Civil Society Europe (CSE) has published a document titled "Common Civil Society Requests for Operating Grants (OGs)", which presents the unified stance of civil society organizations within the European Union on the importance of institutional support for their work and sustainability.
CSE emphasizes that institutional support is a fundamental financial instrument that enables civil society organizations to operate continuously, without relying solely on individual project funding. Such financial stability is crucial for developing long-term strategies, strengthening organizational capacity, and ensuring the quality of services and advocacy activities. In the absence of this type of support, many organizations would be forced to focus solely on short-term projects, significantly reducing their overall impact and long-term sustainability.
In this context, the European Union is recognized as a key partner in securing sustainable funding for civil society organizations across the Union. Institutional support represents a tool through which the EU enables these organizations to actively participate in decision-making processes and monitor the implementation of policies. The document therefore appeals to EU institutions to increase investments in civil society as part of a broader strategy to strengthen democracy and citizen participation in public policies.
Moreover, the document offers concrete recommendations to improve access. Key proposals include: reducing administrative burden, increasing predictability and flexibility of funding, and introducing multi-year financial frameworks that are not solely project-oriented. The full document is available at this link.
