Should we start preparing ‘mass graves’ for CSOs?

As funding shrinks and policy headwinds grow, CSOs, especially in the Global South, face an existential crunch. APN’s capacity-building (Nov 2024; 1–3 July 2025, Arusha) exposed the risk: most participants said they wouldn’t survive five years without foreign aid. The provocation “mass graves for CSOs?” isn’t doom, it’s a demand for a new model. The pivot is clear: diversify into community philanthropy, social enterprise, impact investing, and local resource mobilization, backed by storytelling, mapping, and peer learning (e.g., Thubutu Africa Initiatives; DEC–Ethiopia). As Dr. Stigmata Tenga puts it, “Diversifying funding is no longer optional, it is essential.” Adapt now, or watch civic voice fade. Read More: