Are shifting donor policies undermining civic space?
International donor strategies are changing — and the effects are being felt across the Western Balkans.
BCSDN’s new research, Donor Support, Civic Space, and the Future of Civil Society in the Western Balkans, takes a deep dive into how major public donors are reshaping their approaches, and what these shifts mean for the resilience and independence of civil society.
As bilateral and multilateral donors adjust their priorities in response to global crises, and with the abrupt U.S. withdrawal leaving deep gaps in funding, watchdog and advocacy organizations across the region are facing growing uncertainty. The study examines these changes through an evidence-based, comparative analysis of key donors — including the EU, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, France, and the UK — and assesses how international support can better sustain civic space and civil society’s democratic role in the EU accession process.
Key Findings: Donor Divergence and Geopolitical Impact
The report reveals that donor divergence — in both strategies and modalities — is producing uneven access to resources and risks fragmenting the civic landscape.
- USAID’s withdrawal marked a turning point, exposing the fragility of overreliance on a single donor and the absence of coordinated exit strategies.
- EU support, while substantial and stable in scale, remains heavily projectized and intermediated, limiting its transformative potential.
- Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway stand out for providing flexible, trust-based support, yet all face budgetary pressures and strategic downsizing.
The research argues that CSO sustainability cannot depend solely on donor cycles. Civil society must strengthen its citizen base and collective infrastructure — from re-granting foundations and resource centres to advocacy hubs — to multiply influence and protect resilience.
Concrete Recommendations for Action
Essential reading for CSOs and donors alike, the paper offers concrete recommendations on how to:
- For Donors: Safeguard watchdog and advocacy roles by expanding core, flexible, and long-term funding, and coordinate exits transparently and plan transitions with local partners to prevent civic space backsliding.
- For CSOs: Diversify funding sources, strengthen constituencies, and claim political space to assert their role as democratic actors, not merely service providers or project implementers.
Read the full analysis HERE and gain a deeper understanding of the critical turning points for civil society support in the region.