Sida's top NGO partners

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency is a cornerstone of Sweden’s development cooperation. With a budget of 27.5 billion Swedish krona ($3.2 billion), Sida currently administers more than half of the Nordic country’s aid flows for 2015. To implement its strategies and programs, Sida relies on a variety of partners — including government agencies, international organizations and the private sector. Civil society groups, however, play an especially prominent role in carrying out the agency’s development work. Sida’s support to CSOs is channeled through 18 framework organizations which benefit from predictable, long-term financing. The framework organizations are then responsible for disbursing grants to hundreds of Swedish and non-Swedish partners, in compliance with Sida’s requirements and conditions. Despite being the gatekeepers of Sida’s partnerships with CSOs across the globe, many of these framework organizations remain relatively unknown. So who are Sida’s framework organizations, what do they do, and who do they partner with? Devex decided to take a closer look. It’s important to note that while Sweden’s contributions to civil society are ever-growing and among the highest within the international donor community, Sida and its partners could suffer a significant decrease in governmental support starting next year. Buckling under the strain of Europe’s refugee crisis, the Swedish government recently proposed to redirect as much as 50 percent of its 2016 aid budget to cover in-country refugee costs. Forum Syd Forum Syd is the largest Swedish organization engaged in a framework agreement with Sida, and the only one able to provide grants to CSOs that aren’t affiliated to a framework organization. Forum Syd serves as an umbrella organization for around 160 Swedish CSOs and provides financial support to NGOs in 70 countries across the globe. Forum Syd’s grant schemes come in all shapes and sizes, and proposed projects are usually carried out in partnership with local CSOs. Forum Syd also offers a capacity building program for local implementing partners worldwide, particularly in Ukraine, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Union to Union Swedish trade unions have been engaged in international solidarity work for decades. Union to Union, which coordinates the global development activities of three major Swedish trade union confederations — namely LO, Saco and TCO — is an illustrative example of such a tradition. Active in about 80 countries, Union to Union carries out its development activities through existing trade union structures. Union to Union provides grants to programs and projects whose objective is to strengthen trade union movements, social dialogue and decent working conditions in developing countries — either through awareness raising, capacity building, institutional development or research. Grants are open to unions from developing countries, but project proposals must be submitted through a Swedish LO, Saco or TCO member union. Olof Palme International Center As the umbrella organization for the Swedish labor movement, the Olof Palme International Center counts 27 member organizations which operate in more than 30 countries — including Belarus, Burma, the Palestinian territories, Serbia, South Africa, the Philippines and Zimbabwe. Specific areas of focus include democracy, human rights and peace resolution. The Palme Center proposes three funding streams to its members and their partners: the CSO Program prioritizes women, youth and grassroots groups; the Western Balkans Program helps CSOs in Albania, Kosovo and Serbia increase transparency and accountability; finally, the party-oriented democracy support program supports sister parties of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. PMU Interlife As the humanitarian and economic development arm of the Swedish Pentecostal churches, PMU Interlife is also one of Sweden’s main relief and development organization. Funds administered on behalf of Sida are channelled to churches and Christian organizations in approximately 60 countries, where the money is used to finance a range of activities in the field of education and health. Funding for development projects is usually secured through a long term agreement between PMU Interlife, a Swedish church and a local partner. But in the field of humanitarian work, PMU cooperates directly with local partners running the project. MyRight MyRight is a consortium of 30 Swedish disability organizations engaged in seven priority countries: Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nepal, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. MyRight supports projects that strengthen the capacity of disability organizations in partner countries to effectively advocate for the rights of their members. Funded projects always involve a partnership between at least two organizations which must take part in joint advocacy work. Swedish Mission Council The Swedish Mission Council is a forum for churches and Christian organizations. Through SMC, members can meet, learn from each other’s experiences, and build up their organization’s skills. SMC’s areas of focus reflect the diversity of issues covered by member organizations, which include the environment, peace and conflict, gender equality, religious freedom, HIV and AIDS, corruption, and alcohol control. Afrikagrupperna Afrikagrupperna, or the Africa Groups of Sweden, is an organization with approximately 2,400 members based in Sweden and southern African countries. It has an office in Johannesburg, South Africa, and coordinates closely with local partners in the region. The group takes a thematic approach to its development work, focusing on sexual reproductive rights, natural resources and labor conditions. Implementation of projects is entirely left to member organizations, which are provided with budget support. Diakonia Diakonia is an organization with Christian values that works for sustainable change in the areas of human rights, democratization, justice, gender equality, and peace and conflict. Most Diakonia staff members work in or near the 30 countries where partners operate. While Diakonia does not implement or carry out projects on its own, it is a flexible funder for local partner organizations in need of core funding, project grants, capacity building and advocacy strategies. We Effect Formerly known as the Swedish Cooperative Center, We Effect is a development organization active in 25 countries across four continents — from Guatemala to the Philippines. It acts as a donor and adviser for self-help initiatives in the field of rural development, housing, gender equality and land rights. Working in partnership with local partner organizations is a central aspect of We Effect’s operating model. The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation With some 221,000 members, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is Sweden’s largest and oldest environmental organization. At home and abroad, the SSNC raises public awareness on climate change, nature and marine conservation, and pollution. The organization also has a CSO program through which it helps other environmental organizations around the world promote environmentally and economically sustainable practices. Its local partners are mainly situated in countries threatened by alarming rates of deforestation and land degradation. Svenska Kyrkan Svenska Kyrkan, or the Church of Sweden, is an evangelical Lutheran church with a broad international program covering 30 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. By collaborating with other churches and faith-based organization, the Church of Sweden provides support to initiatives related to rural development, sustainable livelihoods, peace building, and sexual and reproductive rights. RFSU In addition to being Sweden’s main association for sexuality education, RFSU works in several developing countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Bolivia, Georgia, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania. Through financial support and training, RFSU backs organizations focused on sexual and reproductive health. Funded projects are particularly focused on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, youth sexuality, sexual and gender based violence, access to safe abortion, LGBT rights and the eradication of maternal mortality. Individuell Människohjälp Individuell Människohjälp is an organization with a broad mission to tackle the root causes of injustice, and which has active CSO partnerships in twelve countries — Guatemala, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan, India and Nepal. All of its health, education and economic empowerment projects are implemented in close collaboration with local partner organizations. Its CSO support is not only financial, but also encompasses capacity development. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Working at the nexus between women’s rights and conflict resolution, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation supports more than 130 women’s organizations in conflict-affected countries. a number of thematic areas form the core of its field and advocacy work: creating safe meeting places for women whose freedom of movement is restricted; empowering women in society and peace processes; increasing the participation of women in peace processes; improving women’s health; and preventing human trafficking and violence against women. Kvinna till Kvinna provides local organizations with financial sup­port and facilitates contact between them. Swedish Committee for Afghanistan The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan was established in 1980 in response to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. With six offices and 5,000 employees across the country, SCA enjoys a deep understanding of Afghan society. The organization undertakes programs in education, community governance and rural development. Its operations include capacity development, advocacy and service delivery. Check out more insights and analysis for global development leaders like you, and sign up as an Executive Member to receive the information you need for your organization to thrive.