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Resource library: Supporting grassroots organisations

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Welcome to our comprehensive resource collection dedicated to working with grassroots organisations.

Here, you'll find valuable resources on how donors and organisations can effectively collaborate with grassroots organisations, along with examples of good practices in this area.

People are realising more and more the importance of changing the balance of power in development and humanitarian work. Lots of evidence shows that local grassroots organisations play a crucial role in defending the rights of marginalised people. These groups really understand the needs of their communities because they live and work there. They're also good at being flexible, sustainable, and working across different areas and groups. Working closely with grassroots organisations is key to making development and humanitarian efforts more localised and effective.

Despite their importance, grassroots organisations face big challenges. Their expertise often gets ignored, and sometimes they're only seen as helpers rather than equal partners. They don't get enough funding, and they can face discrimination, threats, and difficulties working with other groups. They might even get shut down if they tackle sensitive issues or challenge powerful interests.

Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 resources
Published: - Guidance document
This programme operating framework explains how to overcome key barriers experienced by organisations of people with disabilities. It was developed to help the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office staff working on programme delivery,…
Published: - Guidance document, Tools and templates
This resource details the discussions and outcomes from three peer-to-peer round tables run by Inclusive Futures in September 2022, involving project officers from international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and officers from…
Published: - Policy paper , Report
This resource examines the current evidence and practice around the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG). It makes recommendations for how prevention programming can be implemented at scale in a way that aligns with feminist…
Published: - Policy paper , Report
This resource summarises the pivotal role played by refugee women-led organisations (WLOs) in preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV). It also examines the systemic barriers WLOs face, in relation to registration, legal recognition…
Published: - Guidance document
This resource from the Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development (K4D) Helpdesk provides information on how government departments can work with civil society organisations in the delivery of international aid. It recommends ways of working…
Published: - Evidence/literature review
This resource from the Knowledge for Development (K4D) Helpdesk examines the issue of management of climate finance in  lower income countries and small island developing states, It makes the case for taking a more inclusive and targeted…
Published: - Report
This resource provides an analysis of the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in Official Development Assistance and an analysis on funder compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons…
Published: - Tools and templates
This resource is a gender assessment tool, based on existing good practice in the development sector, to support gender-specific capacity building with organisations of people with disabilities . It proposes a number of ways this can be done to:…
Published: - Guidance document
This resource provides an analysis of the existing barriers to funding women peacebuilders, as experienced by donors and local women peacebuilding organisations dedicated to building peace, promoting rights, and preventing or countering violent…
Published: - Tools and templates
This resource is designed to be used when working with organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs). It is based on learning from programmes in the international development sector. Organisations of people with disabilities tested this tool.…
Published: - Policy paper
This resource looks at effective funding strategies to support women’s rights organisations (WROs) working on the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG). It makes recommendations based on consultations with 58 WROs working on VAWG in…
Published: - Strategy
This resource is the UK Government’s international strategy on women and girls. It explains how the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) plans to advance rights, freedoms and potential of all women and girls in its…
Published: - Evidence/literature review, Strategy
This resource is a strategy document which reaffirms the UK’s commitment to act as a global leader on disability inclusion and sets out the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s approach towards 2030. It builds on the UK’s…