DfID's top NGO partners for 2014

Despite the U.K. Department for International Development’s increasing emphasis on private sector partnerships, nongovernmental organizations remain central to the U.K. aid agency’s aid delivery strategy. Last year, DfID reported that roughly 16 percent of its bilateral program worldwide was implemented by NGOs. As of 2012, half of DfID’s total funding for NGOs was managed by its headquarters, while the other half was managed by country offices. The Program Partnership Arrangements is the single-largest funding mechanism for NGOs managed by DfID headquarters. Under PPA’s current funding round (2011-2016), DfID has approved over 361 million pounds ($546.1 million) in unrestricted funding, or funds that can be used at the discretion of the NGO. PPA is not accepting new applications until next year. In May 2013, U.K. aid watchdog Independent Commission on Aid Impact concluded that DfID’s PPAs had performed relatively well against ICAI’s criteria for effectiveness and value for money, even as it warned that monitoring and evaluation processes had become unwieldy and burdensome for NGO partners. DfID headquarters manages several other funding mechanisms for NGOs, the majority of which only award restricted funding. Funding mechanisms for NGOs which are currently open include: ▪ U.K. Aid Match: provides grants to U.K.-based NGOs for poverty reduction projects in developing countries. ▪ Common Ground Initiative: provides grants to U.K.-based, diaspora-led organizations working to promote sustainable development in the poorest communities in Africa. ▪ Disability Rights Fund: provides grants to support the work of disabled people’s organizations in developing countries. In September of last year, U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening announced a new fund for small and midsize NGOs called U.K. Aid Direct. The application window for the first funding round, which focused on the health Millennium Development Goals, closed in November. Below, Devex ranks DfID’s top 20 NGO partners for 2014, based on spend data published for that calendar year on the U.K. aid agency’s website. Citing security concerns, DfID has withheld transactions for Afghanistan, the sixth-biggest recipient of U.K. aid, from publication. We found that 10 of the groups on this list are based in the United Kingdom, compared with 13 for our ranking of DfID’s top 20 private sector partners last week. The current funding round for PPA was the first to accept applications from NGOs based outside the United Kingdom. 1. PSI Founded: 1970 Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States President and CEO: Karl Hofmann DfID funding: 78 million pounds, including 8.9 million pounds for PSI-affiliate Society for Family Health 2. BRAC Founded: 1972 Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh Interim executive director: Mushtaque Chowdhury DfID funding: 56.9 million pounds 3. International Committee of the Red Cross Founded: 1863 Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland President: Peter Maurer DfID funding: 55.7 million pounds 4. VSO Founded: 1958 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Chief executive: Philip Goodwin DfID funding: 53.8 million pounds 5. Marie Stopes International Founded: 1976 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom CEO: Simon Cooke DfID funding: 42.2 million pounds 6. International Rescue Committee Founded: 1933 Headquarters: New York, New York, United States President and CEO: David Miliband DfID funding: 23.6 million pounds 7. Christian Aid Founded: 1945 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Chief executive: Loretta Minghella DfID funding: 21.8 million pounds 8. Clinton Health Access Initiative Founded: 2002 Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, United States CEO and vice chairman: Ira Magaziner DfID funding: 20.2 million pounds 9. IMA World Health Founded: 1960 Headquarters: New Windsor, Maryland, United States President and CEO: Rick Santos DfID funding: 18.2 million pounds 10. Save the Children Founded: 1919 Headquarters: London, United Kingdom CEO: Jasmine Whitbread DfID funding: 17.4 million pounds 11. PATH Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States DfID funding: 12 million pounds 12. Oxfam Headquarters: London, United Kingdom DfID funding: 11.7 million pounds 13. Sightsavers Headquarters: Haywards Heath, United Kingdom DfID funding: 11.5 million pounds 14. Malaria Consortium Headquarters: London, United Kingdom DfID funding: 11.2 million pounds 15. Camfed Headquarters: Cambridge, United Kingdom DfID funding: 10.3 million pounds 16. International Planned Parenthood Federation Headquarters: London, United Kingdom DfID funding: 9.6 million pounds 17. Concern Worldwide Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland DfID funding: 9.3 million pounds 18. Plan International Headquarters: Woking, United Kingdom DfID funding: 8.9 million pounds 19. CARE International Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland DfID funding: 8.3 million pounds 20. World Vision Headquarters: Federal Way, Washington, United States DfID funding: 8.1 million pounds See our 2013 ranking of DfID’s top NGO partners and our full list of top global development organizations. Check out more funding trends analyses online, and subscribe to Money Matters to receive the latest contract award and shortlist announcements, and procurement and fundraising news.