Consultant to develop a white paper on Alternative Financing and Localisation

Background

Throughout 2025 theInternational Civil Society Centre(hereafterCentre) engagedcloselywithitskeystakeholdersand partnersto understandhowtheongoing financialand political sectorcrisiswereimpactingtheir work.As traditional donor-driven models are under strain both national and international civil society organisations (CSOs) must adapt to remain effective and sustainable in the long term.Two critical strategieshave been discussed widelyaspromisingpathways forward:alternative financingand strengthening of localisationefforts.Toexplore how theseinterrelatedapproaches canbeleveragedto buildfinancialresilience and relevancefor CSOstheCentreconvenedits communitiestoshare experiences learn from emerging models and co-create strategiestowardsa more resilientandequitabledevelopment sector.

Building on this work in 2026the Centre set up and now hostsadedicatedmultidisciplinaryWorking Groupon Alternative Financing andLocalisation.The Working Groupconvenes7 civil society and academia experts working across civil society resourcing businessmodelsand localisation efforts.Thegroup bringstogether diverseexperience andexpertisetoexchangeinsightsand develop actional recommendations forCSOs to adapt to the evolving financial and operational landscapeanddevelop future-fit business modelswhile fosteringpower shiftandtransformationtowardslocalisation.As part of this mandatethe Working Groupwith support from the consultantaims to produce awhite paperthat willprovideactionable guidance foster peer learning and influence donors and policymakers toward more inclusivelocally driven and (financially) sustainable models ofdevelopmentcooperation.

Purpose and Scope of work

With support from the consultant the Working Group aims toproducea publicationencompassing high-level insights into civil society business models exploringhow civil society organisations can develop alternative financing models to promote organisational the publication aims toenhance capacity of civil society to mobilise resources and provide inspiration for organisations to be future-ready.

The Centre islooking foraconsultantor team of consultants who will work closely with theCentre and the Working Group to support the conceptualisation and development of the white paper.As part of this work theconsultant(s)will be tasked with reviewingand analysingdata from existingresearchsupportingthe development of the next insightsgatheringformats andfinalising the paper after incorporating Working Group inputs and signoff.

Consultant responsibilities

Theconsultantwillbe responsible for:

• Draftingofa concept noteamethodological approachandprint readywhitepaperincorporatingfeedbackfrom the Working Group ensuringcohesiveness andorganisationalfact-checkingoftext.
• Conductingbackgroundresearch and literature reviewon alternative financing and localisation models.
• Gatheringinsights and data from the sector(with contributions for resourcing fromthe Working Group)through interactive methodologies ofthe paper.

The Working Groupisresponsiblefor:

• Conducting stakeholder mapping and mapping of similar initiatives.
• Reviewing draft iterations of the white paperproviding feedbackand sign-off andcontributing toits finalisation together with the Centre.
• Sharing relevant best practices insights and lessons learned fromtheirwork.
• Supporting influencing and dissemination efforts for the white paper.

Thefinaloutputshallbe an approx. 15- 20 pages papercomprisingan introductiona methodologyandarecommendationssection.Thepapershall be delivered ina print-ready format andwill be published anddisseminatedduring convenings and selected findings may be included in resources and thought pieces.

Anyintellectual property that is created for this consultancy shall belong to the Centre without restriction and the latter shall have an exclusive right of use. Theconsultant will be creditedas the author of the research.

Owned and supported by 16 international civil society organisations the International Civil Society Centre exists to strengthen the collective power of civil society at a time of profound global uncertainty. Our members recognise that lasting change requires shared learning mutual support and investment in the wider ecosystem. Through convening resource development and forward-looking sector insights we help organisations navigate challenges and unlock new opportunities for impact. Together we work to ensure that civil society remains capable of supporting the worlds most vulnerable communities both now and in the future.