When donor funding shrinks, how do Uganda’s CSOs stay relevant and alive?

With external support declining (including from major partners like USAID), programmes are stalling even as community needs intensify. On Spirit TV’s Truth, Lies and Politics (Aug 2025), Catherine Mugabo (CivLegacy Foundation), Moses Mulindwa (UNNGOF), and analyst Charles Rwomushana urged a reset: fiscal discipline, policy realism, and serious local resource mobilization. Catherine framed aid as a “painkiller,” not a plan—calling for leadership that demystifies “resources” to include talent, volunteerism, networks, and local knowledge.

The path forward is clear: build from what we have. Double down on community giving, trim excesses, co-create with the private sector, and design lean, resilient models that can breathe through volatility. Act with us—audit your costs, map local assets, pilot a community-giving mechanism, and convene cross-sector partners. Insert the YouTube link to the Spirit TV discussion and invite your board and allies to watch, then commit to one concrete shift this quarter.

To watch the conversation, live on YouTube CLICK HERE: