, legal status. For this reason, the concept of resource development is actually a development and management of above-mentioned integrated approach and securing its sustainability.
Access to finance and securing financial sustainability, is considered as the need and requirement of CSOs all over the world. It’s recommended that A CSO enables a financial sustainability which can be generated a predictable capital flow from different sources for carrying out its programmes and activities.
Project-based grants or donations can be seen as the first alternatives of CSOs However, the available resources for civil society actors are more than these and they are very diverse. Resources can be categorized as:
- In-kind supports,
- membership fees,
- Sponsorships,
- Grants, project-based supports,
- Donations,
- Crowdfunding mechanisms,
- Corporate social responsibility supports,
- Micro-credit or similar support loans,
- Solution partnerships,
- Commercial/economic activities, commercial enterprises of CSOs
- Social investments (impact investments, entrepreneurial philanthropy, etc.),
- Circular economy mechanisms.[i]
For more information, we recommend you to check out following resources. Please note that below resources are in Turkish.
- Resource Development Pages of STGM Website
- Resource Development Guide for CSOs, Dilek Ertükel, STGM
- STGM Videos on Resource Development
[1] Kaynak Geliştirme ve Yenilikçi Uygulamalar: Yerel STÖ, Ağ / Platform / İnisiyatif ve Aktivistler için Rehber, Eliş Berivan, Avrupa Birliği Sivil Düşün Programı, Aralık 2019 - http://sivildusun.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/3-SD-Kaynak.pdf
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