The government has signaled that the co-financing requirement for civil society's aid projects will triple by 2025. This requirement would hit small, non-profit organizations very hard and risks eliminating an entire segment of actors within Swedish development cooperation, write 69 representatives of the Swedish civil society, including Engineers Without Borders Secretary-General Caroline Edelstam.
The government has adopted a new aid strategy for civil society and decided to raise the contribution that civil society organizations themselves must provide. The smallest organizations face the largest increase. For us, this increase means a doubling for this year and a tripling for next year. In practice, this means that non-profit organizations that cannot quickly raise funds may be forced to shut down their aid work - something that will lead to significant consequences for the work of thousands of local organizations worldwide. The article was published March 26, in the Dagens Arena news magazine. Please see a summary of the article in English below, and a link to the article in Swedish.
Summary of the debate article
The debate article outlines concerns from 69 representatives of the Swedish civil and non-profit sector about government plans to triple the co-financing requirement for civil society aid projects by 2025. This change is seen as particularly burdensome for small, non-profit organizations, potentially eliminating a significant segment of actors within Swedish development cooperation. The article highlights that these organizations are skilled at conducting efficient projects with minimal resources, but lack the capacity to quickly generate the increased funds required. The government's strategy, which does not apply similar co-financing requirements to political parties' aid organizations or other aid strategies, is criticized for lacking a consultation or impact analysis with the civil society actors it affects.
The authors argue that the increased funding requirement will divert resources and focus from their core mission of supporting civil societies in developing countries, leading to reduced or eliminated funding for projects. This could undermine partnerships between Swedish non-profits and development countries, counteracting the goal of a vibrant civil society both nationally and globally. The article suggests that the government either misunderstands the consequences of their decision or intends to exclude Swedish civil society organizations from aid efforts, which would be alarming from a democratic perspective. The authors call for the government to reconsider the increase in the co-financing requirement, emphasizing the important role of small, non-profit organizations in achieving diverse, effective, and sustainable development cooperation.
