NGO support toolkit (English) 

NGO Support Programmes

Non-governmental and community based organisations (NGOs and CBOs) throughout the world have played a critical role in providing essential services where they are lacking, identifying needs and gaps and working with marginalised and vulnerable communities. This includes a wide range of civil society organisations, private voluntary organisations and networks and groups of people living with HIV/AIDS.

However, the capacity of these organisations and the quality of programmes that they implement can be variable. NGO support programmes can partner with existing NGOs and CBOs, or mobilise new community organisations where there are none, to develop and strengthen organisational and technical capacity and maximise the potential of civil society.

There is no single model for NGO/CBO support. NGO support programmes (NSPs) vary widely in both structure and function according to the context and needs of their constituents. Some NSPs may act primarily as donors in providing only funding, others may offer only technical support. Some NSPs build long term partnerships by giving grants and technical support as needed. Some may have begun as service delivery providers and developed support functions as they became more established, while others may have been established purely to provide support to other organisations. Also, some NSPs may be HIV specific, while others may have a broader remit that includes other aspects of health, human rights and development.

As the HIV epidemic evolves and civil society responds to new challenges, the range of organisations and institutions providing support functions is also expanding. Increasingly, other institutions – donors, governments and multilateral organisations – are seeking to support civil society organisations themselves or are funding established NGO support providers to scale up existing support programmes. This section offers an overview of NGO/CBO support, including the role and functions of NSPs and some of the different types of NSPs currently operating. Some of these subjects are also covered in more detail in other sections of the toolkit.

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